Page 63 of Stolen Kiss

“He’s not the person I once knew. He’s so bitter and angry. I don’t know what happened but I intend to find out. You ready?” Jason said to Archer.

“Yep.”

“Erica, tell Heidi I’ll make dinner for us at my place. It’s better I find out if she’s dumping me because I hit her brother privately.”

“I can do that, what time?”

“Seven. I’m not sure how long we’ll be with dearest Aunt Cynthia but long it is, I’ll need calming down time and everyone knows you don’t cook while you’re angry.”

“Why not?” Archer asked, eyeing his toast and looking to Erica, giving her a comical look.

“It transfers to the food, and the recipient gets indigestion.”

“Really?” Erica said.

“So they say. I want to win Heidi over not make her sick to her stomach.”

Erica’s smile warmed in from the inside out, she practically had love hearts shooting out of her eyes.

“Okay, then it’s definite I go to Heidi. She’s going to need a girls’ day to get through this. Let’s hope she hasn’t ventured out yet.”

Erica stood with Archer and they both disappeared up the stairs. Archer came back down and nodded that he was ready. As an act of defiance, they were both dressed casually and wore trainers.

The brothers strode across the grass behind Edward Hall and briefly discussed repositioning the Gazebo for their weddings. Then onwards to Turner Hall.

There were three ways to get into Turner Hall these days.

Back when his father and grandfather were alive there were a dozen. Since their deaths, Aunt Cynthia had all but three doors permanently locked. The other three were only open during the daytime.

The front door which was on a latch and rumbled open when it was pushed ajar, this meant the entire house heard when it happened. The door to the kitchens where it was rarely empty with Maggie and Bailey bustling about. Then there was the door to the conservatory which led onto the morning room.

“Which route?” Archer asked.

“Kitchens. I’m not going to disrespect Bailey and his unwritten rules.”

“Agreed.”

They circled the side of the grand house, stepped over the threshold of the kitchens and saw Bailey and Maggie with their heads together having a heated conversation, both of them holding small bone China cups filled with tea. As soon as they saw Jason and then Archer duck their heads into the kitchen, the sprang apart and stopped talking.

Not a single drop of tea was spilled.

Maggie put her tea down on the nearest surface and came rushing over. Her black uniform immaculate with a spotless white apron around her waist. Bailey was in a grey pinstriped suit, white shirt and grey tie.

Maggie cupped his cheek with serious concern in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you should see the other guy.”

I was trying for humour seeing as Maggie was clearly on his side.

Bailey harrumphed in the background which meant he was on the side of decorum. Bailey never took people’s sides only what the rules said.

“I take it you heard,” Jason said stepping further into the room.

“Yeah, we heard. Ralph told us first thing. He was there, so we got a decent version of what was said.”

“I need to see her,” Jason said to Bailey.

“She’s not coming down today,” Bailey replied.

---