Chapter 18 #2
Keir speaks after a moment and I almost jump at the sound of his voice. Preoccupied as I was with the local flora, I nearly forgot that he was even here.
“I want you to try to calm Isla down when we get to her school. I have to take the principal out back to the woodshed and I would rather Isla not see me make the man cry.”
Squinting at him, I frown. “Is that why you brought me along?”
“What kind of question is that?” he mutters.
Folding my arms across my chest, I give him a look.
“It seems like you are taking advantage of the situation. I don’t know if I have to remind you of this, but I am not supposed to be taking care of Isla.
I’m here because you insisted that it would make the investigation that the journalist was doing go away.
Since then, I haven’t heard a single word about it.
I’m starting to think that you just wanted a nanny and the best way you could think of to get one was trick me into it. ”
He slams on the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt stop. I glance at him, my eyes going wide. He looks at me.
“That is not what is going on here. I wouldn’t just dump my daughter off on a random stranger. That’s what Kingsley did. And I will never be so foolish as to think that anyone else cares for Isla the way I can.”
He says it sternly, his blue eyes blazing and pinning me in place. Then he shuts up and stares at me, seemingly waiting for some response from me.
I swallow. “Keir, you seem to think that you are special and the exception to the rule on almost everything. But I have been around the upper class before. I just came from that world, from the elite ballet world and the very rich patrons that support it. I have seen rich men before. Hell, I even dated one. And my experience is that if you don’t speak up for yourself and put boundaries in place, you’ll be stepped all over in a flash. ”
He cocks an eyebrow. “I thought I made myself perfectly clear on the plane. I slipped up when I spent the night with you before. It’s not gonna happen again. I just need to make sure that the journalist didn’t alert anybody else about the sex tape, that’s it.”
“Whatever,” I say. I roll my eyes. “You can say whatever you want. But I know about rich men. You sleep with them one time. And then they think they own you. Let me tell you what… You don’t own me.”
His brows hunch. “I thought you were a virgin…”
Flushing, I shake my head. “I am. I mean… It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you understand my role here.”
He glares at me. “I understand all right. No need to explain. Once I am sure that we’re in the clear, you’re on the first plane back to New York City.”
I open my mouth to protest. But he suddenly floors the Range Rover, making me hang on for dear life as the car accelerates.
Before I can ask another question, we come around the rise of a hill.
There in the valley below us spreads out a winding road with tall trees on each side and a large white building nestled just behind them.
I can make out its shape and as we get a little closer, I see that it is three stories and nearly as grand as the castle itself.
I am not sure what to expect, but Keir puts his foot down on the gas pedal, practically racing once he can see the school.
As we pull up in the neatly manicured driveway, my eyes are glued to the building itself.
White limestone makes up most of the exterior walls and the whole building is flanked by the dark green forest. All in all, it’s a very arresting building with a large domed entryway and two twin flags just on either side of the doorway.
Before I know it, Keir is throwing the car into park and storming up to the entrance. I take my time getting my seatbelt off and climbing out of the car. He stops and looks back, impatiently beckoning toward me.
I flush as I hurry forward, eyeing him. He is still dressed in what I have come to think of as his uniform: crisp white shirt, dark suit, dark tie. With his hair carefully slicked back and his blue eyes radiating anger, I have to admit that he is pretty damn hot.
For an asshole, anyway.
Straightening my dress, I swallow and hurry up the steps after him. When I hit the landing, Keir is already raising his voice, addressing a man in a blue suit with a yellow bowtie who looks like the picture of a college professor if you looked him up in the dictionary.
“Now, Lord Grayrose,” the man is saying. He holds his hand up to stop Keir in his tracks but Keir only looks as if the man’s words are adding fuel to his already high burning fire.
“Dr. Martin,” Keir says, his voice rising in pitch. “Bring me to Isla right now or I will be forced to do something drastic. You don’t want to mess with me on this.”
Dr. Martin swallows and bows slightly, running his finger around his neck line.
“I think we should talk before I bring you to see her. She’s had behavioral problems before.
But nothing that rose to this level. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to have some serious consequences for this.
We can’t tolerate bullying and it’s not fair to Isla or to the other students to let them think that this behavior goes unnoticed by the adults. ”
Keir stays contorted with rage. He lurches forward toward Dr. Martin, who at the last moment jumps out of the doorway.
Keir continues right through it and I chew on my lip as I follow.
Dr. Martin glances at me, frowning a little, and then hurries after Keir.
The entryway opens into a long hallway on either side of the door, rows of white walls and classroom doors on one side and black school lockers on the other.
“Where is she, Martin?” Keir bellows. “Isla!”
“Lord Grayrose, if you will just listen to me for a moment…” Dr. Martin calls after him.
A door opens at the end of the hall and Isla runs out, fully in tears. She’s wearing her long gray skirt and a preppy gray t-shirt, looking every bit the Catholic school girl. Her hair streams behind her as she bolts towards us, seeing Keir and knowing that her sanctuary is here.
Keir kneels down and opens his arms, catching Isla. She is sobbing a little bit as he picks her up and presses her face into his shoulder. He shoots an imperious gaze at me and then glares at Dr. Martin.
“This isn’t over,” Keir sneers. “You’ll be hearing from my attorney.”
Dr. Martin swallows, but takes a deep breath. “Isla cannot be allowed to bully other children. Taking her out of school like this is not going to solve her problem. If anything, it will probably make her worse.”
Keir looks so angry that he could literally spit. I step in, putting myself between Keir and Dr. Martin, trying to ease the tension. “Thank you, Dr. Martin. We are hearing what you’re saying. We will take your suggestions seriously. Right, Keir?”
Keir’s face twitches. Instead of answering me, he spins on his heel, Isla sobbing softly in his arms. He marches out of the hall and heads down the stairs. I am left awkwardly bowing to Dr. Martin and scurrying after them, my mind whirling.
I want to ask Isla what happened. But she is obviously upset, crying and throwing a full-blown tantrum once he buckles her into the backseat. So, I look out the window and start to piece a few more pieces of their puzzle together.
Still it leaves me with a lot of questions. Namely, where is Isla’s mom? Does she know that Isla is struggling? And how does Kingsley fit into all of this?
I’m not sure I will ever know, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering.