‘As I’ve repeatedly told Ms McGraw, the accident was nobody’s fault but my own. I lost concentration. End of story. And I’m not going to let a friend of mine pay the price for my own recklessness.’
His guilt made sudden and sickening sense. He felt guilty that his actions could cause trouble for his friend. And he felt guilty that he’d unwittingly attracted a member of the press to the island when she was doing all that she could to avoid them. Oh, Finn.
Finn had crossed his arms and his mouth was set. Her heart pounded, torn between two competing impulses. One was the nausea-inducing reminder that Finn wasn’t the kind of man to settle down with just one woman and that to love him would leave her with nothing but a broken heart.
The other...well, it continued to hope. After all, he’d wasted no time in telling her who this Trixie McGraw was, and what she wanted from him. He hadn’t wanted her to think this woman was a girlfriend or lover, and that had to mean something, right?
She glared at Rupert. ‘Why on earth...? Did you know this woman was on a witch hunt?’
Rupert’s hands fisted. He turned to Trixie. ‘Is what Finn said true?’
One shoulder lifted. ‘Pretty much. Except for the “witch hunt” part.’
The woman had the most beautiful speaking voice Audra had ever heard.
‘Your sister seems to think I’m motivated by revenge, though I can assure you that is not the case. I believe it’s in the public interest to know when the safety standards on a prominent ski resort have deteriorated.’
It was all Audra could do not to snort. ‘I can’t believe you’ve brought the media to the island.’ Not when he’d done everything he could to protect her from the attention of the press before she’d arrived here.
‘I didn’t bring her. She was already here. I received an email from her yesterday. That’s why I’m here now. I left Geneva this morning. I’m not this woman’s friend.’
She took a moment to digest that.
So... None of them wanted to talk to this woman?
The press had made her life hell back in Geneva. She wasn’t going to let that happen again here on the island. She wasn’t going to let them turn Finn and his friend Joachim into their next victims either. She folded her arms. ‘Rupert, you have a choice to make.’
He blinked. ‘What choice?’
She met his gaze. It was sombre and focussed. ‘This is your house. You can invite whomever you want. But you either choose me or you choose her, because one of us has to leave. And if you do choose her, there will be repercussions. There won’t be any family dinners in the foreseeable future, and you can kiss a family Christmas goodbye.’
Rupert’s nostrils flared.
‘Audra,’ Finn started, but she waved him quiet.
‘I don’t trust her, Rupe, but I do trust Finn.’ Something in Rupert’s eyes darkened and it made her blink. Wow. He didn’t? When had that happened? She swallowed. ‘And you trust me, so—’
‘Forgive me, Ms Russel,’ the beautiful voice inserted. ‘I understand your current aversion to the press given the circus surrounding your relationship with Thomas Farquhar but I’m not here to discuss that. Your privacy is assured.’
Maybe, but Finn’s wasn’t. She ignored her. ‘I want her off this property. Choose, Rupert.’
‘It’s no competition, Squirt. You’d win in a heartbeat. But I need your help with something first. We won’t go inside the house, I promise. But bear with me here. This will take ten minutes. Less. If you still want Trixie to leave after that, I’ll escort her off the premises.’
It didn’t seem too much to ask. And in the face of Rupert’s sheer reasonableness she found her outrage diminishing. ‘Ten minutes.’ She pulled out her phone and set a timer.
Rupert motioned to Trixie and she pulled a large A4 manila envelope from her backpack and placed it on the table. Rupert gestured for her and Finn to take a look at the contents. His glance, when it clashed with Finn’s, was full of barely contained violence that made Finn’s gaze narrow and his shoulders stiffen. Wasting no further time, she reached inside the envelope and pulled out...photographs.
She inhaled sharply, and her heart plummeted. Pictures of her and Finn.
The first captured the moment yesterday when she’d leant forward and in the excitement of the moment had kissed Finn. The next showed the moment after when they’d stared at each other—yearning and heat palpable in both their faces. She could feel the heat of need rising through her again now. She flipped to the next one. It was of her and Finn drinking champagne in a harbourside tavern afterwards. They were both smiling and laughing. And she couldn’t help it, her lips curved upwards again now. This dreadful woman had captured one of the happiest moments of Audra’s life.