Hypnotized

She flushed. ‘It’s not true. Whatever my stepdaughter thinks she has remembered is simply not true.’

I raised an eyebrow.

She knew better than to carry on that line of defense. ‘Nobody would believe such utter rot,’ she said icily.

I smiled. ‘It would appear you are better than the crowd you run with. Everybody would believe it. It has the ring of truth to it, wouldn’t you say? Besides when has the truth ever stopped a nice piece of gossip?’

‘You think I’m powerless. I could destroy that little prostitute in a minute. I’ve got pictures.’

I was not surprised. I had expected no less, but she had more to lose than me. ‘Yes, I was coming to that. You use your pictures and I’ll use mine.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘What have you got?’ she challenged. Her accent was no longer the stiff upper-lip drawl, but hard and nasal. It betrayed her

real roots. She was from the East End of London.

‘What’s most precious to you?’ I asked softly.

Her face contorted into an ugly mask. ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she spat.

‘You met me in my hypnotist guise so you think I am civilized like you. I’m not. When you think of me, Lady Swanson, think of a bear. A grizzly bear. Better still think of me as a mama bear.’ I paused and looked hard at her. ‘If I catch you trying to undermine or hurt Olivia in any way at all, even if it is just a glance, I promise you I’ll hurt him. Don’t forget how easy it is to get him in one of those anonymous clubs he goes to all dolled-up as a woman.’

She went still. ‘Is that a threat?’

‘It’s a prediction, but if it takes a threat to help you understand how serious I am then take it as such.’

There was a soft knock on the door. The footman came in with a tray and walked up to her. She snatched it off the tray and took a large gulp. The door closed again.

‘What do you want?’ she asked briskly.

‘I want Olivia to have the wedding of her dreams. The whole works. The dress, the veil, the church, the bridesmaids, the flowers. Only you know her well enough to do that for me.’

‘What else?’ she asked tightly.

‘I want to know where Tom your former gardener is?’

‘Tom Hardy? He died sometime ago. Cancer, I believe.’

‘Lucky him,’ I said quietly

Something passed through her eyes. It was gone in a flash but I caught it.

I looked at her in shock. ‘You knew, didn’t you?’

‘Knew what?’ she asked defiantly.

I felt rage curling in my stomach. ‘What kind of woman are you? You let him abuse a defenseless child.’

She swallowed. ‘I don’t know what lies she told you, but I had nothing to do with anything that happened between her and Tom.’

‘But you protected your own daughter

‘I’m not responsible for her,’ she shouted.

People like her made me sick. ‘The good news is I’ll be taking Olivia back to America with me. So you’ll hardly have to see her again, but I will bring her back as often as she wants and I want her to have a nice house here in London. I expect you and your husband to take care of that for her.’

She nodded. A gust of envy blew across her face. ‘You’re taking her away?’

‘Yes. I’m going back to the States. I’m returning to the practice of neurology.’