‘Chivalry,’ she said. ‘I like it.’
So did he, which was another incongruity to add to the collection he seemed to be gathering this afternoon, given he’d spent quite a large chunk of his adult life avoiding it in case it gave anyone any wrong ideas. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you arrived.’
‘That’s OK. It’s turning out to be a lot less stressful than I’d imagined.’
‘Good.’
‘You must have been working hard,’ she said. ‘The groom looked more relaxed than a groom should.’
‘That was probably down to the sedative I slipped into his coffee at breakfast.’
‘Really?’
‘No, of course not,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Oliver just knew he was marrying the right person.’
Zoe looked at him over the rim of her glass. ‘Have you always been anti-marriage?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘What makes you think I’m anti-marriage?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ she said dryly. ‘Could it be the weary cynicism in your voice? Or was it that shudder that ran through you when I told the girls we’d been going out for a whole six months back in that bar?’
‘You caught that?’
‘Impossible not to. I kind of assumed that the shudder at a six-month commitment would extend to marriage. And I imagine your parents’ relationship didn’t exactly set the best example.’
‘Well, no, not particularly,’ he said, although he wasn’t sure that here and now was quite the right place and time for an in-depth discussion about his attitude towards marriage and commitment.
‘What is your longest relationship?’ she asked.
‘A year,’ he muttered.
‘That’s pretty good.’
Good? Hah. ‘It was diabolical.’
‘Mine’s three months. Was yours the one with the traitorous ex?’
Dan felt his jaw clench as the memory of it surged through him. ‘That’s the one.’
‘Did you love her?’
‘I thought I did,’ he said, ruthlessly stamping it down because he was well over it now, ‘but, well, you know what happened there.’
Zoe took a sip of champagne and sniffed. ‘I would never hurt you like that,’ she said fiercely.
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Well, for one thing I’ve learned the benefit of putting things out there and talking things through instead of bottling everything up and thinking it’ll work out in the end. Because it never does, and a lot of hurt feelings not to mention hideously awful misunderstandings can be avoided with a simple conversation.’
Dan grinned. ‘What else, oh, wise one?’
Zoe shrugged. ‘Oh, well, I don’t really know. I guess that’s it for the moment. I’m still learning.’
‘So idealistic.’
Her smile faded and her eyebrows rose. ‘Don’t patronise me.’
‘I’m not. I genuinely wish I had your faith.’