by Sofia Daniel
I nodded. “I’ve been meaning to speak with him.”
“Do it sooner, rather than later.” He leaned back and winked.
We ate the cassoulet in silence, occasionally making appreciative comments about the rich, meaty, and intensely flavorful dish. Afterward, we were all too full for tart tatin, Françoise’s pudding of the day, so she brought a bottle of Sauternes, a dessert wine from Bordeaux.
Blake raised his glass in a toast. “To love and to wine and to laughter. To forgiveness, to cassoulet, to a happy ever after.”
Françoise threw her head back and laughed while we clinked our glasses. My eyes were locked with Henry’s for several rapid heartbeats longer than I’d held the others’ gazes, and my throat dried. The naked hunger on his face and the unspoken want in his eyes made the pulse between my legs pound.
“Back to serious matters.” Edward’s commanding tone cut through the tension. “We have ten days to deal a blow to Rudolph, and so far, he seems to be ahead.”
“Will your mother be able to afford next year’s tuition fees without help?” asked Blake.
“Possibly,” I replied. “Although I don’t know whose money she uses to buy all those fashions.”
“She seems like an intelligent woman,” said Blake. “I’m not mentioning any names, but I know of a former model whose husband doesn’t give her access to cash but allows her to spend unlimited amounts on fripperies. She has a little side-business where she uses his cards to make expensive purchases and sells the items to other women for fifty percent of their worth in cash.”
My brows rose. Mom would yell at me if I suggested she run a scam like that, and I wouldn’t dare bring up such a subject. In case Blake had been referring to his mother’s arrangements with the prince, I said, “Rudolph probably has an assistant account for every item she’s purchased.”
Blake raised a shoulder. “Quite possibly.”
“I say we corner him somewhere and beat him senseless,” said Henry.
A laugh bubbled up in my throat. “That can be our plan B.”
Blake leaned forward, brown eyes gleaming with mischief. “The sex scandal is probably the best way to get to him. Let him see what it’s like to be drugged and groped at a party.”
Edward held his napkin to his mouth. “Who will volunteer to be the groper?”
“You can do it,” said Blake.
Edward raised his brows. “Why not Henry?”
“My tastes are extremely limited.” Henry turned to Blake. “You do it.”
I clapped my hand over my mouth and laughed. Heaven would be the four of us sitting around the table enjoying Jean-Paul’s cooking and Françoise’s wine, with the boys bantering over silly subjects like penis sizes and who would grope Rudolph Trommel.
We walked back to the academy through the village of quaint shops. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows on the sidewalk. Edward and Blake walked ahead at double speed, chatting amiably about some musician I’d never heard about, leaving Henry to walk by my side on the pretext of protecting me from Mr. Carbuncle, who could be lurking anywhere.
Henry’s hand brushed mine, each touch sending tiny shivers down my spine. We had gone to Maison Saint-Nazaire together once before. Slept in the same bed. Been intimate on several occasions, but there was a newness about strolling alongside him. The kind of butterfly-wings-tickling-the-stomach-lining feeling that I couldn’t explain. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the sounds of our footsteps, and I glanced up into his beautiful face. A mop of blond curls obscured his brow, but I imagined he was as nervous as I.
At this time of the evening, when most of the village stores were closed, only a few older students and villagers walked the streets. The occasional car drove past, but the thoroughfare was mostly silent. I glanced up at Henry, trying to think of something to say, but my mind went blank.
My tongue darted out to lick my lips. Since I had rejected him when he tried to kiss me after we visited his parents, I had to make the first move. I stretched out my index finger and brushed his hand.
The touch of his finger on mine sent a surge of heat between my legs. I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth. What was it about Henry that made my libido race from zero to horny bitch? It had to be that large, athletic body, because right now, I was picturing him naked and pinning me to a mattress. Our fingers intertwined, and he held my hand.
We headed toward the long, straight road that led to the academy. If I didn’t speak now, I might lose my chance. “Henry.”
