Page 54 of Perfect Liar

Their system made complete sense to me, because I understood how Will could be commanding and yet charming at the same time when he wanted something.

He’d said with a wink that London’s financial community openly recognized him and Ethan as the youngest founders of one of its most successful private equity firms.

But their lives were so much more complex than that.

Their father, Richard Hastings, a government intelligence agent before his death, had trained his sons to be his private soldiers, making them mercenaries for hire while also insisting on exceptional education and their own source of income.

Ethan had completed his MBA at Oxford a few years before Will. Thomas had a master’s in mathematical finance and would soon join his brothers at The Hastings Group.

The brothers were all close.

“Boo!”

I jumped.

Lissie stuck her face into my room wearing a devilish little grin. She pushed the door open wider.

“Aunt Ellie, do you wanna come to my super-secret castle tour? Will said you feel better.”

She needed me, and I’d already let her down, leaving her with Will and his mother while I cowered inside my grief, inside my own darkness. I had to step it up.

“Yes, I do feel better today, and I definitely want to go on your tour. Come in and help me find something to wear.”

But instead of coming in, she abruptly pulled the door shut. Her giggles filled the corridor, and her footsteps quickened as she ran away from my room.

Mrs. Bates, the house manager, then pushed into the room with a young housemaid on her heels.

“I sent little Lissie away for now. Let’s get you up first, dear. It’s late, and you must be starving. William said you’d eat for us today.”

Her lilting Irish accent was hypnotic. She turned to her housemaid and went on.

“Lily, say hello to our new young lady of the house.”

“What? No, I’m not that,” I said.

I pulled the sheet under my chin. It still smelled like Will.

“I’ll come to the kitchen for breakfast with everyone else.”

“No need to come down, Ms. James. I brought you a tray.”

Lily had a small voice, her accent different than Will’s.

I corrected her.

“I’m Ellie. And I’ll still go down. What did Will tell you?”

Mrs. Bates stepped in.

“Don’t blame him, dear. I do things my way round here.”

Then she muttered to herself.

“It’s quite time one of the lads made a commitment. Lord knows Mary could use a daughter in this house.”

I put my hand on my forehead.

“But Mrs. Bates, this is really a bit much.”