Chapter 10
Ten
ARIA
Having to work on very little sleep and with the worst hangover I’d had in ages was less than preferable. Going home to shower to find Allegra passed out on the couch had made me so furious that I had to ignore her or I’d lose my shit. She was still asleep when I left to return to the castle.
Her barging into my office a few hours later was the last thing I needed.
“Oh my gosh, Ari, I am so sorry I fell asleep. How did you get out?” she asked without preamble, all cute and wide-eyed.
I glowered, wanting to blame her for my fragility this morning. And not just the fragility brought on by my hangover, but because I felt stripped naked now that I’d confessed all that stuff to North. Private feelings I had not shared with anyone.
All because Allegra was bored? “You should leave until I’ve had some sleep and don’t want to skin you alive,” I told her calmly.
She winced. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you guys in there.”
“Well, you did. All night. Wakefield, a member of staff that I respect and who, until this morning, respected me, came in to dust the library and found us locked in there. Christ knows what he thinks we were up to, but the two empty bottles of expensive whisky probably have him putting things together I don’t want him putting together. ”
Her eyes rounded, a slight smile curling her mouth. “Did something happen between you and North? I knew it! I knew there was a spark there.”
Fury shot me to my feet, and Allegra’s expression instantly changed.
“You locked me in a room with one of my members. There was no fire escape, no restroom, and neither of us knew North very well. You locked me in a room with a strange man who you are lucky turned out to be a gentleman. Do you understand?”
My sister suddenly looked so very young as tears brightened her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I just didn’t want you to be alone here.”
“Whether I am alone is entirely up to me. Not you. And what you did last night proves to me you are not mature enough to venture out into the world doing whatever the hell you want.” My stomach knotted with my coming words.
“I will not help you convince our parents to let you drop out of college. I don’t think you’re ready.
” She was still way too impulsive and irresponsible for my peace of mind.
Her lips trembled as she lowered her gaze.
I felt like a giant bully. Guilt crushed in on me, but I forced myself to stay firm. “You were accepted into several excellent art schools around the country. I think if LA is the problem, then the better solution is to transfer schools your junior year.”
“Are you going to tell Mamma and Dad what I did?” She met my eyes, anger, disappointment, guilt all there for me to see.
“No, of course not.”
She relaxed marginally. “I really am sorry, Ari.”
I sighed heavily and sat back down in my chair, feeling light-headed. “I know.”
A few hours later, a knock sounded on my door and I braced myself, knowing who it was. “Come in.”
My boss and owner of the estate, Lachlan Adair, strode inside.
The Adair siblings were all tall, blond, and blue-eyed, suggesting a line of Viking blood in their ancestry.
Lachlan, the eldest, was also one of the tallest among them, and his impressive height and good looks had helped him on his path to stardom.
For about fifteen years, he’d played the game in Hollywood, making a name for himself as an action star.
However, he’d retired early from the movies to return home to Scotland and open Ardnoch.
Smart man.
Straightforward, fair, honorable, even, Lachlan was a good boss, and I appreciated he entrusted me with his club.
When his wife Robyn gave birth to their daughter, Lachlan wanted to be home more.
I made it possible for him to do that. Especially now that he’d gone into business with two of his brothers in separate ventures.
It irked me to no end that I had to have this conversation with him.
“Are you all right?” Lachlan asked as he sat down. I leaned against my desk, my hands curling tightly around the edges. “You look a bit pale.”
“I’ve barely slept.” I exhaled shakily. “An incident occurred last night.”
He straightened in his chair. “Is anyone hurt?”
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Just my reputation.”
“What?”
At his confusion, I sat down in the chair next to him. “My younger sister has come for a visit, and unfortunately, last night she played a prank on me and a member.”
“Prank?”
“I was working late, and she lied to me and to North Hunter to get us in the library together after the staff had been dismissed. Then she locked us in. All night.”
“Why?”
This was the embarrassing part. Well, another embarrassing part. “She was trying to play matchmaker.”
“With you and North?”
“Nothing is going on between us,” I reassured him. “I wouldn’t cross the line with a member.”
Lachlan grimaced. “Aria, not that I’m encouraging you to sleep with our members, but I’d be a bloody hypocrite if I enforced a no-fraternization rule between you and them.
I married my head of security’s daughter.
And before that, I’d had relationships with club members.
