I didn’t move. We’d rehearsed this.
“Shortly before he left, actually,” she said. “But I got a bit lonely, so I moved back in with Eliza for a while, in Clapham. I sort of live between the two now. When he’s home, I’m mostly here.”
Perfect. Damn, she was good at this.
“So you’re living here at the moment?” Ben took a sip of his drink, appraising her calmly. Could he tell something was off?
“I am.”
“And what about your cat?”
“Oh, Mr. Darcy stays here with me. He doesn’t mind. I think he likes the change of scenery, actually.”
“Funny,” said Ben, his eyes floating to mine. “I didn’t think the Harcourt House covenants allowed animals to be kept here overnight.”
Oh. Shit.
Andrea looked at me, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink.
Before I could think about how to handle it, a soft chime sounded from the intercom—the concierge announcing our guests. The lift doors opened, and Bonnie stepped out, Hugo and Miranda just behind.
“Hi, Liam,” Bonnie said brightly. She moved in for a brief hug, then stepped back to greet Ben and Eliza with the same polished warmth.
“Andrea,” she added, turning to her with a brief kiss to the cheek. “Lovely to see you.”
You’d never know she was lying.
Hugo and Miranda said their hellos, and I ushered them through to the living room. A waiter appeared carrying a tray of drinks—Pimm’s and lemonade, Miranda’s favorite. Hugo took one and moved toward the window, stopping a few feet short. I took a seat on the couch next to Andrea.
“Marvelous place, Liam,” he said. “I can’t believe you don’t spend more time here. Might this become more of a base for you, now that you’re getting this thing going in pharma?”
“That’s the plan,” I said.
Ben had settled near the drinks console and poured himself another wine. Hopefully, he’d forgotten about the cat.
“So, Andrea,” said Miranda. “Are you working at the moment?”
“Yes, at Novexia. I’m a sales rep.”
“She’s in business development,” said Bonnie quickly. A small flash of irritation crossed Andrea’s expression.
“Yes,” she said tightly. “That’s what a sales rep does.”
“Ah, a people person. You must be very good at reading others, an enviable skill,” said Miranda. “And did you grow up in London, too?”
“Datchet,” she said. “Near Slough.”
“Oh, that’s very—”
“Windsor,” said Bonnie. “It’s closer to Windsor.”
“My mum’s house is on the Slough side.” I saw Andrea’s jaw clench very slightly.
The room seemed to pause. Miranda’s eyes slid to Bonnie for a second, then back to Andrea.
Why had Bonnie felt the need to jump in like that?There was nothing wrong with being a sales rep, and I was sure Andrea had a good handle on where she used to live. Nothing wrong with Slough either, though it didn’t quite have the cachet of the King’s hometown.
“Well. I’m sure that’s a lovely place to grow up,” said Miranda. “And you, Eliza, are you also working?”
