by Rose, Louise
“Oh, it was getting a bit too stuffy, so I wanted some fresh air,” I lie. “Romy offered to take me for a buzz on his bike and Archer said he fancied a break as well, so the three of us went for a ride together. After my victory earlier today, I felt like a break from riding.”
“Speaking of your victory,” says Lucas, seemingly buying my story, “well played, guys. I should have known you’d pull something like that. I was planning on doing a sudden move, but I saw Ivy coming up behind me, so if I’d pulled out in front of her, it would have taken both of us out of the race. As it is, an Archaic victory is still an Archaic victory, no matter which one of us won. Well done, wife.”
He puts a subtle emphasis on the word wife as he puts his arm around my neck and kisses the top of my head, letting the others know who really owns me. I could laugh at his naivety. If only he knew what we’d been doing not so long ago, he wouldn’t be anywhere near so smug.
“Anyway, I came to find you because I thought we should break open the champagne and formally toast your win, Ivy,” Lucas says. “I would have done it earlier, but I had to deal with some business.”
“Oh yes,” I say lightly. “I saw you talking to Isabella earlier. Anything wrong?”
“No, no. Everything’s fine.” I’ve spent enough time with Lucas to know when he’s lying and something is definitely up.
“Are you sure? Is everything okay with my father?”
“It’s fine, although he’s going to be staying away for a little longer than planned,” Lucas tells me. “Something’s come up that needs his personal attention, so he’s going to be staying in Italy for a few more days to sort it out. Nothing you need to worry about though.”
“Well, I am just the wife,” I beam brightly, doing my best Stepford Wife impression.
“Glad you’re finally accepting that,” says Lucas, ignoring my sarcasm. “Now come and have some champagne with me.”
He moves to take my hand, but Archer steps forward. “Actually, Lucas, do you mind if I have a very quick word with Ivy? I’ll send her after you in a minute or two. Promise.”
“Haven’t you just been out on a ride together?” say Lucas grumpily. “Couldn’t you have talked then?”
“Come off it, Lucas,” says Archer. “You know it’s impossible to have a conversation when you’re speeding down the road. I guarantee it won’t take long.”
“Fine,” Lucas huffs. “Ivy, I’ll be in the main hall waiting for you. Make sure you don’t take long-–everyone will want to congratulate you.”
He storms off to the hall, leaving me with Archer and Romy.
“What is it?” I ask. “Didn’t you get enough of me earlier?”
“I’ll never have enough of you,” Archer confides. “But that’s not what this is about. Have you had a chance to check out your father’s schedule yet?”
“Are you kidding?” I say. “I haven’t been able to get anywhere near his study. Whenever I’ve tried, Isabella pops up or Lucas suddenly decides we need to be spending quality time together. It’s like they know what we’re planning and they’re deliberately trying to stop us.”
“How could they know?” Archer asks.
“I have no idea,” I reply. “I haven’t talked about it with anyone. So unless one of you has said something, which I doubt, or I’ve been talking in my sleep, which I’m pretty certain I don’t do, it’s just the typical Archaic paranoia coming into play and they don’t like me roaming round the house myself. My father’s always kept me on a tight lead when I’ve been home, so it’s no surprise that Lucas is continuing with that tradition while he’s away. For all that he’s been really nice to me, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was still working with my father on some nefarious scheme.”
“Okay,” says Archer. “Let’s assume you’re not going to get any time to yourself any time soon. I’m going to try and break into Solomon’s office.”
“Don’t.” I shake my head. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I used to work for your father, remember?” Archer assures. “The guards know me, so I can sweet talk my way round them if they see me. And I know a lot of the security codes your father uses for his safes. Of course, he may well have changed them, but he’s arrogant enough to think no one would get that close to him, so if we’re lucky, everything will have stayed the same. I might be able to find something which will help us with our plans.”
I hesitate for a moment, unsure whether I’m comfortable with Archer putting himself in danger like this. “Okay,” I say finally. “I can’t hang around here any longer. Lucas is expecting me. Do what you need. Just stay safe, okay?”
“Always.”
