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“Eating dinner,” she said. “When Prince Graydon goes back to his own country, his engagement to a young Lanconian woman is going to be announced. A year later they’ll be married.”
“American girls aren’t good enough for him? Or is he planning to sow some wild oats here on Nantucket before he returns home?” His tone told her what he thought of that idea.
Toby tried to pull away from him, but Jared held her fast. “Okay, I’ll quit. What do you need?”
“Your cousin”—she emphasized the connection—“needs a place to stay while he’s here. And it would be better if he had a roommate, someone to help him out.”
“You mean like cut up his meat for him? Help him get his clothes on in the morning?”
“I don’t know what he can and can’t do. Is it possible for him to stay at Kingsley House?”
“That place is full to the brim for the next week. We had to put relatives in there, and Lexie’s boss took a bedroom. What about your house?”
“We only have two bedrooms, and besides, I don’t think that would be appropriate.”
Jared gave her a serious look. “Did this guy make any unwelcome advances at you?”
“No, not at all.”
It was the end of the dance and the band was leaving to take a break. Jared stopped and looked at her. “Toby, this guy can’t just show up here and think we can offer him a palace and a bunch of servants. He’ll have to take what he can get. You have a pullout couch in the sitting room upstairs in your house, so put him on it. Lexie will be there, so you’ll be fine. If he thinks he’s too good for that, then he can sleep in somebody’s car. Tomorrow Caleb or Victoria can find him a place to stay for a longer term. Prince or not, he’s an adult and he can take care of himself. Now, how about some cake?”
“Sure,” Toby said and motioned that it was okay for Jared to leave her, that she’d be fine. She knew he was right, but still, she did feel some responsibility for Prince Graydon.
She looked around the tent at the many guests. Alix and Jared were cutting the cake and everyone was focused on them. Lexie was behind the caterers, and Toby had an idea she was still hiding from the men in her life. She maneuvered around the crowd of guests and went to her friend. “Could I talk to you?”
“Gladly,” Lexie said as she grabbed two plates of wedding cake. “Get the forks.”
Toby got forks, napkins, and two cups of punch and they went outside the tent. “I want to know what’s going on,” Toby said as soon as they were out in the clear, clean, salty Nantucket air.
“I should ask you the same thing,” Lexie said. “That scene in the tent with that guy was out of a novel. Candlelight and chocolate. All you needed was a rose in your hair.”
“Are you trying to avoid telling me what you’re up to?”
“Completely,” Lexie said, and gave a great sigh. “Toby, I feel really bad about this, but Plymouth said he needs someone to stay with his fourteen-year-old sister in the south of France and he asked if I’d consider doing it.”
“I thought you didn’t want to travel with him.”
“He won’t be there. He’s going off to do something with a car, race it somewhere, I guess, but he promised his sister he’d take her to France.”
“Doesn’t the child have parents?”
“Plymouth’s dad is on his fourth wife. This one is barely twenty. She doesn’t want to be stuck babysitting for three months.”
“Three months?”
“Yeah,” Lexie said, looking guilty. “It’s until the first of September, so technically it’s only two and a half months, but still …”
Toby knew that this was one of those times when she had to work to be unselfish. This was a great opportunity for Lexie. And she didn’t believe for a moment that Roger wouldn’t show up. And on some level, Lexie probably knew it too. But maybe if she got away from Nantucket she’d be able to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
On the other hand, the backyard of the house they shared had been made for their business of raising flowers to sell. There were a greenhouse and many raised beds, all of them needing weeding and fertilizing and constant care.
“I’ll send you my half of the rent,” Lexie said. “Plymouth is doubling my salary for these weeks, so I’ll be able to afford it.”
Toby would have liked to tell her to forget about the rent, but she couldn’t. Jared owned the house, and he let them have it for much less than it would bring if he rented it to an off-islander. But still, Toby’s half took a lot of her pay.
“Jilly can help you with the flowers,” Lexie said, her expression pleading with Toby to agree to this. “I know I’m letting you d
own, but I would really like to do this. I met Plymouth’s sister last year and she’s a sweet kid. She likes to read a lot and he says she wants to visit museums. Can you imagine Plymouth in a museum?”
