Page 93 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
“There we are, then. Wait, when did you see her in a power cut?”
Thomas laughed quietly and leant over to put his empty mug on the coffee table. “Oh, God. It was more than a year ago—before my dad passed. I’d been managing the estate for a while so he could focus on his treatments, and I had a meeting with Julian’s dad at their local offices.”
“I didn’t know you did business together.”
“Not a lot,” he replied. “It’s more land management than anything. We had some agricultural land come available after a lease lapsed and he was going to help me get a new contract sorted so we didn’t have to worry Dad. We try to do all the stuff ourselves so there’s no middleman estate agents.”
That made sense.
“The weather was fucking awful, and the wind knocked out a power line in Balmouth where their main office is. Hazel just happened to be there with Julian. It was already dark, and the lights went out, so she screamed blue bloody murder, clasped onto him, and hid behind him like we were extras in Scooby fucking Doo, and I think she threatened to break up with him if he didn’t fix it.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. That was everything I’d expected and yet somehow so much better. “That sounds about right for Hazel. She hates the dark, so unexpected dark is her worst nightmare. I hope Julian invested in battery-operated nightlights before they moved in together.”
“You joke, but he did mention that once.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
Thomas shrugged. “He might have been. You’d have to ask him.”
“Oh, I will. I’m sure I can slip that into my maid of honour speech.” I put my cup down and shrugged the blanket off my shoulders. “My jeans really are wet, aren’t they?”
“So are mine. It’s fine.” He laughed. “Unless you want to see what Beth left you in your room?”
I glanced at him. “Is it really next to your room?”
“Am I that repulsive to you?”
A laugh bubbled out of me, and I shook my head. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He rubbed his fingertips across his lips. “Yes, it is, and I suspect my mother did it rather deliberately, given the way she looked at us.”
“Oh, good, I wasn’t imagining that.” I sighed and turned my attention to the fire. “Can I ask you something?”
“No.”
“What?” I jerked back to look at him.
He chuckled. “If you’re asking, it’s probably a question I don’t want to answer.”
Huh.
He was right.
“That’s fair,” I replied evasively.
Honestly, I didn’t want to agree that he was right. It seemed like a dangerous precedent to set. Especially if it meant I couldn’t ask things I really wanted to know the answer to.
“You’re going to ask me anyway, aren’t you?”
“I wasn’t. You said no, and I respect that.” I fought back a smile.
“Go ahead.” Thomas fought his own smile. “I’ll answer it. In the spirit of ourfriendship.”
I sighed and fidgeted with my sock. “Beth told me about your ex.”
“I’d like to change my answer.”
“Thomas!”
