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"There's no shame in crying. You lost your dad."
"She's right," Derek says. "Everybody cries over stuff like that. And I think your mom wants to be more, uh, demonstrative with you."
Hugh jerks his head to glance at my brother. "What makes you say that?"
"Because I had a nice talk with her while you were defiling my sister in your den of debauchery." He lays a hand on Hugh's shoulder. "That means your bedroom."
"Yes, I figured that out." Hugh faces forward again but still seems a touch disturbed by Derek's revelation. "I would love to know what Mum said to you, but your conversation was private."
"I don't think she'd mind. Rosalyn's a great lady."
Hugh fidgets as he guides the Jag out onto the main road. "What did Mum tell you?"
"That she loves you a lot and she only wants you to be happy. Then she talked about how she wished she and your dad hadn't been so concerned with propriety and had hugged you more. In private, they were very affectionate with each other."
"If you're about to tell me about my parents' sex life, please don't."
Derek chuckles. "No, it's nothing like that. They liked to snuggle in bed together and talk. They always kissed each other good night too."
"I can't believe my mother told you all of that. She must really like you—and trust you."
"Not stealing your mom. I think it was easier for her to talk to me about that stuff since I'm not her son. I bet she'll tell you everything, eventually." Derek pauses, then asks, "Hey, is Rosalyn coming to the wedding?"
"Callum's wedding?" Hugh says. "Yes, she is."
"Has she met those Scots before?"
"Only Callum and his brother, Jack."
Hugh turns on the radio and plays it louder than he had on our journey to Sommerleigh. I think he's confused and wants to avoid hearing any other revelations about his mom. I can understand why she might prefer to tell those things to Derek. She likes him, and he's easy to talk to—plus, she probably guessed my brother would tell Hugh everything. That might be her way of testing the waters. If Hugh doesn't panic when Derek shares the details, she might assume that means he can cope with hearing more.
It's dark when we reach London, and I suggest Derek should spend the night in my hotel suite while I stay at Hugh's place. My brother doesn't argue, so we drop him off at the hotel. By the time we walk into Hugh's flat, we're both so exhausted we want nothing more than to sleep. Shedding our clothes depletes the last of our energy, and we snuggle under the covers to drift off.
When morning comes, we drive to Hugh's office. Derek had told us he would go sightseeing today, alone, but that he'd like to have dinner with us tonight. Hugh offered to treat my brother to a gourmet meal at a restaurant, which seemed like the perfect way to continue our campaign to convince everyone that Lord Sommerleigh is an upstanding citizen. If they see us with my brother, it will prove our relationship is genuine.
But for now, we need to deal with repairing the image of Hugh's company so we can save it from a hard and fast downfall. We've just sat down in his office, with Hugh behind the desk and me sitting across from him.
I tap one finger on my leather portfolio. "I think you should call Phillip Jenkins. He's had plenty of time to think, and you need to show initiative. After the weekend we had, I hope you're feeling refreshed and confident."
Hugh straightens in his chair. "I was feeling that way until you suggested I should ring Jenkins."
"Ever heard the phrase 'rip off the Band-Aid'?"
"Yes."
"Do that now, Hugh. No point in torturing yourself any longer."
He rubs his forehead and sighs. "Yes, I know you're right."
Just as he reaches for his desk phone, it rings.
"It's Trudy," he says, then he picks up the handset. "Yes? Oh, please do."
"Everything okay?" I whisper.
He holds his hand over the speaker. "Jenkins just rang the office, and Trudy is transferring the call."
I suddenly realize I'm tapping my finger faster and drumming my shoes on the floor. Though I force myself to stop those nervous gestures and maintain a calm demeanor, I can't do anything to quell my anxiety. Jenkins will stay with Sommerleigh Sweets, right? He won't end a longstanding business relationship because of what one duke said.
