Page 86 of Valentine Nook
I turn to find Cynthia, Pierre’s sous chef, staring at me as Holiday’s eyes snap up.
Busted.
“Oh no, thank you. I just came to find your newest recruit.” I smile over at Pierre, who for once isn’t wearing his signature frown. “Can I borrow her for a moment?”
He puffs out a response and throws his hands in the air, which could mean both yes and no.
I’ll take it as yes and gesture for Holiday to follow me away from the prying eyes of twenty house staff. Her face is impossibly fresh, totally devoid of makeup. But she’s smiling, a reaction that is rare in Pierre’s kitchen.
My craving to see her has been replaced by a desperation to kiss her, which I fight by swiping my thumb over a smudge of flour on her cheek.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“How’s your morning been?”
“Good, how’s yours?”
“Better now I’ve laid eyes on you. What’ve you been making?”
“Pies. Pierre said my pastry ‘needs work.’” She air quotes with a roll of her eyes.
I bark out a laugh. “Well, I won’t keep you.” For what surprisingly isn’t the first time, I decide to take Miles’s advice and go for it. “But I came to ask if you would like to meet me at The One True Love later?”
Holiday grins wide, rises on her tiptoes, and brushes her lips to mine. “I would love to meet you later.”
CHAPTER 16
Holiday
“Iknewit.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No. Of course not.Absolutelynot.” Clemmie grins wide. “I knew something was going on when you came over for family supper.”
I’m staring at her, trying to find any tell that she’s pissed I’ve been making out with her brother, but I can’t. I try one more time. “Seriously?”
“Yes.” She reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers. “I think it’s great, truly. Not to put any pressure on you, but Lando’s been so much happier since you arrived here. The brother I used to know is coming back.”
“What d’you mean?”
Clemmie pulls the champagne from the ice bucket and tops off our glasses. I’ve become one of those women who seem to find any excuse to pop a bottle. What’s more, I like it.
I could get used to this new life I’m living.
“Well . . .” Her tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth. “It’s a lot of work running Burlington, keeping everyone happy, and managing the complaints, and that’s nothing to say of theestates worldwide. Alex manages it mostly, but the buck stops with Lando.”
She reaches out, picks up a chip, and scoops it deep into the hummus I picked up from the store. We also have slices of peach pie, which I made with Pierre this morning, and he begrudgingly admitted was “magnifique.”
Not to brag, but he’s right. It might have been the eighth attempt at getting the pastry to the exact thickness Pierre instructed me to—at which point, I was ready to smack him with the rolling pin—but it was nevertheless worth it.
“Keeps him busy.”
“You could say that. He’s an excellent leader. The problem was Caroline.”
Stuffing a handful of chips in my mouth so as not to give away how desperately I want to know everything about this woman Lando planned to spend his life with, I ask, “His ex?”
