Beautiful Illusions Duet Bundle: Eighty-One Nights and Beautiful Ever After

by Georgia Cates

  Mrs. McVey said that Lou was upset after Blair’s visit. That bitch did this. She knows what happened. I’m certain of it and she’s going to tell me.

  The drive to Doug and Blair’s house takes far longer than I’d like. Traffic is always a killer this time of day. It’s always been one of the reasons that I often stayed late at work. That and my lack of desire to go home to Mina. But it’s been different with Lou. I wanted to leave work sooner so I could spend the evenings with her.

  Doug and Blair have no staff members in their home so it’s Doug who answers the door when I knock. “Max. This is a surprise.”

  I’m guessing that it’s a surprise for him but not his wife.

  “I’ve come to see Blair. Is she home?”

  “Aye, we were just sitting down to dinner. Come in and join us.”

  I enter the house and follow my brother-in-law to the dining room. Blair smiles when she sees me as though she didn’t just turn my world upside down. “Hello, Max. I wish that you’d called. I would have set a place for you.”

  She wishes that I’d called before showing up at her door? That’s rich coming from her.

  “What happened with Lou when you came to my house today?”

  Blair places her hand on her chest. “Oh dear. Is everything all right?”

  “No. I came home from work and she was gone.”

  “Well, you know how those kinds of people can be. They find other positions and move on without any notice at all. They’re an unreliable lot of people.”

  “Mrs. McVey said that she was crying after your visit.”

  “I’m sorry, Max. I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “Did you have words with her?” Again.

  “We spoke briefly but the conversation was friendly.”

  Fucking liar. How do I know? Blair is never friendly.

  I don’t know why I came here. Blair is never going to admit to anything that might have prompted Lou’s desertion. She’s made it very clear that she doesn’t want her around.

  “I’m sorry to have interrupted your dinner.”

  Blair gets up from the table and follows me. “Don’t go, Max.”

  I stop when I reach the front door. “I have to find her.”

  “You shouldn’t worry about her. She’s just a housekeeper. You won’t have a problem finding another one.”

  Every word out of Blair’s mouth is wrong. “You shouldn’t make statements about things you know nothing about.”

  Five steps. “Max.”

  Five more steps and her voice isn’t quite so soft. “Max…”

  Five more steps and she screams my name the same way Mina did when she didn’t get her way. The sound sends a chill down my spine.

  Ignoring Blair’s shouts, I stalk toward the car. Once inside, I punch the back of the passenger seat in front of me. “Fuck!”

  Calvin looks ahead and is silent.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No worries, sir. We’ve all been there.”

  I already hated that bitch, but my previous feelings were nothing compared to the rage I feel toward her right now. She’s the reason Lou is gone. I know it without a bit of doubt.

  Think, think, think. Where would Lou have gone?

  Home. It’s the only reasonable answer.

  “You drove Lou to her flat once?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you remember where?”

  “It’s been a while, but I think I could manage to find it again. Would you like me to take you there?”

  “Aye.”

  A wee bit of the panic that I was feeling subsides during the drive to Lou’s flat. I’m confident that this is going to be all right. We’ll talk it out, and I’ll make right whatever way Blair wronged Lou.

  “This is it, sir.”

  Damn. It’s a large building with many floors. “I don’t suppose that she would have indicated which flat is hers?” It’s a stupid question but I have to ask.

  “She didn’t, sir. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right.”

  I get out and go to the front entrance. As expected, it’s locked.

  What the fuck do I do now?

  Wait. I wait for someone to come out or enter. There’s no other choice.

  Five, ten, fifteen minutes pass and a tenant finally comes out of the building. Thank fuck.

  “Excuse me, sir. I’m looking for a tenant in this building. A woman. Twenty-three years old, small frame, long brown hair and hazel eyes. A real stunner.”

  “You just described at least a dozen women in this building.”

  “Her name is Cait.”

  The man shrugs. “I’m sorry. The only Cait that I know in this building doesn’t match your description.”

  “What about two roommates? Cait and Rachel?”

  He nods. “Aye. I know who you mean. They stopped coming around. I think they moved out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “No. I only know that I used to see them a lot, and now I don’t anymore.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  All right. This has turned out to be a dead end, but Inamorata won’t be. Cora will be my saving grace. She knows everything about Lou’s real life.

  “No luck, sir?”

  “No, but Inamorata is our next stop. I’ll get the answers I need there.”

  The young woman sitting at the front desk of Inamorata is a new face. “I’m here to see Cora.”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No, but tell her that Maxwell Hutcheson is here to see her.”

  “All right. Please have a seat while you wait. You’re welcome to help yourself to a whisky if you like.”

  Aye, I could stand a wee bit of the water of life.

  “You can go in, Mr. Hutcheson. Cora will see you now.”

  Finally. Something is going my way.

  “What a lovely surprise, Mr. Hutcheson. What may I do to help you?”

  “I’m here about Lou.”

  “Aye, your contract is ending at midnight. You’re here to talk about extending it?”

