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“It’s not an obligation I relish, Adam. Believe me.”
The man finished with the tablet and tucked it away in a large pocket. “And is it true about the orangery? You’ve kicked out the first set of guests?”
“Yes,” said Leo.
“How did Rose take that, after all her hard work?”
“As well as you can imagine. But I’ve put the whole of the west wing at her guests’ disposal.”
“I know. I’ve had housekeeping chewing my ear off all morning.”
Leo shut his laptop with a decisive snap. “The ballroom there has hosted royalty. The guests can hardly complain.”
“But your aunt can.”
“Yes,” said Leo, gesturing for the other man to precede him from the room. “And she has.”
“Well, I’m glad you were the messenger of that news and not me. But all the same, as entertaining as it would be to see you get stabbed with a grapefruit spoon, I might have breakfast in the kitchen.”
“You’re a coward, Adam,” said Leo, smiling faintly.
“No, I meant lest I’m tempted to stab you myself.”
Leo’s smile deepened a little. “Eat well,” he called after his friend as they headed in separate directions. “You’re in charge of moving Peony’s luggage. And the paintings. All fifty-six of them.”
Leo needn’t have hurried to the breakfast room. Pea wasn’t there. Just his aunt.
She watched him pour coffee as she scraped jam onto toast. Impressive how she made that simple action seem menacing.
“Six months we worked on that cottage,” she said at last.
Leo shook porridge oats into a bowl.
“I thought you enjoyed the project as much as I did,” she continued.
“I always enjoy seeing the estate look its best, but choosing furniture and bed linens isn’t exactly my idea of fun.”
“You are very good at it though.”
“Hm.”
“Besides, I would dearly love to hear what your idea of fun actually is.”
He was saved from having to reply by the arrival of Peony, who breezed into the room with a bright, “Good morning!” The Count glanced at her long enough to see she was wearing a white, sleeveless shirt that set off her tan, and that she looked completely radiant.
His aunt, thankfully, said nothing but a polite hello, then took her toast and the newspaper she had been reading and left, presumably to find a room less riddled with disappointing nephews.
Pea came over to where Leo still stood at the sideboard. “What are you having?” She glanced into his bowl. “Plain porridge? I should have guessed as much.”
“I put honey in it,” he said, annoyed at feeling the need to defend himself.
Pea smiled and reached past him for the fruit just as he picked up his bowl and coffee. Her bare arm brushed his shirt sleeve. Coffee splashed onto his fingers as his hand jerked back. Thankfully, she didn’t notice. He made it to the table and cleaned his hand with a napkin.
“So do I get to see the orangery today?” she said, piling a bowl with melon and grapes.
“Of course. Straight after breakfast.” He had cleared his morning to make time. It wasn’t often that one of the Ashley siblings was rendered speechless. He didn’t want to miss the look on her face.
“Do you remember that epic game of hide and seek we played here a few years ago?” said Pea, adding marmite to a plate of scrambled eggs. Leo winced internally at the combination.