“Emilia,” he said at the exact same time.
We both exchanged identical smiles. This was such a rom-com cliché, it was ridiculous. Avoiding endless rounds of ‘you first. No, you.’ As we turned the corner, I cleared my throat and said, “Do you think we can—”
“Blake!” screeched a voice in the distance. “Edward!” Charlotte sprinted toward us like a Tasmanian she-devil in her hockey skirt and a low-cut top that offered her ample breasts no support.
My heart sank. If she had abandoned the crutch and sling, then it meant she’d already thought up something more dastardly than faking an injury. I glanced at Henry, the object of her desire, and sighed. Why couldn’t Charlotte take her ostracism like a woman and eat cheese sandwiches in her room?
Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest as she ran. Presumably to pin down her boobs to stop them from thrashing about. I rubbed the back of my neck and wondered if she regretted not wearing a sports bra.
Up ahead, Blake turned back to us and shrugged.
Henry groaned. “What does she want?”
“Nothing good,” I muttered.
Charlotte stopped in front of Blake and Edward, her light auburn hair darkened with sweat. My brows drew together. Had she been run out of Mercia Academy for her transgressions? She doubled over, resting her forearms on her knees.
“Is there a reason why you’re crouching in such an unseemly manner?” Blake tilted his head to the side. “You look like you’re about to give birth.”
Fat tears ran down her cheeks, and she clasped her hands to her chest. “I-it’s Rudolph.”
A jolt of adrenaline shot through my heart. “Rudolph?”
Ignoring me, she turned to Edward. “I lied. He’s my sugar daddy. Philippe and I just slept together a few times before he made the introduction.”
I sucked in a breath through my teeth but kept quiet. Any word from me, and Charlotte would turn belligerent and not want to reveal anything useful.
“Why are you admitting this now?” asked Blake.
She turned to Edward. “Those cameras you had me point out to Mr. Rigley and the police.” She puffed out a breath. “Rudolph called, and he was furious. He says he won’t pay for Father and Peter’s criminal defense.”
I held my breath, waiting for her to reveal more.
“Did you explain that you did it because Philippe left you with the blame for poisoning those girls?” asked Edward.
Her lips formed a thin line, and she didn’t reply. Rudolph was far too wily to instruct his own official PA to put date-rape drugs in the cocktails of underage girls. I’d bet Charlotte did it herself and botched the doses.
Edward and Blake exchanged knowing glances.
“I want revenge.” Charlotte folded her arms across her chest and glanced at Henry. “And you’re going to be the ones to help me.”
Chapter 6
Wiping the sweat off her brow, Charlotte sashayed past Blake and Edward and toward Henry. Her gaze flickered down to our joined hands. Hatred flared across her features for a microsecond, too quick for the eye to process, but it made my stomach drop with trepidation. Acting as though she wasn’t bothered by our closeness, she directed her widest smile at Henry.
I pressed my lips together and tried not to pull a face. Charlotte was telling the truth about Rudolph being her sugar daddy, and I had no reason to doubt her claim. Everything made sense: the tuition fees, the nose job, the liposuction, and lavish gifts. He needed her to hurt me, so he
could hurt Mom who he either secretly resented, secretly wanted to control, or both.
Inhaling deep, calming breaths through my nostrils, I stepped closer to Henry. She might be the key to getting our revenge on Mercia, but I wouldn’t let her take advantage.
“Henry.” She stopped in front of him and pouted. “You’re the only one I can speak to on this subject.”
He stiffened. “You’re better friends with Edward and Blake than with me.”
“They’ve been horrid.” She continued in a babyish tone that seemed more whiny than sexy. “Edward kicked me off the head table, and Blake broadcasted a video of me to a whole campsite.”
My eyes rolled toward the sky. Now she acknowledged that Blake was behind the blowjob video? I was the one who got a mug of hot cocoa in the face and a kick to the diaphragm for his prank.
“What do you have to say?” he asked.
