Miles put his hand up, deflecting his friend’s praise. “I am just thankful I was there to lend a helping hand.”
Bennett grew uncharacteristically solemn. “Thank you for what you did,” he said.
“You are welcome,” Miles responded. “Can we drop it now?”
A grin slowly spread across Bennett’s face. “We should have a parade for you,” he joked. “The villagers would love that.”
“That seems like a lousy reason to have a parade,” Miles remarked dryly.
“I think you are worth it,” Bennett said. “The war hero, turned saver of lives.”
Miles looked heavenward, feigning exasperation. “You make it almost impossible to like you,” he sighed.
Bennett chuckled. “It would be fun. We could have fireworks and a whole theatrical show,” he teased.
“Clearly, you do not know how parades work.”
“And you do?”
Miles nodded. “I was in a military parade before I left for the Continent.”
“Were there fireworks?” Bennett inquired.
With a huff, Miles replied, “A military parade is a serious affair. We are not there to entertain people, but to show off our strength.”
Bennett looked unimpressed by his remark. “I would rather watch a bear at a circus,” he said. “Or a bear setting off fireworks. Now that would be a sight to behold.”
“Are you drunk?”
“No, I am entirely sober,” Bennett replied. “Why, are you drunk?”
Miles started to walk away from his friend. He’d had enough of this ridiculous conversation and he suspected he had gotten dumber because of it.
Bennett caught up to him and matched his stride. “I see that you are in no mood to joke around,” he said. “What if I only said serious things from now on?”
“You can’t quite seem to help yourself, can you?”
Bennett smirked. “No, only because I know it goads you.”
A man wearing a brown jacket with a matching waistcoat approached them from the opposite direction. As he passed Bennett, he deliberately leaned in and brushed his shoulder, causing Bennett to stumble off balance.
“Watch where you are going,” Bennett snapped as he regained his footing.
The man performed an exaggerated bow, his hand resting mockingly on his chest. “My apologies, my lord,” he drawled. “I should be more careful around such greatness.”
Bennett knitted his brow in confusion. “Do I know you?”
“You should,” the man replied, the contempt evident in his voice. “I am one of your tenants, but you don’t pay attention to those types of things, do you?”
“I do, but I am still learning the names of our tenants,” Bennett said. “What is your name?”
The man scoffed. “Why, so you can evict me?”
“I have no intention of evicting you,” Bennett assured him. “I am just trying to understand why you hold such disdain for me.”
Stepping forward, the man said, “You think so little of me and the other tenants.”
Bennett reared back. “That is wholly and emphatically not true.”