It’s different for us than for other staff members.
We run in the same circles as our members. Attraction happens.”
“Nothing is happening between me and North Hunter,” I insisted. “But we drank some whisky that I will replace, I promise.”
Lachlan’s lips twitched in amusement.
“And, um, Wakefield discovered us this morning and let us out, and I haven’t explained to him what happened.”
“No need.” My boss waved off the suggestion. “Wakefield is the soul of discretion. He won’t mention it to anyone.”
“You’re not mad?”
“That depends on North Hunter’s response.”
“He is …” I felt a pang of emotion I didn’t quite understand. “An easygoing guy. He didn’t seem to be put out by the situation.”
Lachlan grinned. “Oh, I bet not.”
I could feel my cheeks heating and was glad my olive skin didn’t blush. “Well, I was thinking we should compensate Mr. Hunter for his night. Maybe even a few nights.”
“Make the entire week complimentary.” My boss peered at me. “Is this why you called me in?”
“Yes, in part. The other thing is that there was no way out of the library once we were locked in. If there was a fire and someone got locked in there, it’s a problem.”
Lachlan nodded. “It came up when we were refurbishing the castle, and the windows were enough to pass fire inspection. Plus we’d thought the likelihood of anyone getting locked in there was slim.” I flushed again at his dry tone, cursing my sister to hell. “What do you suggest?”
“I think the least intrusive idea has some expense to it.”
“Go on.”
“I think we should convert one of the windows into a door.”
Lachlan nodded again. “Aye, that sounds logical. I’ll deal with it.”
“Are you sure? I can handle it.”
“No, it’s fine. I have a contact who helped refurbish some windows years ago. I’ll call you to let you know when they’ll be out to measure. Is there anything else?”
“That’s it for now.”
“Great.” He stood, towering over me. “Now go home.”
I gaped up at him. “What? Now?”
“Aye, now.”
“But I have work.”
“I’m here. I’ll handle what needs to be handled. You go home and sleep.”
“But—”
“No buts. Go home.”
“Oh my God, please tell me you did not get fired?” Allegra asked as soon as I walked through the door.
“No,” I grumbled as I kicked off my heels. “Lachlan sent me home because I haven’t slept. I had to tell him what you did in case North complained.”
“Why?” Allegra whined. “Now he’s going to tell Dad.”
Our father was on the board of the estate, and he and Lachlan were good friends. “I swore him to secrecy.”
“North wouldn’t have complained.”
“Oh, and you know this from the five seconds you’ve spent in his presence. If he didn’t complain, Wakefield might have felt obligated to tell Lachlan. Anyway, it’s done.”
“Like I’m done,” she said forlornly.
“My head hurts,” I whimpered, striding past her into the kitchen for a bottle of water.
My pulse was racing before I even said, “But it’s time to call our parents.
” There was nothing I hated more than playing referee in the middle of Allegra and Mamma and Dad.
But I’d taken on that role a long time ago, and as mad as I was at my sister, I couldn’t let her deal with them alone.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“While you’re in a mood?”
I spun on my sister. “Just because I’m pissed at you doesn’t mean I’m in a mood.” I was so in a mood. “What you did crossed a line.”
Allegra tilted her chin defiantly. “I’m sorry if I got you in trouble at work, but I’m not sorry for trying to push you out of your comfort zone.”
I will not strangle my beloved sister. I will not strangle my beloved sister.
Instead of answering (because I was afraid I might eviscerate her with my words), I took a massive chug of cold water and then strode over to where I’d left my purse. Grabbing my cell out of it, I intended to video call Mamma first.
Allegra wrapped a hand around my wrist to stop me, her eyes pleading. “I know I made a mistake. But I still really don’t think college is the answer.”
I studied her face, the tired eyes, the weariness in them that scared the hell out of me. “You’re nineteen. Legally, you’re an adult. If you want to drop out, you can. But that’s a conversation you’ll need to have with our parents on your own.”
“They don’t listen to me.”
“If you’re mature enough to drop out of college, you’re mature enough to handle Mamma and Dad on your own.”
Allegra glowered at me for what felt like five minutes. Then she threw her hands up. “Fine! I got into the Rhode Island School of Design. Maybe I could transfer there my junior year.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And you’d be cool with that?”
She considered it. “It’s not like I have to give up Lucy Stella, right?”