  No. I’m done with that nonsense. “I’m here to get Lou’s contact information.”

  Cora’s head tilts and her brows tense. “Why would you need that information? Are you not presently in contact with her?”

  “She left today, and I don’t know how to reach her.”

  “You don’t have her mobile number?”

  “Aye, but she isn’t answering.”

  “She’s still in contract with you. Why would she not be taking your calls?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You’ve not had any problems prior to today?”

  “None.”

  “Do you think that she’s in any kind of danger?”

  “No, I don’t think it’s anything like that.”

  “That’s strange. Give me a moment and let me see if I can find out what’s going on.”

  Cora places her glasses on her face and watches her computer screen as she types on her keyword. No doubt, she’s opening Lou’s file—Lou’s file that contains all of her personal data. Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to have a look at that information.

  Cora picks up the phone and enters a number. “Lou, this is Cora. I have Mr. Hutcheson in my office and he’s very upset. What is going on?”

  Cora nods as she listens to Lou talk. Fuck, I want to reach over her desk and swipe the phone out of her hand. This is between Lou and me. Cora really has no part in it.

  “I understand. I’ll take care of it.”

  Cora ends the call. “All right. She explained everything and this problem is easily solved.”

  Thank fuck.

  Cora takes out a leather binder and writes down Lou’s information.

  “This should take care of it.”

  She tears the paper along the perforated line, and I look at the check she’s handing to me. “What is that supposed to be?”

  “You’re short a day of the contracted time frame. It’s a refund.”


  “I don’t want a fucking refund. I. Want. Lou.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Hutcheson. That isn’t possible.”

  “Why the fuck not?”

  Cora places the check on her desk and pushes it toward me. “Your refund, Mr. Hutcheson.”

  “I told you. I want Lou. Not a refund.”

  “Take the refund or don’t.” She shrugs. “Makes no difference to me.”

  “I need you to tell me where Lou lives.”

  “I’m not going to do that.”

  She wants money. “How much?”

  “How much what?”

  “How much money is it going to cost me to get her address?”

  “I’m not withholding Lou’s information because I want your money. I run a business that is based upon trust and privacy. I’m obligated to keep all personal information private. I can’t give that kind of information to clients. Surely, you understand why.”

  “I’m not just any client.”

  “No, you certainly are not. I’ll give you that.”

  “I’m not here because I want to stalk Lou. I’m here because I love her.”

  “I believe you, Mr. Hutcheson, but it changes nothing. I can’t disclose her private information.”

  What the fuck do I do now?

  This isn’t happening. The woman I love didn’t just walk out of my life without a trace. I didn’t just hit another roadblock in my only real lead.

  “I can’t let her go.”

  “I appreciate your attachment to Lou. I do. And I’d love nothing more than to see you find her and work this out. But it can’t be with any information from me. You’ll have to find her on your own.”

  “And how do I do that when I don’t even know her real name?”

  “You’re a wealthy man who always gets what he wants. I’m sure that you’ll come up with something.”

  I leave Cora’s office, walking like a zombie to the car. I get inside and sit there. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking.

  Fuck, I’m such a wanker.

  Lou told me that she loved me. I had the perfect opportunity to tell her how I felt, and I let it slip through my fingers.

  It’s no wonder she left. Why would she stay?

  Lou entered my life and became my world. I fell in love with her and now she’s gone. But this isn’t over. I’m not letting her go like that. At least not without telling her how I feel.

  I phone Brady. Damn, I’m lucky that conniving son of a bitch is my best mate. He’ll know what to do next.

  37

  Caitriona Louden

  I don’t understand. What happened? Where are you? We need to talk. Why have you left me? We aren’t finished. I have so many things to say to you.

  Hutch’s texts wrecked me. Wrecked. Me. And it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I blocked him. I had no choice—I can’t bear to read any more of his messages when I already know that I can’t respond.

  “I’m so sorry about this, Rachel. I don’t mean to intrude on you and Claud, but I have nowhere else to go.”

  I could have gotten a hotel room. I have plenty of money, but the truth is that I couldn’t stand the thought of being alone tonight. I need Rachel. She’s the only constant in my life. The only support I have.

  “Don’t worry about it for a second, Cait. Claud and I don’t mind. You can stay here as long as you like.”

  Claud’s house is enormous. I could stay in one of the wings and never run into either of them, but I still feel like I’m intruding.

  “I’ll start looking for a place tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow is a wee bit soon. I think you need time to decompress before you jump into something as stressful as looking for a place to live.”

  “Claud’s being very kind by letting me stay here. I don’t want to interrupt his life. Or yours.”

  “You won’t be interrupting anything. He’s going out of town tomorrow for a week. You and I can catch up on our girl time.”

  As much as I love being with Hutch, I’ve missed Rachel. “I would love that.”

  “You didn’t bring a bag. What do you need?”

  I ran out of Hutch’s house without packing a thing. I grabbed what I couldn’t live without and ran like someone fleeing a house fire. “I can get by tonight if you’ll give me something to sleep in. Any old thing will do.”