I kiss the top of my fingers and waved goodbye as he turns and heads off in the direction of my father’s study.
“What say you and I go get some champagne?” Romy says, offering me his arm. We walk into the dance hall together, to be greeted by a thunderous cheer.
“Ivy! Ivy! Ivy!”
Lucas walks over and wraps his arm around my waist. The whole touch is seriously uncomfortable for me.
“Congratulations, Ivy,” he says, side-eying Romy, who simply smiles. “I’m so proud of you. You brought the title home for House Archaic.”
“Time for your victory lap!” Romy suddenly bent down and picked me up. Lucas comes and stands by his side and I find myself perched on top of their shoulders as they parade me round the hall. Everywhere I looked there are happy faces, people cheering me on, glad that I’d taken the title away from the boys.
For the first time since my father kidnapped me, I feel like maybe, just maybe, I do belong here.
At last, Lucas and Romy set me down, and Lucas is the one who holds me close. Appearances are all that matter, and it is important Lucas and I maintain a united front. A win for one of us is a win for all of House Archaic.
“Mind if I interrupt?”
Lucas and I break apart as Ally taps me on the shoulder. I turn to face her and she hands me a glass of champagne.
“Can we talk?” she asks. “In private?”
“Sure.” I follow her outside, away from the hustle and bustle of the party. From experience, it is going to go on until the wee hours of the morning, but I am not sure I am going to be able to last much longer. It has been such an eventful night and all I really want to do is curl up in bed with one of my boys. Instead, it seems like there is even more politicking to get through.
“Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot when we first met,” Ally begins.
“You can say that again,” I say coldly. “I don’t like bullies.”
“Yeah. You made that clear.” Ally rubs her cheek, remembering the hard slaps I’d treated her to when I stopped her taunting Milly. “Although if you’d grown up here, you’d understand that’s just how we do things.”
“Maybe it’s time you tried another way,” I tell her. “Now if all you wanted to do is walk down memory lane together, I think I’d rather do that with someone who wasn’t so much of a bitch.”
I move to go back inside, but Ally grabs my arm.
“Ivy, wait. This isn’t how I meant for this to go. We really need to talk.”
I inhale deeply. “So talk and get it over with.”
“You have no idea how much it meant to me, to Taylor, to all us girls to see you cross the finish line first,” Ally says. “That’s the first time a woman’s been allowed to compete in the Bomber Derby and to see you win was incredible. This town has been living in the Dark Ages for too long. Us girls get to ride behind the boys while they take all the glory. Our job is to look pretty for them while they have all the fun. And I say enough. It’s time for the women to stand up for ourselves and take action. I think you’re right. It is time to try another way. Taylor and I have been talking and we want to set up a girl’s House group. My family’s affiliated with House Archaic, which is why I was Head Girl before you, but Taylor’s connected to House Dauphin. If we could get Milly involved and maybe Nicola Navarre, we could create our own team.
With you leading us, people would listen and we could make some real change in King Town. What do you think? Are you in?”
I look at her, considering what she just said. I like the sound of it, but this is Ally we are talking about here. How can I trust her?
“I’ll talk to Milly about it and get back to you,” I finally say.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
The day after the Bomber Derby I wake up late with a thumping headache. People kept refilling my champagne each time I emptied the glass. The cost of all the champagne I’d drunk would probably have been enough to keep Trudy in groceries for a month.
I get out of bed and stumble over to the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I look like death warmed up. I desperately need a shower.
Standing under the jet of hot water, I feel human again. I remember what Ally had said last night about a girl House group. Now that I’ve had a chance to sleep on it, it isn’t such a bad idea. Not only had she bullied Milly for years, she’d been dating Declan before he broke up with her to be with me. How could I trust anything she says?
Shutting off the water, I decide I need to go over to see Milly. She’s known Ally a lot longer than I have. She’ll know whether this is a good idea or another twisted scheme.
I walk out of the bathroom and almost run into Lucas.
“It lives!” he jokes.
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Not now, Lucas. I’m not in the mood.”
