31. “Skinny Love” - Birdy
“Skinny Love” - Birdy
After Bea leaves, I become dangerous in the suite alone. I try calling Henry, but when the call cuts off after only two rings, I know he’s hung up on me. I don’t want to think about why you might hang up on your wife when she calls while you’re out with another woman.
Eventually I decide to head to my office to work on the correspondence Maisie left on my desk. Maybe by focusing on other people’s problems will help me forget my own.
The corridors are dimly lit by wall sconces.
Most of the staff have already gone home for the day.
We employ only a small group to attend to the bare necessities at night: personal protection officers, exterior security guards, and a few household staff in case of medical emergencies or the need for a late-night snack.
Walking the hallways now isn’t as weird as it maybe should be.
I’ve spent many evenings in my office, trying to stay ahead of everything calling my name.
And what good has any of that done me? I’m currently waist-deep in a mess I can’t find a way out of.
I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t pull us all under and drown us before the year is up.
There’s a noise ahead, and I instantly tense. I’m not being escorted, because Davies’s shift ends right after dinner. It’s probably only a few remaining staff members, but just to be safe, I try to stay as quiet as possible until I know who’s there.
Small alcoves dot the main corridors. Most contain benches where one can have a quick and private rest before entering a state room filled with guests. One of these is up ahead, and I can just make out the two shadowy figures inside.
If they’re staff members, I don’t want to embarrass them. I’m considering turning back when Bea’s voice floats down the hall. It’s quiet but unmistakable.
“I’m so tired of waiting.”
A man’s voice murmurs something in response, but it’s too low to make out. I stand frozen, a complete statue, as they continue whispering. Is this Bea’s mysterious lover, the one she refused to name?
Curiosity mixed with irritation at my own lover makes me snap. I march straight ahead, loudly enough that they hear me coming.
Bea gives a little gasp, but it’s too late to hide. She turns to face me, her cheeks as crimson as the rug beneath our feet. Behind her, Davies gives a stiff bow.
“Your Majesty,” he says quietly.
My eyes skim over them, looking as guilty as the day is long. Bea withers beneath my gaze, but Davies stands tall as ever, his chin jutted out like he’s daring me to find fault with either of them.
“What is going on here?” I ask.
“Celia, please—” Bea starts, but I hold up my hand.
“Are you two seeing each other?”
Bea drops her eyes to the floor, and Davies clears his throat. “That’s correct, ma’am.”
I appreciate his honesty, even if it’s only the result of getting caught. “For how long?”
“Six months,” Bea whispers.
Six months? Six whole months? My brain tries to process this information, but it keeps tripping over the fact that my sister and my personal bodyguard have been together for half a year and I never even suspected.
I lift shaky hands to my temples. This night is turning into a nightmare. Leveling a glare on Davies, I hiss, “You slept with my little sister?”
Bea crosses her arms. “I am twenty-two. That’s old enough to make my own decisions.”
An incredulous laugh slips past my lips. “Did you know he has a fourteen-year-old son, Bea? Surely I don’t need to do the math for—”
“Of course I knew that.” She steps forward, leaving Davies behind in the shadows. “We love each other.”
I shake my head and look down the corridor. If Henry was here, he would help me handle this situation. “Bea, you fall in love with every person you date.”
Her lower lip trembles. “That’s not fair.”
Davies steps out of the alcove. “I love Beatrice, ma’am. And I’m willing to do anything to protect her reputation.”
I swing my gaze to him. “Was getting her pregnant part of that plan?”
“Celia!” Bea cries.
“Not very responsible of you,” I say to Davies. “Especially since you already know the effects children can have on a marriage.” He’s been divorced for over a decade. He once told me his ex couldn’t handle being both a wife and a mother.
His face remains impassive. “I’m willing to do the right thing.”
“Even if it costs you your job?” I can only imagine the chaos that will ensue when this latest scandal hits the papers.
Bea comes close enough to rest her hand on my folded arms. “Celia, please. I wouldn’t do this if it didn’t feel right. He treats me better than anyone I’ve ever been with before.”
“He got you pregnant,” I snap.
“Accidents happen.” Her eyes are wet with unshed tears. “I know this will cause a big scene, so I’m willing to wait until the time is right, but we are going to be together.”
I study her face. I’ve rarely seen her this serious about anything, with the exception of keeping her baby.
If I try hard enough, I can wreck this relationship.
One word and I can have Davies shipped to the Arctic, where he’ll never set eyes on Beatrice again.
But what has controlling ever gotten me in the past?
A temporary reprieve and a lifetime of dealing with angry people.
No one likes being controlled, and the minute you tell someone they can’t do something, the desire increases tenfold.
“Okay.” I hold up my hands. “I don’t know that it will work, but I’m willing to look the other way while you figure it out.”
“Thank you, Celia. You’re the best sister ever.” Relief floods Bea’s voice. I remain stiff as she throws her arms around my neck.
When my gaze meets Davies’s over Bea’s shoulder, he bows his head. “We appreciate that, ma’am. This will not affect my work.”
“See to it that it doesn’t, or you’ll be looking for another job,” I say.
Bea releases me, then steps back until she’s flush against Davies’s chest. It might take a vat of acid to erase the mental image of my sister with my PPO.
I take a deep breath and shake my head. “I’ll leave you”—I wave my hands in a circular gesture I immediately regret—“to it.” Taking several steps down the hallway, I stop and turn back. “And Davies, if you plan to get her pregnant again, at least marry her first.”