  Rachel laughs. “I think you know that Claud has seen to it that I don’t have any old thing.”

  “Right.” Just like Hutch saw to it that I didn’t have any old thing.

  “We’ll go shopping tomorrow and get everything you need.”

  “A fresh start sounds like a good idea.”

  “Do you want something to help you sleep?”

  “You know what? I think I do.”

  I’m not sure what kind of medicine Rachel gives me. And I don’t care. I want to turn off my mind and not think about Hutch and me.

  I stare at the ceiling in the dark, waiting for my sleep aid to kick in, and I’m reunited with an old familiar feeling—the ache of heartbreak. I can’t believe that I’m in this place again, and what’s worse is that it’s my own fault. I did this to myself.

  I didn’t want to see the truth because doing so would mean that my beautiful illusion would be destroyed. I believed the voices in my head telling me that I was worthy of love, that I was deserving of good things, that I was good enough for Hutch. And I believed the lie. Because I’m a foolish woman.

  Truth hurts. But it always wins. And the truth is that Maxwell Hutcheson may not always be in my life, but he’ll always be in my heart.

  II

  Beautiful Ever After

  38

  Maxwell Hutcheson

  Lou. She came into my life and became my world. My everything. It’s that simple.

  Brady opens the door and shakes his head when he looks at me. “You dumb bastard. You were supposed to fuck her and let her go when the arrangement ended.”

  “Aye, that was the plan.” But plans change. And mine certainly did.

  He steps out of the doorway, making room for me to enter. “Get the hell in here, and let’s sort out this fucking mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  “Aye, but whisky first.”

  Brady pours two Tomatins and I toss mine back before he picks up his glass. “Hit me again, mate.”

  He pours another whisky three fingers high, and I throw it back, same as the first.

  “Another?”

  “No.” I can’t be steamin’ while we try to figure out what the hell I’m going to do.

  I place the whisky glass on the table and run my palms down my face, groaning. “Everything was fine this morning. We were fine.”

  We. Were. Fine.

  “Maybe you were fine but she wasn’t? Did anything seem off?”

  “She was crying this morning when I woke up.”

  Brady chuckles. “When a woman cries, it’s usually a strong indication that she definitely isn’t fine.”

  “It sounds bad when I say it aloud, I know, but we talked and everything seemed to be all right. She stopped crying and we had sex… and everything seemed okay. Before I left for work, I told her to choose something special for tonight, and she told me that she would. She was okay.”

  “Why were you doing something special tonight?”

  “Our Inamorata arrangement was ending at midnight.”

  “Ahh… I hate to break it to you, you brilliant motherfucker, but I think your inamorata left because she didn’t want to go through saying goodbye.”

  “But I wasn’t going to say goodbye. I was planning to ask Lou for a real relationship. No contract or any of that other Inamorata shite.”

  “I figured as much. I’ve seen that one coming for a while.”

  “I don’t think avoiding a goodbye was Lou’s reason for leaving early. Mrs. McVey told me Blair came to the house. She said Lou was in tears afterward.”

  “So you find Lou and straighten out this mess. Ask her to be your girlfriend or whatever it
is you want out of a relationship with her. Problem solved.”

  If only it were that easy. “Finding her is going to be difficult when I don’t know her last name or where she lives.”

  “Cora knows.”

  “Already been to see her. She won’t tell me anything.”

  “That’s not surprising. The survival of her business is dependent upon discretion and privacy. Without those things, she has nothing.”

  “I understand Cora’s position and I’m not angry at her.” She called Lou on my behalf. I can’t ask more of her than that.

  “Let’s go over what you know to be fact. What do you know about Lou’s life outside of Inamorata?”

  “Her real name is Cait. I’m sure it’s a shortened version of Caitriona. Or maybe Catherine?”

  “All common names so that’s not helpful.”

  Her father and his family live in Edinburgh, but I don’t remember ever hearing her call them by their names. Also not helpful.

  “Her best friend’s name is Rachel.”

  “I met Lou’s best friend at the cocktail party, and she introduced her as Meg.”

  “Meg would be her Inamorata name. Her real name is Rachel. I confirmed that when I went to the building where they used to live. A tenant remembered a pair of roommates named Cait and Rachel who recently moved out.”

  Brady’s eyes narrow the way they always do when he’s in deep thought. “Their former landlord might be able to tell you their last names. Or a forwarding address. Unless, of course, he’s upstanding and respects their privacy enough to withhold that information.”

  “He could probably be bought.”

  “And if he can’t?” Brady asks.

  “She was planning to return to the University of Edinburgh. Maybe I could use that as a way to find her?”

  “Without a last name, that’s no help. You’re reduced to walking around campus, hoping you’ll see her.”

  Ian will be there. I could ask him to be on the lookout for her, but he’d ask why she left me and why I have no idea how to reach her. I don’t want him to know the details of our relationship.

  Those details are our secret.

  “She has an ex-boyfriend. His name is Cameron Stewart. He’s a bartender and works in Edinburgh. Or at least he did.”