“I don’t know anything about you.”

“And you aren’t going to learn much more, of that I’ll guarantee.”

“Can you guarantee you won’t back out of this?” Joanna said, pointing to the scraps of paper on the table. “That you’ll keep up your end of the deal?”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“That’s the only answer you’re going to get,” Addison snapped.

“Not good enough,” Joanna said, getting to her feet.

Addison rolled her eyes. “Fine, I won’t back out on anything. I promise. Now, can we get this thing over with? I’m desperate for a shower, and I have a doctor’s appointment to keep.” Standing, Addison looked around the table, and then returned her eyes to Joanna Sheppard. Taking a deep breath, she held out her hand. “Do we have a deal...or not?”

Swallowing hard, Joanna slowly took the woman’s hand. “We have a deal.”

Chapter Seven

Glancing at her watch for the umpteenth time, when Evelyn Ward heard the front door open, she jumped to her feet and sprinted from the drawing room. Watching as George Parker took Addison’s attaché from her hand a nanosecond before she allowed it to slip from her fingers, Evelyn frowned. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Close to nine, I think,” Addison said, shooing away the butler’s intrusion of her personal space with a wave of her hand. “Why?”

“Why? Why!” Evelyn said, stomping her foot. “Addison, you texted me three hours ago, insisting that I not leave until we had a chance to talk.”

“So?”

“I do have a life outside of your home, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Whatever,” Addison said as she took a step toward her study. “Tell Noah I’ll have dinner in a few minutes.”

“Noah left over an hour ago.”

“What?” Addison said, stopping her tracks.

“We all assumed you were eating out when you texted to say you’d be late, so I sent him home.”

“And what the hell am I supposed to eat?”

“Well, I know there’s some leftover roast—”

“I don’t do scraps, and you know it,” Addison said as she disappeared into her study. A minute later, she emerged carrying a glass of scotch, and after taking a sip, she looked over at her house manager. “Care for one?”

“No, thank you,” Evelyn said. “I have to drive home, remember?”

“Right,” Addison said as she headed to the drawing room.

Aware Addison expected her to follow, Evelyn did just that. Walking in, she found Addison standing by the fireplace at the far corner of the room, staring into the empty hearth.

“I need you to get the east wing ready,” Addison said, over her shoulder.

Evelyn’s eyebrows drew together. “Um...ready for what exactly?”

“Guests.”

“I’m sorry,” Evelyn said, taking a step closer. “Did you just say…did you just say guests?”