Chapter Thirty-Six
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Thank the Goddess!” shrieked Elestine when they were shown into the Spencer home. The three Spencers had waited up in the sitting room. She hugged first Scarlett, then her husband.
“Scarlett, tell us everything!” Edward stumbled toward her like he’d had quite a few drinks, and Cass caught him, helping him onto the sofa. “I’m so chuffed you made it back unscathed,” he said from his lowered vantage point.
Scarlett’s judgment of him softened at the heartfelt sentiment, and as her shock subsided, she found she wanted to tell Elestine and Edward everything. So she did, including a recount of the police shoot-out. She even mentioned the stapler that had fallen to the floor in Lord Federsin’s office.
Alastair, who’d stood near a bookshelf through Scarlett’s tale, came to sit next to her on the sofa and threw back the rest of his drink. His eyes were as glassy as his father’s. “This is the best news. Everything’s going to be fine now. You’ll be safe once Laylani is arrested. You’ll be free.”
“We still don’t know who was behind the National Theater.
” Tears formed, and Scarlett blinked them away.
She was trying to focus on the good, but she wanted Brayden in her arms. All she wanted was to tell him how ready she was to get their North Stars.
She never wanted this distance between them again, for any reason.
But he was sitting in a jail cell somewhere with no idea how much things had changed for Soleil—and for her.
“That doesn’t matter. You’re safe, I swear.” Alastair’s words slurred. He tried to rub her back, but she moved away from him, scooting farther down the couch.
“Don’t touch me.”
He stared at her, thoroughly confused by her behavior. “But my darling S-Scarlett—”
“I am not your darling, and I never will be again,” she hissed. “The sooner you get that through your head, the easier your life will be.”
He reached for her again, but he recoiled, as Cass was suddenly hovering over him.
“Alastair, you’re drunk. Go to bed,” ordered Elestine, watching her son closely.
Alastair let out an exasperated sigh. “As you wish, my liege.”
To Scarlett’s relief, he stumbled off in the direction of his bedroom.
“I’m so sorry about him. You must be so tired of it,” Elestine apologized once he was gone.
Scarlett only had the energy for a thin-lipped smile. She was tired of it. Not to mention exhausted from the night. She hoped to the Goddess she never had a son like Alastair.
“You’re sure there’s nothing related to the National Theater?” asked Elestine.
Scarlett rubbed her eyes, gathering her composure. “No, we’re not sure. At least not yet.”
“There’s a lot of information to go through,” said Cass from her seat in the chair across from Scarlett. “It’ll take some time to know for sure.”
“Well, let’s do what we can with what we have,” said the prime minister with a visible burst of energy. “Scarlett, let’s get some coffee going and make our game plan for tomorrow. We have a lot to do.”
For the next few hours, with Tyler on the phone, they combed through the evidence they’d obtained, prepping a to-do list for the following day. It was nearly morning by the time Cass and Scarlett were trudging upstairs behind Elestine.
“Beni’s in the room across from Edward’s office,” said Elestine as she paused on the landing. “The room across from his is empty, as is the one at the end of the hall, if you two want to catch a few winks.” Then, with a wave, she was gone, off to her own bedroom on the other end of the floor.
Scarlett halted in front of Beni’s room and pointed to his door. “I’ll be here.” She could have had her own room, but what she didn’t want to admit out loud was that she didn’t want to sleep alone in this house. But Cass would be fine. Alastair wouldn’t bother her.
Cass pointed to the door opposite. “I’ll take that one. What time are you setting your alarm for?” She yawned.
Scarlett pulled her phone out. “Six.” In two hours. “Elestine wants to work from here in the morning, so there’s no need for you to get up. Sleep in as long as you can.”
“Thanks.” With a wave, Cass disappeared into the room across from Beni’s.
Scarlett slipped into Beni’s room. He didn’t wake as she lay down fully clothed on top of the unoccupied side of the bed. She doubted she’d be able to sleep after the pot of coffee she’d drunk, but as soon as her eyes closed, she heard Nori.
“Sleep.”
Scarlett’s exhausted body welcomed unconsciousness.
Scarlett startled awake when her alarm went off.
At first, she couldn’t remember where she was, but then it came back to her.
The break-in. The evidence. It wasn’t all a dream.
She glanced at Beni, who was still sound asleep despite the alarm.
Then she stumbled into the en suite to shower, trying in vain to rinse the tiredness out of her eyes with the stream of hot water.
