Her Royal Highness (Royals #2) - Rachel Hawkins Page 0,24
almost . . . quaint?”
That makes Saks smile, and she links her arm through mine as we make our way down the hallway. “I can’t believe they’re still so upset over Rose Haddon-Waverly. It’s done, move on, live in the now, my god.”
She says all of that with a wave of her hand, and I glance up at her. “So you overheard?”
Sakshi shakes her head. “I just assumed that’s what it was about. It was a bit of a to-do in our circles, Rose not getting in.” She gives another exaggerated sigh. “Her father lost the family fortune in some sort of horse fiasco a few years back.”
I don’t even ask what “horse fiasco” might mean here, because I’m not sure I want to know, but I do ask, “So there are poor fancy people mixed in with the rich fancy people?”
Saks nods. “More of the former than you’d think. Not me of course, Daddy owns half of Belgravia. And not Caroline or Ilse, either. Or Perry. It’s why he’ll probably marry a pop star or something despite his entire . . .” Another hand wave, this one I think meant to take in literally everything about Perry.
Then Saks looks down at me and pats my hand. “Don’t worry, though. You’ll figure it all out eventually!”
She beams at me, and I make myself smile back, even as I think, Don’t hold your breath on that, Saks. The rest of the day passes like they always do—class, a bizarre tea break at 4 p.m. that still takes some getting used to, but by 6-ish, I’m back in my room, reading The Mill on the Floss, and doing my best to ignore the clacking of Flora’s computer.
Which is a feat given that she’s pushing those buttons so hard it’s like she’s imagining they’re my face.
My own computer is open on my bed because I’m waiting for Lee to call me in Hangouts, and when there’s a bloop sound, I put down my book, already sitting up with a smile.
But then I see the message in Hangouts.
It’s not Lee.
It’s Jude.
There’s just one word typed there.
Hi?
That question mark makes me frown at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Am I going to reply? Why is she messaging now? Does she—
“Knock-knock,” a voice calls.
I look up, and hooooooly moly. The boy standing in our doorway is model-hot, all dark auburn hair and twinkling blue eyes. He’s wearing a green sweater with the best pair of jeans ever created, and I blink at him, trying to figure out where someone this gorgeous came from.
Then it hits me.
This must be Flora’s boyfriend. They go together too perfectly for him to be anything but hers. Probably a duke’s son or a viscount or something.
And sure enough, Flora leaps up from her bed with a squeal, slamming her laptop closed. “Seb!”
I watch her launch herself across the room and into his arms, and both their faces transform into something really . . . sweet.
Like, they’re both frighteningly hot, but they’re almost goofy as they smile at each other, and I realize that for as sexy as they both are, there’s a distinct lack of spark between them. They seem almost like—
“Who’s this?” Seb asks, looking over Flora’s shoulder at me, and Flora pulls back to give me her trademark dismissive look.
“Roomie. Quint,” she says, like using any more words to describe me might cause her physical pain.
Neat.
“Well, Roomie Quint,” Seb says, walking toward me with an outstretched hand. “I’m Brother Seb.” Then he grins, a dimple flashing in his cheek. “Brother Seb, that makes me sound like a monk.”
Snorting, Flora slaps at his arm. “And you’d be a bloody terrible one.”
I’m still hung up on “brother.” This is Flora’s brother? They look about the same age, sure, but they don’t look much alike, even if they were both clearly blessed by the Gene Fairy.
And he’s not just her brother, I suddenly remember.
“You’re twins, right?” I ask, shaking Seb’s outstretched hand. His skin is warm and soft, and I’m sure many a girl has shivered at that touch.
“We don’t look much alike, I’ll admit, but we are indeed twins,” he says before smiling at Flora. “She’s older by three minutes and has never let me forget it.”
Then he looks at us, a slightly dangerous glint in his eyes. “So,” he says with a smirk, “you two ready to have some fun?”
CHAPTER 12
“It’s friday,” I blurt out, and both Flora and Seb turn to look at me.