A High Whisk Situation (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries ~ Book 12): a traditional mystery British whodunit cozy crime set in Scotland by H.Y. Hanna

Author:H.Y. Hanna [Hanna, H.Y.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: H.Y. Hanna
Published: 2023-02-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

At the same moment that I spotted him, Devlin glanced across the room and our eyes met. Everything and everyone around me seemed to recede and it was just us, staring at each other across the room. Then Devlin said something to his companions and began threading his way through the crowd towards me and Cassie. I had often seen Devlin in full CID detective mode, handling crowds at crime scenes with a calm authority, but even off duty and dressed in a casual T-shirt and jeans, he was a commanding presence. Men instinctively shifted aside to make way for him and women eyed his tall figure with open admiration as he passed.

I was annoyed to find that my heart was beating uncomfortably hard in my chest as he approached. True, I hadn’t seen Devlin for several weeks now—not since that fateful night when he’d suggested that we “take a break”—but it was ridiculous to be getting so worked up over meeting him again. This was the man I’d known since my student days at Oxford, for heaven’s sake! And the man you most trusted and felt closest to, who turned your world upside down by suddenly wanting time apart, a voice in my head reminded me. Feeling the sense of grievance and betrayal fill me once more, I raised my chin and kept my expression aloof as Devlin came to a stop next to us.

“Devlin! What a surprise to see you here!” cried Cassie with such exaggerated disbelief that I wanted to roll my eyes.

I shot a dagger look at my best friend, suddenly understanding why she had been so insistent that I accompany her to Scotland and even out to Fort William and this pub this evening. Ever since our tiff, Cassie had been itching to personally instigate a reconciliation between Devlin and me. With her direct, fiery temperament, she’d had no patience with concepts like “taking a break” or the idea of having time and space apart to resolve issues. As far as she was concerned, if a relationship had problems, they should be hammered out there and then—with a screaming match that lasted until 4 a.m. if necessary!

It had been a struggle to restrain her from trying any romantic meddling, but I’d thought that my heartfelt pleas (mixed with threats to never speak to her again) had worked. Now, I could see that I’d been fooled. Cassie had simply redirected her efforts into more sly scheming, and tonight was obviously the culmination of a convoluted attempt to stage an “accidental” meeting between Devlin and me.

It also explained, I realised, Cassie’s strange hostility towards Ewan Campbell. Suddenly having a handsome, charming young man claiming my attention was the last thing she needed and an unexpected threat to her carefully laid plans. No wonder she’d reacted with peevish belligerence and animosity towards him!

Cassie must have known what I was thinking but she pretended to ignore my thunderous expression, turning instead to Devlin and saying blithely: “Isn’t this

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