Charlotte shook her head. “I won’t confide in anyone else but you.”
A pained look crossed Henry’s features. It was clear that he wanted to walk past her, but we had struggled to find a way to hurt Rudolph before term ended. I imagined he felt conflicted.
“Why don’t the two of you sit in the back of the car and discuss Charlotte’s plan?” Edward gestured at the approaching limousine.
“Great idea.” Charlotte held out her hand and turned toward the limo. “Come on, Henry.”
Henry gazed down at me. “What do you think?”
“If she tries to touch you, stop the car and walk out. Then she’ll have to deal with me.”
His handsome features morphed into one of those crooked smiles that looked like he was trying not to laugh. The thought of me protecting his virtue probably amused him, but I was serious. Charlotte had gone to desperate lengths in the past to get her claws into Henry. There was more to her attraction than the Bourneville fortune. She still wanted him after he had been publicly disinherited. I expected she’d spent so long watching Henry on the rugby field and fantasizing about his powerful, sexy body, that she’d worked herself into a full-blown obsession.
The limo stopped on the side of the road. Charlotte opened the back door and sat inside, stretching her legs out on the leather interior, giving Henry no choice but to brush past them or walk around to the other side.
A tractor trundled toward us, pulling a pallet full of hay piled about eight bales high. Dust and bits of dried grass flew out from the bundles. I glowered at Charlotte’s smirking face. What convenient timing.
Henry stepped over Charlotte’s outstretched legs, and I headed toward the front passenger door.
“What are you doing?” Edward wrapped his hand around my wrist.
“This is the girl who uses date rape drugs and gives people blowjobs in exchange for information about Henry. I’m not leaving him alone with her.”
Edward let go of me and sighed. “Henry can look after himself.”
“That’s dashed my plans of licking Armagnac off your naked body.” Blake’s dark eyes twinkled with mirth. “You know, he’s escaped worse tackles than Charlotte’s.”
“Rugby’s different. Henry would never elbow a girl in the gut, no matter how annoying or gropey. I have to keep an eye on her.” I opened the limo’s front door. The driver, who wore a flat cap with his black suit, gave a nod of greeting.
Blake climbed in after me. “Move up. Someone has to be there to make sure the catfight doesn’t get out of control.” He turned to Edward. “Are you coming?”
“I have a report to prepare for the Board of Governors,” he replied. “But I’ll see you tonight.”
The limo sped down the road, leaving Edward on the narrow sidewalk. I leaned to the side and watched him in the rearview mirror, strolling toward the academy with his hands in his pockets. “Why didn’t he come with us?”
“Watching Charlotte making a fool of herself for the thousandth time with Henry isn’t anyone’s idea of fun,” replied Blake.
“Except yours.”
“I can never get enough of seeing that girl fail.” He twisted in his seat and slid open a panel.
“You want an English Rose, not American pigweed.” Charlotte’s nasal voice grated on my nerves.
I turned and peered through the gap. Henry wasn’t in sight, and I assumed he sat on the driver’s side to get as far from Charlotte as possible.
She leaned toward him with her skirt hiked up around her hips, exposing her stout, muscular thighs. Her shirt was unbuttoned to the sternum, showcasing a cleavage that would make a Hooters model weep with envy. “I just want what’s best for you.”
After an annoyed huff, Henry said, “If you don’t get to the point about Rudolph Trommel, I’m leaving and walking to the academy.”
Blake gave me a gentle nudge and raised his brows in an expression that said, ‘See? I was right about Henry.’
A tiny smile curved my lips. I hadn’t been worried about Henry succumbing to Charlotte’s dubious charms. Even someone as oblivious as Mr. Jenkins could tell that Henry had no interest in her. But Charlotte was capable of the most heinous acts, and I didn’t want her alone with anyone I cared about. I reached into my pocket.
Blake snickered. “Getting a gun?”
I pulled out my smartphone and pressed the voice recorder app. “I want to make sure we don’t miss anything useful in between her clumsy attempts at seduction.”
