Matty also noticed. That familiar, fleeting warning expression was back on his face, only this time it lingered.
‘Youwilldo this, won’t you?’ Noah asked.
Quinn’s eyes trailed down to Noah’s hand, then back to his face, hovering ever so slightly on his lips. ‘Absolutely.’
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Matty and Hermione agreed to wash up the dishes, leaving Noah and Quinn free from any chores.
‘Come with me.’ Noah guided Quinn into the hallway. The large hall felt cold compared to the kitchen, where conversation had turned to Hermione’s career highs, her escapades on set, and a story involving George Clooney and Tom Hanks.
‘Shouldn’t I be listening to that?’
‘It’s nothing I couldn’t tell you,’ Noah said. ‘Besides, she will tell you all of that again. Any excuse she can get to reminisce.’
He loved Hermione for wanting to recount her blessings with no shred of shame, knowing he would do the same if he experienced a life like hers.
The house was impeccably clean. Quinn made a mental note to compliment Ivy when he saw her next. A Christmas tree flashed in the hall’s corner with wrapped presents underneath the boughs. Quinn noticed that she drew red velvet curtains over windows, no doubt to stop the prying eyes of the non-existent press.
‘Upstairs.’ Noah climbed the sweeping staircase, his hand trailing along the polished oak banister. Quinn followed him, curious, wondering what Noah wanted to show him.
They emerged onto a landing that was bigger than Quinn’s apartment bedroom – he was sure of it. On the wall, a painted portrait of a man with a crown beamed down at them, and Quinn stopped to admire it.
‘Richard Booth was a character, wasn’t he?’
‘Shame the Booth monarchy didn’t last. I would have married into it.’
‘Me too.’
‘Ah, but there would have only been one prince,’ Noah said. ‘Then who would have got him?’
‘A love triangle, like one of your romance novels!’ As Quinn said it, he realised maybe he was in a love triangle himself. He knew Noah was well and truly off limits. He rationalised that any attraction, any flirtation, had been in his head. Yes, Noah was attractive, but that was it.
Just attractive.
He fancied him, sure.
Completely normal.
Off limits.
‘You alright? You look like you’ve entered a daydream.’ Noah brought Quinn back to the hall.
‘Yeah, just thinking about the prince that could have been,’ Quinn said, andno,he hadnotbeen thinking about him being a king with Noah as king consort by his side. No way.
Noah smirked, then showed an antique cabinet at the end of the hall. Quinn hadn’t noticed it, such was the imposing artwork of Richard Booth, but he saw behind the glass of the cabinet were trophies that made his mouth drop open.
Golden statues winked at him, catching the light from the hallway’s chandelier. As Quinn approached, he saw the bright face of a BAFTA and two flaxen statues of knights.
‘Hermione won twoOscars?’
‘She did indeed.’ Noah failed to hide his pride. ‘And the BAFTA. She had something from an indie film fest, too, but I don’t know where she put that.’
‘Noah, this is incredible!’
‘Isn’t it just?’ Noah said. ‘Since being here, I’ve caught her a few times standing here and staring. She won two Oscars in a row, both for Christmas films she was in. The BAFTA was for a drama portrayal she did for TV.’
‘I think I underestimated her acting talent.’
