memorized from Lilly‘s note. What did a woman like Lillian Saint Rose want with a man like him anyway? Hell! Even her name sounded fancy!
“What am I doing?” Jack asked himself out loud, but he punched the call button all the same. Bringing the phone to his ear, he waited as it rang the line three times.
“You’ve reached the Saint Rose residence. How may I be of service?” an elderly gentleman asked in an English accent. Great! A damned butler? “Hello?” The man called when Jack still hadn’t said a word. Jack cleared his throat.
“I was looking for Lillian?” He asked in a clumsy voice that he wanted to smack himself for.
“Ah. Miss Lillian isn’t in at the moment, sir. Would you like to leave a message?” The elderly man offered.
“Uh, no…no, thank you. I’ll just try back later.” Jack replied, at the same time thinking, “Yeah right! That’s going to happen!” He was clearly in over his head here. It would be better to swim to the shallow end while he still had the chance!
“As you wish, sir. Could I at least give her a name?” The butler asked.
“Jack Stone.” Jack mumbled, and he ended the call. Well if that didn’t make him look like an idiot to Lillian, he didn’t know what would! Damn it! “Forget her, Jack.” he hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand, and then he turned the key in the ignition, and drove out into the street.
“You’ve had a telephone call.” Reginald announced upon Lillian’s waking that evening after the sun had set.
“A call?” she asked, shrugging into her cloak.
“Yes. A Mr. Jack Stone? He didn’t leave a message.” Reginald replied absently, but Lillian could hear Reginald’s nosy thoughts. He was wondering who this Jack Stone was and why he was calling Lillian. Sometimes, Reginald behaved like an overprotective father, Lillian thought as she turned to meet his curious gaze. Reginald wouldn’t be around much longer. He was old and slowly dying, she thought with regret. She had come to count on Reginald always being there. She couldn’t phantom the time when he no longer would be.
“I’m sure it was not important then.” she said, and she turned to leave. Josh and Troy met her at the door, looking purposeful. “And where do you think you’re going?” Lillian asked of them.
“Consider us your bodyguards for this evening.” Troy smiled arrogantly.
“Bodyguards?” Lillian looked back over her shoulder at Reginald accusingly. She didn’t have to read his mind. He looked guilty as hell.
“I thought it appropriate after you told us of the other in the vicinity.” Reginald explained.
“So, what? I bring along these two as what? A sacrificial meal?” she was being purposely grotesque, but she saw no other way to get through to Reginald or his grandsons about the danger that lurked out there in the dark! Lillian heard Josh swallow uncomfortably. “We all know if I take your grandsons with me, it will be I guarding them and not the other way around. They are safer here. I will call if I am in need of help.” Lillian stepped forward, and Josh and Troy stepped to block her path. A flash of white echoed in her eyes, and Josh sucked in his breath.
“I won’t be gone long. I’ve no need to hunt this night.” She told them firmly.
“Then why go out at all? We could play a game of cards?” Reginald called from behind her.
“I will not be caged!” Lillian hissed, and Reginald blew out his breath regretfully. He waved his grandsons aside. “I’ve been with you for sixty-seven years, My Lady. You can not expect me not to worry for your safety.”
“No. I suppose not.” Lillian replied softly without turning to face the old man. “But perhaps you could trust in my ability to take care of myself.” That said, she walked out the door.
The art museum was open for only another hour. Lillian would go there to be alone with her thoughts as she had many times in the past. Staring at the breathtaking
“What am I doing?” Jack asked himself out loud, but he punched the call button all the same. Bringing the phone to his ear, he waited as it rang the line three times.
“You’ve reached the Saint Rose residence. How may I be of service?” an elderly gentleman asked in an English accent. Great! A damned butler? “Hello?” The man called when Jack still hadn’t said a word. Jack cleared his throat.
“I was looking for Lillian?” He asked in a clumsy voice that he wanted to smack himself for.
“Ah. Miss Lillian isn’t in at the moment, sir. Would you like to leave a message?” The elderly man offered.
“Uh, no…no, thank you. I’ll just try back later.” Jack replied, at the same time thinking, “Yeah right! That’s going to happen!” He was clearly in over his head here. It would be better to swim to the shallow end while he still had the chance!
“As you wish, sir. Could I at least give her a name?” The butler asked.
“Jack Stone.” Jack mumbled, and he ended the call. Well if that didn’t make him look like an idiot to Lillian, he didn’t know what would! Damn it! “Forget her, Jack.” he hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand, and then he turned the key in the ignition, and drove out into the street.
“You’ve had a telephone call.” Reginald announced upon Lillian’s waking that evening after the sun had set.
“A call?” she asked, shrugging into her cloak.
“Yes. A Mr. Jack Stone? He didn’t leave a message.” Reginald replied absently, but Lillian could hear Reginald’s nosy thoughts. He was wondering who this Jack Stone was and why he was calling Lillian. Sometimes, Reginald behaved like an overprotective father, Lillian thought as she turned to meet his curious gaze. Reginald wouldn’t be around much longer. He was old and slowly dying, she thought with regret. She had come to count on Reginald always being there. She couldn’t phantom the time when he no longer would be.
“I’m sure it was not important then.” she said, and she turned to leave. Josh and Troy met her at the door, looking purposeful. “And where do you think you’re going?” Lillian asked of them.
“Consider us your bodyguards for this evening.” Troy smiled arrogantly.
“Bodyguards?” Lillian looked back over her shoulder at Reginald accusingly. She didn’t have to read his mind. He looked guilty as hell.
“I thought it appropriate after you told us of the other in the vicinity.” Reginald explained.
“So, what? I bring along these two as what? A sacrificial meal?” she was being purposely grotesque, but she saw no other way to get through to Reginald or his grandsons about the danger that lurked out there in the dark! Lillian heard Josh swallow uncomfortably. “We all know if I take your grandsons with me, it will be I guarding them and not the other way around. They are safer here. I will call if I am in need of help.” Lillian stepped forward, and Josh and Troy stepped to block her path. A flash of white echoed in her eyes, and Josh sucked in his breath.
“I won’t be gone long. I’ve no need to hunt this night.” She told them firmly.
“Then why go out at all? We could play a game of cards?” Reginald called from behind her.
“I will not be caged!” Lillian hissed, and Reginald blew out his breath regretfully. He waved his grandsons aside. “I’ve been with you for sixty-seven years, My Lady. You can not expect me not to worry for your safety.”
“No. I suppose not.” Lillian replied softly without turning to face the old man. “But perhaps you could trust in my ability to take care of myself.” That said, she walked out the door.
The art museum was open for only another hour. Lillian would go there to be alone with her thoughts as she had many times in the past. Staring at the breathtaking
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