Page 71 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
Mum shook her head. “It’s been some years since his grandfather passed away, but as I can recall, it’s been around two for his grandmother. Although the poor thing had dementia for the last decade of her life.”
“So, the veil is owned by Steve now?”
“Yes. If you or Sylvie were to mention it, I’d think it’s certainly on the table,” she continued, finally looking up at me. “Actually, between you and me, I think Cassandra was slightly upset that she wasn’t able to offer the veil, but we didn’t discuss it much after that.”
I nodded slowly, dropping my gaze to the paper. “Do you think she’d let her wear it now?”
“I don’t see why not. At the very least, it can’t hurt to ask. Cassandra loves Hazel, after all.”
“You’re right.” I picked up my phone. “Do you mind if I tell Sylvie everything you just said?”
Mum’s lips slipped upwards into a tiny smile. “Of course not, dear. You tell her. I don’t mind atall.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – SYLVIE
THOMAS: I just spoke to my mum, and I think I’ve figured out your veil issue.
I frowned at my phone.
What on Earth could his mum have said that would fix my problem right now? I’d woken up at four-thirty regretting all my life choices and gotten immediately to work searching the web for a veil that might vaguely resemble Hazel’s original one, but had I gotten lucky?
Had I fuck.
Needless to say, I was desperate, and that was exactly why I was responding to the man I’d accidentally kissed last night when I’d sworn blind to myself that I was never speaking to him again.
Ever.
Ever.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, though, and this most certainly qualified as desperate times.
I hit the reply box.
ME: I don’t see how that’s possible, but I’m open to anything at this point.
And I really was.
I was running on empty. I was utterly exhausted from a shoddy sleep and my brain waking me up before even the birds were awake, and I was emotionally spent over the whole wedding situation.
Of course, I felt a little better after eating at least half my weight in crumpets since six a.m.
All right. I’d eaten my entire weight in crumpets. There was nothing like hot, melty-buttery crumpets in the morning, and I wasn’t going to apologise for eating them all.
I’d have to replace them, or Gramps would throw me out, but I wouldn’t apologise. Not right now, anyway.
I was also lamenting the fact that I’d accidentally kissed Thomas last night. I’d swear that I only got any sleep at all last night because of the wine I’d had, but I’d even dreamt about kissing the sorry bastard, so the sleep I had gotten hadn’t been all that good.
Now he was texting me.
Right when I was ready to take a nap.
Ugh.
THOMAS: Mum said Julian’s family has a veil.
I blinked at the screen.
ME: Like a wedding veil? Or a veil to the underworld where Hades is king?
