He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine. You’ve been working hard. You deserved some time to yourself. I can take you to get your car in the morning, or Peter can come with me and drive it back.”
“Ooh.”
“He can drive mine, and I’ll drive yours?”
“I’ll be fine in the morning. I’ll drink plenty of water while I write, I promise.” I wrapped my arms around my waist. “Um—you’re definitely going to the gala this weekend?”
Alex sighed. “I am. Gabi is taking Eva as her plus one, so I thought she could come back with me on Sunday, and you can spend the day together.”
“Oh.”
“Do you not want to?”
“No, of course I do. I can’t remember the last time we were apart for this long. I was just…” I trailed off and bit down on my lower lip. “Do you still need a plus one?”
He tilted his head, and his brow furrowed into a questioning expression. “I do not have a plus one.”
“What if I be it?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll do it. I’ll be your plus one.” I stepped forward. “Look, I know Charlotte wants to set you up with her cousin—”
“How do you know that?”
“Please. I know everything. It’s quite the burden to bear.”
“But of course.”
I held up my hands. “It stops her doing that, you’ve already paid for it, and I can spend the night with my sister and my best friend, and you can do as you please.”
“Why would you do that? You don’t like Charlotte.”
“I don’t, and that’s why I can imagine that her cousin won’t be better company for you.”
He held out his hand and wiggled it in a “maybe” motion.
“Look, I’m not going to offer again. It saves your arse. We don’t have lessons on a weekend anyway, so it won’t affect my work with Olympia.”
“Are you sure? I know Charlotte tends to look down on those whom she deems to be beneath her, societally speaking.”
“Well, given that my mother is titled, and I’m descended from a prestigious aristocratic bloodline, she can crane her neck up to look at me, can’t she?”
Alex dropped his head and coughed to cover a laugh. “Wine makes you feisty.”
“We have a very contentious relationship.”
He didn’t bother hiding this laugh, and it escaped him a deep, rich chuckle. “All right. Thank you, Addy. I would… appreciate… you coming in to save the day.”
“I am rather a fan of white horses.”
“All right. I assume we’ll have to stop in at Arrow Woods?”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “I don’t have anything suitable here, no.”
“It’s not a million miles away. I’ll call Uncle Henry in the morning and see if he’s free. If he is, we can talk business while you get ready.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Of course not. In fact, driving an extra twenty minutes to Arrow Woods is a small price to pay for not having Charlotte hook me up with her cousin.” He grinned. “We’ll sort out the particulars in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Alex.” I turned and walked back into the kitchen, pausing to look back at him when I reached the doorway.
I just got a peek at his arse before he reached the top of the stairs and turned left to the next set that would take him to his bedroom.
I sighed.
Damn it.
I really would snog the crap out of him.
CHAPTER NINE – ADELAIDE
I knew the moment we approached Arrow Woods, just from the canopy the trees formed over the road. It was the most idyllic, quintessentially British country road in the world, and it took everything in me not to press my face against the window like a child.
It’d only been two weeks since I’d left for Bentley Manor, yet it felt like forever.
I’d never, ever gone longer than two weeks without seeing my sister in person. It felt as though a part of me had been ripped away, and it sounded weird, but the closer I got to the village that was my home, the more I felt as though I was being put back together.
It was such a strange thing to put into words, but the twin bond was unlike any other. I knew when Evangeline was hurting or when something was wrong, just as she did with me. She even had sympathy pains when I had appendicitis and needed to get my appendix removed—they were so bad she was even tested for it herself.
And that was without considering that my parents and my best friend in the world were also here.
Don’t get me wrong. I loved Bentley Manor, and while it was starting to feel a bit like home, it would never be… home-home.
Alexander peered over at me. “You look happy.”
I dipped my chin and smiled. “There’s something about home, isn’t there?”
“I suppose there is. Do you want me to take you to the hotel first?”
“Please. Eva and Gabi are meeting me there. They’re going to help me find a dress, then we’re getting our hair done.”