“It evolved in North America from what it was, but aye.”
“How do you know this?”
I turned to Sebastian to find him smiling fondly at me as he tied a scarf around his neck.
“Lily is a sponge,” Sierra offered. “Anything she reads, she soaks right up.”
“Well, I vote we petition the government to bring it back.” Harry patted his stomach. “That was delicious, Sierra, thank you.”
“I had help from my girlies. And Sebastian.”
Sebastian bowed his head comically.
Because Sierra could only afford to return to the US at Christmas every year, it meant she missed out on Thanksgiving with her family. Maddie and I had surprised her in our first year with a Thanksgiving dinner. The following years, Sierra organized it. Sometimes we invited fellow Americans to join us. This year, we’d invited Sebastian, Harry, Zac, and Shaun.
I’d also invited Jan, but she was hard at work on a project for one of her fashion courses.
The dinner came at a good time because we were all gearing up for exams. Needing a wee break, we’d organized the dinner and everyone bought tickets to The Stand, a legendary comedy club. They were doing a Thanksgiving special with four US standup comedians.
We all piled out of our flat, bellies too full from our feast. Even though it was a thirty-minute walk from Leven Street to York Place, we all decided we needed to walk off the turkey and plethora of sides we’d inhaled at dinner.
Sebastian fell into step beside me, and we chatted about our current workload for a bit. Then I asked, “How’s Juno?” I hadn’t seen her in weeks.
“The gallery in Edinburgh changed their minds about her pottery collection.”
Disappointed for her, I said so.
“The truth is she’s doing wonderfully well selling them herself. And she doesn’t have to pay fifty percent commission to a gallery to do it. I think it’s the prestige thing, though. I think she feels people might take her seriously if she’s in galleries.”
“That doesn’t sound like Juno.”
“My sister is very good at putting on a front, making people think nothing bothers her. But she has her own insecurities.”
I thought about that. “Jan’s the same. When we were kids, she was more open about her vulnerabilities, but as we got older, she started to hide them more. I often wondered if it was because I was so sensitive and she felt she needed to be strong for me.” And I’d always felt guilty at the thought. I was her big sister. Not the other way around.
“I don’t think you’re overly sensitive at all. I think you’re very pragmatic.”
“Maybe now.” Experience had thickened my skin. “But when we were kids, I was always getting my feelings hurt. But … Jan’s like Juno. The insecurities are there. I once caught her crying reading the bookA Thousand Boy Kisses.”
Sebastian grinned. “A tearjerker?”
“The biggest. I’m going to make you read it.”
“Add it to my now never-ending TBR,” he replied drolly. It was true. I’d successfully converted Sebastian into a romance fan.
I glanced up to make sure our friends were far enough ahead. “How are things with your mum and dad?”
We’d been so busy with school lately that our interactions were usually quick lunches at Teviot or dinner with our friends. We hadn’t had the time or privacy for me to ask.
Sebastian scowled at the pavement as we walked. “No different, I’m afraid. Did I tell you a girl my mum contacted ambushed me coming out of my steel structures lecture?”
Horrified on multiple levels, I shook my head. “You never said.”
“Poppy Danvers. Daughter of a viscount. Prelaw. Very pretty. According to my mother, perfect for me.”
My heart plummeted. “Oh?”
He grimaced. “I have no idea what my mother said to that poor girl, but she seemed convinced we were a sure thing. She also was not amused when I made it clear we were not.”
