Chapter 34
Dawn light barely filters through my window when there’s a knock at my door. I roll out of bed, groaning. I have a massive headache.
Aoife is on the other side of the door, a tray in her hand. “Good morning, miss. Tea?”
“Mmmmfhhh,” I say, opening the door. “What time is it?”
“Six. My orders are to bring this up and help you get dressed if you need.” Her eyes dip down to the skin exposed by my robe, then back up. There’s a sparkle there. “Maybe help you use a little cover up?”
My eyes widen in alarm, and I cross to the mirror. Even in the weak morning light pouring through the small gap in the curtains, I can see the hickeys—one on each side of my neck. Shit .
“I…ah…” I what ? Fell? “It was really hard to get the necklace off last night.”
“Oh yes, I remember now. So very sorry to have bruised you so badly.” She’s hiding her smile. “Was it…was it the dark-haired necklace then?”
I press my lips together to hide a smile. “A lady never necklaces and tells.”
“Well, I don’t tell either.” She mimes locking her lips.
“Thank you, Aoife.”
She rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “If you think this is the first morning I’ve helped someone cover that sort of thing? Or even the first one this morning?” She raises her eyebrows.
I toss her a look that says I bet . “I’m good, Aoife. Thanks. I’ll get dressed on my own.”
I reach into my makeup bag and hastily dab on the concealer. The tea is a dark, peaty blend that I slurp unattractively before shoving a shortbread cookie in my mouth as I open the closet. I pull out a simple lace shirt and a pencil skirt for breakfast this morning. What does one wear to be informed that they didn’t receive a bid while secretly contemplating moving in with a boy she’s not actually dating?
It’s not long until there’s a knock at the door. Aoife has moved on to Clara’s room, so I pull the door open, expecting Edmund. It’s not. It’s Kendall. His presence is like a sonic shock rocketing through my body. Memories of last night slam into me, and I literally stagger back.
“Um hi,” I say, at a loss for words. I hadn’t expected him so soon.
He ’s dressed in a suit, already polished, save for the dark circles under his eyes.
“Good morning, Helena,” he says in a formal voice.
Oh, so it’s business, then. “Do you want to come in?”
He hesitates, but steps into the room, leaving the door conspicuously open.
“I’m just here to deliver this.” He reaches in his pocket and produces a black envelope. For a moment, my heart leaps. “We appreciate your participation, but I’ve already delivered the ten invitations for induction into All Saints. This is your parting gift, contingent upon you signing a new NDA this morning. Your return flight tickets are inside, you leave in an hour, right after a private breakfast.”
I look at the black envelope, wondering how much the check is for. Wondering why I feel suddenly so bereft. I’m somehow sad to be leaving All Saints.
He takes my silence as acceptance. “If you don’t mind packing, Edmund will bring your bags down and there will be a car for you after breakfast.”
“I…thank you. For the car. And the envelope.”
He looks behind him and then quietly swings the door shut behind him, mostly closed. “Thank you for your excellent participation in our scholarship program,” he intones like it’s a memorized line. And then he hesitates. “Is there…is there any decision on what address you might like to have your luggage delivered? If it is…misplaced by the airline?”
I realize it’s his way of asking about my decision.
My eye catches his. I open my mouth to tell him what I’ve decided, when there’s another knock on the door.
Kendall starts like he’s been shot and steps back immediately to pull it open.
It’s Teague. He’s also dressed in a suit, looking rested and dapper. His gaze travels down my body before settling on Kendall.
“I’ve already delivered her envelope and informed her about the car,” Kendall says, sounding annoyed that someone sent Teague to check up on him.
“And I was sent to correct the error.”
Kendall and I swap looks. “Error?” I ask.
Teague smiles, first at Kendall, then at me. It’s a pleasant smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I was sent to deliver your offer.” Teague produces a red envelope from within his own breast pocket.
Kendall looks apoplectic. “I handed out all ten bids already. All ten have been delivered.”
Without speaking, I reach out and grasp the red missive. It’s heavier than the black one.
“Ah, this is the error,” Teague says with a smirk at Kendall. “It seems there was an eleventh bidder last night. Someone added themselves after we left.” He nods significantly at the envelope and then his eyes come up to connect with mine. “Congratulations, Helena. You’ve won the highest bid in over one hundred years. See you at breakfast.”
He turns and walks down the hallway, leaving Kendall gaping after him.
I stare at the envelope before sliding the flap open. The card inside has a staggering number written in glittering silver calligraphy. Someone bid on me. Someone Kendall wasn’t expecting. After all that work, after all his intrigue, someone outsmarted him. And I won’t know who it is until I accept the terms…my question is why?
Why would someone spend this much money to keep me in All Saints? And an even more pertinent question: will I accept the bid to find out?
THE END