I wasn"t sure that he meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one.
"So you wore Eton blue? Did you meet anyone famous there?" I asked. Yes, I was angling for any gossip about the royals. How could I help it?
"A fair few," he said. He did not name names. Darn it.
"Mostly, I realized no matter the status of your birth, you"re just a teenager living with a bunch of other teenagers, trying to survive p.u.b.erty and homesickness as best you can," he said.
I felt my heart squinch up a bit at that. I didn"t like the idea of Harrison feeling lonely at school or anywhere for that matter. I took another sip of wine to stop myself from impulsively giving him a hug.
"But then there were students like Win," he said.
"Was he a bully?" I asked.
"The worst sort," Harrison said with a shake of his head. "Every school has them but Win singled out the scholarship kids, like me, for the brunt of his wrath. That"s actually where Alistair and I met, too. He had my back then and clearly he still does."
"He"s a good man," I said. Alistair was an attorney who had helped a client of ours when she was pinched for a crime she didn"t commit. That told me more than enough about his character but it was nice to hear that he had always been there for Harrison.
"You can imagine how thrilled I was when both Win and I ended up at Carson and Evers," Harrison said. "I had thought university might have helped Win to mature but no. He"s still just as vile as he was when we were first years."
"But he can"t bully you on the job, can he?" I asked.
"No, but that"s mostly because Tyler Carson is my mentor whereas Jason Evers was Win"s. Jason pa.s.sed on two years ago and Tyler refused to take on Win as a protege," Harrison said. "Reese, Jason"s widow, took him on but it"s not the same and Tyler"s snub grates on Win, but it"s justified. Win is a terrible a.n.a.lyst and an even worse advisor. Be glad I"m your business manager and he isn"t, otherwise, I"m quite sure you"d be broke."
"His personal history makes it seem as if he has only a pa.s.sing familiarity with ethics," I said. "Does Tyler know this?"
"He might suspect," Harrison said. "As do I, but I haven"t been able to prove anything. Win"s family is loaded, and if ever there is even a hint of wrongdoing, the injured party is compensated and the inquiry dropped."
"Does Win know you"re watching him?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," Harrison said. He took a long sip of his wine and then smiled. "And he hates me for it, so I consider that a plus."
"So, most likely, luring me out into the dark and groping me was Win"s idea of revenge against you?" I asked.
"I think so," he said.
"What a jerk!" I squawked.
"In Win"s defense, if one can be made, you are immensely gropable," Harrison said.
I blinked at him and then I started to laugh. Probably, it was the wine going to my head but his words struck me so funny, I couldn"t help but chuckle.
"Why Harry, I think that"s the nicest thing you"ve ever said to me," I said and patted his arm.
He smiled and there was something in his gaze that made the laughter stall on my lips. It was a look ripe with intent, and I knew exactly what his intention was and I didn"t mind a bit.
Harrison and I had kissed before. It had been months ago when he was concussed and I was watching over him, because it was sort of my fault. Really, it was the bad guy"s fault but why quibble. In any event, I had never forgotten the kiss or the way it had made me feel, which was loopy in the best possible sense of the word.
"Ginger, I know you"re not dating-" he began but I cut him off by taking his gla.s.s and mine and putting them down on a nearby table; then I grabbed the front of his jacket and hauled him close.
"But what?" I asked.
Desperation was probably wafting off me like a bad smell. I didn"t care. As a serial dater, I was feeling desperate. Up until now, the longest I"d ever gone without dinner and a movie was two weeks. The past eight months of nada on the man front was making me a little squirrelly.
"I think I need to kiss-" he began but was interrupted before he could finish.
"There they are! I told you they"d be by the fire."
"You did not."
"You said they"d be on the terrace, yeah?"
"No, he said upstairs."
"I did not."
Unbelievable! Our friends arrived now, not five minutes from now, not one minute from now, no, they had to find us right now.
I let go of Harrison"s jacket and smoothed the lapel with my hands. When I turned around, Nick, Andre, Viv, Fee and Alistair were all looking at us expectantly.
