Page 77 (1/2)

It was time to put an end to this

I’d called Dad thisand told hi around, I needed someone to take a look, and all the senior ood with such things

He’d agreed to come home

Begrudgingly

Alex had agreed to drive hihter, Olympia, could accompany him for the weekend Naturally, any time spent with Olyreed

Adelaide and Evangeline were bringing Aunt Cat and the dog houise of the boiler

I was the only woman in the house, and I was ready for this

I was going to fix this

It’s what randmother would have done It’s what my mother would have done

It’s what Lady Vic told me to do, too

At least I’d heard from my brother He was apparently in Tokyo I had no idea what he was doing in Japan, but I prayed he would learn some manners while there They were the politest people in the world, and if anyone stood a chance at kicking his arse, it was the Japanese

No pressure, friends

I paced the hallway I’d asked Pierre to coe dinner, but he’d been busy, so I’d had to do it ed to pull together a semblance of a three-course meal

All right, so we’d gotten the cheesecake from the bakery and the soup came from Aunt Cat’s updated apocalyptic stash of tinned soup, but that roast chicken was all ours

And we hadn’t burnt down the kitchen

Go us

The front door opened, and I froze “Daddy!” I rushed over to hi “You’re home!”

He grunted but returned the embrace “The boiler broke Nobody could help you I had no choice”

“Right Of course” I grimaced and moved to embrace the rest of ”

“It certainly has My goodness, darling You’re glowing Are you pregnant?” She held th “Look at you!”

“Just happy,” I replied, skirting Dad a glance

Nope

Not pregnant

Thank you Next

“Ignore her,” Alex ry still”

“Great,” I whispered back

“Gabiiiiiiiii!” Olyh the front door in a way only a ten-year-old could, shoved Alex out of the way, and squeezed me half to death

“Oooof!” I wrappedover “Hey, trouble!”

“I’rinned up at me “Lost a tooth, look”

“I lost a tooth,” Aunt Elizabeth corrected her