“Your mother always makes perfect sense,” Derek said.

  And that was one more reason why I loved him. “Thank you. And I’ll stop talking about Ella and Ingrid.”

  He leaned down and kissed me.

  “What was that for?” I whispered.

  “For being perfect for me in every way.”

  Smiling, I gazed at him. “You’re pretty perfect yourself.”

  “Thank you, darling.” He thought for a moment, then said, “I’ve got to get something out of the car.”

  “Okay. I’ll wait here.”

  He walked away quickly and I took the opportunity to admire his form.

  After a few seconds I turned and watched more cars pull into the drive. Most of them were gorgeous and expensive, like Derek’s car. There was a fancy foreign sports car in Day-Glo yellow that I couldn’t begin to identify, followed by a huge tank of a car. That had to be a Rolls-Royce, I thought.

  “Here we are,” Derek said.

  “That was fast.”

  “I couldn’t leave you hanging here.”

  “Thank you,” I said, delighted by the fact that he was so considerate. “But I was fine. Just watching the cars.”

  He glanced both ways. “Are you ready to walk?”

  “Yes.”

  As we strolled across the street, I glanced around and noticed something unexpected.

  “Hey.” I nudged Derek. “Isn’t that George Thompson sitting in the Mercedes across the street?”

  George was one of Derek’s best agents and a good friend of ours. For a tough guy who carried a gun, he was a sweetheart. Brave and hardworking, he had been with Derek’s company for almost five years.

  “Yes, it’s George,” Derek whispered. “But let’s not blow his cover, shall we?”

  “I’m not going to blow his cover,” I muttered. Okay, maybe I’d been staring, but at least I wasn’t waving and shouting like an idiot. Well, not yet anyway. And seeing George reminded me that Derek was on duty tonight. And that was why he’d gone back to the car. He needed his gun. Hmm. I took one last surreptitious glance at George before we stepped onto the sidewalk, crossed the driveway, and then passed through the open gates.

  Here in this area were enough plants to supply a tropical rain forest. Hanging baskets had ferns and pothos cascading down in profusion. Massively large pots lined one long wall and held palm trees, fiddle leaf ferns, and rhododendrons. Bougainvilleas covered the outer walls, adding brilliant color. Bromeliads grew on driftwood mounted on the walls of the house by the front door. And every single plant looked healthy and perfect.

  Joseph paid someone well to make sure the plants always looked that way. It was worth it, I thought.

  “This is beautiful,” I murmured, and stepped into the fortress.

  And wow, the interior of the home did not disappoint. The foyer was as big as any normal living room and completely round, with a lovely crystal chandelier in the center of the ceiling. The walls were so white, it made me wonder if the room had just been painted. The hardwood floors were so highly polished that, again, I had to wonder if they had just been buffed.

  A distinguished older gentleman wearing a suit with a burgundy vest approached. With a slight bow, he said, “May I take your coat, madam?”

  “Yes, thank you,” I said, and slipped out of it.

  “Edith!” the man barked over his shoulder.

  A petite young woman in a housemaid’s uniform came rushing forward. She took my coat and said, “Thank you, madam.”

  “Thank you, Edith,” I said, and wondered briefly why the man hadn’t simply taken my coat himself since he was the one who had asked to take it. There was obviously a hierarchy here and it forbade the very important man from dealing with such trivial tasks as taking guests’ coats. Oh, whatever. I had a tendency to dwell on those sorts of meaningless conundrums.

  The well-dressed man said, “Have a lovely evening, madam.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “What is your name?”

  “I’m Hobson, madam. At your service.” He nodded to Derek. “Commander.” He spoke with a very proper English accent, even more proper than Derek’s, if that was possible.

  As I was turning, I happened to catch the way Edith was looking at Hobson. It was a look of pure contempt, but at least she was subtle about it. Her head was lowered enough that he couldn’t see her, but I could. And for the third or fourth time in two days, I thought, Boy, if looks could kill.

  There was a lot of that going around, I thought.

  Maybe Hobson treated the housemaids badly. The housemaid certainly thought so. It wouldn’t be the first case of the head guy treating the little people with contempt.

  “Thank you, Hobson,” Derek murmured. Then taking my arm, he walked me through a wide archway and we stepped down into the football-field-sized living room. Maybe it wasn’t quite the length of a football field, but it felt almost as massive, with an impressive cathedral ceiling and a magnificent stone fireplace and hearth that covered the entire wall at the far end. The western wall was made up entirely of floor-to-ceiling glass and the view was even better than I’d imagined it would be.

  “I’ve got to get a better look at this,” I said and led Derek over to the wall of glass to take in the view. From the rocky cliff and the wide, arched beach below the house, to the blue water of the Bay, to the Marin Headlands on the opposite shore, to the wide expanse of the Golden Gate Bridge turning a deep, warm bronze in the last light of the sunset. It was breathtaking.

  I gazed at Derek. “This is just stunning. Imagine being able to look at this view every day.”

  “I believe I could get used to it,” he said.

  I glanced up at him. “Have you been here before?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Your team had to come and prep for the security thing.”

