13
By the time we arrived back at Home, Jay still had not quite forgiven me for bundling him out of Ashdown library like a sack of clothes. He was waiting for me in the hall, cool as a marble statue, with Indira at his elbow and no sign of Melissa.
‘Hello,’ I said, with a hopeful smile. I cannot absolutely confirm that I did not employ surreptitious use of the puppy eyes, too.
‘We need to see Milady right away,’ said Jay, unmoved.
‘I did not, by my interference, mean any slight upon your very excellent abilities.’
‘I was fine.’
I tried not to stare too obviously at the bruises on his face. ‘I know!’
Apparently I failed, for the brow came down in annoyance and he involuntarily touched the biggest of the bruises: a great monster of a thing adorning his right cheek. ‘No one’s ever died
