Page 7 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

CHAPTER THREE

ELSPETHWENTBACKto her room upstairs to phone Elodie without anyone listening in. It was no surprise to see another raft of text messages from her mother. She blew out a breath and quickly pinged off a text assuring her mother that she was fine and having a wonderful time. What was one more lie when she had told heaps so far? She then called her twin’s number.

‘What the hell happened between you and Fraser MacDiarmid?’ she asked as soon as Elodie answered.

‘Nothing.’

‘It can’t have been nothing. I just had him snarling in my ear downstairs, warning me to keep my mouth shut. I don’t even know what it is I’m supposed to be keeping quiet about. The least you could have done is tell me. I feel like I’m on stage in a play in the West End, playing to a full house after memorising the wrong script.’

Elodie let out a sigh heavy enough to send a helicopter into a tailspin. ‘I didn’t tell you because I’m embarrassed about it.’ She paused for a beat and continued, ‘I had a one-night stand with him. I’m not even attracted to him but I’d just run into Lincoln and his latest squeeze in the same London bar... I don’t know...it made me a little crazy. I got chatting to Fraser and then I went back to his room. End of story.’

Elspeth knew her twin was a little reckless at times but picking up strangers in a bar was completely out of character. Yes, she was flirtatious and daring and outgoing but, as far as Elspeth knew, her sister wasn’t a one-night-stand-with-a-stranger type of girl. But did she really know her twin as well as she thought? Elodie had always claimed she hadn’t been in love with Lincoln Lancaster. That their whirlwind courtship had been out of balance from the start, for he’d been the one to insist on getting married when they had only known each other a couple of months. Why, then, would running into him with his latest lover upset Elodie so much? ‘The least you could have done is tell me. I’m in over my head and I—’

‘If I’d told you, you wouldn’t have agreed to switch places,’ Elodie said.

‘Given the circumstances, why did you accept the role of bridesmaid in the first place? You said Sabine was only a passing acquaintance. You could have politely declined and—’

‘I accepted before I realised who she was engaged to. Once I found out, it was too late to come up with an excuse not to accept the invitation. Besides, I figured it was a way to pay back Fraser for being such a sleaze.’

Elspeth suppressed a cold shudder. ‘The sex between you was...consensual, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes, but he was a selfish lover and he didn’t tell me he was engaged at the time. I would never have gone back to his room if I’d known that. I wanted to teach him a lesson and his delightfully friendly fiancée gave me the perfect way to do it.’

‘But what about Sabine? Did you consider her in your plan for revenge?’

There was a weighted silence.

‘Not at the time but since, yes.’

‘Is that why you sent me instead of coming yourself? Your conscience got the better of you?’ Elspeth asked.

‘Partly, I guess, but I really did have a meeting here in London. I’ve only just finished it.’

‘How did it go?’

‘They want me to meet with them again tomorrow to discuss it further.’

A stone slab landed on the floor of Elspeth’s stomach. ‘Tomorrow? But you’re meant to be here first thing in the morning to switch places with me. In fact, shouldn’t you be getting on a flight right now as you promised?’

‘I can’t be there. You’ll have to keep up the act. It’s only for another twenty-four hours. You’ve got this far without anyone guessing. Just keep doing what you’re doing and everything will be sweet. Look—I’ve got to dash. I’m supposed to be meeting up with everyone from the meeting for drinks. Bye.’

Elspeth stared at the dead phone in her hand, her heart sinking in despair. Eek! Another twenty-four hours wearing her party-girl twin’s shoes.

But what if she fell flat on her face?

Mack wondered if he needed his head examined for organising a private meeting with Elodie Campbell in the library. But the temptation to squirrel her away from the rest of the wedding party was too irresistible. Besides wanting to hear her side of her fling with his younger brother, he had a burning desire to understand more about her character. She was warm and friendly towards Sabine, acting as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, and yet, if it was true she’d slept with Fraser, what sort of friend of the bride did that make her? Fraser had admitted Elodie hadn’t known he was engaged at the time of their brief encounter, but, still, agreeing to be Sabine’s bridesmaid seemed a little inappropriate under the circumstances. What exactly was motivating Elodie to be here? She had a busy schedule taking her all over the world—it would have been easy enough to politely decline the invitation. And Sabine, being a sweet and generous-natured young woman, would have understood.

No, there was more to Elodie Campbell than he’d first thought. She was feisty and spirited when interacting with him and yet, every now and again he caught her chewing at her lower lip, looking uncertain and way out of her depth. And what about those blushes? He hadn’t thought someone with the party-girl reputation Elodie had would blush so readily or so deeply. Or was that because she felt guilty about her fling with the groom of her friend?

But there was another reason Mack wanted time alone with her. He wanted to make sure she had no ulterior motive for being at his brother’s wedding. Sabine had been a wonderful influence on Fraser over the last year or so and Mack was determined their wedding would go ahead. It had to. Apart from the money he had spent on the young couple’s nuptials, Mack was worried that Fraser might spin out of control if Sabine called it quits. Sabine’s wealthy businessman father had promoted Fraser high up in his company and given him extra privileges that would be taken away in a heartbeat if anything went awry with his beloved only daughter. Mack didn’t want to think about Fraser losing his job, the career pathway that had been so stabilising for him.

Mack had to keep Elodie Campbell under control. He had to make sure the wedding went ahead without any dramas.

And one way to do that was to keep Elodie’s attention focussed on himself instead of his brother.

And that, he decided, would be nothing if not entertaining.

Elspeth considered ignoring Mack’s command to meet him in the library but curiosity got the better of her. And not just because the library of a centuries-old castle was to her one of the most exciting places in the world to visit. The enigmatic Mack MacDiarmid was even more exciting.

---