  “Yes. And Joseph has invited me for lunch on occasion.”

  I frowned. “I knew that.”

  He smiled. “I’ve mentioned it a time or two, but you may have forgotten.”

  “I guess so. Sorry. Anyway, I didn’t realize he had a butler.”

  “He has two butlers, actually. Hobson has worked for Joseph for years. In fact, he used to work for Joseph’s father. So he’s more than just a butler to Joseph; he’s his right-hand man. Takes care of a lot of business for him.”

  “Is he from the same part of England as you are?”

  Derek thought about it. “I have no idea where he’s from. But he does speak the Queen’s English quite precisely.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  He smiled. “And that’s precisely why I don’t know where he comes from.”

  I frowned. “I’m confused.”

  “Darling, keep in mind that anyone can be trained to speak that way. Just spend some time listening to the BBC. People strive to replicate the accent so often that they actually call it a BBC accent. Hobson has that, so who knows where he actually comes from. He could be from Louisiana.”

  I grimaced. “I hope not. Nothing against Louisiana, but I would hate to be so easily deceived.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. I doubt that Hobson is from Louisiana.”

  “I’m going to listen more carefully next time. See if I can catch him up.”

  “If anyone can, it’ll be you.”

  We both looked back at the view for another long moment.

  “That little housemaid doesn’t like him,” I murmured.

  “I’m afraid Hobson has a supercilious streak that comes from being in charge for so many years. But he’s actually very loyal to Joseph and quite protective.”

  “I’m glad,” I said. After a moment I asked, “What does a second butler do?” I was suddenly curious about the whole setup.

  He smiled at me. “He can be assigned to do whatever comes along. He may take on the duties of a valet. Or he might work with the kitchen, assuring that tables are set properly, meals are served in a timely fashion, and menus comply with individual dietary requirements. He may even be in charge of the laundry. Or the wine cellar, where he makes sure the bottles are stored properly and that inventory is regulated. He might take charge of the automobiles, or work with the mail and with deliveries, answering the door or the telephone. Or he might be asked to assist other members of the household. It varies, obviously.”

  “Wow, you really know a lot about butlers.”

  He smiled enigmatically. “I played the role more than once during my days at MI6.”

  My eyebrows lifted. “Really? I bet you looked really hot in your butler duds.”

  “Naturally,” he said dryly, then smirked.

  I gave a quick laugh, then glanced back at Hobson. “A butler’s job covers a lot of ground, I guess. It’s fascinating.”

  “We’ll track down the under-butler later and grill him on his duties.”

  My eyes lit up. “Can we?”

  On second thought, “Hobson might not want us to distract the man,” he whispered.

  I winced. “Good point. I would hate to get on Hobson’s bad side.” I thought again of that look from Edith the housemaid.

  “He takes his role very seriously.”

  “I guess that’s a good thing.” I turned and took one last look at the view. “I wonder who cleans all these windows.”

  “We can ask,” he said.

  Joseph walked up just then. “Pretty cool view, isn’t it?”

  “There you are.” I gave him a hug. “It’s glorious. Your house is fabulous.”

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t suck.”

  I had to laugh. “Well put.”

  He and Derek shook hands, then Joseph said, “I hope we’ll have a chance to visit more tonight. Maybe I can give you a tour of the place.”

  “I would love that,” I said.

  “I’ll make it happen.” He glanced to his left and then to his right. “But just now I have to carry out my hosting duties.”

  “We’ll talk later,” Derek said.

  As Joseph strolled away, a waiter walked by and Derek retrieved two glasses of champagne from him. I was reminded again that some of the guests and servers were members of Derek’s security team and I took that moment to check out the waiter. Were those his real muscles or was he wearing a bulletproof vest? Could he have a gun hidden under his arm?

  “Stop it,” Derek murmured.

  “What?”

  “You’re ogling the help.”

  I laughed. “I am not. Maybe just studying them a little. But hardly ogling.”

  Derek wore a frown as he scanned the room, which was quickly filling up with guests.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There are quite a few people here and it’s still early.”

  “I heard there would be about a hundred here tonight.”

  “There are at least that many here already.”

  I followed his gaze and looked around the room at the dozens of beautifully dressed people who mingled and laughed and sipped their cocktails. “You’re right. It looks like more than a hundred people to me. Good thing this room is so big.”

  “Yes,” he murmured, not looking too happy about it. “The entire house can handle that many, but I’m afraid most of the guests will try to fit into this room. I’d better talk to my people. I want to make sure everyone is safe.”

  More servers walked through the crowd carrying silver platters of yummy-looking finger foods along with glasses of champagne and both red and white wines.

  I checked out every one of them and tried really hard to look for any weapons they might’ve been carrying. Then I began to study the faces of the invited guests, looking for agent types. I was surprised to recognize the new mayor along with several members of the Board of Supervisors. They stood across the room looking very serious as they spoke to each other in hushed tones while they scarfed up the full tray of popcorn shrimp that a patient waiter held steady for them.

  Nearby, the manager of a major league sports team was deep in conversation with the hottest restaurateur of the moment and a hedge fund manager who had recently been indicted.

