Page 11 of Holiday Home 3
“I see,” the fashionable ecology professor said. In a rare occurrence of hesitance, Victoria seemed to have more she wanted to say but didn’t.
Curiosity piqued by that oddity, he unwisely drew attention to it.
“Is there something on your mind?”
After a moment, Victoria inclined her head. “In fact, there is. I heard from Avril about what happened a little while ago.”
“Oh.”
He had no other response loaded into the chamber, even though he shouldn’t have been surprised that they’d spoken already. While Avril and Anna were practically sisters, Avril and Victoria had nearly been sisters by law. Victoria had been engaged to Avril’s brother about a decade ago, though she’d broken things off after realizing it was a poor match.
She’d admitted as much to him two days ago, during some time alone they’d spent before Tess’s party. She’d done so partly because of Avril’s insistence that Victoria find some way to get along with him, though with far more colorful language. She’d also apparently been rather drunk when she’d called Victoria to make said demand.
At that time, the beautiful professor had explained that she didn’t dislike him but that she’d just opposed Avril and Tess’s plan to push him and Anna together. So, depending on what Avril had told Victoria about earlier today, she might actually be pleased.
And that was the question. Just what had Avril told her?
“When you told me to mind my business the other day and that you and Anna had secrets that not even Avril or Tess knew about, I would not have envisioned that the two of you had concocted the scheme that you had.”
“Well, I didn’t quite say it like that,” he said, mainly referring to the first portion of her statement. “I had a little more tact, I think.”
“A little more,” Victoria agreed. “But the point was made. I see now that I underestimated both of you. It seems that all of us did.”
Liam downplayed things with a shrug. “I just went along with what Anna asked of me, really. Avril and Tess meant well, but Anna needed a friend more than a boyfriend.”
Victoria smiled. Barely. It was barely more than the beginnings of a smile, and it lasted only a few seconds. Nevertheless, Liam absorbed the sight of it like a sponge. He had no certainty if there’d be a second opportunity.
“It’s strange for me to realize that we’d been of a like mind since the outset, especially since I was the only one opposing things. If I made things difficult for you, I apologize.”
Shaking his head, he said, “If anything, it kind of helped. I’m pretty sure Avril and Tess are probably kicking themselves for realizing all the tells we gave them during it all. I don’t think either of us was great at feigning interest.”
“I think your shared awkwardness benefitted the deception,” Victoria said. “At the very least, it suited Anna’s inexperience with romance.”
“Guess it worked out. For a time.” He sighed.
Victoria nodded. “Yes, I heard about that too. Trent Alden is truly a deplorable human being.”
“I haven’t really mentioned it, but I’m pretty sure he was tipped off about where we’d be—maybe by Anna’s dad. There were two people at the tailor Anna took me to who overheard our plans to go ice skating. I can’t think of any other way Trent would have known to show up like he did.”
“It’s very possible,” Victoria agreed, disdain flattening her lips. “I’ve seen and experienced worse when I was engaged to Avril’s brother. I’ve only met Arnold Royce once, but I know his reputation. Like most men in his echelon, he is used to getting what he wants without much trouble.”
“That’s the sense I’ve gotten to, unfortunately. I feel bad for Anna.”
“Unfortunately, I’m certain you’ll both end up experiencing some unpleasantries in the near future. But going forward, I will be available if either of you needs anything from me. At least now we’re all united.”
“Silver lining,” he said, nodding.
A brief stint of silence, which he would be the one to break, followed. Based on how their conversation had gone so far, he’d already deduced that Avril must have left out a few critical elements of what had gone down at Tess’s house a little over an hour ago. He hesitated to bring them up, even though he realized that Victoria was the best person to drop his curiosity upon.
I guess we’ll see how available to helping you are,he thought, deciding to proceed with his inquiries.
“Victoria, I actually could use your help with something. Your opinion, at the very least. But it’ll need to stay between us, okay? I don’t want the others to hear about this conversation.”
Curiosity adorned Victoria’s expression. It was wholly warranted. This was only the second time they’d ever been truly alone. For him to already have a private request loaded up mere moments after she’d offered him her support must have seemed unusual.
“Okay,” the beautiful woman said. “It shall stay between us. What is it you wish to discuss?”
As he played with a Rubik’s Cube in his mind, searching for the proper combination of words, he noticed something humorous in his peripherals. A shopper, one whom he and Tess had entered the store just ahead of, appeared in it. She was a slightly plump, middle-aged woman with frizzy hair and a shopping cart overflowing with enough dog food, treats, and toys for him to assume she’d gotten a puppy for Christmas.