Petey laughed, and his eyes sparkled. “I can’t wait.”
The thought of presenting ourselves to the entire Buckford community as a real, unified duo made my heart leap. I wove a hand up into Petey’s hair and pulled him down to me until my lips were on his and the heat of his mouth was in mine.
Chapter 33
Petey
The next morning, after a long phone call with my gran, I sat at the large oak table in Buckford Hall’s kitchen, having breakfast with William. It was blissful—the smell of toast, the steaming coffee pot, the sound of Bramley fighting with the orange juicer. William was naked, obviously, except for his red satin boxer shorts. As he ferried a toast soldier from his egg to his mouth, a large droplet of golden yolk dripped onto his chest and began making its way down his cleavage, narrowly missing the ring on the chain around his neck. I watched as he wiped it up with his finger, then popped his finger in his mouth.
Bramley put a jug of fresh orange juice on the table. William was sucking on his neck chain—I guessed in search of stray yolk. Bramley stared at him in thinly disguised disappointment. William noticed.
“Is there something the matter, Bramley?”
“No, my lord. I was merely going to ask whether you planned to move back into your usual bedchambers today? I prepared the room for you yesterday, but I note this morning your bed is unmolested.”
It wasn’t the only thing unmolested. Although we’d slept in each other’s arms, the night was as chaste as every other night had been.
“Sorry, old thing,” William said. “I think we might stick it out in the folly a bit longer. It’s rather good fun, camping up in the belvedere.”
Bramley shook his head in obvious disapproval.
William turned to me. “If that’s all right? Unless you want to?—”
“No, the folly is lovely. It feels like home. ItisBuckford to me.”
William winked and champed down on some yolky toast.
“Bramley, that reminds me. Chap’s coming to install Wi-Fi in the folly on Friday. Can I leave you to look after him? I’ve got the art dealer from Wetherby’s Auction House coming to value the paintings.”
“Of course, my lord.”
I leant over to William. “I thought the folly was screen-free?”
“Only because there was no Wi-Fi,” he said. “But the study has to become a real working office. We’ve got a hundred and fifty-two days to save the estate. I need to start running things like a proper, modern business.”
A wave of pride flushed through me, and I reached under the table and squeezed William’s leg. He leant forward, lips puckered for a kiss.
I pointed to the corner of his mouth. “You have a bit of yolk.”
“Oh!” His tongue darted into the corner to dig it out and, satisfied, the puckered lips were back. I laughed. “Absolutely not.”
The telephone on the wall by the refrigerator rang. I’d never heard it do that before. Bramley answered the call. At that moment, Bunny drifted in, greying hair piled on top of her head,muslin scarf trailing behind her—smiling broadly. Her hands plunged straight into William’s hair.
“Morning, darling.” She massaged his head.
“Morning, Mother,” William said, tilting his head back and puckering his lips again.
Bunny winced. “Absolutely not.” I laughed. She kissed him on top of the head and said good morning to me. “Ooh, coffee.” She rested a hand warmly on my shoulder as she drifted past to pour herself a mug.
“My lord.” Bramley had the phone receiver buried in his apron. “It’s a gentleman from theBulletinnewspaper.”
“NO!” William, Bunny, and I all sang like a chorus.
Bramley put the receiver to his ear to deliver the bad news.
“We only plugged the bloody thing back in this morning,” William said. “I’m regretting it already.”
Bunny sat down and cut into a grapefruit.