"Timing, as they say, is everything," Harrison said from behind me.
I was pretty sure I heard the same disappointment I was feeling in his voice. Then I reminded myself that this was the Universe keeping me true to my word. I had four months to go to make it to one year man free. I would make it, even if it killed me, which seemed more and more likely the more time I spent with Harrison.
"I was just dusting Harrison off from his brawl," I said. I looked at Alistair. "Did Win get some ice for his eye?"
"I left him in the very capable hands of the caterer," he said. "Nasty swelling on his cheekbone. Nice punch, mate."
Alistair gave Harrison an approving look and I frowned. "Don"t encourage him."
"Thanks," Harrison said. When I let out an impatient huff, he added, "For intercepting him."
"The pleasure was all mine," Alistair said. He looked at Viv and flexed his upper arm in a show of strength that was well hidden beneath the layers of his coat. "I saved your business manager from a thrashing."
"Hey!" Harrison protested.
"What?" Nick asked. He ran a hand through his thinning blond hair. "There was a fight and we missed it!"
"Not a fight," I said. "More like a shoving match."
Harrison gave me a chagrined look.
"Who is Win?" Fee asked.
"Harrison"s office rival," Viv said. "A real pain in the ar-"
"She knows about Win?" I asked Harrison.
"She"s visited me at the office," he said. "They"ve met."
"Was he as charming to her as he was to me?" I asked.
"No," Harrison said, leaning close so only I could hear him. "I suspect he"s figured out that you"re something special."
And just like that, all was forgiven, the brawling, the fact that Viv had been to his office and I hadn"t, and that we missed our chance to kiss. Yes, I am hopelessly easy when it comes to flattery. But you have to admit that being called "something special" can go to a girl"s head.
Several spotlights snapped on, illuminating the back terrace, and there stood Tyler Carson. On one side of him was his partner, Reese Evers, and on the other his wife, Ava Carson.
Maybe it was my non-monarchist upbringing but I found the way they stood over the crowd a bit off-putting. Then again, it was their company that made vast sums of money for all of the people in attendance, so I supposed there was a bit of the overlord to them.
"Good evening," Tyler called out to the crowd. "Welcome to the Carson and Evers bonfire night party."
Cheers sounded and I took a moment to study the crowd while Tyler droned on about the business and customer loyalty, blah, blah, blah. He seemed nice enough but mixing in a joke would have helped. I noted that Ava looked to be holding in a yawn and judging by the buzz of conversation in the crowd he wasn"t holding everyone"s attention.
"He"s a lovely host, truly, but I think he needs some new material," Nick said.
"Tyler"s gift is economics not public speaking," Harrison agreed.
"And now, before the fireworks start, we will add our Guy Fawkes to the fire. Together let us burn this effigy to represent all of the distrust and misplaced loyalty in our lives and like a mythical phoenix let us rise out of the ashes and forge a new and stronger relationship out of the old."
"Whoa, that"s a heavy request for a straw man on a bonfire, don"t you think?" Fee asked.
I glanced at Harrison and noted that he was frowning at Tyler.
"You don"t think he heard about your scuffle with Win, do you?" I asked.
"I can"t imagine he would devote a speech just to that," Harrison said. "No, I think there must be something more going on, but I have no idea what; probably he"s trying to win over a new client or fluff up an old one."
Tyler gestured to two men in service uniforms. They wheeled a handcart out from the side of the terrace. It had a big black cloth draped over it.
Tyler followed the men as they awkwardly moved the handcart down the stone steps to the fire pit. He shook hands and clapped some of the guests on the shoulder, smiling as he went with Reese doing the same and Ava looking as if she"d rather be anywhere but here.
The crowd began to ripple with excitement. The energy was almost palpable. I supposed Tyler was right about the symbolism of burning up distrust and discord and forging a new beginning. It reminded me of how I felt on New Year"s Eve when I made my resolution for the coming year. I stood on my toes to get a better look over the heads of the others as the draped effigy pa.s.sed.
