8. Chapter 8
The next morning, I opened my door to find Jack leaning against the wall outside my bedroom, arms crossed casually across his chest. He looked me over once, the corner of his mouth ticking up in a smile that gave away the fact that his perusal wasn’t only to assess my wellness.
Apparently, my lilac Stella McCartney sweater with jeans and ankle boots had done what I’d hoped they would. He followed me to the breakfast room.
“What’s our plan for the day?” he asked, opening the door. Inside, I spied a glimpse of Darcy seated across from Elizabeth Bennet.
“Nope, not hungry,” I muttered, walking past the door.
Jack let it swing shut and caught up to me in two strides.
"Want to hit up a restaurant?”I asked.
“You’re the boss.”
I groaned. “Stop reminding me.”
He laughed. “I wish I could forget about that fact, too.”
I appreciated the lighthearted banter. As much as I pretended I didn’t want him to be working for me, it was much safer this way.
I could enjoy his company and flirt with him, but I never had to put my heart in jeopardy because there was no chance of it going anywhere.
As long as he was my employee, he wouldn't have the power to hurt me.
I shot Sydney a quick text to let her know where to meet us and we walked outside. The morning was chilly, though there was no ice on my windshield when we reached my Audi thanks to the frost-resistant spell on it.
“Want me to drive?” Jack asked.
“Sure.” I tossed him the keys.
He sank into the driver’s seat and covered his mouth as he yawned.
“Have you been comfortable at Netherfield?” I asked.
He shrugged as he adjusted the rearview mirror. “The room is great, but I’m still wary about there being a killer on the loose who has already gained access to the house once. I may have been patrolling the hall a few times during the night.”
My heart gave a little flip. “Thank you for looking out for me.”
“Thank you for letting me.” He was giving me that intense look again, the one that made my eyes drift to his lips.
I cleared my throat. “You probably need a day off at some point. Let’s look at the calendar this afternoon and figure out a time for you to get some R&R.”
He shook his head. “I’m fine, honestly. I don’t need a break.”
“Okay. But promise to tell me if you need a night off, all right? As much as I hate being guarded by Charles’s guys, I can tolerate it for a night while you rest up.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know if I need it.” He looked as though he might say something else but stopped himself.
“What is it?” I asked.
He glanced at me long enough to draw me in with those amber eyes before turning back to the road. “Remember how I’m in it for your physical and emotional well-being?”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Why is it I feel like you’re going to tell me something I don’t want to hear?”
“Because I’m about to tell you something you don’t want to hear. You should talk to Darcy.”
“Ugh, what could I even say to him?” I leaned my head against the chilly glass of the car window.
“No idea, but I promise you’ll feel a lot better once you're not avoiding one of your oldest and best friends.”
I sighed. “Fine, you’re right. I’ll talk to him.”
He captured my hand and squeezed it. “You’ve got this. I promise it will be fine.”
I maintained medium pressure on his hand, hoping he would continue to hold mine, but he dropped it and put his hands back on the steering wheel.
When we reached the cafe, we found Sydney already waiting at a small table. “Good morning,” she said cheerfully as we joined her. “I ordered for you.”
We slid into the fake leather booth, Jack’s thigh close enough to warm mine though we weren’t quite touching. “Thanks, Sydney, I’m starved,” I said.
Her shrewd eyes met Jack’s sleepy ones. “How’s the bodyguarding going?”
“It’s great.” Was it just me or did his cheeks color slightly? I fought to keep the smugness from my face.
Her eyes flitted from Jack to me and back again before glinting in triumph. “Good.”
I tossed her a file folder. “I’m putting you in charge of the bedrooms for the Ponvale house.”
She grinned. “Really?”
“Of course. I’ve seen what you can do. Work up a plan, and I’ll look it over to make sure everything is in order.”
“Wow, thanks, Caroline.”
“You’re welcome. Now, not to dampen the mood, but the next order of business is the murder.
I believe Mr. McFarland is telling the truth about not having the mirror, but we found out something interesting about it—it’s magical.
I don’t know exactly what it can do, but his ledger said it’s used for divination. ”
She whistled low. “No wonder he was willing to kill you for it. How did you get access to his ledger?”
Jack leaned forward. “Do you want details or deniability?”
