Storm of Bells

44. Honeymoon

We stepped out of the door and started towards the stairs—but we hadn't even moved two steps before we were ambushed.

'Lilly, dear! What a coincidence meeting you here!'

A beaming Lady Samantha stepped out of an alcove, followed by Adaira and a butler who looked about to die from embarrassment.

'Yes,' Mr Ambrose said, his cool gaze zeroing in on his mother. 'What a coincidence meeting us in front of our own bedroom the morning after our wedding night.'

Adaira grinned shamelessly. 'Coincidences are amazing things, aren't they?'

'So, tell me, Lilly dear...' Her Ladyship sidled closer, the desperate hope of a prospective grandmother gleaming in her eyes. 'How...are things?'

Holy Mother of...! Is she actually asking if the two of us...?

'Things are adequate,' Mr Ambrose cut in, stepping between me and his mother. 'Very adequate indeed. Now, if you will excuse us, mother, we have things to do.'

'What things?' Lady Samantha clamped onto his arm, her eyes practically signalling in Morse code Is it about babies? Is it about babies?

'I'm sorry about this,' Adaira whispered, appearing at my side with a slightly apologetic grin. 'I'm afraid wild horses couldn't have held her back.'

'Don't worry about it.' Shrugging, I glanced around. 'To be honest, I'm a little bit surprised that the rest of the girls aren't here to jump us.'

Adaira cleared her throat. 'I'm afraid the others got a little bit above themselves last night. Patsy challenged Amy to a drinking competition, and—'

'Oh God! Are they both still alive?'

A corner of Adaira's mouth quirked up. 'I notice you didn't ask who won.'

'Of course not! I know my bloody stupid friends!'

'Well, don't worry. They're sleeping off their hangovers, but they're all right. All seven of them.'

'Good. That's goo—wait! All seven?'

'Oh yes. It seems that your other friends were, um...how shall I put it...inspired by the duo's example. They all ended up having a little bit too much fun.'

'Amy, Cora, Jenny, Patsy, Eve...one, two, three...' I counted, a niggling suspicion at the back of my mind. Then suddenly it burst out, clear and unavoidable. 'Those slimy, slithery, traitorous...Ella? They dragged my sweet innocent Ella into this?'

'Well, dragged in might not be the right word...'

'I'm going to strangle them!'

'Be my guest,' Mr Ambrose's cool voice came from behind me. 'I have several funeral parlors among my companies. But—'

'Will you give me a discount?'

'—but that will have to wait,' he said and, with finality, took me by the hand. 'We have business to take care of, remember?'

'Right. Right.' I wagged a finger at Adaira. 'When they wake up, give them the most horrifyingly excruciating hangover cure you can imagine.'

Adaira's face lit up with wicked joy. 'Do I have free rein over the kitchen?'

'Yes.'

Throwing her arms around me, Adaira squeezed. 'You are the best sister ever!'

Letting go and hopping back, she jabbed a finger into my dear husband's face. 'Don't you dare let her get away!'