Page 111 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
He wasn’t sure of the answer.
“Come on,” he said, standing up. “Let’s go home.”
“Another drink!” Daniel roared.
“No,” Harry said. “You’ve had more than enough, and you’re going to need my help getting home, so you need to leave with me now.”
“Oh, verywell,” Daniel said, pretending to be annoyed, but Harry saw right through the act. It wasn’t hard. His friend still had a big grin on his face. “My sister’s getting married in three days,” he yelled to the pub at large.
He was met with laughter and some cheers.
Harry pulled Daniel’s arm around his shoulders to support him. “Come along. Let’s just get you home.”
It wasn’t a long walk from the pub, but Daniel was having trouble staying upright, and that made it more difficult.
“It’ll be strange,” Daniel murmured as they made their way out of the city center.
“What will?”
“When she leaves home. She’s just a kid to me.”
“You know I’ll take good care of her, though.”
“I know you will. You better.”
They had reached Daniel’s home now. “Do you need me to help you inside?” Harry asked.
“I’m fine,” Daniel said, and promptly tripped over his own feet.
“You’re fine,” Harry drawled. “Sure you are. Let’s go.”
The two men made their way inside, Harry doing his best to keep Daniel from hurting himself or making too much noise.
“You really had better sleep here,” Daniel said. “Take one of the spare rooms, you know?”
“Are you sure?”
“You can’t possibly walk home this late. It’s after midnight, and it’s cold outside. Stay here. Juliet will be pleased to see you in the morning over breakfast.”
“All right,” Harry agreed. “I’ll take my usual room, then. Thank you.”
He led Daniel to his bedroom. Once his friend was inside with the door closed behind him, he started down the hall to the bedroom in which he usually slept when he stayed overnight here.
But he paused outside Juliet’s door.
He knew that he couldn’t see her tonight. She would almost certainly be asleep by now, and it was completely inappropriate for him to visit her bedroom. Still, the thought that she was so close by, that only the door stood between them… well, it was a little comforting given the direction his thoughts had been wandering in that evening.
He reached out and rested his hand on the door. He couldn’t knock, but for a moment, he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if he did.
The door opened.
He gasped.
Juliet was still dressed, and she stared up at him, her eyes wide. “Harry?” she breathed. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She must have heard his hand hit the door.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. “Don’t just stand there. If someone saw you… My goodness! Do you know how much trouble we would be in?”
