Page 81 of A Touch of Charm
But now Thea burst into laughter. There was no chance Andre knew what Mary had said. They weren’t words!
“She made up those words.” Thea shook in mirth when Andre gave her a surprised you-can’t-be-serious look. Then he laughed, too.
“Would you care to translate the language… ahem, what is it called?”
“Quinovinum.” Mary emulated Thea’s best governess tone.
“Quinovinum.” Andre nodded with an air of grave understanding. “And if you translate what you said to English, it means…?”
“Whatever would make you happy to hear.” Mary nodded and gave a tight-lipped smile.
“Which is what?” Andre pressed on.
Thea pressed her hand over her mouth, seemingly trying not to laugh.
Then Mary drove her hands over her face to wipe the frustration away. “You truly don’t know?”
Andre and Thea both shook their heads.
“But it’s the same thing for both of you! If you sayPrumblim, you’ll both finally be happy!” She threw her hand into the air. “Just say it!”
“Say what?” Thea asked.
“I love you!” Mary groaned, pivoted, and walked away. “Prumblim. Prumblim. Prumblim. Is it so hard to say love?” And with this word, she’d left through the door.
Finally, alone again.
And that was a word, indeed.
He knew he hadn’t blinked in a while but was frozen. Andre felt his pulse in his knees, but he couldn’t locate his legs or feet.
Prumblim.
Love.
Saying it to one another.
He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry.
Thea stood only a foot away, blushing like… like… Andre cocked his head.
Like it was true.
“Prumblim?” Andre asked with a half-smile that seemed to return when Thea inhaled and held his gaze.
“She just invented a language that would make people happy.”
“It’s a brilliant idea.” Andre shifted but didn’t close the distance to Thea. “She’s right.Prumblim. Especially when the person they love the most shares it with them.”
His heart thrummed so violently now that he could feel it shaking his ribcage. It was nonsense; the heart didn’t move from its titled spot over the diaphragm, but it made all the sense in the world for him to feel as he did.
“Prumblim,” Thea nodded. “Rasinu kalatin plomp.”
“What?” Andre reached for Thea and lifted her chin with his thumb. She smirked, making his heart nearly burst out of his ribcage.
And when she blinked at him, her dark eyes saw straight into his soul. He tucked a few shimmering strands of her blonde curls behind her ear as if he had to bring order to the disarray her golden locks had brought into his life.
But the only way things would be in order was if he kissed her.
