Page 101 of Under Her Protection

She came into it three paces behind Vivienne's shoulder, as she had left it, and she stood against the wall, and Vivienne, in the middle of a sentence in French to Charlotte Langford, the ex British Prime Minister did not, at her return, look round. That was, Leo registered, correct. That was the arrangement.

Vivienne laughed again.

Leo stood and watched a woman she had begun to think she loved laugh at a line Sienna had delivered, and Leo's chest stayed in the vice, and the line at her jaw stayed pulled tight.

At ten-fourteen she went out into the anteroom.

Colette looked up.

"Mademoiselle."

"Colette."

"Are you all right."

"Yes. Service corridor. I am clocking."

"Of course."

Leo went into the service corridor.

She pulled her phone. She typed three words.

"Come in tomorrow."

Avery answered inside ten seconds.

"What."

"Take over my detail."

"Leo."

"Take it over for a fortnight. Today was a day. I am telling you tonight because I want it on a rotation that starts in the morning, so that she wakes up to you and not to me."

"Leo."

"Avery."

A pause.

"Are you all right."

"No."

"Copy."

"I will tell you tomorrow."

"Copy. Tomorrow. I will be at the residence at six."

"Thank you."

"Leo."

"Yes."

"She has not done anything tonight, has she."