Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 63

It was already ten in the evening, and everyone was dressed (except the dowager) in their pyjamas. If you call the girls wearing custom-made Armani night gowns embroidered with silk, lace threads at the bodice, complete with velvety gem-colored robes "pyjamas." Frederick, on the other hand, was wearing a plain black shirt and grey sweats.

"Yes!" the dowager answered emphatically to Vivian's previous question. "Are you daft, girl? I just said the whole story!"

Vivian glared at her. "Well, soh-rry for trying to actually believe the whole tale while Fred and I were watching a totally awesome movie!" she retorted.

Lady Cutting looked over at Frederick, who was trying to hold back his laughter at the whole scene. "I like her. Has spunk."

Instantly Frederick sobered, eyeing Viv with affection. "I know," he said gently.

Viv was too heated up to even hear what he'd confirmed. "The bitch! We have to create a plan. Like...like kidnapping her from her sleep, binding her wrists behind her back, covering her mouth with a wrap and throwing her down a Highland cliff!"

Everyone gaped at her.

"What?" she demanded hotly, looking uncomfortable with all the scrutiny she was receiving from all of us.

Let's just say Viv had met Natalie at dinner. First thing she'd noticed was that the model was gorgeous, but she'd sensed something evil, so she hadn't liked the Natalie immediately, but...

"Who are you?" I asked my best friend in shock.

"That's totally evil," Frederick seconded, widening his eyes at his fiancée.

"Radically evil," Emerson followed, slightly quirking an eyebrow.

"That's a GREAT idea!" the dowager boomed, thumping her cane. "But might I suggest burning her alive and then we --"

"Grandmama!" Frederick looked thoroughly shocked.

"It was only an idea," she grumbled defensively.

I cleared my throat. "Anyway," I went on, "everyone here seems to have the same thoughts about Natalie. She's a total --"

"Cellophane?" Lady Cutting finished for me.

I stared at her, blinking. Marge Swinton.

"Well, yeah," I agreed, averting my gaze and clearing my suddenly clogged throat. "It's obvious she's just trying to be nice toward me and everyone else."

"She's trying to make all of us believe that she's such a nice person," Viv said sourly, with an expression that said as much as her words.

"And trying to steal my brother!"

I think I swallowed a fly that time. When I heard those words said by Emerson, I didn't feel good. I tucked my knees under the skirt of my nightgown, hugging them tight with my arms. I rested my chin on my knees, looking dismayed. Viv noticed I looked scared and sad, so she placed her hand in mine, giving me a reassuring smile.

Meanwhile Frederick, the dowager, and Emerson were arguing about what to do.

"Send her to Africa?" Emerson suggested.

Lady Cutting snorted. "The chit will have plenty of connections."

"Strip her of all her belongings and contacts and then send her to Africa?"

"But Michael did escape her," Viv pointed out, connecting the pieces to the puzzle. "He went to California to be free not only from the stress due to being disinherited and looking for a candidate to be his wife. He also went to California to escape Natalie too."

Everyone nodded in agreement at her thoughts.

"But what are we going to do?" I wailed, burying my face in my hands.

Emerson and Viv looked at each other and smirked.

"Here's the plan..."

^^^^^

Nothing works! I screamed inside my head.

"She's obviously too smart than we give her credit for," Emerson complained.

Viv stomped her way toward us, a scowl on her pretty face. "I can't believe this!"

The three of us stood near the open tent the duke had the servants set up, looking cross and flushed with frustration. We did all we could think of to reveal Natalie's schemes with her brother and her moves on Michael.

We found nothing.

First, we went with Viv's plan, which was to get Natalie drunk and make her confess, but we found out that Natalie was not a drinker, so we threw that plan away. We then found out that the model had acid reflux, and anything that made her stomach churl was going to be gruesome. So we mixed some alcohol in her drink along with anything that could cause her stomach chaos but she only sniffed at the drink we made the servant give her, and she immediately knew there was alcohol in it, so she smiled at the servant prettily and asked him sweetly if he could replace her drink with water. The guy was so love sick, it was disgusting to even witness it from across the room.