All the Romance You Need This Christmas: 5-Book Festive Collection. Romy Sommer

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      ‘She’ll probably be asleep anyway,’ Tyler said. ‘I can talk to her in the morning. Besides, I want one of Dad’s cigars.’

      Lucas sighed. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’ Assuming Dory didn’t smother Tyler in his sleep through sheer frustration.

      ***

      No one had offered her a tour of Midfield House, so finding the kitchens was a bit hit and miss. Wincing as her bare toes hit the cold tiles of the back hallway, Dory figured she had to at least be getting close. She’d skirted the main hall, ducking behind a pillar as Patrick walked past with a box of cigars. Then, using a process of elimination, she darted through the small doorway to the back hallway that screamed ‘servants’ quarters.’

      Then she saw it. The Holy Grail. The wide, clear, wooden surfaces, the oversized range cooker, the scrubbed kitchen table. And there, in the corner, the huge, American-style refrigerator. Somewhere in there, surely, there had to be cake.

      Skipping over the icy floor tiles, Dory made her way to the fridge, yanking the door open and staring inside.

      No cake.

      Salad, fruit, cold meats and cheeses… but absolutely no cake.

      Where the hell was the cake?

      The fridge door didn’t even slam very satisfyingly. Dory clunked her head against the cool surface and thought hard. If she were a maid in this hateful house, where would she hide leftover cake?

      ‘It’s in the pantry fridge.’

      Dory’s heart bounced up to her throat at the words, and she spun round so fast her foot slipped on the tiles. Grabbing the counter to keep herself upright, she stared at Tyler’s brother with wide eyes.

      ‘I’m sorry, I was just looking for—’

      ‘Cake,’ Lucas finished for her. ‘Like I say, Freya always keeps the desserts in the other fridge. In the pantry.’

      Biting her lip, Dory shrugged. ‘You caught me. I like dessert.’

      ‘I could tell,’ Lucas said. ‘I saw your eyes widen when Freya brought it in earlier.’

      ‘It did look amazing.’

      ‘And your face fall when my mother cake-blocked you.’

      ‘I’m sure she had my best interests at heart,’ Dory lied. Felicia Alexander might be an utter snake, but she was still Lucas’s mother. Men didn’t tend to take too kindly to other women criticising their mothers, and the last thing she needed was Lucas reporting back to the family that Dory was badmouthing them behind their backs.

      But to her surprise, Lucas laughed and said, ‘Oh, I doubt it. Usually the only interests she has at heart – or anywhere – are her own.’

      ‘Does that mean you’re not going to tell her if I eat the leftover cake?’ Dory asked.

      Lucas’s smile turned sly. ‘Well now, that depends.’

      ‘On what?’

      ‘On whether you’re willing to share.’

      Dory grinned. ‘I think I might be persuaded. Want to grab the cake?’ She stared around the massive kitchen. ‘I’ll start hunting the drawers for forks.’

      Lucas was already halfway across the room, heading for a plain wood door Dory hadn’t even spotted before. The pantry, she supposed. Just as well Lucas had happened along; she’d never have found the cake there.

      ‘Three drawers to the left of the sink,’ he called back.

      Dory counted handles along from the sink and found, lo and behold, a whole drawer full of forks. Pastry forks, cake forks, smaller forks for starters, and full-sized dining forks. Mind slightly boggled, she pulled open the next drawer. Knives. Lots of knives. Fish knives, steak knives, knives for every possible conceivable occasion. At that point, she couldn’t leave the last drawer unopened. Inside, neatly ordered into sections, were spoons varying in size from tiny coffee spoons, all the way up to serving spoons, via a number of different sizes she couldn’t even have guessed names or uses for.

      ‘You casing the silver?’ Dory jumped at Lucas’s words. ‘Because I’ll give you a tip. The really expensive stuff is in the chest in the main hall.’

      Dory slammed the drawers shut, keeping only the two cake forks she’d picked out in the first place. ‘Just wondering who really needs that much cutlery.’ She shook her head as she joined him at the table. He hadn’t bothered with separate plates, just brought the chocolate and pistachio gateau on the serving plate Freya had left it on. ‘It’s a different world.’

      ‘You’re telling me,’ Lucas said, taking the fork she offered him. ‘I grew up here, and it still baffles me. Especially since I think I might be the only family member who knows where anything is in this kitchen.’

      ‘Yeah, I was kinda surprised by that.’ Dory cut off the tiniest sliver of chocolate cake with the edge of her fork. She wanted to savour this…

      ‘My room is just upstairs,’ Lucas explained. ‘And I like to save the family dining for special occasions. Which means if I want to eat the rest of the time, I had to figure out where things are.’ He shrugged. ‘Besides, Duncan and Freya are more fun to hang out with, anyway. We usually play poker in the evenings, when I’m here, but apparently party prep has taken over tonight.’

      Tilting her head, Dory considered Tyler’s older brother. From his short cropped hair, lighter than Tyler’s messy style, to the stubble that was just a millimetre too long to be truly designer, he didn’t look like an Alexander. Didn’t embrace the name and all it brought with it, the way Tyler did. And here, now, she wanted to ask why.

      ‘You’re not comfortable here, are you?’ she said, then winced. Too blunt, again, Dory. She could almost hear her father whispering ‘a little subtlety, maybe?’ in her ear. ‘Sorry. I just mean…’

      ‘That I’d obviously rather be somewhere else?’ Lucas finished for her. ‘It’s okay; you’re right.’

      ‘So, where would you rather be?’

      ‘Honestly? Pretty much anywhere.’ He sighed. ‘But right now, given the choice, I’d be home on my farm.’

      Dory blinked. ‘You own a farm?’

      ‘Kinda. But probably not the sort you’re thinking of.’

      ‘Pigs? Sheep? That kind of thing?’

      ‘Well… yeah. But to be honest, I’m not that involved with the actually farming side of things. I rent out the land to local farmers, mostly.’

      ‘So… what do you do, then?’

      ‘Enjoy the peace and quiet?’ Dory raised her eyebrows at him, and he sighed. ‘Yeah, you’re not going to accept that answer, are you?’

      ‘Somehow I can’t imagine you sitting in a rocking chair on a porch somewhere, while other people do all the fun stuff.’

      ‘Fair СКАЧАТЬ