Page 25 of The Nanny Contract

Stop, I thought, my pacing halting for a moment.You can’t think this way.

My phone dinged and I looked down to see a text from my mother requesting my presence in the drawing room.

First, I’d need to figure out exactly which room was the drawing room.

There were so many rooms branching out from labyrinth hallways, it was easy to get turned around.

So, I descended the stairs and began to search for the correct room. A few moments later, I found myself in the drawing room after following the voices of a few people—some jubilant, others monotonous.

Betsy and Casey turned and beamed, gesturing for me to join them for coffee.

Martin scowled in the background. He was obviously disappointed that I’d cast him away from the bedroom earlier.

Then I noticed Veronica. The monotonous voice.

For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why Mother kept inviting her around. And since Veronica was family, I didn’t have the heart to tell her how rotten of a person she was.

In most cases, people learn how awful they are through social consequences for their terrible actions. Certain members of the wealthy, like Veronica, were often shielded from normal consequences. The result was an overgrown toddler masquerading as an adult.

Then again, Veronica wasn’t quite wealthy yet. That would depend on my mother’s bequeathments.

“Coffee?” Martin asked.

Forced cordiality made him ignore the interaction we’d had mere minutes before.

I shook my head.

Veronica frowned as she noticed me.

She smiled an awful grin.

“It’s quite convenient,” she said with a smirk. “Don’t you think, Logan? This sudden attachment of Casey’s.”

I found myself wondering if she’d noticed the tension between me and Casey the night before.

Her nerve shocked me.

The tension between me and Casey had been palpable, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Veronica had observed it too.

I put on my most incredulous tone, hoping it would throw her off my scent. “Attachment?”

“That’s right,” she said smugly. “Some people might say Casey is just cozying up to the matriarch. After all, Betsy’s decisions about the inheritance are hardly set in stone, are they?”

She was simply dreadful. Forty-something years of entitlement mixed with a life of leisure and the result was Veronica Westbrook.

The last thing I wanted her to do was speculate on the nature of my relationship with Casey. Especially in front of my mother.

It was a good thing Henry had stayed at a friend’s house and wasn’t around to hear Veronica’s ramblings.

“Veronica,” I said, my voice low and almost growling, “that’s enough. Casey is here because I hired him to be here—for Henry, and for my peace of mind.”

“Well—” Veronica started, but I interrupted.

“Furthermore,” I added, “Casey has shown more integrity than most, and I don’t appreciate your insinuations.”

A mix of shock and anger flashed through Veronica’s eyes. It was clear that she hadn’t expected my defense, presumably because I was typically reserved.

I looked over at Casey and saw that his gratitude was visible. But he kept a polite silence.

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