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work and nothing but bitch, bitch, bitch.
She rolled here eyes. Fine. Next time I ll be on top, and you can just lie there like third base.
Excellent. He looked her over. You ready? he asked, one hand on the doorknob.
She nodded. Oh but wait, she said, putting her hand on his elbow. When he turned back, she pointed
to the light overhead. Turn the light out first, she whispered, so it doesn t spill out into the hall. When
he looked at her oddly, she said, What? I don t want everyone knowing what we were doing in here!
And you think turning out the light is going to make a difference? At least if the light was on, we could
pretend we were looking for something. If the light s off, it s going to be pretty obvious we were in here
fucking our brains out.
You think?
I don t really care! He threw up his hands, exasperated. But the longer we wait, the greater the
chance of someone in the hall hearing us and finding us out.
Okay, okay, let s just go. She swiped her hands through her hair. How do I look?
He looked her up and down. Like you ve been rolling around on the floor, fucking my brains out.
She threw him a look. Just open the door.
He grinned and did, reaching up to turn the light out as the door swung open. He glanced up and down
the hall quickly. All clear, he said, and grasping her hand, pulled her out of the closet with him.
They walked down the hall, turned the corner and nearly bumped into the couple coming the other way.
Oh! Excuse me! A rather matronly looking woman adjusted her hat. I m afraid I didn t quite see
where I was going.
Jack smiled his most charming smile and bowed slightly. Not at all, madam. The fault was completely
mine.
Well. The woman tittered, patting her breastbone and fluttering her lashes. Do you work here, young
man? We re trying to find the main hall. Our wedding planner is meeting us there.
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The main hall is just round the way, Jack said, gesturing back the way they d come. He looked from
the woman to the very bored-looking man with her. Are you getting married then? Congratulations.
The woman laughed again and Rowan rolled her eyes at Jack s back. Oh heavens no, young man.
Edgar and I will have been married for thirty-seven years this December. She waved a hand at Edgar,
who forced a sickly smile and looked as though he could use a stiff drink. No, the woman continued,
it s our daughter who s getting married. To an earl, you know. She leaned in conspiratorially. We
didn t think she d make such a good match she had acne as teenager, you know it only fully cleared
up just this year.
Is that right? Jack asked, poking Rowan hard in the ribs when she choked on a laugh.
The woman frowned. Are you all right, child?
I m fine. Rowan cleared her throat. Just have a little tickle in my throat.
Well, these castles can be sodrafty , the woman said. She frowned as she got a good look at Rowan s
disheveled appearance. You may be getting a cold, dear.
Edgar sighed and looked at his watch. Eloise, we re going to be late. I want to get this over
with England s playing Spain this afternoon on the telly.
Hush, Edgar. Can t you see this poor darling isn t well? She turned back to Rowan. You re awfully
flushed, dear. She looked at the top of Rowan s head. And whatever has happened to your hair?
Rowan put up a hand to smooth it down. Ah& she looked to Jack for help and he winked.
Traitorous son of a bitch , she thought, and worked up a smile for Eloise. I lost an earring, she
improvised. In the main hall. I crawled under a settee to look for it, and well& she gestured to her hair.
Oh dear. Eloise frowned, staring at Rowan s ear lobes, bare ofjewelry . Did you lose them both?
Yes! Yes I did. Rowan sighed. It s awful, they were myfavorite pair.
Yes dear, that s horrible, Eloise murmured her sympathy. But your hair is so dusty& is that a
cobweb?
Edgar, who was losing patience fast and obviously didn t want to miss the football match on the telly
later, grabbed his wife by the elbow and began towing her away. Eloise, we re going to be late.
But Edgar, her hair! Eloise protested, looking back over her shoulder as she found herself dragged
down the hall. All that dust, just from looking for a pair of lost earrings! If that s the way they clean
house around here, I don t know if I want to have Portia s wedding here&
Her voice faded away as they turned the corner. Jack and Rowan looked at each other and grinned.
Lost an earring? he asked.
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