Page 78 of Love ad Lib
‘It’s fine.’ He forced a smile. ‘I’d just rather be plain old Henry.’
‘You’re not old and you’ll never be plain, but if it makes you feel any better, I can’t remember your titles and full name so you’re just Henry to me.’
‘I can cope with Henry Arthur Fitzwilliam Foxbrooke. It’s the Lord and Viscount bit I don’t want.’
Libby’s face lit up. ‘Fitzwilliam? Oh yes! I’d totally forgotten.’
‘What?’
‘That’s Mr Darcy’s first name. I need to tell India.’
‘Your flatmate?’
She frowned, and Henry remembered that she didn’t have a home to go to when they got back to London.
‘Yes. We used to try and put men into Austen categories. Most of the men I met at workshops in the City were either Darcy or Wickham.’
‘And who am I?’
‘You’re a cross between Darcy and Bingley.’
‘I am? Is that a good or a bad thing?’
‘It’s a perfect thing. You’ve got the best bits of both.’
‘And Hunter-Savage would be Wickham?’
‘Most definitely.’
‘And who would Lucas be?’
Libby’s face clouded, all the light and sunshine disappearing.
‘I, I don’t know,’ she replied, her eyes flicking away.
See? Even she’s starting to think he’s a twat!
Mind-reader are we? You can’t know that.
Then why does she seem so unhappy?
Maybe because you’ve said something wrong?
Well hurry up and say something right, then!
Shut-up! I’m trying to think!
‘Actually, Henry, do you mind if we head back?’
‘No, not at all.’
‘And can we stop off at a bookshop?’
He nodded. ‘There’s one on the way.’
Whilst Libby was shopping,Henry dashed back through the pedestrian streets, past the Abbey to a bakery he’d spotted earlier. He bought a sourdough loaf then ran back to meet her outside the bookshop.
‘This is for you,’ he said, giving it to her.