Once she was as presentable as she could be in the change of clothes she’d packed in Beni’s bag, she opened the bathroom door to find him awake.
“How did it go?” he asked, sitting up in bed.
She told him everything. Beni listened with rapt attention, and when she got to the evidence they’d found, his green eyes became glassy with tears.
Scarlett pulled her brother into her arms and hugged him tight. “Are you okay?”
He sighed deeply. “I will be. Eventually. Do you reckon they’ll be arrested soon?”
Scarlett held him at arm’s length for a moment before dropping her hands and stepping back. “Moira and Laylani will probably be arrested later today.”
“Goddess, what a relief,” Beni said, running his hand through his hair. “Now we can really move on.”
“That’s true.” Once justice was served, they’d finally have real closure. Scarlett had been so lost in the weeds she hadn’t taken a moment to process that yet. It’d probably take her ages to really work through all her bottled-up feelings about both her parents.
But for now she’d keep going.
“We’ll work from here this morning,” she said. “Are you good to stay here for a while?”
“Sure. All I need is food and my laptop.”
Scarlett made her way to Elestine’s study, where they’d worked the previous night. There she found Elestine already up and at her computer, with a breakfast tray full of coffee, toast, and hard-boiled eggs sitting at one end of the expansive mahogany desk.
“Good morning, dear.” She gave Scarlett a once-over. “Grab an espresso—it’s going to be one hell of a day. You just missed Alastair. I sent him to Parliament to man the phones with some of the other staff, but key Ceruleans will be meeting here shortly.”
“Thank you,” Scarlett said. Her voice sounded rough to her own ears, and she had serious brain fog. She forced down a few bites of egg in the hope some protein might help. “Do you mind if I take some of this food to Beni?”
“Oh, don’t go to the trouble. We’re moving to the dining room to set up a war room. I’ll ask Liz to take him a breakfast tray on our way,” said Elestine. “Shall we head down now?”
“Sure.” Scarlett stood. “By the way, how do you look so fresh? You hardly slept too.”
“Underneath my makeup I look absolutely rough,” said Elestine as she led the way downstairs.
Scarlett grinned. “You look lovely to me.”
“Thank you.” Elestine whispered conspiratorially, “My secret is the most expensive concealer in Soleil. I’ll send you some when this is all over.
But don’t worry, dear. You look marvelous.
You’re as fresh as a daisy if you ask me.
” She squeezed Scarlett’s hand briefly and then beelined for the kitchen.
The conversation reminded Scarlett of the many times Elestine had acted as a mother to her over the years, and it made her glad their friendship, as well as their professional relationship, had survived the utter destruction of her love for Alastair.
Over the next hour, the lords who’d been at their meeting yesterday trickled into the Spencer home, along with their staff.
The house buzzed with excitement. As Scarlett and Elestine walked them through the damning evidence they’d spent all night poring over, Scarlett caught a second wind, energized by it all despite her poor sleep.
After reviewing the findings, she released the information to the police, and together, the Cerulean Party announced an evening press conference at Parliament. Elestine had a series of whiteboards brought into her dining room, and they made a list of expected arrests.
Around midmorning, Cass emerged in Elestine’s dining room carrying a cup of coffee. Her eyes were bright, though they were lined with shadows. Scarlett gave her an enthusiastic hug.
“Thank you for last night. You’ve helped me change the world.”
“Happy to.” Cass leaned closer to Scarlett and spoke into her ear. “Everyone made it home fine. According to the news, the two men from Federsin’s house paid a visit to an ER and filed a police report, but they were both sent home hours ago. They’ll be fine.”
“Good to hear. Anything on the officers from Goldie HQ?”
Cass grimaced. “Yes. The hand injury is bad. He’s got tendon damage and several broken bones, but he won’t lose his hand.”
Scarlett’s face crumpled. “I feel terrible. I need to reach out and see what I can do to help.”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up. It’s all for the greater good. And speak to your lawyer before you do anything hasty. Send all inquiries through him.”
Scarlett’s shoulders slumped. Cass was right. “I will. Thanks. I’m just praying the public will think the ends justify the means. I know that sounds terrible. But I hope people don’t think I acted selfishly, going all rogue the way I did.”
Cass chuckled. “We’ll be fine. We’ve unearthed the biggest conspiracy in Soleil history.”
“I hope so. Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to step away while there’s a lull and try to call Brayden.”
Cass gave her a knowing smile. “Good idea. While you do that, I’ll grab a bite to eat and head back to bed, if that’s all right.”