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“I told you—I’m checking on the renovations. Robin called and said there was an issue with the restoration of the tiles in the old servants’ kitchen, so I came to deal with it.”
“And the rest of your reason?”
“I wanted to see if you two had made any progress with your relationship.”
“There is no relationship.” I rested my arm on the back of the soda, bending it to sink my fingers into my hair. “I know what you’re trying to do, but Chloe doesn’t think of me that way, so give it a rest.”
“How is it possible that you’re living together and you still haven’t managed to convince her that you aren’t a heartless workaholic?”
I sat upright and sighed, staring at my grandfather. “That and whatever you’re thinking about are two completely different things.”
“Mmph,” he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. “You’re going to show her around here tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“I thought you said the staff would.”
“The staff are far too busy.”
“That’s the excuse you gave for her not coming up to the house today.”
“I only said that so you’d be the one to give her the tour tomorrow.” Gramps cackled. “You know the history of our family and the manor better than anyone.”
Only because he’d made me take extracurricular history lessons on our family when I was a child. I hadn’t minded, but he was a terrible teacher in general.
“That’ll be because Grandma took over the lessons when she realised you were treating them more like a board meeting than a tutoring session,” I said dryly. “I didn’t learn a thing from you.”
Gramps sniffed. “You learnt how to run a business from me. Then again, I think that was more to do with your brains than anything else. God only knew your cousins received the same opportunities and squandered it all.”
That’s because my aunt was spoilt, and my cousins were idiots.
I wasn’t going to say that part out loud, though. Gramps would only get offended.
As he should. He was the one who’d made her spoilt in the first place.
“Mm.” I turned my head and looked out of the window at the side garden. “I’ll ask Chloe if she minds me being the one to show her around, but if she says yes, someone else will have to do it.”
Three knocks sounded at the door, and we both turned in that direction as one of the housemaids pushed in a small trolley. “I have the whiskey you requested, Your Grace.”
“Thank you,” Gramps said. “Just put it on the table and leave us until dinner.”
She set down the tray with the decanter of whiskey and two glasses and left us without another word.
“She’s new,” I said once she’d closed the door behind us.
Gramps nodded, sitting forwards and reaching for the decanter. “Jodie went on maternity leave two months ago. Alanna is her cover.”
It was amazing how he could remember everyone’s names. “Makes sense. But why are we drinking in the middle of the afternoon?”
“Because we can’t do it with your father around. He’s such a grouch.”
That wasn’t how I’d describe my father, but I wasn’t going to argue with Gramps today. “And now the other reason.”
He eyed me. “You’re too smart.”
“Would you prefer I be an idiot like my cousins?” I asked dryly.
“Please, no. Three idiots are enough in your generation.” He handed me a glass before sitting back on the sofa and stretching one arm out across the back of the cushions. “Did your father call you yesterday?”
“No. I thought I was supposed to call you this weekend.”
