Tristan scowled at her too happy face. He’d be glad when this damned wedding was over and his loved up sister would go back to normal. ‘Leave it alone, Jo.’
‘Why? She must be important. Someone special?’
He put the kettle back on the hob and ignored her.
‘Maybe it’s a guy?’
‘Jordana!’
‘Just joking, big brother. Jeez, Louise, where’s your sense of humour?’
Tristan turned away and asked himself the same question. But her ne
xt inane remark sent him into panic mode.
‘That’s okay.’ Jo leaned against the bench. ‘I’ll ask Lily. She’ll know.’
Tristan banged a lone mug on the tray. No way would he be having tea in Lily’s room with his sister on the warpath.
‘You won’t ask Lily anything. You’ll keep your nose out of my private life.’
‘Why so tetchy? I’m only teasing you.’
‘I’m not in the mood.’
‘Well, that’s obvious. Where is Lily anyway?’
‘In her room.’
‘Really?’ She raised her brows at him. ‘How can you be so sure? And isn’t that peppermint tea? Lily’s favourite?’
‘I said leave it alone, Jordana,’ Tristan growled.
‘Oh. My. God. It’s Lily.’ Both hands were clapped over Jordana’s cheeks. ‘You’re sleeping with my best friend!’
‘Jo—’
‘I’m so excited. I told Oliver I thought there was something between the two of you at the restaurant. I knew it. This is great.’
‘Jordana, it’s not great.’
‘It is. I think you love her. The way you were looking at her that night at dinner…I told Oliver I thought it was fated. Lily getting into trouble and you bailing her out. It was as if it was meant to be.’
Tristan recoiled as if she’d slapped him. He was not in love with Lily Wild.
‘Jordana, you’re a dreamer. If I did care for Lily Wild it would never be serious, so you can forget about taking your romantic fantasy to the next level.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m not ready to get married, and even if I was Lily is not one of us. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to start my day.’
Jordana didn’t move from where she’d stood in front of him. ‘That’s very snobbish of you.’
‘You can look at it any way you want, but I have responsibilities to uphold—and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from our parents it’s that love fades. You might want to believe in for ever after but believe me that’s the exception, not the rule. I have no intention of falling into Father’s trap and marrying a woman who might or might not be looking for an entrance into our society. One who will run away when she finds out there’s a lot more to the title of Duchess than champagne and shopping.’
‘Lily’s not like that,’ Jordana protested.
Yeah, he knew that. But he needed to tell his sister something to get her off his back, and if he told her that what he felt for Lily scared the life out of him she’d want to wrap her arms around him and kiss him better.