story’. Least of all anyone who had lived it.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Huntingdon-Cross,’ Tom said, releasing her hand.
‘Oh, call me Sherry, please.’ Mum flashed that legendary wide smile, the one that had been seen in magazines and on billboards for decades now. ‘Anyone who stays here at Huntingdon Hall rather automatically becomes part of the family, I’m afraid. You might as well get used to it!’
Tom Buckley, part of the family? Not on Violet’s watch.
But that was the problem with her parents. It wasn’t that they were overly trusting or naïve, particularly. They knew the dangers of fame as well as anyone, and took care to live their lives circumspectly. But once they’d taken someone in and claimed them as a friend...it took a lot to shake their faith in them. And that could be dangerous.
‘Where’s Daisy?’ Violet asked. She needed backup here and, with Rose and Will already gone on their honeymoon, Daisy-Waisy was going to have to be it.
‘Oh, she and Seb have already turned in, I think,’ Sherry said with a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘Daisy was exhausted, poor thing—pregnancy is extraordinarily tiring, you know,’ she added as an aside to Tom, who nodded, despite the puzzled crease between his eyebrows. ‘And I think Seb wants to get off back to Hawkesley first thing.’
Curses. With Tom about to collapse from sleep deprivation, the chances weren’t good that he’d be up in time to meet Daisy before she left. Which meant Violet was on her own trying to keep this whole project from blowing up in their faces. Lovely.
‘And Rose has already left?’ Tom asked politely. ‘I met her in New York last month, and I know she’d planned to be here right through until the concert...’ He left the sentence open. Not actually a question, so not really prying, but enough that politeness insisted that someone fill the gap. Tricky.
‘Oh, yes,’ Sherry said, beaming. ‘She and Will left on their honeymoon a couple of hours ago.’
Tom’s eyebrows inched up towards his hairline, and Violet winced. ‘Honeymoon?’ he asked. ‘I didn’t realise that she was planning a wedding.’
Or that she was even dating anyone, just like the rest of them. In fact, Violet was willing to bet that what Tom really meant was: Two daughters married in a suspiciously short space of time, and one of them pregnant...there has to be a story here. Especially if he’d seen the photos of Will and Rose in the papers.
Time to put a stop to that.
‘Oh, yes,’ she said, smiling cheerily. ‘Will has practically been a part of the family for years now. We’re delighted that they’ve made it official.’ All true—Will was part of the family—certainly more than Tom Buckley ever would be. And why did he need to know that up until the last month or so, Will had only been there as Violet’s best friend? And if he never realised that Will and Rose hadn’t met until Daisy’s wedding...well, that would be great. She just hoped that Tom Buckley didn’t keep up with the UK celebrity gossip too closely.
Rick slung an arm around Tom’s shoulders as the rest of the band wandered off in search of a drink or a bed. He had to reach up quite a bit to do it, Violet realised.
‘That’s the only downside of having daughters, you know,’ Rick said, grinning at Violet. ‘Having to give them away to unworthy men.’
‘Oh, hush,’ Sherry said. ‘You know you adore Will. And Seb is going to be a wonderful son-in-law.’
‘True. I have lucked out.’ Rick turned his wicked grin onto Violet, and she felt her stomach clench at what he might come out with next. The inability to keep his inappropriate comments to himself was definitely a downside to the post-performance adrenaline. ‘Makes me worry who Violet might decide to bring home. I can’t possibly get that lucky three times in a row.’
Heat flooded Violet’s cheeks. She’d spent more time blushing in front of Tom Buckley than actually talking to him at this point, she was sure.
‘Not something you need to be worrying about, Dad.’ Or be talking about in front of reporters.
Rick’s face turned a little sad. ‘No, I suppose not.’
‘Anyway, Rose will be back soon enough, and you’ll be able to catch up with her then,’ Violet said with forced jollity. Tom gave her a look that left her in no doubt he knew exactly what she was doing—steering the conversation away from anything interesting. Violet made a mental note to warn Rose that it might look better if her whirlwind romance with Will hadn’t been quite so...whirlwind-like. Rose would understand. Once she got home, everything would be so much easier.
‘Actually, darling,’ Sherry said, her smile just a little too wide, ‘I spoke to Will as they were leaving. I understand they’re going to be away for four weeks.’
Four weeks. Suddenly, with Tom Buckley standing there, it seemed longer than ever. Just when she really needed her twin at home with her. What had Will been thinking? Not about his best friend, stuck at home with the man who wanted to ferret out all her secrets. No, he’d been thinking about getting her twin sister naked for longer.
Damn men and their inability to think about more than one thing at once.
‘That’s right,’ she said, forcing a smile. ‘Although I couldn’t get him to say where they were going.’
‘Me neither,’ Rick said. ‘Will said he couldn’t risk it. You know your mum would have texted Rose on the way to the airport and ruined the surprise.’
‘Anyway. They won’t be back until two days before the Benefit Concert, but Will said he’d left Rose’s notes with you.’ Mum had her ‘tiptoeing’ voice on. As if she was taking the long way round getting to the point.
‘Yeah, it’s all in Rose’s study, apparently. Her black planner and all the files and contracts and stuff.’
‘And...Will mentioned that you’d agreed to, well, keep an eye on things while they were away.’ Ah, that was what Mum was working up to. Of course. Concern that Violet had agreed to something that, when it came down to it, she wouldn’t be able to, or want to do.
Well, maybe it was time for her to prove her parents—and Tom Buckley—wrong. If Rose could organise a benefit concert, so could she.
‘That’s right.’ And she’d do it too. But she really didn’t want to get into this with Tom standing right there. Then again, there wasn’t a chance of her getting any sleep tonight if they didn’t agree a plan for the concert. The last thing they needed was the annual benefit being an utter disaster zone because Rose wasn’t there, the one year they had a reporter on site recording all the behind the scenes activity for posterity.
Damn it! How could Will and Rose do this? Clearly, love had driven them crazy. It was the only explanation.
‘You’re looking worried, honey.’ Her dad wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her close for a hug. ‘But there’s nothing to fret about. Rose has been running this thing like clockwork for years. The set-up’s all done; everything’s been booked for months.’
Violet turned her head to raise her eyebrows at her father. If everything was already sorted, then why was Rose always running around like a mad thing in the last few weeks before the concert every
