Lies and Weddings(84)

“This is the Artist’s Loft. Sir Luis Felipe hosts a different artist every month, and the hottest rising stars in the art world get the privilege of staying at Cloudline and creating an artwork in collaboration with sir. Our current guest artist is the international sensation Pine Delfern, who created this image,” Tessa said, pointing at an eight-by-twelve-foot photograph tacked to the wall depicting Luis Felipe posing as the victim of a robbery gone wrong. His body lay sprawled halfway out the raised door of a Mercedes gullwing onto the slope outside the Chateau Marmont, with a gunshot wound oozing out of his abdomen, staining his crisp white Tom Ford tuxedo jacket, while a beautiful blond girl in a gold-spangled sheath wept over his body, the rivulets of mascara running down her pretty face rivaling Tammy Faye’s. Eden wished that Rufus could be here to see all this, if only to witness his reaction to the photograph.

“Pine calls it They Killed Him for His Royal Oak,” Tessa noted.

“Oof! Definitely not worth dying over!” Freddy cackled.

Eden studied the photograph for a moment. “You know, I don’t think a gunshot to that particular spot would be fatal. The bullet might have grazed his gallbladder or his spleen, but he wouldn’t bleed out like that. Now, two inches higher and he’d be dead meat.”

“Haha, only you would notice that! Eden’s an amazing doctor—I personally witnessed her save the life of a French princess a few weeks ago,” Freddy informed Tessa.

“I didn’t really,” Eden protested.

“How wonderful. The next time Sir Luis Felipe poses for an artwork where he gets murdered, perhaps we could get you to be our medical consultant,” Tessa said earnestly.

Eden didn’t know what else to do except nod.

“Well, this concludes our tour. I do hope you’ve enjoyed visiting Cloudline,” Tessa said.

“Thank you, Tessa! It’s even more impressive than I could have imagined!” Freddy offered solicitously. “Eden, enjoy your time with your dad. Be back to pick you up at seven.”

“No need, Freddy, I can take an Uber back to your house.”

“Nonsense, I’m just ten minutes away, and plus, we’re going to dinner with Dani, remember?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll see you at seven p.m.”

Eden got into the golf cart again with Tessa and they zoomed over to an outdoor pavilion perched at the highest point of the sprawling estate, where she found her father waiting with a chilled bottle of Sancerre and an elaborate charcuterie platter. Unbeknownst to her, Thomas had deliberately arranged for the tour to take at least an hour and for drinks to be served in this out-of-the way spot. He had also spent the past few hours calling in favors and hastily arranging for Rene to be taken to the hospital for a PET scan, just to be sure his patient and his daughter would not cross paths.

As father and daughter enjoyed their wine and the view of the lights coming on within all the grand houses dotting the canyon, Eden caught Thomas up on the happenings at Greshamsbury. Even though she glossed over much of Arabella’s antics, Thomas was utterly horrified.

“Arabella’s completely lost the plot,” Thomas said, shaking his head in dismay. “Let me call Francis—we’ll get this sorted at once.”

“No, no, Dad, you’ve got more important things to worry about right now and poor Francis isn’t to blame. There’s no need to bring this up with him. Arabella’s obviously in post-wedding trauma and not being herself. I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she conveniently took it out on me.”

“She had no right to! As usual, you’re being more understanding than Arabella deserves. To banish you from the Big House is one thing, but to sully your professional reputation in the way that she has is unconscionable. I will talk with Francis, and I’m sure he’ll agree with me that Arabella needs to make proper amends. In the meantime, there’s no reason for you not to hold your head high in Greshamsbury. Everyone is well aware of what Arabella can be like.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to stand down. It will all blow over in a few weeks, and I don’t want to make things more awkward for Bea or Rufus,” Eden said, taking a sip of her gin and tonic.

Thomas sighed. “You have a big heart, my dear. Always putting the Greshams ahead of yourself…”

“Well, as you yourself said, we all know what their mother can be like. We don’t have to put up with it on a daily basis like they do,” Eden said.

“That is true.”

“How have you been, Dad? I still can’t believe you’re here, of all places.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be, but my patient insisted on coming to spend time with his son.”

“Luis Felipe’s father?”

“Yes.”

“If his son is any indication, I’d reckon it hasn’t been an easy time for you.”

“The son’s fine, he’s not a bother. The father’s the one that’s been the challenge. I’ve been treating him for four years now, and it’s been a nonstop battle.”

“What type of cancer?”

“Adenocarcinoma.”

Eden’s eyes widened. “Four years! Rather impressive he’s lasted this long.”

“He’s an incredibly complicated man, and he’s a fighter, that’s for sure, but there’s not much fight left in him.”