improve ratings.’
Nick’s mouth fell open. ‘Are you proposing, Miss, that you and I…?’
My heart raced. ‘Exactly. It would be purely for the cameras, of course, and more suggestion than action. It pains me to resort to such tactics, but my family’s heritage is at stake.’
I waited, imagining the disdain of Edward if he’d been listening, hoping that I was right in thinking that good-humoured Nick was the opposite of judgemental. The gardener stared for a moment and scratched his unshaven chin, which was kind of sexy and something you’d never find on Lord Clean-cut, Edward.
‘The Baron of Marwick sure is tough competition,’ said Nick. ‘He also announced his plans to win this afternoon. The Castle has been set up to host weekend medieval hen and stag nights, with banquets held in the dungeons. I bet they’ll get pretty crazy. During the week, he’ll host corporate team-building trips, incorporating archery and shooting. It all sounds…’
I sighed. ‘Awfully sexy.’ Oops – that wasn’t something Abbey would ever say.
‘Yeah, but… A Croxley mixing it up with a gardener? Someone who works on the land?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘You can’t possibly be related to Lord Edward if you’re suggesting such a thing.’
I swallowed hard. Surely I hadn’t misjudged Nick so badly…
‘You’d better show me some form of ID, Miss,’ he said, ‘before I say something to the Earl.’
LORD EDWARD’S E-DIARY
Saturday 1 st September
‘Comments’
6.15p.m. Thank you, but no, Lovehotnoble —rubber trim would probably be equally uncomfortable.
Now, duty calls – I must hurry to greet our guests. Just a quick word to say that Abigail… How long I’ve waited to see her face. I mean, erm, of course, it’s only been months since our last meeting, but nevertheless… To have her here finally… At Applebridge… It’s smashing.
Right. Anyway. Really must go. Dinner awaits.
Chapter 5
Nick and I couldn’t stop laughing. Mega phew! For one minute I really believed he’d seen through my disguise and was after a peek at my passport.
‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’ I said eventually. ‘But honestly, Nick, I perfectly understand if you think this idea…improper.’ After all, laughs aside, this was all an act to me but it was Nick’s real life – he could lose his job.
I caught sight of a designer logo on the bottom of his T-shirt and recognized his cologne as an expensive brand I’d once sniffed when out with a boyfriend. Nick struck me as a bit glam for a gardener.
‘Consider me in, Miss,’ he said.
‘You’re sure?’ I raised my eyebrows, giving him one last chance to back out. Although I could sense that, unlike Edward, a major drive in Nick’s life was fun; I reckoned we would really get along.
‘One hundred per cent!’ he said. ‘How do you suggest we get things started?’
‘Slowly.’ I backed up against the crimson-painted wall, as Nick had leant forward to keep our voices and plans ultra secret. ‘Perhaps a look here, a touch there – although, having said that, we only have two weeks.’ Footsteps sounded from the bottom of the staircase.
‘Better get things moving, then,’ whispered Nick. ‘A friend of mine knows a Z-list celebrity who trades off winding up photographers that he’s having all sorts of affairs. His specialty is this dud kiss – I can show you if you like. We’ll need to practice…’
Before I knew it, he’d placed a hand over my mouth and bowed forward to snog his knuckles. But still, it wasn’t a bad idea—from behind him it must have looked mega realistic. And Nick did smell good. It was a while since I’d been this close to a man, especially one who had no ulterior motive. With easy-going Nick, it felt kind of comfortable, until…. uh oh! I could hardly breathe now, seeing as he’d taken me by surprise and I’d had no time to fill my lungs with air.
‘Unhand her, you scoundrel!’ hissed Edward, who’d appeared
Nick’s mouth fell open. ‘Are you proposing, Miss, that you and I…?’
My heart raced. ‘Exactly. It would be purely for the cameras, of course, and more suggestion than action. It pains me to resort to such tactics, but my family’s heritage is at stake.’
I waited, imagining the disdain of Edward if he’d been listening, hoping that I was right in thinking that good-humoured Nick was the opposite of judgemental. The gardener stared for a moment and scratched his unshaven chin, which was kind of sexy and something you’d never find on Lord Clean-cut, Edward.
‘The Baron of Marwick sure is tough competition,’ said Nick. ‘He also announced his plans to win this afternoon. The Castle has been set up to host weekend medieval hen and stag nights, with banquets held in the dungeons. I bet they’ll get pretty crazy. During the week, he’ll host corporate team-building trips, incorporating archery and shooting. It all sounds…’
I sighed. ‘Awfully sexy.’ Oops – that wasn’t something Abbey would ever say.
‘Yeah, but… A Croxley mixing it up with a gardener? Someone who works on the land?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘You can’t possibly be related to Lord Edward if you’re suggesting such a thing.’
I swallowed hard. Surely I hadn’t misjudged Nick so badly…
‘You’d better show me some form of ID, Miss,’ he said, ‘before I say something to the Earl.’
LORD EDWARD’S E-DIARY
Saturday 1 st September
‘Comments’
6.15p.m. Thank you, but no, Lovehotnoble —rubber trim would probably be equally uncomfortable.
Now, duty calls – I must hurry to greet our guests. Just a quick word to say that Abigail… How long I’ve waited to see her face. I mean, erm, of course, it’s only been months since our last meeting, but nevertheless… To have her here finally… At Applebridge… It’s smashing.
Right. Anyway. Really must go. Dinner awaits.
Chapter 5
Nick and I couldn’t stop laughing. Mega phew! For one minute I really believed he’d seen through my disguise and was after a peek at my passport.
‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’ I said eventually. ‘But honestly, Nick, I perfectly understand if you think this idea…improper.’ After all, laughs aside, this was all an act to me but it was Nick’s real life – he could lose his job.
I caught sight of a designer logo on the bottom of his T-shirt and recognized his cologne as an expensive brand I’d once sniffed when out with a boyfriend. Nick struck me as a bit glam for a gardener.
‘Consider me in, Miss,’ he said.
‘You’re sure?’ I raised my eyebrows, giving him one last chance to back out. Although I could sense that, unlike Edward, a major drive in Nick’s life was fun; I reckoned we would really get along.
‘One hundred per cent!’ he said. ‘How do you suggest we get things started?’
‘Slowly.’ I backed up against the crimson-painted wall, as Nick had leant forward to keep our voices and plans ultra secret. ‘Perhaps a look here, a touch there – although, having said that, we only have two weeks.’ Footsteps sounded from the bottom of the staircase.
‘Better get things moving, then,’ whispered Nick. ‘A friend of mine knows a Z-list celebrity who trades off winding up photographers that he’s having all sorts of affairs. His specialty is this dud kiss – I can show you if you like. We’ll need to practice…’
Before I knew it, he’d placed a hand over my mouth and bowed forward to snog his knuckles. But still, it wasn’t a bad idea—from behind him it must have looked mega realistic. And Nick did smell good. It was a while since I’d been this close to a man, especially one who had no ulterior motive. With easy-going Nick, it felt kind of comfortable, until…. uh oh! I could hardly breathe now, seeing as he’d taken me by surprise and I’d had no time to fill my lungs with air.
‘Unhand her, you scoundrel!’ hissed Edward, who’d appeared
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