Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
The front door of the Cavendishes’ home opened as I stood there lost in my musings.
Theo stepped outside into the bright sunshine. “Are you having our meeting outside on your lonesome or was it your eventual intention to knock on the door?” he drawled in his upper-crust English accent.
I rolled my eyes as I approached the cerebral, sardonic screenwriter. The man had been twice blessed with beauty and intelligence. His golden good-looks and wit were an intimidating combination, but I knew beneath that sarcastic exterior, he was a giant marshmallow who would do anything for those he loved. He was also more obsessed with his wife than any man I knew and that was saying something considering who my family members were. Sarah had softened Theo’s edges considerably over the years.
“I was just bracing myself to face your unique brand of wit,” I replied as I reached him.
Theo’s lips curved upward. He liked when you bit back. “Unique, you say? Always delightful to hear.” He gestured me inside the modern house that had almost the exact floor plan as Fyfe’s. Fyfe had taken the wall down between the entrance and the rest of the space. Seeing the wall still in place in the Cavendishes’ house, I couldn’t help but agree with Fyfe’s choice to open it all up.
I followed Theo out of the entrance and into the main space. The layout here was almost identical. However, much more lived in. Art on the walls, throws over the furniture, colorful scatter cushions, and rugs breaking up the large expanse of hardwood. A gallery of family photographs ran up the stairwell wall.
It made me realize how much softening we needed to do to Fyfe’s home to make it feel … well … like a home.
Sarah Cavendish hopped off a stool at the island, a wide smile on her pretty face. For years, Sarah had been so shy and introverted that I’d never paid much attention to her when I saw her out and about.
It was shocking then once Aria and Allegra welcomed her into our circle to discover that Sarah was stunning in a very English rose sort of way. Long, wheat-blond hair, refined features, and the most striking pair of green eyes. Still, I knew for a fact it wasn’t just her quiet beauty that lured Theo in. Once you got talking to Sarah, you realized she was one of the most intelligent, nonjudgmental people you were likely to meet.
A strangely perfect match for the prickly aristocrat who doted on her. Theo reminded me of a faithful guard dog, who snuggled and loved all over his owner and growled at anyone else who got too close.
I’m not sure he’d find the description flattering.
“Eilidh, it’s so good to see you.” Sarah drew me into a hug. When she released me, her gaze was searching. “How are you?”
The memory of Peter Pryor hadn’t disappeared just because I was loved up. His court case had been set for November. It would be a long few months knowing what the trial would entail: the media frenzy, the reliving of him violating my privacy, his attack …
“I’m much better. It’s good knowing Peter is behind bars and will probably remain there for a very long time.” The Met Police had been in touch regarding the recordings of me they’d discovered on the computer. They needed permission to submit them as evidence. As much of a violation as that was, I agreed. The recordings would never make it into public consumption. At least they assured me they wouldn’t.
“Oh.” Sarah shot a quizzical look at her husband as he came to rest his hand on her lower back. “I meant … I meant about the Jasper Richmond thing.”
My stomach knotted. “What Jasper thing?”
At their sudden discomfort, I huffed, “I’ve been avoiding the internet. I deleted my social media. All so I didn’t have to see people gossip about me. But if there’s something I need to know, tell me.”
Theo nodded grimly and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He tapped on the screen a few times and then handed it over. I hit the video and felt the blood drain from my cheeks as I watched Jasper have a very public meltdown on his social media. In it, he dragged me through the mud. Again! Tears I knew were fake because I’d worked long enough with him to know the difference streamed down his face as he explained how I’d betrayed him in many ways (alluding to the rumors that we’d been in a relationship, which we had not!), and that now his career was stalled because of me. He lied and said I’d gotten him into hard partying and then abandoned him when he needed me. The tears might be fake, but this level of destruction had to be real. No one did this unless their mental health was not at its peak.