Page 25 of The Good Duke
Seph? As in… “Seph Forsyth?”
She brought her palms together in a quick, happy clap. “Youdoremember me!”
She’d been his only friend.Of coursehe remembered her.
He also recalled that telling little cheerful clap she’d done with her hands whenever she’d been jubilant or joyful.
Yes, even with all the very many years between them and their fathers’ falling out, thoughts of her still, on occasion, slipped in. He’d been all-too-content burying away thoughts of that time in his life because, aside from the time spent alone with her, his existence growing up and then living amongst thetonhad been a living hell.
“What are youdoinghere?”
“Working,” she said automatically. “Or trying to,” she added under her breath.
What in hell? She was a maid? And worse…
“Inmyhousehold?” Simon blanched. There was something so very wrong about employing one’s former best friend.
“In London,” she rushed to explain. “I’m only…visitingyou,” she clarified.
This was some wild joke after all. Nothing else accounted for it.
“Is that what this is? A visit?” He managed to keep his features even. “And here I thought parlors and drawing rooms were the best places to conduct a visit, and during the morning hours.”
“Yes, well, in fairness, I didn’t expect you’d be here,” she said as casually as if they conversed in one of those rooms in question.
Simon stared incredulously at her. “Let me get this right: you came to visit me at my London residence, but you did notexpectI’d be here?”
She nodded. “That’s correct.” Persephone paused. “Or mostly. I didn’t come to visit you.”
“Ah,” he said, inclining his head. “That makes perfect sense.”
She brightened. “Does it?”
“No!” he exclaimed, chasing away her smile.
“I came to visit your townhouse.”
“While I was not in it.”
His wasn’t a question. She nodded anyway.
“But upon discovering youinresidence, that visit now extends to include you.”
“How very fortunate for me,” he said dryly.
Persephone beamed once more. “Indeed.”
She was as rubbish at identifying sarcasm as she’d always been. In fairness, he’d never been flippant with her. The other lads who’d been merciless bullies to him, however, had been just as caustic to her. The reminder of those malicious curs and how miserable they’d been to him and her kept Simon from clarifying.
Simon swiped a palm over his face.
Not so very many years ago, horror would have had him stammering and sending her from his room until he was decent.
He lowered his arm and let his hand fall into the water. “Let’s try again.Whyare you here?”
She opened her mouth, but he interrupted her, clarifying. “Now and not some other time before?”
Persephone nodded. “That is a verygoodquestion.”
