Oh.
Dear.
I’m in trouble.
I want to fan myself, but I keep my hands firmly at my sides. Plastering on a smile, I meet his gaze once more. “Are you ready for your game tomorrow?”
He shrugs those massive shoulders. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
We go silent for a moment and my brain scrambles to keep up the conversation.
“Have you been to London before?” I ask.
“Never.” He shakes his head. “I don’t get to travel outside of the country much.”
“Oh. Me either, I’m afraid,” I say ruefully. It’s my biggest regret. I would love to travel the world. I’ve done the European jaunt in ten days, where you go to the highlight cities and see the tourist sites, but I’ve always yearned to see more of the world.
Maybe someday.
“You don’t? That’s surprising.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“I figured someone of your…social stature would travel a lot,” he answers.
“Just because my father is an earl doesn’t mean that we have loads of money.” The moment the words fall from my lips, I want to shove them back in. I am a Sumner. We don’t talk about our finances. It’s no one’s business but our own.
Though we do have money. We just don’t like to talk about it.
“Really? Can’t you, like, sell a crown or something?”
He appears downright baffled.
And I can’t help it, I start to laugh.
Uncontrollably.
After a few seconds of helpless silence, he joins in, hesitantly at first, and then we’re both on a roll. I’m laughing so much, I’m clutching my stomach, and I have tears in my eyes. Oh, and people are starting to stare. Normally, I would straighten up by now, aware that I was on display and making a fool of myself, but I don’t straighten up. Not at all.
It’s as if I can’t stop.
Cannon is no help. His booming laugh encourages mine, and as people walk past us they smile helplessly. Some of them even laugh along with us, like they’re in on the joke.
But they’re not.
It’s just us. Cannon and I. Sharing a private joke.
And I like it.
Lady Susanna’s laugh is beautiful. Infectious. Normally I’d be insulted by someone laughing at me for what I said. I’m not the smartest guy in the room, not by a long shot, but I always tried hard in school. I still try hard in life. Shit doesn’t come easy for me, it never has. And when it comes to my smarts—or lack thereof—I’m a little sensitive sometimes.
But I know in my gut she’s not laughing at me like I’m an idiot. My selling a crown comment made her laugh because, let’s face it. That shit is kind of funny. I mean, seriously, what the hell am I even talking about?
I have no idea what to do with this girl. And besides, why is she talking to me? She’s in a totally different realm, and that realm is way above mine.
“Does your family actually have crowns?” I ask after the laughter has finally died and we’ve somewhat composed ourselves.
She dabs at her eyes, a little hiccup escaping her. “Actually, we do. Sort of. They’re called tiaras, really, and only the women wear them. But we can’t sell them.”