Can this get any worse? She leaned her head on him and closed her eyes, softly sighing.
“What do you want to do?” Edward’s question was meant for her, but he was looking at Alistair.
Sophia looked up at Alistair, then at Edward’s face. “If I follow your advice? Simply hide again?”
“It’s not going to work anymore. They’ll chase you. Until you tire... Or break,” Ashley informed without preambles.
“So, we grab the bull by the horns,” Alistair met Edward’s gaze head on.
“Well, that’s Ash’s suggestion. However... knowing Sophia as I do, I’d rather she disappeared.”
Sophia met Alistair’s gaze with resolute eyes. “I don’t want my personal life strewn across the front page of these English tabloids.”
“Sophia, sweetheart,” Alistair murmured, “I don’t think you have a choice in the matter anymore.”
“Neither do I. Either we give them something, or they’re going to do their worst and dig up whatever they can,” Ashley opened her laptop and started typing.
Edward considered her face with caution before he said, “With Alberto on your trail...who knows what can come out. He can make something up that’s much worse. I fully understand your desire for privacy, but the press, it’s the lesser of two evils.”
Dammit. Sophia turned her teary gaze on Edward. “I hate the press.”
He smiled at her wryly, “I’m sure they feel the opposite about you. You’re it right now. You’re only going to help sales if you disappear.”
“Rumors will brew and spread,” Ash snorted, “I’ve seen it became uncontrollable.”
“I don’t want Gabriela involved. I’ll do everything I can to protect her,” she stated.
Alistair’s hand squeezed hers. “Relax. Nobody will hurt her. Nor you, for that matter. They just want to sell their dirty papers.”
“I suggest a press conference, tomorrow at lunch time. That way I’ll have time to call those I think are most malleable and block the worst scum,” Ashley lifted her eyes waiting for Sophia’s agreement.
Sophia searched Alistair’s strength.
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m here to support your decision even though I think a press conference should be held.”
Oh, damn. Here it comes again. “Tomorrow, midday then. Ash, limit the number to ten journalists-” Ashley shook her head. “Twenty then. One question each. After that I’ll spend a month in an abbey in confinement.”
“Airgead,” suggested Alistair. “I can work from the Inverness office if needed.”
Home. She nodded, “Airgead, it is then.”
“So, let’s prepare ourselves for tomorrow,” said Ashley in her business like way.
“Wait!” Alistair interjected. “I have an idea. If it works, the press conference will be much easier to handle.”
London, Chelsea, Fulham Road.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010.
4.58 p.m.
The flashes and the excited voices swarmed Emma as she exited the hospital.
A microphone was thrown in her face by a thin man. “Ms. Miller, Ms. Miller! Why did you stab Mrs. Leibowitz?”
“Ms. Miller, were you jealous of your brother-in-law? What kind of relationship do you have?” That came from a woman in black.
Emma smiled softly and raised her hands. “Ladies, Gentlemen. As Mrs. Leibowitz and Lord Ells have already explained it was all a big misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Another journalist snorted. “That was your blade in Mrs. Leibowitz’s stomach. Did you try to kill her?”
Emma made a horrified face. “How could you think that? Dear Sophia tripped and fell on some broken glass. She cut herself. I was just trying to help take away the shards. But I slipped on some water on the floor and I fell. Unfortunately, it all happened so quick that the blade flew from my hand. I tried to balance myself, but hit my head on the vase. Seems we were both unlucky.”
“Do you honestly expect us to believe that, Ms. Miller?” asked the thin man.
Emma shrugged. “You can believe what you want. My brother-in-law was here this morning again. He visited me for a whole hour. You can check the register, if you want. Do you think if I had tried to kill his fiancée, he would have visited me? And poor Sophia, she is a well known lawyer. Do you think she wouldn’t have pressed charges if I had tried to kill her?”
“So Ms. Miller, what you’re saying is that you and Lord Ells are still good friends?”
The ironic tone of the question wasn’t missed by Emma. “Good friends? No. Alistair, Lord Ells, I mean, he was married to my sister for many years and, during that time, we were friends. Now, we’re acquaintances who wish each other well. That’s it. Ladies, gentlemen, I must go. I’m still recovering from my fall and that dramatic evening.” She raised her hand stopping any more questions. “I thank you, but I really must go.”
She crossed the street and entered the black car that was waiting for her near the curb. She closed the door and turned to the young man inside, “How was that, honey?”
“I didn’t know you were such an accomplished actress, my dear,” he gave her a peck on the lips.
“Money works miracles, my dear. It works miracles.” Emma smiled at him. “And now I have Alistair at my beck and call, I will keep it coming.”
Airgead Caisteal.
Saturday, June 5th, 2010.
4.05 p.m.
They followed the kids to the center of the biggest maze Sophia had ever seen.
“You sit here and rest,” Alistair pointed to the bench in the center.
If she could, she would have bowed. Instead, she waved her hand in the air with a flourish and mocked, “Yes, sire. Any other orders?”
Alistair didn’t smile, though. “I’m not kidding, Sophia. How can I go play with the kids if I have to keep an eye on you?”
“Relax,” Tavish put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of her.”
Tavish sat next to Sophia as Alistair and Alice took Gabriela, Ariadne and Michael to play hide and seek. His mind filled with images of Alistair and him playing warriors there as children. Two happy and innocent boys, that couldn’t have imagined what life had in store for them.
Tavish observed his brother as he picked Gabriela up in his arms and threw her up in the air. He didn’t want to think what would have happened to his brother if Sophia and Gabriela hadn’t appeared in Alistair’s life. He had been in danger of becoming too jaded as he tasted every sin, drowned himself in every sensation.
Tavish leaned back, crossed his hands behind his head and stretched his long legs. He looked at the woman responsible for the remarkable changes in his brother and concern made him ask, “Have you had any more flashbacks?”
When she turned to look at him, she had an uneasy look on her face.
“I- I don’t know...” She hesitated. Talking about her amnesia was awkward and hurtful. It made her remember how broken she was. “I- Nothing like the one at Ells Hall. I’ve talked with Felipe, my brother, and with my grandmother. I don’t know if it could be called a flashback, but... a few things they’ve told me helped me remember facts that were fuzzy in mind.”
He shifted on the seat to look at her. “Amnesia is not easy to deal with.”
“Understatement of the year, Tavish Uilleam,” she put a hand on his forearm. “It’s horrible not to know things I should. It leaves me with a... helpless, fragile sensation. I’m not so sure of myself anymore.”