Feel?’
Laura nodded, watched a frown appear on his forehead and felt him tense. Matt clearly didn’t do feelings, at least not of the emotional kind. Well, that was tough, because she was on a roll, and frankly rather stunned by how much he’d divulged, even if it had been all fact based. No way was she giving up now.
‘How does what feel?’ he muttered.
‘The king thing.’
‘It doesn’t feel anything.’
Matt’s expression shuttered but she carried on undeterred.
‘It must feel something,’ she said cajolingly. ‘I don’t know, exhilarating, nerve-racking, weighty… Maybe even a little bit scary?’
Matt regarded her thoughtfully, his eyes unfathomable as he appeared to analyse the emotions she’d listed. ‘I guess it’s challenging,’ he said eventually.
Challenging? ‘That’s it?’
‘That’s it.’
‘Oh.’
‘Don’t sound so disappointed,’ he said, a smile tugging at his mouth. ‘You know how much I like challenges.’
‘Oh, I do,’ said Laura, her eyes darkening and her breathing shallowing for a second before she remembered what she was supposed to be doing and giving herself a quick shake. ‘So what have you done with your business?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, presumably you can’t run a business and run a country.’
‘I still have it. I’ve simply taken a step back.’
‘Until you decide what you want to do with it?’
‘Quite,’ he said non-committally.
‘And what are you going to do about your house?’
‘Which one?’
‘How many do you have?’
‘A few.’
Naturally. ‘I mean the one in Little Somerford.’
‘I’m not going to do anything about it.’
‘Oh.’ She frowned. ‘What?’
‘Well, I know it’s your house and it’s really none of my business, but it does seem a shame to leave such a lovely house empty and neglected.’
She felt his heart thump. ‘It’s not neglected. A gardener goes in twice a week and I employ a part-time caretaker.’
‘OK,’ said Laura, nibbling on her lip and ignoring the feeling she might be treading on eggshells. ‘Maybe neglected isn’t quite the right word. Unloved would be better.’
‘Unloved?’ He frowned. ‘It’s a house. It doesn’t need to be loved.’
She gasped and gave him a quick smile. ‘Wash your mouth out. All buildings deserve to be loved. How long have you had it?’