Never make plans except to plan to change them

I was going to be off, today, but got called in to help work up a bid on another packing job. Actually three of them, but the main one got so complicated it took all day. Of the other two, I was hoping one meant a trip to London but that didn't pan out, and the other depends on the broker as to whether or not I need to go to San Francisco. When I got home my brain was scrambled, so nothing got done on UG.

I did do this, yesterday...and it's making the story shift in my mind. It's after Dev saved Reg from being stabbed...about halfway into the book; Diana is his brother's wife, and Sir Monte is Reg's boss in the Metropolitan Police --
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Diana was at my hotel door exactly when she said she'd be. "I could have been early," she said, "but I figured you'd prefer me being on time, after last night."

"C'mon in, I'll order coffee."

"Tea, please. Were you hurt?"

"What does the news say?"

"Couple of men got into a fight outside a bar and one was stabbed."

As I picked up the phone, I showed her my bandage. She didn't even blink at it, just nodded. I put in an order for breakfast and both tea and coffee. Then I sat on the bed as she eased into a chair, her eyes locked on me. I'd seen that look before when I was doing something she didn't approve of. Like a mother disappointed in her child. I didn't say anything; I was still too shaken by the thought that Reg had almost been killed and weirdly grateful at Sir Monte for keeping it quiet.

I took in a deep breath and shifted to lie down, my eyes watching her eyes watch me. "Okay, let's have it."

"Glass always half-empty with you, isn't it?"

"Diana, I ache all over. I didn't sleep well. And I'm still freaked out at nearly seeing someone get killed, last night."

She nodded and said, "You know how Colin and I met, right?"

"He was lost and you found him. Brought him home."

"You know where I found him?" I said nothing. She smiled. "I always thought it interesting you never said anything."

"I didn't need to."

"Thank you for that." I just shrugged. "You know...the only reason I approached him was I thought he was my connection. I'd heard my usual guy got busted and we should assume the new guy's really undercover. So I saw Colin...and no way did he belong there. A rookie, was my first thought, so I went over to play with him, but he looked at me with those lost black lovely eyes and the first words out of his mouth were, 'Oh my god, you're so beautiful'. I wasn't. I was at the tail end of a party weekend. But his attitude...his whole demeanor was so simple and straight and honest...I fell apart. Sobbed. He said he was sorry and gave me his handkerchief. Cheap white cotton. Buy 'em by the half-dozen. I still have it. Wouldn't part with it for anything."

"You've been good for him."

She smiled, pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes. "It took me fifteen seconds to find out he'd parked his car in a lot but couldn't remember which one and he was close to falling apart. I offered to call someone but he panicked and said you were at school and your father off on business and no one could know how he'd screwed up. So we went to every lot I knew...and found it at the fifth one. By that point he was so shaken, he couldn't drive. I got behind the wheel. And I stayed. And we got married. And we have three beautiful perfect children." Then she looked straight at me to add, "And I will never, never, never let anyone...anyone at all...hurt him or anything he cares about."

"Oh, boy...here it comes," I murmured.

Her smile widened. "I just need to know...did you ever know someone named Kenneth Tavelscha?"

Oh...son-of-a-btich. It was worse than I thought.