Crown Me

10.

"It's a poor show," she said condescendingly to Jade. I'd missed how she had disappointed her this time but I could guess she'd once again blown something out of proportion.

"Jade should have a moment alone with her mother." Luke said.

"She never wanted one before!" she accused as Luke led her toward the door. I stepped back and pressed myself against the wall, wishing I could become invisible.

But she caught sight of me as soon as they exited.

"I forgot to tell Jade that she was here."

Luke halted in his tracks and rounded on her. "Perrie is Jade's wife and my new family. You will show her the respect she is due."

She shot another withering look in my direction but didn't apologise. "I'd like to leave now. I must continue packing."

I supposed that regardless of Jade's decision not to move into Buckingham she didn't want to stay here. Her husband had died years ago and now her daughter was gone as well. Part of me almost felt sorry for her.

Stepping toward the chapel entrance I paused. Jade stood before her mother's body with her back to me. Her shoulders slumped as if carrying a heavy burden. She spoke to her in a low voice that carried through the otherwise quiet room.

I was torn between leaving and staying. In any other circumstance I might have some clue what to do but this was way out of my comfort zone. Her actions this week had suggested she didn't want me around but it didn't change the fact that she needed me. I was certain of that.

The vows I made to her echoed in my mind. This was clearly a for better or for worse scenario. We were in this together and if she'd lost sight of that, it was up to me to show her.

"Grand gestures are useless when you fucking die during them. If you loved me that much all along, you should have just said," Jade said. The pain and isolation I'd felt for the last two days also coloured her voice, sending a pang of regret tightening in my chest.

She stormed from the room so quickly she walked right past me. I moved out from the shadows but she continued on. If she realised I was here, she was ignoring me.

Jade pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. "News?" She demanded without greeting the receiver. "Unacceptable. This situation needs to be contained and sorted. I'll accept nothing less."

She paused, obviously listening to a response I couldn't hear.

My heart was in my throat and I swallowed against it. Whatever was going on, I needed to trust that she would be up front with me. The past few days had been extreme circumstances. Nothing more.

"Then deal with her!" She snapped before pocketing the phone.

Deal with her? Me? Another woman? Given that roughly half the earth's population was women, the options seemed endless. Coldness flooded through my limbs and I shook it off. I was being paranoid, a symptom of being kept alone without information. If I wanted to know what was going on, I only needed to ask.

"Jade," I called before she could get any farther away.

She turned, momentarily startled but her face was unreadable when she saw me standing behind her. Her face was drawn with exhaustion and I longed to go to her, take her in my arms and give her whatever small reassurances I could.

"How long were you there?" She asked.

"I wanted to give you some privacy." My voice was so small that it nearly got lost in the cavernous passage.

"You have no business being here Perrie."

I took a step back, my resolve to stand by her faltering for a split second. Squaring my shoulders, I decided to remind her exactly why I was here. "Your wife and son's place is at your side."