“Hobson’s fucking Edward and Blake” Charlotte pulled off her tie. “Did you know that?”
I ground my teeth. What business was it of hers, and how did she find out?
“Stop that,” said Henry. “What is this plan you have to get even with Rudolph Trommel?”
“Don’t you care that she spends her nights in Edward’s room with Blake, while you’re left all on your own?” She spread her legs.
“I’ll bet she’s not wearing any knickers,” Blake muttered into my ear.
“Right,” Henry snarled through clenched teeth. “Driver, stop the car, please.”
I folded my arms and nodded my approval. Charlotte was deluded if she thought Henry would show the slightest bit of interest in her. He hadn’t in all the years she had been pursuing him, and nothing had changed except that her actions had repulsed him even more. The car slowed to a stop outside the academy gates, and the sound of a car door opening filled the back of the limo.
“Wait!” she screeched. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
“Button up, pull your skirt down, and move right back to the other end.”
“Henry…” she crooned.
“Do it!” he hissed.
I jolted. The only time I had seen Henry lose his temper was the time Coates had put Blake in a wrist lock. Even then, he had just stepped forward and punched the other boy in the face. Even that time when boys threw slurs at the triumvirate, Henry hadn’t become as worked up as Blake or Edward.
“What do you want to know?” she asked with a pout in her voice.
“When did your relationship with Rudolph Trommel start?”
As the limo continued through the academy grounds and beyond, Charlotte told a long, rambling tale starting with how juicy Henry had looked in his fireman stripper costume at the Valentines Day party. She revealed that she had seen the four of us disappear into the hidden room and had tried to follow.
Blake leaned into me and muttered, “Thank fuck she didn’t work out how to use the secret lever.”
I shuddered. That would have made for a disastrous evening.
Charlotte explained that Philippe had approached her at the secret entrance and took her to another room for sex. After that, he had sent gifts to her at the academy in exchange for used panties.
“Do you think he gave them to Rudolph?” whispered Blake.
My lips curled. “I don’t want to think about it.”
On the weekend after she had discovered her father wouldn’t be able to pay her tuition fees, Philippe had invited her down to London, where she met Rudolph. I narrowed my eyes. When I visited the Sunday
Correspondent office at the end of last term, one of the interns had mentioned that she’d seen a video of Charlotte confiding in someone that she wouldn’t return to the academy. The meeting must have happened then.
Loud sobbing filled the back of the limo. “I-I was so desperate. Father was scrambling around, selling assets to pay his criminal defense lawyers, and he didn’t care what happened to me. Rudolph offered me everything I thought I wanted.”
“What do you mean?” asked Henry.
She hiccuped. “R-Rudolph said he would pay off Peter’s casino debts and fund Father’s legal defense.”
“What did he want in return?”
“Girls.”
“What?” Henry choked out.
I twisted around in my seat and gaped through the gap in the panel. This had to be an exaggeration. Rudolph wouldn’t be stupid enough to ask Charlotte to bring him underage girls.
“He said his wife didn’t understand him, and they slept in separate bedrooms. He was lonely and needed a little company.”
I drew in a sharp breath through my teeth. Mom had told me she hadn’t slept with the syphilitic lizard, but I hadn’t thought he would go so far as to approach some as young as Charlotte. “Why didn’t he just marry someone else?”
“Because he’s twisted,” muttered Blake.
“And you gave him this company for money?” asked Henry.
Charlotte dipped her head. “You make it sound sordid. I didn’t sleep with him out of enjoyment. I needed to continue my education, and he was desperate to hurt his wife.”
Henry remained silent. How could anyone reply to a comment like that?
“Rudy wasn’t a good sugar daddy. All he could talk about was getting payback. Payback for the gold digger who married him and didn’t love him enough. Payback for his insane bitch stepdaughter who was going to get herself killed.”
A boulder of shock hit me in the gut, and the blood drained from my face.
“What?” said Blake.