  “Quite the cross section,” I whispered.

  Derek discreetly snorted a laugh. “Indeed.”

  “There you are!”

  We both turned and saw Ian and his hunky husband Jake, heading straight for us.

  Jake gave me a big hug. “Girl, you look absolutely fantastic.”

  “Thanks, Jake,” I said, returning the hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “What about me?” Ian said as he grabbed me in a hug.

  I stifled a grin. “I just saw you two hours ago.”

  Ian sighed. “So the thrill is gone.”

  I laughed. “Never.”

  Ian checked out my elegant outfit. “Well, I must say, you certainly clean up well.”

  I smoothed my chiffon skirt. “Thank you.”

  “You really do look lovely,” Jake said, gazing from me to Derek. “But then, you two are always the classiest duo in the room.”

  I hoped my smile conveyed my undying gratitude for that comment. Ian grabbed two glasses of champagne from another waiter and handed one to Jake. Ian took a sip, then scoped out the room. Leaning in, he asked, “So? What do we think?”

  I pointed to the window. “I think this is the most wonderful house I’ve ever been in. Did you check out that view?”

  “Oh, sweetie.” Ian rolled his eyes. “Yes, there’s the view, the house, the grounds, all beautiful, whatever, blah-blah-blah.” He waved all that away. “Let’s talk about these people. I mean, A-list, for sure. Right?”

  “Oh, for sure,” I agreed. “Especially now that you guys are here.”

  Jake threw his arm around my shoulders. “I love this girl.”

  “I saw her first,” Ian said.

  I glanced at Derek, who grinned amiably at their hijinks, but then nudged Ian. “She’s mine, mate. You can’t have her.”

  “Ooh, territorial,” Jake said. “I like that.”

  I felt like my smile might be permanently attached to my face. And why not? I was surrounded by three of the most gorgeous men in a room filled with VIPs. It was a pretty good situation to be in, I thought.

  Naturally, at that moment, Ella and Ingrid walked in together—and the energy in the room, which was bright and lively to begin with, instantly sparked with some kind of zingy electrical charge that caused everyone to raise their party game. Conversations increased in volume and laughter grew raucous. Seriously. I exchanged a glance with Derek, who nodded. “Formidable.”

  Jake had his back to the doorway. “I’m catching a vibe,” he whispered loudly. “What’s going on? Is someone causing a scene? Can we watch?” He started to turn around.

  “Don’t turn around,” Ian hissed, clutching his arm. “The Blond Bombshells just walked in.”

  “Oh! Your favorites.”

  Despite my own admitted obsession with Ella and Ingrid, I shook my head in reproach. “Honestly, Ian. You have to stop calling them that.”

  But Jake was shaking with excitement and paid no attention to me. “Ian told me all about those two gorgeous women. I simply have to meet them.”

  “You’re in luck,” I said drolly. “They’re heading this way.”

  Ella and Ingrid had decided to wow the crowd by wearing identical slinky party dresses, except that Ingrid’s dress was black and Ella’s was white. They were low-cut in front and showed off loads of leg. The two women were definitely playing on the fact that they looked very much alike. They obviously knew the impact they were having on the assembled guests.

  And they were eating it up.

  “Brooklyn!” Ella cooed, and gave me an air kiss.

  “Hello, Ella,” I said. “You look wonderful and your home is beautiful.”

  “Thank you, my dear,” she responded. “So glad you could come.”

  Ingrid, on the other hand, stared over my shoulder, ignoring me. I felt an unwelcome wave of hostility toward the snotty older woman and figured she was still mad at me for stealing Ella away the night before. Apparently she held a grudge.

  I introduced both women to Jake and Ian, and before I could walk away, the two men had both women giggling.

  Hearing those giggles caused shock waves to reverberate in my ears. But if introducing them to Ian and Jake had brought about that reaction, then my work here was done.

  Derek walked off to have a private word with Joseph so I wandered through the crowd, sipping champagne and smiling at nobody in particular. Despite the aforementioned giggles, I was still trying to temper my negative reaction to Ingrid. I wasn’t ready to make small talk with strangers so I ended up back at the wall of windows and watched the lights come on across the Bay.

  “Brooklyn?”

  I turned and saw Ashley Sharp standing nearby.

  “Hi, Ashley.” I reached out to shake her hand and was amazed to realize that she was even shorter in person, thanks to her smart choice of wearing ballet slippers rather than killer heels. Her facial features were almost delicate, like a beautiful little doll’s. “Nice to see you.”

  “It’s nice to see you, too.”

  She gazed out the window. “The view is awesome, isn’t it?”

  “It’s overwhelming.”

  She hesitated, then said, “Well, I don’t want to take you away from the party, but I wanted a chance to thank you for donating your time to the festival.”

  “I’m always willing to do my part,” I said. “Especially if there’s a book involved.”

  “Joseph has told me so much about you and your work,” she said. “I’m just totally fascinated by what you do.”

  I smiled. “That’s funny, because I happen to think your work is pretty interesting, too. You have a YouTube channel, right?” I was trying to be subtle, but I already knew the answer. The girl had two million followers and her audience was still growing.