On the last step, one of the men tripped and dropped his side of the handcart. It wobbled precariously for a moment and then tipped over. The draped cargo on the cart lurched to the side and then fell to the ground. I heard Ava yell, "No!"
But it was too late. The effigy rolled onto the ground and the black cloth covering it fell away. Instead of the antic.i.p.ated straw man wearing a creepy Guy Fawkes mask with the standard pencil mustache, large nose and pointy chin, however, this effigy was an actual man whose Guy Fawkes mask was dangling by a thread around his neck. With a shock of blond hair and an eye that had recently been punched, I recognized Winthrop Dashavoy in an instant.
Chapter 6.
Reese Evers was the first to react. She screamed and ran down the steps to Win. She knelt beside him and grabbed his shirtfront.
"Win, darling, are you all right?" she asked.
He didn"t respond. The crowd stood frozen in place, waiting to see if he was hurt.
"Let me through, I"m a surgeon." A man pushed his way through the people. He was short and stout with an abrupt manner and a forceful look that had everyone stepping out of his way. He knelt down beside Reese and began to examine Win.
He checked his pulse, his heartbeat, the rise and fall of his chest. He ran his hands over him, pausing at his eye and then he moved Win"s head to the side and examined his neck. The doctor sat back on his heels.
He glanced up at Tyler. I could see Tyler"s jaw was tight and he"d gone a pasty shade of gray even in the warm firelight.
"I"m sorry, Tyler, he"s dead," the doctor said.
Reese emitted a scream that made the marrow in my bones shiver. It was the most mournful sound I"d ever heard as if Win had been forcefully ripped away from her, but then, I suppose he had.
Harrison went to step forward but Alistair grabbed him by the arm, stopping him. "I don"t think that"s a good idea, mate, for either of us."
"I don"t care," Harrison said. Bright red splotches appeared on his cheeks and I could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest. "If I did this-"
"No!" Alistair said. "Absolutely not. He was fine when I turned him over to the girls in the kitchen for some ice, I swear. He was still p.i.s.sed from too much drink and angry that I"d halted the fight, but that"s it. I promise you he was fine."
"Still, he was my colleague," Harrison said. "I have to help however I can."
He turned and pushed his way through the crowd. I didn"t want him to face this alone, so I hurried after him.
Tyler was on his phone to the police. Price, the butler, and more uniformed house staff were keeping the crowd back. Reese was sobbing on Win"s still form, while Ava stared off into s.p.a.ce as if mentally removing herself from the chaos around her.
"Price, let me through," Harrison ordered.
The butler looked at him and Harrison gave him a look that said he would pick up the smaller man and bodily move him if necessary. He gave Harrison a curt nod and Harrison strode forward. I was about to follow when I was hip checked from the side and sent sprawling into the crowd.
"Oh, I"m so sorry," I said.
I pushed myself off the poor old man in the bright green jacket that I"d crashed into, and he gave me a bolstering smile that told me I hadn"t harmed any vital parts.
"Not at all, my dear," he said. "That was the most fun I"ve had in years."
"Uncle Alvie!" The middle-aged woman beside him shook her head at me as if to say he was incorrigible.
I gave them a weak smile and turned back to join Harrison. It was then that I realized who exactly had b.u.mped me into the crowd. Standing beside Harrison with her arm around him while she sobbed into his handkerchief was Tuesday Blount.
Normally, I am a very even-tempered sort of girl, but if you cross me, I can be very grumpy and a little mean. At the moment, the desire to shove my way into their little group and stomp Tuesday"s skinny little behind was fierce and almost impossible to resist.
"No," a voice whispered in my ear. "Not now."
I turned and found Viv beside me. She looped her arm through mine and dragged me through the crowd and back to our cl.u.s.ter of friends.
Andre, who never handles the sight of a corpse well, was doubled over with his head in his hands while Nick had an arm around him whispering soothing words in his ear.
Fee and Alistair were standing up on a concrete garden bench trying to see what was happening.