Page 82 of He's the One

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning, Theo made sure he was sitting in the breakfast room before his father came downstairs. He had his fingers crossed that Dick Dastardly wasn’t expected, because this was an ideal time to behave as if he was casually asking a few questions. It was also an opportunity to speak to his father without his mother around.Hopefully.She didn’t usually come down for breakfast at this time. His grandmother had hers in her room.

“Morning,” Theo said brightly.

“Good morning.” His father sat at the head of the table and Elliot came in with coffee.

Theo had already drunk two cups waiting for his father but he accepted another.Do not think about needing to pee.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” His father flipped openThe Times.

“I thought it might be nice to have breakfast with you without an agenda.”You lying rat.

His father’s huff made Theo realise he’d failed at the first hurdle. Though to be fair, since he’d moved into the stable block, he’d only come into the hall for breakfast on maybe a dozen occasions, and for most of those his presence had been requested. Sneaking into the kitchen for breakfast was something else entirely.

Elliot came in with his father’s bacon and eggs, and brought more toast and bacon for Theo who smiled his thanks.

“By the way, I wanted to put my watch in the office safe but the combination seems to have been changed.”

“What combination did you use?”

“7-9-3-0.”

His father put the paper down. “Sure you entered it correctly?”

“Yes.”

“That’s odd.”

“Maybe Darnley had to change it for some reason.” What reason could there possibly be? But Theo didn’t want it to look as though he was criticising Dastardly. Not yet anyway. “I’ll ask him.”

“Why did you want to put your watch inside?”

“The strap needs replacing. I wanted to put it somewhere secure until I could afford to buy a genuine Corum strap.”

“Have you decided what you’re going to get that stonemason to do?”

Do not blush.A thought guaranteed to make him blush. “Not really.”

“Then what made you bid for his promise? A considerable amount of money too, particularly if you’re baulking at the cost of a watch strap.”

Shit. Good point.“I wanted him to do something as a surprise for you.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“I’ll tell you then. Restoring the folly. That’s what I was thinking.”

It won him a rare smile. “That’s a good idea, Theo, but he’s not going to get much done in a day. Though if he’s any good, we could hire him to finish the work.”

Yes!“He’s already working in the garden. He started yesterday.”

“Is he indeed? Even better. I’m sure James can spare him for a couple of days a week.”

“I’ll arrange it.”

“Good.”

Bloody hell.Had that been an actual productive conversation? Was that praise his father had given him?

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