Page 75 of From Best Friend to Bride
Danny snapped his mouth shut. “Yeah, I know. Sorry, Delilah.”
“Mm.” I put the glass on the shelf and looked over my shoulder at him. “Don’t let it happen again.”
“Yes, she’s not someone you can just bother these days,” Si said teasingly. “Isn’t that right, Lady Coventry?”
I dropped my chin to my chest and sighed heavily. Then, I turned, grabbed the lemonade gun, and held it up. “If you call me that one more time, I will turn you around and shoot this lemonade gun down your underpants.”
He laughed, taking a couple of steps back as Danny’s beer poured. “Hey, what else am I supposed to call you? You’re not Mrs Wellington, are you?”
“Delilah. You call me Delilah like you always have. It’s bad enough that Harry will only address me as ‘my lady’ now without you doing it as well,” I said, putting the lemonade gun back in the holder. “I can’t adjust to all this.”
Si finished pouring Danny and his friend’s beers and slid them over the bar to them with a nod. Once he’d disappeared, he turned to me. “How are things? It’s a big change.”
“Mm. It’s okay. I think.”
This was my first day back at work since the wedding three days ago. We’d opted against any kind of honeymoon, citing our wish to be near Nana as much as we could, but had agreed that a couple of days off after the wedding was very much necessary.
God only knew we’d barely been able to breathe for the last month.
As much as I loved Hawthorne House, living there was another kettle of fish. Everyone now addressed me as ‘my lady’ as was custom, even those who’d known me my entire life. It was a bit unnerving, and I wasn’t comfortable with it in the slightest.
I was more than a little happy to be back at work.
“I’m sure I’ll get used to it,” I said after a moment. “It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I just…” I paused, looking at the rings on my finger.
Si smiled sympathetically. “Yeah, I get it, kiddo. It’s an adjustment. You’ve gone from being a guest to being in charge of the household. It’s not like you’ve married a normal bloke, either, is it?”
“Something like that,” I said dryly. “Aunt Vi is still handling the household affairs, but I suppose I’ll have to take over eventually.”
“Mm.” He glanced at me as if he was going to say something, but quickly changed his mind.
I got it.
Si knew the truth. I’m sure his question wasn’t something he could ask in public.
I was beginning to think that more people knew the truth than didn’t.
Not that it really mattered. All we needed to do was keep the truth from Nana, and we’d done that so far. Besides, my mum didn’t know the reality of the situation either, and Amelia was somehow now absolutely convinced we’d been carrying on an ‘illicit affair’ behind her back and this marriage was as real as one could be.
At least she’d made it through the ceremony without crying.
“Hey, your dashing husband is here.” Si nudged me. “You look smart, Fred. Where’ve you been?”
Fred smiled warmly at him. “Had a couple of meetings and haven’t been home yet.”
“Ahh, come to see your wife, have you?”
“You’re the one who told once told a teenage me ‘happy wife, happy life,’ Si.”
I was going to vomit.
I stared flatly at Fred. All right—he did look handsome in his suit, I’d give Si that, but was the whole husband-wife thing necessary to keep mentioning?
Fred turned to me, grinning crookedly. “There’s my pretty wife.”
“Say that again, and I’m going to throw up,” I replied, ignoring the little flutter in my chest.
What was it about the word ‘pretty’ that tickled as much as it did? It was so simple, so pure, so honest.
