Page 78 of Charming Artemis

That brought Artemis’s gaze to him. She didn’t look unhappy, but she did look tired.

“You hadn’t come up,” he said to her. “I only wanted to make certain you hadn’t dozed off in a chair or been upset by something.”

She smiled softly. “You were worried about me?”

He sat beside her and assumed a jesting tone. “More worried that you would wake me when you eventually wandered in, and then I would be unbearably sleepy tomorrow.”

“I suspect I will be precisely that,” Artemis said. “But it will be well worth it to have had time to talk with Linus. I’ve not seen him since we were all in Bath last year.”

Her brother seemed pleased to hear her speak highly of his company.

Charlie settled more comfortably on the sofa. “How have you been?” he asked Linus. Linus had been something of a brother to him at a time when he’d needed one.

Linus looked to his sister. “Would you like to tell him, or shall I?”

“Ooh.” Artemis shifted onto her knees on the sofa beside Charlie and turned to face him. “You will never guess.”

“He’s brought you bread pudding?”

She grinned. Heavens, she was beautiful when she smiled that broadly and sincerely.

Linus laughed. “Didn’t take long for that partiality to become known, did it?”

“Not bread pudding.” Artemis hadn’t looked away from Charlie.

“Peppermint candies?”

She shook her head, bouncing a little in place.

“I am discovering you enjoy guessing games.”

Artemis dropped back against the sofa, as dramatic as ever but in a way that felt sincere. “I adore guessing games.”

He tucked that tidbit away for future reference. “Has your brother brought you a new book of fashion plates?” he continued his hypothesizing.

Artemis looked to Linus. “Have you?”

“I have not.”

She pouted, pulling a silent but shoulder-shaking laugh from her brother.

“I do not know how you endure her theatrics, Charlie.” There was no malice in the comment.

“Easily enough. I simply begin drawling about mathematics, and boredom soon renders her unconscious.”

She took his hand and squeezed it. “You still haven’t guessed what Linus is allowing me to tell you.”

Charlie adjusted his hand enough to intertwine their fingers and set his gaze on her once more. “I think you had best tell me; I have exhausted my guesses.”

“Linus and Arabella are going to be parents.” Her shoulders rose with an excited breath. “Is that not wonderful news?”

He looked over. “Congratulations, Linus.”

“Thank you. We’re pleased.”

“And you do mean to allow the little one’s aunt and uncle to shamelessly spoil him or her, I hope. We are quite good at it, you know.”

Artemis leaned her head against Charlie’s arm. “We are, in fact.”

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