Page 24 of His to Keep
“Which war?”
“Oh, jeez, the Second World War. You’ve seriously never heard of it?”
“Sorry, kitten, I love movies, but if it doesn’t feature a drag race or a gun battle, I haven’t seen it.”
“That’s so…” She throws up her hands in exasperation. “Ugh!”
I purse my lips. “I’m sorry my masculinity offends you.”
“You can be masculine and still like classic movies.”
“Sure, but…” I’m not sure what argument I was going to make, but it dies on the tip of my tongue as I spot a man weaving through the crowd toward us. Taller than most of the peoplearound him, he stands out. He has a presence that marks him as different to the herd, special. He has the most golden blond hair I’ve ever seen. His lips quirk up as he sees us.
Though I recognize him from the picture Niamh sent me, I want to see if Eilidh remembers.
“You know that guy?” I ask as he draws closer.
Eilidh’s face brightens with a wide smile. “Yeah, it’s Tristan.”
“Giovanni?” he asks as he reaches us.
“Gio.” Nobody calls me Giovanni. Even when she’s scolding me, my mother uses the diminutive version of my name.
“I’m Tristan Dalgleish.” He offers me his hand and I shake it firmly. “I believe Miss Donnelly told you to expect me.”
He speaks with that upper class Scottish accent I’ve encountered on my travels. It utilizes clipped tones and precise enunciation and tells me immediately that this man comes from a privileged background.
“She did,” I confirm. “It’s good to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He turns to the woman by my side. “And Eilidh. I’m so glad to see you in one piece.” He pulls her in for a hug. Jealousy rears its head for a moment and then ducks back down when I remember this man is no threat to me. His family was part of the group that decided Eilidh and I should marry. “I’m sorry about everything.”
Eilidh swallows so hard I hear the gulp. She hasn’t talked to me about what happened on the night her parents and siblings were murdered, but any hint of sympathy for her plight appears to upset her. She steps back from Tristan.
“Shall we get out of here?” he suggests. “There are too many people around.”
“Lead the way.” As far as I can tell, there are at least four exits from this place, and I don’t know which one to take.
Holding Eilidh’s hand tightly, I follow Tristan. A bodyguard falls into step behind us. He’s obviously very discreet because despite being six foot three and built like the proverbial brick outhouse, I didn’t spot him. We make our way outside to where a BMW is idling at the curbside. Tristan’s bodyguard takes my backpack from me and puts it in the trunk while Eilidh and I get into the back of the car. Tristan sits in the center row and his bodyguard and a driver, who’s an older, skinnier man, take up the front.
“We’ll drive you to the base to catch the flight and Damiano will pick you up in Florence.”
“Base?” Eilidh asks.
“Yes. You’ll be traveling on a military flight. It’s transporting soldiers to a training location, but we’ve arranged for it to make a quick stop in Italy.”
“How did you pull that off?”
He gives her a look as if to suggest she’s silly for even asking. I guess when your brother’s high up in the political establishment, anything is possible.
“I thought Joe might be the one to meet us,” Eilidh says.
“He has his hands full right now. There’s a load of stuff to deal with before the election and he’s been overseeing your father’s business interests. The legitimate ones, that is. He had to hand the other stuff over to Niamh.”
That’s not surprising. If the Dalglieshes are trying to maintain the image of the perfect political family, they have to be seen to distance themselves from their relatives’ criminal activity.
“What happens if I want to get involved in the business?” Eilidh surprises me by asking. I had no idea she’d be interested in that and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Though I’m not going to insist my wife sits at home and pops out babies, I’d rather she didn’t dedicate all her time to working. A multinational business requires a lot of attention.
Tristan frowns. “Your father left everything to his sons with the strict instruction that his daughters’ comfort be ensured for the rest of their lives.”
