Page 91 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
If I ever got married, I was going to have her embroider my entire dress with something ridiculous like the original one-hundred-and-fifty-one Pokémon and see how she liked it.
“May was quite relived that we had possession of her little pig, so she’ll sleep easy tonight.” She smiled down at me. “And Beth has some pyjamas being put in a spare room for you, and acouple of our housekeeping staff are preparing the room for you now. Are you hungry at all, dear?”
“Oh, no, you’ve done more than enough. Thank you.” I smiled at her. “I really appreciate it.”
“You really are very welcome,” Emily continued. “If you need anything, tell Thomas. He will make sure you have what you need.”
He glanced at me.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I told him wearily, ignoring Beth’s snort. “We might be friends now, but that doesn’t mean you can take liberties with that.”
His lips quirked into a little smile. “Me? Take liberties? I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“You’re so full of crap. There are aliens in another galaxy that can smell it.”
“Is that any way to talk to someone who stopped you being frozen to death tonight?”
“Stopped me? Goodness, I can tell you’ve warmed up with that nonsense. I would have been perfectly fine walking home. In fact, I should have, then I wouldn’t have had to listen to you bleating on at me about what a hero you are.”
“I’m glad you noticed. Thankfully I wasn’t wearing my suit of armour tonight or it would have been a little difficult to get you back here safely. Not to mention the rust that would have ended up on it.”
“Well, if you’d worn it and fallen over into a hedgerow, I’d have left you there.”
Emily rested on the back of the sofa and leant closer to Beth. “Is this what they call being friends?”
“I think so,” Beth replied, not bothering in the slightest to hide her amusement.
“Oh. It rather sounds like they’re flirting, don’t you think?”
“Every time they open their mouths, honestly.”
I glared at them both before I remembered they’d very graciously welcomed me into their home without a second thought and quickly dropped my frown. “I am not flirting with him.”
“You are,” Beth replied. “You just haven’t realised it yet.”
“I’m thirty. I know what flirting looks like.”
“Are you sure about that, dear?” Emily fought back a smile and straightened up. “I’m going to make sure all the staff are taken care of and retire for the night, I think. Thomas, there’s enough soup left for both of you in the slow cooker if you end up hungry. Sylvie will be staying in the Bronte room tonight. Will you make sure she gets there safely?”
“Given that it’s next to my room, I think I can manage that,” he replied, somewhat dryly. “How convenient.”
“I thought so,” Beth said, standing up. “I’m going to bed, too. I’m absolutely knackered.” Her fingers fluttered across her stomach in a way that seemed almost instinctive. “Zara is supposed to be home tomorrow, so I’m hoping this weather doesn’t delay her.”
“She’s taken her sweet-arse time,” Thomas muttered.
“Thomas,” Emily snapped.
He clenched his jaw. “Sorry.”
Beth waved a hand. “He’s not wrong.”
“I still don’t like the attitude,” Emily replied, looking at him pointedly.
In fact, it was so pointed I could swear a little pink flushed his cheeks—the kindnotfrom the warmth of the fire.
I cradled my cup of tea close to me and dipped my chin so I could hide my smile. I didn’t know what it was, but there was something so bloody sweet about Thomas’ relationship with Emily.
Of course, he was the head of the household as far as things went, but she was theheadof the household. She was theone who was fully in charge, and he had so much respect for her that it bordered on complete adoration for her.
