“Please come in,” he says deeply.
Simeon looks hesitant. “Oh, I couldn’t.”
“Okay,” Niall says peacefully and goes to shut the door.
“Niall!” I jerk out.
“What?”
I gesture at the half-open door and the man standing on the step. “Don’t be rude,” I hiss.
He rolls his eyes. “He said he couldn’t come in.”
“He was being polite.”
He sighs in exasperation. “I don’t get that. I don’t know why people–”
Forestalling his lecture on openness and people saying what they think, which I could practically recite word for word by now, I fling the door open. “Please come in,” I say. “I’ve made some soup. Stay and have some with us.”
He looks slightly awkward but allows me to pull him over the threshold and motion him in the direction of the kitchen.
“You’re giving him my soup?” Niall hisses and Cora gurgles happily.
“I am,” I say defiantly. “To make up for your rudeness.”
Sailing past him, I head to the kitchen in time to help Simeon take his coat off. He looks around curiously. “This is a lovely house.”
“Thank you,” Niall says shortly, coming past him and into the room.
Dotty sits up in her basket, which I’d been amused to see was very expensive, and stares at Simeon. She looks sweet and cuddly, her green eyes glowing. He bends to her. “Oh, what alovely–” He draws back, startled as she hisses at him and makes a swipe at his hand.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “Don’t bother with affection. It only ends in pain. I’m sure she’s psychopathic. She’d make Jack the Ripper look cuddly.”
He turns to me. “It’s so lovely to see you, Milo. I’ve been looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” I say and then stare open-mouthed as he goes to hug me only to have to step back because Niall has thrust Cora into my arms.
“Hold her,” Niall says happily. “I’ll just get her bottle warmed.” I look down at the baby lying in my arms then up at Niall who has a satisfied look on his face and then at Simeon who just looks slightly taken aback.
“Sorry,” I say as Niall moves to the kettle. “He’s barely house trained.”
“I heard that,” Niall mutters.
“You were meant to.”
Simeon’s mouth quirks and I gesture quickly at the table. “Take a seat. Once Niall’s done Cora’s bottle I’ll dish the food up.”
He sits down. “She’s a beautiful little girl.”
I smile. “She is that.” I sit down opposite him, shifting Cora as she starts to mither. I look at him and search for words and he smiles.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve turned up on the doorstep like this.”
My ‘oh no, not at all’ is slightly spoilt by Niall’s soft snort from the corner.
He shakes his head. “I’m staying with a friend nearby and I thought why not kill two birds with one stone. I have the paintings in the back of the car, so I thought I’d drop them off with you.”
I’m flabbergasted. “You’ve just got them in the back of the car?”
