you and Alice explained that I required further training before I resumed my position as your official assistant, but…” She trailed off again, clearly troubled, and I felt like a giant arsehole.
I put a hand on her upper arm. “It’s okay. You can say whatever it is you need to. I promise you won’t offend me.”
“It’s just that I’ve hardly learned anything new at all, and I’ve been kept away from whatever it is you and Alice are working on most of the time. I wondered, is there something you’re not telling me that I should know? Is Alice back for good?”
Bugger. I couldn’t exactly spill out the truth because I hadn’t a clue if Alice would stay or not at this point. And Victoria hadn’t really done anything wrong other than not being Alice. It was my responsibility to fix this.
“I apologize, Victoria. Things are just a bit hectic right now, but rest assured you didn’t offend me. There’s plenty of work to go around and we’ll all have a job here when this pomp and ceremony is through.”
I smiled in reassurance, hoping it was enough to tide her over until I fixed things with Alice. I’d find a suitable position for her. In fact, I could think of a few places in which she might be a better fit. Because, honestly, if I couldn’t have Alice with me, I wanted no one.
I knocked for a second time on the door to Alice’s flat. “Alice, I know you’re in there. I can hear your music.” Some sappy folk song was playing inside, and I could hear Alice’s footfalls as she ran across the floor to shut the music off. “Turning it off doesn’t help your case.” I knocked again. “Let me explain and apologize. Please.”
A good thirty seconds passed before the bolt lock released and the knob turned. The door opened only a few inches so all I could see was a small section of lips, nose, and glasses.
“I can’t talk to you until tomorrow.”
“Why not? I’m here now and I don’t want to leave without seeing you.”
“Because I’m—” She hiccupped. “Not in my right mind.”
“Not in your right mind as in you’ve gone insane, or not in your right mind as in drunk as shite?”
She pushed two of her small fingers through the crack in the doorway. “The second one.”
My grin couldn’t be stopped. “All right. I see. But I think I’ll feel better if I come in and make sure you don’t fall out your window.”
“I won’t fall out my window.”
“Crack your head in the bath, then.”
“Did you just call me a crack head? That’s very rude.”
I pushed gently on the door, and when I felt no resistance, I opened it all the way. Alice leaned against the wall beside the door looking up at me, her eyes a bit unfocused behind her glasses.
“I don’t like that you’re so handsome.” She frowned at me.
“Would you prefer I cover my head with a bag?” I closed the door behind me and locked it.
“No. Because then I’d have to look at your stupid body.”
“Who’s being rude now?” I pulled her from the wall and walked behind her to her kitchen, hands on her shoulders to steer the way. The flat I’d arranged for her was nice, if a bit small, but she hardly spent any time here. I was pleased to see the bolt lock on the door as well as the locks on the windows.
“Let’s get you some tea and a few ibuprofen, shall we?” We entered the grey and black kitchen and I sat her down in one of the four chairs surrounding a matte grey table.
“Ruby said I should drink coffee.”
“Then I’ll get you a cup of coffee instead.” I searched her cupboards for coffee and mugs and proceeded to prepare an entire pot. Alice remained silent as I worked, and I even thought she’d fallen asleep at one point.
When the coffee was brewing, I pulled out my phone and rang Andrew.
“Sir?”
“Hey, Andrew, I’ll be staying the night here it seems.” I was careful to not speak too loudly as I guessed Alice would have an opinion about that.
“All right. I’ll station two guards.” He was all business, as always.
“Thanks.” I hung up and set my phone on the table near Alice before taking a seat adjacent to hers.
The only thing keeping her head upright appeared to be the elbow and hand propping it up. Her eyes were half lidded, her glasses crooked, and her full