Page 18 of Courting Catherine
Lilah merely shrugged. “I don’t have any deep, moral problem with that. The house was built by crazy old Fergus to entertain platoons of guests, with all kinds of people racing around to serve meals and tidy linens. It seems to me that a hotel just about suits its original purpose.” She gave a long sigh at C.C.’s expression. “You know I love the place as much as you do.”
“I know.”
What Lilah didn’t add was that it would break her heart to have to sell it but that she was prepared to do what was best for the family.
“We’ll give the gorgeous Mr. St. James a couple more days, then have a family meeting.” She offered C.C. a bolstering smile. “The four of us together can’t go wrong.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Honey, I’m always right—that’s my little cross to bear.” She took a swig of the sugar-laden soft drink. “Now, why don’t you tell me what kept you up all night?”
“I just did.”
“No.” Head cocked, she waved her fork at C.C. “Don’t forget Lilah knows all and sees all—and what she doesn’t she finds out. So spill it.”
“Aunt Coco made me take him out in the garden.”
“Yeah.” Lilah grinned. “She’s a wily old devil. I figured she was plotting some romance. Moonlight, flowers, the distant lap of water on rocks. Did it work?”
“We had a fight.”
Lilah nodded, giving a go-ahead signal with her hand as she sipped. “That’s a good start. About the house?”
“That...” C.C. began to pluck dried leaves from a withered philodendron. “And things.”
“Like?”
“Names of mistresses,” C.C. muttered. “Prominent Boston families. His shoes.”
“An eclectic argument. My favorite kind. And then?”
C.C. jammed her hands into her pockets. “He kissed me.”
“Ah, the plot thickens.” She had Coco’s love of gossip and, leaning forward, cradled her chin on her hands. “So, how was it? He’s got a terrific mouth—I noticed it right off.”
“So kiss him yourself.”
After thinking it over a moment, Lilah shook her head—not without some regret. “Nope, terrific mouth or not, he’s not my type. Anyway, you’ve already locked lips with him, so tell me. Was he good?”
“Yeah,” C.C. said grudgingly. “I guess you could say that.”
“Like on a scale of one to ten?”
The chuckle escaped before C.C. realized she was laughing. “I wasn’t exactly thinking about a rating system at the time.”
“Better and better.” Lilah licked her fork clean. “So, he kissed you and it was pretty good. Then what?”
Humor vanished as C.C. blew out a long breath. “He apologized.”
Lilah stared, then slowly, deliberately set down her fork. “He what?”
“Apologized—very properly for his inexcusable behavior, and promised it wouldn’t happen again. The jerk.” C.C. crumbled the dead leaves in her hand. “What kind of a man thinks a woman wants an apology after she’s been kissed boneless?”
Lilah only shook her head. “Well, the way I see it, there are three choices. Heisa jerk, he’s been trained to be overly polite, or he was incapable of thinking rationally.”
“I vote for jerk.”
“Hmm. I’m going to have to think about this.” She drummed her cerise-tipped fingers on the table. “Maybe I should do his chart.”
