all manner of hell, Connor was the angel that received all the accolades, and we each moved on with our lives.”
“Where is he now?”
Derrick shrugged. “A few years ago he was acting somewhere. Likely in some local church converted into a leisure center, plying his dastardly trade on those with no taste.” Actually, his brother was in Stratford, making a rather large name for himself, but Derrick didn’t like to think about that too often.
She was stroking his thumb with hers. He honestly doubted she realized she was doing it.
“And you?”
He looked at her, then. “This will cost you.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Nay, woman, this will cost you.”
“You know, you’re too bossy.”
He had to admit that was true, but she was getting better at telling him to shove off, as it were, with each of his attempts at ordering her about. He smiled faintly. “I left home early, raised hell other places, then decided that I preferred life north of the border. So, I live in London only because my business is there, but I come home as often as possible.” He shifted to look at her. “Your turn.”
“Oh,” she demurred, “my life is very boring.”
“Spill the details.”
“Stop bossing me.”
“I’m not sure I can,” he said solemnly. “I’m very good at it.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sick of it.”
“We could take turns.” He looked around him for paper and pen to use in scratching out a schedule, but the sad fact was, he was too reliant on screens. Heaven help him if the power grid ever went down. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, then smiled at her. “I’ll take mine now.”
“It’ll cost you later,” she muttered.
“I’ll consider paying, if it’s my day to be bossed.”
She took a deep breath and stopped stroking his hand. He supposed that was his cue to take over. He stroked the back of her hand with his fingers, wondering if she had any idea how cold her hands were. He almost told her she didn’t need to tell him anything, but she was already saying as much.
“I don’t have to do this.”
He shook his head. “You don’t.”
She sighed. “It really is a very boring story. Gavin, you know. I also have a sister, Sophronia, which you probably already know, too.”
“I might.”
She looked at him narrowly. “What else do you know?”
“Nothing interesting. You tell me the interesting parts.”
“There’s nothing much to tell, but I’ll humor you anyway. Gavin left home as soon as he could manage it. He’s actually smarter than he looks, though his ACTs were abysmal. Sophronia is an actress, which my father didn’t approve of.”
“Typical.”
She smiled. “His ego is enormous, I will admit, though he’s very good. I think he saw Sophie as a threat, so he was never eager to have her home again. All that was left was just me and somehow I turned into the last best hope for a child they could mold.”
“And you let them?”
“What else was I going to do?” she asked. “My parents . . . well, my father’s a self-absorbed egomaniac and my mother’s manic. Even talking to them is like talking to a hurricane. By the time I realized what I was dealing with, I couldn’t get out of it. I know it sounds crazy to live under the thumb of someone—two someones, actually—but I couldn’t tell them to, well, you know.”
“You seem to have no problem with me,” he observed.
She looked at her hand in his for so long in silence, he wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. She finally looked at him. Her eyes were full of tears.
“I don’t think you’ll hold it against me if I do.”
He almost teared up himself, hard-hearted sod that he was. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
“Haven’t so far,” he admitted as gruffly as he could manage.
“Will that change?”
He closed his eyes briefly, squeezed her hand, and got to his feet. “Don’t think it will,” he managed. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Isn’t it dark?”
“Sunny’s garden has lights if we want to use them, but I think the moon’s full. Now, where are my bloody shoes?”
“By the door.”
He looked down at her, then pulled her up with him. “Let’s go before we both get too maudlin.”
He found his shoes, found hers for her, then took her by the hand and led her down the stairs. He caught sight of Ewan crossing the great hall toward him and held up his hand with an expression on his face that had Ewan shutting his