“Make the entire week complimentary.” My boss peered at me. “Is this why you called me in?”
“Yes, in part. The other thing is that there was no way out of the library once we were locked in. If there was a fire and someone got locked in there, it’s a problem.”
Lachlan nodded. “It came up when we were refurbishing the castle, and the windows were enough to pass fire inspection. Plus we’d thought the likelihood of anyone getting locked in there was slim.” I flushed again at his dry tone, cursing my sister to hell. “What do you suggest?”
“I think the least intrusive idea has some expense to it.”
“Go on.”
“I think we should convert one of the windows into a door.”
Lachlan nodded again. “Aye, that sounds logical. I’ll deal with it.”
“Are you sure? I can handle it.”
“No, it’s fine. I have a contact who helped refurbish some windows years ago. I’ll call you to let you know when they’ll be out to measure. Is there anything else?”
“That’s it for now.”
“Great.” He stood, towering over me. “Now go home.”
I gaped up at him. “What? Now?”
“Aye, now.”
“But I have work.”
“I’m here. I’ll handle what needs to be handled. You go home and sleep.”
“But—”
“No buts. Go home.”
“Oh my God, please tell me you did not get fired?” Allegra asked as soon as I walked through the door.
“No,” I grumbled as I kicked off my heels. “Lachlan sent me home because I haven’t slept. I had to tell him what you did in case North complained.”
“Why?” Allegra whined. “Now he’s going to tell Dad.”
Our father was on the board of the estate, and he and Lachlan were good friends. “I swore him to secrecy.”
“North wouldn’t have complained.”
“Oh, and you know this from the five seconds you’ve spent in his presence. If he didn’t complain, Wakefield might have felt obligated to tell Lachlan. Anyway, it’s done.”
“Like I’m done,” she said forlornly.
“My head hurts,” I whimpered, striding past her into the kitchen for a bottle of water. My pulse was racing before I even said, “But it’s time to call our parents.” There was nothing I hated more than playing referee in the middle of Allegra and Mamma and Dad. But I’d taken on that role a long time ago, and as mad as I was at my sister, I couldn’t let her deal with them alone.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“While you’re in a mood?”
I spun on my sister. “Just because I’m pissed at you doesn’t mean I’m in a mood.” I was so in a mood. “What you did crossed a line.”
Allegra tilted her chin defiantly. “I’m sorry if I got you in trouble at work, but I’m not sorry for trying to push you out of your comfort zone.”
I will not strangle my beloved sister. I will not strangle my beloved sister.
Instead of answering （because I was afraid I might eviscerate her with my words）， I took a massive chug of cold water and then strode over to where I’d left my purse. Grabbing my cell out of it, I intended to video call Mamma first.
Allegra wrapped a hand around my wrist to stop me, her eyes pleading. “I know I made a mistake. But I still really don’t think college is the answer.”
I studied her face, the tired eyes, the weariness in them that scared the hell out of me. “You’re nineteen. Legally, you’re an adult. If you want to drop out, you can. But that’s a conversation you’ll need to have with our parents on your own.”
“They don’t listen to me.”
“If you’re mature enough to drop out of college, you’re mature enough to handle Mamma and Dad on your own.”
Allegra glowered at me for what felt like five minutes. Then she threw her hands up. “Fine! I got into the Rhode Island School of Design. Maybe I could transfer there my junior year.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And you’d be cool with that?”
She considered it. “It’s not like I have to give up Lucy Stella, right?”
“Nope. You can still do it. I hope you do. Your art is beautiful, Allegra. I just … want you to experience what other kids your age are experiencing. Maybe the East Coast will be good for you.”
Allegra blew out a beleaguered breath. “It would be easier for Mamma and Dad to swallow that over dropping out. And it might work.”
“So, that’s a yes?”
“Yeah.” She still didn’t look a hundred percent happy, but life was about compromise, right? “Call them.”
Mamma picked up on the fourth ring. Her beautiful face appeared on the screen and it looked like she was in our kitchen in the New York apartment. “It’s early here, coccolona. Is something wrong?”
“I’m going to try to connect Dad, okay?” I said instead.
“Oh, something is wrong. Just tell me.”
“Nothing’s wrong. We just need a family meeting.”
“Family meeting?”
At that, my sister appeared at my side and waved into the camera. “Hey, Mamma.”
Our mother scowled. “Allegra? Why are you in Scozia?”
“One second, Mamma,” I insisted as I invited Dad into the call.
Wesley Howard might be a legendary film director and super busy guy, but unless he’s in the middle of filming a scene, it was rare he didn’t pick up when his daughters called. Sure enough, after five rings, my father’s rugged face appeared. “Hey!” His eyes widened in surprise. “All my girls? Wait … what are you doing in LA, Ari?”
“I’m not in LA.”
“Allegra, what are you doing in Scotland?”
“Good morning to you, too, husband,” Mamma called, pouting childishly.
Our father grinned. “I said good morning to you an hour ago.”
Allegra and I groaned at the innuendo in his tone and our mother’s consequent purr of approval. Good lord! I did not need to know that our parents had phone sex.
“Anyway.” I took a deep breath. “We’re calling for a reason.”
“Why are you so pale?” Mamma cut in. “Ari, you are the face of that estate. You cannot walk around looking like a dead girl.”
“Mamma!” Allegra’s tone was chastising.
“I’m used to it,” I muttered, squeezing her hand. We needed our parents on Allegra’s good side.
“And don’t mumble. A lady does not mumble.”
“Chiara, give it a rest,” Dad suggested with a bite in his tone. The one point of contention between our parents was the way my mother picked at me. “Look, girls, as happy as I am to see you, I have to be back on set in five minutes, so what’s the deal?”
Just spit it out fast. “Allegra came to visit me to explain how unhappy she is in LA, so we’ve been talking about it and think it would be best if she transferred to Rhode Island for junior year.”
Dad started speaking first. “Well, I think—”