‘Henry…’ she whimpered, already on the edge.
I stepped back, delighted. 'Something to look forward to.'
The house needed righting, and the decorators had arrived to undecorate with boxes, ladders, and dubious expressions when they saw the additional decorations we’d added to the tree.
Pru moved through the manor armed with an industrial bin bag and a no-nonsense attitude, while Amanda and I plunged headfirst into mayhem.
Cheesy nineties hits played through hidden speakers, the manor bordering on a party as we worked. When the decorations were removed, anything living was put aside to decorate the secret wedding.
'You're very sparkly,' I said when we let the cleaners in, stopping to pick some tinsel from Amanda’s hair.
‘An unfortunate side effect of the job.’
'You say that, but you looked thrilled this morning when you were humming along to the music.'
‘I did no such thing.’
‘You did, I was watchingveryclosely.’
She threw a cloth at my head.
By the time the house was restored to some semblance of the pristine home he and the Leadbetters had maintained, Pru and the chef headed off for a well-earned break with their own families. Pru left with a warning to behave ourselves and a wink.
Amanda and I stood alone in the expansive kitchen, leaning against the counters, like two people who had run a marathon with no training.
‘Hungry?’ I asked.
‘Is there anything left?’
I pulled open the fridge and smiled. There sat the catering tray of leftover untouched food, but for the one scoop Pru had helped herself to before she left.
‘Please tell me we're eating that straight from the tray.’
I fetched two spoons. ‘Naturally.’
We took our positions on the floor, backs against the cabinets and the tin straddling our laps in a reminder of the night we first kissed. A few short days before, but that felt like an eternity ago at the same time. Amanda scooped a creamy, coffee-laden bite, and groaned softly. I tried not to let the way the sound affected me show.
‘So, fill me in on this betwixtmas situation.'
I helped myself to a spoonful of heaven while admiring her. How pretty she looked in the half-light, those inky dark eyes lined with smudged kohl.
'My family are fiercely competitive,' I said. 'Board games. Quiz nights. Anything involving dice. Anything involving cards. Anything that can be scored and thus won'.
‘I like them already. ’
‘They cheat. They’ll play emotionally if it makes you stumble. They will absolutely weaponise any weaknesses you show.'
‘Should I be worried?
'Yes. Don't let them win. Ever.'
She raised a brow. ‘Is that why you’re bringing me? To chore up your terrible gamesmanship?
‘Of course. Not at all because you've come in and bewitched me like a devilish Scottish sprite.’
She blushed and sighed,'Henry, 'her voice low.
Then she smiled. It was the smile that made me think that maybe, just maybe, she was going to say yes.
