Page 106 of Under Her Protection

The gate opened.

The gravel did the small wet sound it had been doing since winter had arrived.

Eric stopped the car under the portico. Leo was out of the front before Eric had fully stopped, and the door of the back of the car was open in Vivienne's hand by the time her own hand had found the handle, and Vivienne, in the black wool, in heels she did not feel under her feet, got out into the cold of her own portico and went up the three steps into her hall, and Beaumont, who was on tonight, took her coat without speaking.

Avery went past Beaumont, two steps in front, into the small office off the hall, and put her laptop down on the desk and turned on a lamp.

Leo stood in the hall.

"Madame."

"In the library."

"Madame."

"In the library, Leo."

"I will be there in two minutes. I am clearing the perimeter."

"Avery is here. Avery will sort that. I need you, in the library, now."

A beat.

"Copy."

She went into the library.

Beaumont had the fire lit. She did not, tonight, look at the fire.

She stood in the middle of the carpet and she waited.

Leo appeared in the doorway. Leo looked troubled.

Leo did not sit. Leo stood in the doorway with one shoulder against the frame and her hands at her sides and her green eyes on the stone of the hearth and not, Vivienne registered, on her.

"Vivienne."

"Leo."

"I am not felling well. I have not been sleeping. I need a few days off and Avery will look after you.”

"You are not feeling well?” Vivienne asked and narrowed her eyes. Something was up with Leo and it wasn’t illness.

"I am not well."

Vivienne looked at her.

She looked at the line of Leo's jaw and she looked at Leo’s mouth that had brought her to the heights of pleasure.

"Look at me,” Vivienne said.

"Vivienne." Leo’s voice was shaky.

"I have just told you that the woman who has been trying to destroy me for three months has sent me three sexual messages and a photograph from twenty-five years ago which she intends to publish, and you are standing in the doorway of my library telling me you are not feeling well. There is not time for you to not feel well.”

Leo looked sheepish.

"What in the name of Christ is going on, Leo?”