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“I am?” she whispered. “Because I feel utterly terrified right now.”
“What’s there to be scared of?” My hand was glued to her waist because I wanted everyone in the room to know she was mine. She wasn’t just my friend or an employee. She was the woman sleeping in my bed every night.
“Uh, are you kidding?” she asked. “I just met the Queen—again. How many people can say that?”
“A lot of Brits, actually. She makes a lot of public appearances.”
“That’s like me meeting the President of the United States. It’s unbelievable.”
Her reverence was cute, and I couldn’t help but smile. “If it makes you feel better, I can barely tell you’re nervous. You’re doing great.”
“It’s because I downed a whole glass of scotch when we walked inside.”
“Well, there’s always more if you need it.” I’d been good at cutting back every day. I managed to get by with three glasses of scotch instead of nine. It was hard in the beginning, but it got easier as time went on. I actually felt better because of the change.
“I may take you up on that offer.”
I glanced at the door and saw Josephine walk inside with Sir Andrew. He wore a deep navy blue suit and stood a foot taller than her. With features typical of the Irish nobility, he had bright blond hair and searing blue eyes. He was ten years older than her and not really as good-looking as me.
But she made her choice.
Josephine’s eyes landed on me, and she stared at me without blinking.
After that night when she called me, I didn’t think about her again. My thoughts had been filled with London exclusively.
But my duty required me to greet both of them. The best way to kill scandal was to absorb it. By inviting them to my gatherings and being civil to them, it made the fiasco look less dramatic. But it was all an act.
I hated both of them.
I guided London with me as I approached the happy couple. Andrew’s arm was around Josephine’s waist, and she wore a cream-colored dress with a red shawl. She looked like typical royalty. I could spot her in a crowd instantly. “Good evening. Thank you for coming.” As customary, I kissed Josephine on the hand even though I’d rather throw up on it.
Josephine watched my movements, the sadness in her eyes.
I shook Andrew’s hand next, pretending this interaction was perfectly normal. “Great to see you.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Andrew said with his Irish accent. “I can already tell it’s going to be a night to remember. Congratulations on your success, Crewe.”
I didn’t care how polite he was. I still hated the bastard. “Thank you. Have you met London?” I squeezed her into my side.
“No, I haven’t.” Andrew looked at her just the way I did, like her beauty was impossible to mistake. “Lovely to meet you.” He shook her hand. “I’m sorry, what is your title?”
London eyed me as if she didn’t know what to say.
“She’s my girlfriend,” I said. “She’s an American doctor who recently moved here.”
I knew London would argue that wasn’t true since she never received her license, but it was the quickest way to explain her hobbies.
Josephine’s face immediately paled when she realized what London meant to me. Her eyes dropped, and her mind drifted away from the conversation as the truth hit her hard.
“That’s lovely,” Andrew said. “Welcome to Scotland. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
“I already do,” London answered.
Andrew returned his hand to Josephine’s waist and guided her away to join the rest of the festivities.
London released the breath she was holding and looked at me when we were alone again. “Is that the same Josephine who came to the house a few months ago?”
The question was pretty much rhetorical because she already knew the answer. “Yes.”
London watched Josephine join the crowd with Andrew, her eyes glued to every movement she made. “She loves you. I can tell just by looking at her.” She turned to me for confirmation.
I didn’t like keeping secrets from London anymore. It was easier to be honest with her since I was sharing my entire life with her. She was there every second of the day, sharing my bed every second of the night. “She does. But I don’t love her anymore.”
She couldn’t hide the surprise on her face when I shared something so personal with her. Her eyebrows were high, and she parted her lips in a sexy way. The braid that was pinned up with the rest of her hair made her look more graceful than usual. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the room that night. “So you used to be together…”
“Yeah. It ended about a year ago.” I didn’t get into the specifics just in case someone was eavesdropping. I couldn’t exactly call Josephine a cunt when someone else could overhear it and rat me out. Wasn’t good decorum.
