‘I’m nervous,’ she confessed.
‘You shouldn’t be,’ Robbie said. ‘You look great.’
She beamed at him and said with a warm laugh, ‘You can visit again.’
The doorbell chimed and I winced at the sound. My head was still throbbing, but for Kate, I’d grit my teeth and bear it.
She went to answer the door, and I heard her breathless explanation that Robbie and I had dropped by and she’d invited us to stay for dinner. If Troy was bothered by that explanation, he didn’t show it, a warm smile on his face as he walked in.
He touched his hand to his chest and gave Robbie a decent bow. ‘My honour to meet you, High King Krieg.’
Robbie raised an eyebrow. ‘We’ve met before. At one of your father’s events.’
Troy’s smile didn’t falter. ‘Of course, but only briefly. It’ll be wonderful to get to know you more.’ Then heturned to me and gave me a similar bow. ‘Inspector. Good to see you.’
‘Call me Stacy, please.’ The last thing Kate wanted was an air of formality for the whole dinner.
‘Sure. I’ll do my best. Something smells wonderful,’ Troy commented to Kate.
‘I made lasagne,’ Kate admitted with a shy smile. ‘I hope you like Italian food.’
‘I love it,’ Troy confirmed. ‘Can I help you serve?’
‘Oh no. You three go and sit down. I’ll bring plates through in a minute.’ She gestured us into the dining room and we sat around the modern glass table.
Her cat, Harry, twined around my ankles, purring softly before going onto Robbie and doing the same, greeting all the interlopers. He went to Troy and hissed, a full-bodied, furious sound, hair on end, spine arched.
‘Cats don’t tend to like me,’ Troy confessed. ‘It’s a mer thing.’
The cat stalked out of the room, gone to complain to Kate of the new person in his house that he patently did not like.
‘So,’ I said as I took another sip of my bubbles. ‘I know you work for your father, but what is it you actually do?’
‘Whatever he wants me to do,’ he said with a laugh. ‘It can vary a lot. I’m a jack of all trades really, fitting in wherever Father needs me.’
Kate came in carrying two plates piled high with lasagne and garlic bread. She set them down in front of the men and then returned with two other plates more modest in serving. From the smells, I could tell I would have preferred a man-sized helping. I adored lasagne.
‘I’m sorry,’ Kate suddenly said. ‘I didn’t check anyone’s dietary requirements.’
‘None for me,’ I assured her.
‘Nor me,’ Robbie said.
‘I’m easy,’ Troy confirmed. ‘As long as it has meat in it, I’m sold.’
‘Meat or fish,’ Kate corrected. ‘You said you like fish?’
‘Oh yes, of course. I meant fish too.’
‘I was going to cook fish today,’ she admitted, ‘since it’s your favourite, but Beth usually cooks our fish because I tend to overcook it. No one wants dry fish.’
‘I’m sure you cook it to perfection,’ Troy murmured smoothly.
‘This will be wonderful,’ I said.
And it was. We dug in with gusto, making small talk as we all shovelled food in. My head still throbbed, but I was definitely feeling better for eating.
‘Kate,’ I said as I sat back, full with an empty plate before me. ‘You’re a domestic goddess. That was amazing.’
