Page 43 of The Black Trilogy

Okay, perhaps I shouldn’t have said that last part.

But Luke didn’t seem to pick up on my insult. “In that case, she’ll have to come home with me.”

He and Mark eventually managed to shovel the two girls into their respective cars, and Portia turned on the radio in Luke’s Porsche and started singing along to Taylor Swift. Badly.

“I’ll see you later,” Luke muttered as he started the engine.

“Good luck,” I said to the night as he roared up the drive. “You’re gonna need it.”

After they’d gone, I set off in search of Susie and Hayley, hoping my two colleagues hadn’t chosen to pop pills as well.

But no, they were sprawled out on the dance floor, fast asleep. Susie was still barefoot. The music had stopped, and with the lights on, the mess was clear to see. I didn’t envy the hotel staff. I’d rather clean up after the horses than tackle the ballroom.

Spilled drinks and mushed-up streamers made it look as though a rainbow had thrown up. Stray corsages grew from the debris, their petals wilting, and a sea of shoes, hair accessories, and bow ties strewn across the dance floor provided evidence of just how much had been drunk that evening. The chances of finding Susie’s footwear in that lot were slim. Thankfully, she wasn’t short of spares.

I stooped and shook the pair of them awake.

Hayley looked up at me. “Suze, look, there’s an angel. With a halo and everything.”

I glanced above my head. “That’s actually a disco ball but, hey, whatever.”

Sidestepping a shard of glass, I hauled them to their feet and held them up as they stumbled through the hotel. Please, say some fresh air will sober them up a bit. When we got outside, our car was waiting, bang on time, and I said a silent “thank you” to Susie’s father. Had she done this before?

As the car purred through the night, I wondered how Luke was getting on with Tia. She could be a handful at the best of times, but tonight? I didn’t envy him. I almost called to check he was okay, but in the end, I decided I didn’t know him well enough. Yet.

Back at Hazelwood Farm, the chauffeur and I half carried, half dragged the near-unconscious pair into the cottage.

“Thanks, buddy,” I told him.

“You’re welcome, ma’am. I’m quite used to it.”

Yup, Susie had definitely done this before.

I finally got to bed with time for three hours sleep before I needed to face the horses. Sometimes, life in Lower Foxford made my old days as an assassin seem relaxing.

CHAPTER 15

THE RAIN RETURNED to torment us the following week, which meant I had the constant joy of eight muddy horses, and worse, I discovered one of my boots leaked.

By the time Friday evening arrived, I was dead on my feet, and I began to see the attraction of Susie’s spa. All I wanted was to sink into a hot bath with a glass of wine, but as I didn’t have a bath or any wine, that option was out. And if yesterday and the day before’s showers were anything to go by, I didn’t have any hot water either.

So I did the next best thing. I changed into my newly acquired yoga pants, wrapped the duvet around myself, then settled onto the good end of the sofa to watch a movie about mutant guinea pigs.

The opening credits were barely over when my phone rang on the other side of the room. Why did phones do that? It was as if they instinctively knew when you’d just got comfortable. With a sigh, I levered myself up and went to answer it.

“Are you still on for poker this evening?”

As I hadn’t heard from Luke, I’d assumed he’d changed his mind.

“I thought you’d forgotten about that.”

“Of course I didn’t. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all week. Do you want me to pick you up?”

At least his memory was better than his communication skills. I almost wished it wasn’t, because I could do without going outside in the rain again. Then I looked over at the TV where the guinea pigs were doing a hula-hula dance. Oh dear. Perhaps going out was the lesser of two evils.

“A lift would be good if you don’t mind?”

“It’s no trouble. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

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