“Deniability,” she said flatly. “Did you find anything else out while you were flouting the law?”
I took a sip of my water, which was lukewarm.
I made a face and moved to set it down but the glass grew cold in my hand.
I peered inside at the newly formed ice pellets and smiled over at Jack before turning back to Sydney.
“We didn’t find any other clues, but we realized we haven’t been giving enough thought to the possibility that the girl who died was the intended victim. ”
“Good point,” she said. “And if you weren’t the intended target, then maybe you could let go of this sleuthing thing and let the police handle it.”
“I’ve never ‘let something go’ in my life, Sydney.
” I took another sip of deliciously cold water.
“Even if I’m not the target, it’s still personal.
The murder happened at my event. And the victim impersonated me.
I need to know why. Can you get me the guest list sometime this afternoon?
That might help us figure out who she was. ”
“The police probably know that now. Or Charles’s team.”
“Don’t care. I want to do this on my own.”
“Which means I have to figure that out on my own.”
“You’re my assistant. You doing it counts as me doing it.”
She looked heavenward. “On it.”
“Thanks. In the meantime, let’s make Gladys’s house amazing.”
We ate a lovely spinach and goat cheese quiche, after which Sydney headed over to the Ponvale Estate to work on the bedrooms while I headed back to Netherfield Park with Jack.
“It was nice of you to let her have a bigger job in designing those rooms,” he said, settling into a chair at the dining table.
I spread my work across the table. “She’s good and I’d like to expand my business, which means trusting her with projects.”
Fabric swatches, paint samples, and printouts of furniture options and accessories covered most of the wooden surface, leaving just enough room for Jack to rest his book in front of him on the table.
I created a mini-illusion of the Ponvale estate, sized like a dollhouse.
Sydney had provided me with all the measurements I needed to make it accurate and I’d already added the permanent fixtures like fireplaces and windows.
Now I just needed to finalize the elements I would be adding.
I glanced up at Jack. He was absorbed by his book, his amber eyes flying across the page.
His mouth formed a little ‘o’ and his eyebrows shot up.
Who knew that a man could be so attractive while reading?
I dragged my eyes away from him and sent a trickle of magic into my illusion to fill in one of the flooring samples.
The other designer had decided to leave the dated olive carpet, but when I asked Gladys what her preference was, she requested hardwood floors.
Jack leaned forward and the light behind him made his tan glow. He really did have great skin. And I really had done an amazing job on this dining room. Some overhead lights washed people out, but this lighting scheme made him look like a deity.
He glanced up from his book and I quickly averted my eyes and busied myself by adding a different wood tone to my illusion.
I tried a few different options, referencing my samples and glamouring the model to reflect each type of wood I was considering.
I was hard at work and definitely not distracted.
Jack parted his lips as he turned the page of his book.
“Excuse me, Miss Caroline.”
I startled at the unexpected noise and looked up at Charles’s butler. I hadn’t even heard him approach. “Yes?”
“There are some visitors here to see Miss Jane.”
“Is it Elizabeth? I told her she was free to come and go as she pleases.”
“No, I’m afraid not. It’s her mother. And three of her sisters.”
I rolled my eyes. “What is this, a vacation home? Fine, send them in.”
Jack snapped his book shut. I let my illusion of the house drop and stood, straightening my sweater. A moment later, the butler returned, followed by the Bennets.
“Wow, this is an amazing place you’ve got here,” Mrs. Bennet said, smoothing her hands over her jeans. “My Jane has always loved crown molding. Though I’m sure she’d prefer a brighter color to these dark walls.”
I blinked. “Well, then it’s a good thing Jane doesn’t live here, because the dark walls add to the charm and general feel of the manor.”
Mrs. Bennet sniffed. “I suppose some people might feel that way, particularly if the dark walls match their dark moods.”
I looked her up and down from her home-dyed hair to the distressed and ripped jeans that were not in any way age appropriate, not taking her bait. “If you’ll follow me, I can show you where Jane is staying.”
Two of the sisters giggled, though I had no idea what they found amusing.
“I would prefer a humbler home,” the older sister said, pushing a stray strand of dark hair away from her glasses. “Think of how many food banks one could supply with the money it took to build this house.”
“Oh Mary, you take all the fun out of everything,” the youngest sister quipped.