“I didn’t think you would be after the amount of champagne you were downing last night. That’s why I’ve made you a full English breakfast, bacon, fried bread, bacon, beans, bacon, eggs, and did I mention bacon?”
“You made it?”
“Well, I got the cook to make it, but it was all my idea and the bacon is particularly crispy, just the way you like it. Come on. Baaaaa-cooooon!”
He finally coaxes a laugh out of me. “Fine. I don’t really feel like eating right now, but since you’ve made the cooks go to so much trouble, I’ll give it a go. I’ll meet you in the dining room in five, okay?”
“See you there.”
Lucas leaves to go downstairs, giving me some privacy to get dressed. I pull on a pair of frayed grey jeans and a T shirt with a picture of a grumpy hedgehog on it with the tagline I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t want to come. It pretty much sums up my feelings at the moment. I’d much rather be having coffee at Milly’s than having to make small talk with Lucas, but I was taught never to waste food, so I was going to have to eat something.
Isabella sits with Lucas in the dining room, the two of them deep in conversation. When they see me walk in they immediately stop talking about whatever is so important.
“Have some food before it gets cold, Ivy,” Lucas invites, pulling out the chair next to him.
I take the seat he offers, looking out at the spread laid out on the table in front of us. There’s enough food to feed an army. I am going to have to disappoint my foster mother. No way am I going to be able to eat all this, not with how delicate I am feeling.
I pour myself a cup of coffee, thick and black. Just what I need. I close my eyes, inhaling the aroma. The caffeinated smell immediately perks me up.
“Isabella was just telling me that someone tried to break into your father’s study last night,” Lucas says. “You wouldn’t have any idea who that would be, would you?”
“Me?” I shake my head, years of lying to foster families giving me the ability to be convincing. “I was too busy partying to care what happened in that part of the house.”
“Well, your father will be back later today,” Isabella informs me. “So he’ll be able to review the security footage in his office for himself. After what happened with your three friends, he increased the number of cameras about the place, so there are a few in his office even the guards don’t know about. You can’t trust anyone, not even highly paid guards.”
“He’s coming back today?” It takes all my willpower not to show how nervous I am at the thought of Archer being caught on camera. It is more important than ever I get over to see him and Milly today.
“Yes,” Isabella says. “He’s finished with his business in Italy and he says he’s been missing you too much to want to stay away any longer.”
“How sweet of him.” I’m proud of being able to keep almost all the sarcasm out of my voice. “What was he doing there again?”
“That’s highly confidential,” Isabella deflects.
“You mean, you don’t know either?” I am being facetious, but the way Isabella’s cheeks coloured tells me I hit a nerve.
“I mean that if your father wants you to know why he was in Italy, he’ll tell you himself,” she snaps. “Lucas, he’s asked that you meet him at the airport. He has a few things he wants to talk about with you.”
“But not with me?”
“He only requested Lucas’s presence,” Isabella confirms.
“Wow. He really did miss me then,” I say. “Fine. I’ll go and see Milly then.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Lucas says, not reacting to my irritation. “But at least have some bacon first. You can’t subsist on coffee.”
I can. But I help myself to a few rashers of bacon, some mushrooms, and a generous dollop of scrambled eggs. Taking a bite of the bacon, I close my eyes and moan. It really is that good.
“I told you the bacon was amazing,” Lucas grins. “It’s the only cure for a hangover.”
He’s right. After a few mouthfuls of bacon, I’m feeling better. I even help myself to a bit more, loving the salty crispiness of it.
“Right. I’m heading over to Milly’s,” I say after I clear my plate. “I’m taking my bike and I’ll be back later today, so don’t worry about lunch for me.”
“Are you sure? I can get cook to make you some bacon sandwiches?” Lucas offers.
“Much as the bacon is awesome, I’ve had enough for now,” I tell him. “I’ll see you later.”
I push my chair back and get up to leave. As the dining room doors close behind me, I could have sworn I heard them mention Archer’s name. The thought of what my father might do if he finds out that Archer tried to break into his study makes my blood run cold.
I want to go see Milly to discuss Ally’s proposal, but now I have to get there to warn Archer he might be in danger.