“You and I are strangers, but we have a mutual friend,” he told her. “Theo and I have known each other our whole lives. We attended the same primary and secondary school, although I was a few years behind him.”
“So, the Earl of Highcastle will vouch for your character. That’s what you’re telling me?” She gave him a grin that made her eyes crinkle at the corners.
“Essentially, yes,” he told her with a smile of his own.
“You don’t have anything else to do tomorrow?” she asked.
“Not tomorrow, as it’s Sunday, but I do have business in Wales on Monday.”
“What do you do for a living?”
He leaned back, staring into the fountain in front of them. “A better question might be, whatdon’tI do?”
“I…don’t know what that means.”
“It means I’ve tried a number of positions within the family business, but none seem to have been the right fit.” He watched the water as it splashed into the basin of the fountain, only to be sucked back up through the plumbing and begin its journey all over again. That was how he felt most of the time. One of these days, he would find the right position within the company, the one that would launch him right over the edge and out of this holding pattern.
In the meantime, he needed to dedicate himself one hundred percent to his upcoming assignment in Dubai. His parents had taken a chance on him, allowing him to oversee the construction of what would become one of Exeter Hotels’ largest locations, and he couldn’t let them down.
“I think that happens to a lot of us.” Ruby set the last pin on the bench between them and ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing out the bumps and waves. “In fact, Elle, Megan, and I had all been bouncing between jobs until we won that magazine contest last year.”
“You won a magazine contest?”
She nodded. “To manage Rosemont Castle. It’s how we met Theo.” She gestured toward the estate, where Theo was inside, dancing with his new bride.
“Ah.”
“Does it look okay?” she asked, tugging at a strand of her hair.
“You look beautiful.” He studied her with a smile. “I didn’t get a good look at you before your run-in with the rosebush, but I think I might prefer it down.”
“Really? I never wear it down.”
“No? That’s a shame. You have lovely hair.”
“I can’t stand when it gets in my face.”
“May I?” He picked up a pin and gestured to her hair.
“You want to do my hair for me?” she asked, amusement and surprise mixing in her tone.
“I have three sisters.” He lifted the hair away from the left side of her face and secured it with several pins, then did the same on the other side.
“Three sisters?”
“I told you I’m the youngest of five. There.” He sat back and surveyed his work. “Not bad, if I do say so myself.”
Ruby reached up to touch her new hairdo. “I think I like it. I might change my mind when I see myself in a mirror, though.”
He lifted his hands in front of him. “I’ll take no offense if you hate it. Shall we go find a mirror, then?”
“I suppose I’ve hidden out here in the gardens long enough.” She stood, smoothing her hands over the front of her dress. “It’s been nice chatting with you, though.”
“Do you really not want to dance, or did you just not want to dance with Ellis?” he asked, holding out his elbow.
She slipped her hand through it with a small smile. “So polite. I’m not much of a dancer, I’m afraid, but my objection was mainly to dancing with Ellis.”
“In that case, after you freshen up, would you care to dance?” He gave her his most charming smile.
