Sangre De Toro (Old Draft - Now Published!)

Chapter 25 - Scheming On It

CW: There's a slight reference to a past sexual assault in here (no description tho dw) also so sorry he's just horrible

This is a textbook example of sabotaging a reputation, Henry thought, reading the subtitles on a silent Prime Minister's Questions from a bar in the House of Lords. Rather than informing the Commons about a new high speed rail proposal, Eloise was being interrogated on whether she believed food allergies were a result of vaccine poisoning and her affair with Javier Castella. Journalists could truly destroy one's career!

Luckily, Henry had intervened before Robyn could significantly damage his own.

One particularly gobby Labour MP stood up in fury. 'I've got an email here from a constituent whose son died of a peanut allergy, several years before Covid existed. Is the right honourable member going to resign for her comments?'

'No, I won't - I find this suggestion from my right honourable friend outrageous! Plenty of doctors agree with what I'm saying. And it's not just Covid. I don't put any of that poison in my bloodstream, and that's that,' Eloise interrupted. Henry felt a sneaking admiration, despite his scepticism about her medical ideas. Good for her! The Labour MPs in the chamber shouted, outraged and stunned.

''And that's that?' Are you serious?'

'Britain rightly had one of the most successful vaccine programmes in the world, doesn't her stance undermine that, Prime Minister?' one Tory MP who was far too wet for Henry's liking said. Why was he sticking the boot in?

'Not at all. She's a Transport Minister, not a Health Minister, her opinions are her own business,' the Prime Minister said. But Henry knew Eloise would no doubt be resigning at some point today. A shame, but sometimes cells had to be sacrificed to keep any organism healthy, and the Conservative Party was no exception.

Besides, she'd be back, he thought with a smile - unlike Robyn.

Henry leaned back on his expensive leather seat and poured a glass from the subsidised bottle of champagne a waiter had just brought him. He wouldn't have time to deal with Robyn properly before going to Spain, but the journalist was at least unable to do any more damage. Robyn deserved a real punishment for such effrontery.

He thought of Belmonte's costume, hanging up in pride of place by the bottom of the stairs to his cellar; he'd pack it tonight. There were others in his circles who would enjoy such delicacies. Perhaps he could assemble a real audience if he handled the matter with discretion. He'd have to remember to leave enough food in the cellar until his return to the UK.

He took out Robyn's phone from his pocket. He had unlocked it using an app on his own, which was useful for replying to their contacts.

'Hello, Robyn, hope you're feeling better, any more gossip - anything on Dixon?' the Mirror editor had written, setting Henry's teeth on edge.

'Nothing on Dixon yet, the slippery character avoided me the whole evening,' Henry replied. There was also a message from Robyn's mum.

'Hi darling, are you OK? Are you coming to Nanna's birthday tomorrow?'

'I don't think so. I've not been feeling well, I did a test and it said I had Covid,' Henry replied. He had installed a location disguising app when he took it from Robyn, but he would have to dispose of it sooner or later, probably in the Thames overlooking the Houses of Parliament. It was a pity he had missed the Cotswold Foxhounds' last outing of the season, or he'd have got one of the terrier men to throw it into the woods for him on the day.

Then, he turned Robyn's phone off and checked his own, careful not to have them on at the same time despite their substantial security features.

'Hello, Henry! Looking forward to welcoming you and the Club to Spain - you have the use of my private airfield! Tell me, is Eloise coming?' Javier had written.