Dating the Duke (The Aristocrat Diaries 2)

“No problem at all. Will you change here or in Bath?”

“In Bath. No use risking creasing a dress for no reason.”

“Words to live by.” He chuckled and turned onto the road where the little ‘Arrow Woods’ sign was.

I couldn’t help but sigh happily as we crossed into the village. I knew that within minutes I would be at The Fox and Hound, my parents’ hotel, and my usual home.

I took a deep breath as we hit the village and Alex turned down the main road. Of course he knew this like the back of his hand—he’d spent so much of his childhood here and a great deal of his adulthood, too. His mum was his Uncle Henry’s sister, and she liked to return and visit often since the death of his father.

They were a close-knit family, and I hoped I’d have the same relationship with my own when the time came for me to find someone and move out and get married.

“Here we are.” Alex pulled up in front of The Fox and Hound and smiled at me. “We need to leave at five o’clock sharp, and I’ll pick you up from there, then make a pit stop at Arrowwood so Gabi can get her things, then she and Eva will drive up together.”

“I may drive with them, if you don’t mind. It’ll be nice to spend some extra time with them.”

“Of course not.” He smiled. “Then I’ll head straight to Bath and meet you there before we check in.”

“Perfect.” I grabbed my bag and looked over at him. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Have fun with them.” He reached over and squeezed my knee, sending a little shiver up my thigh. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes. Later.” I climbed out of the car and held my bag against my stomach. “Let us know when you’re planning on leaving. I’ll make sure we’re at Arrowwood to leave at the same time.”

“With Gabriella in tow? Good luck with that!”

“I heard that!”

I turned at the sound of my best friend’s voice and grinned when I saw her striding out of the hotel, beelining for the car. “Gabi!”

“Addy!” She wrapped me in the biggest hug known to man before she quickly released me and rushed to the side of the car. “You, Alexander, should watch your mouth.”

He grinned at his cousin. “When do you ever come on time?”

“Why don’t you ask Miles? He’ll confirm that I always come on time.”

I clapped my hand over my mouth.

“And that’s enough of you for this morning,” Alex said, starting the engine back up.

“Imagine how I feel. She’s so needy, even Miles is dropping her off here so she’ll leave his vegetable garden alone,” said a new voice.

I turned, and my gaze fell upon the mirror image of myself.

“Eva!” I ran up the stairs and threw myself at my twin sister.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and held me tightly. “Addy! I missed you!”

“I missed you, too,” I said, my voice growing thick.

Gabi scoffed. “Two weeks. It’s been two bloody weeks, and you’d think it’d been two years.”

“Shut up!” we shouted in unison.

Gabi laughed and leaned into the open car window, grinning at us. “What time do you want us ready to leave, cousin dearest?”

Alex stared flatly at her. “Five sharp. It’ll take us thirty to forty minutes to get to the hotel in rush hour, and then we have to get ready and get to The Coventry Manor.”

Right. The hotel Charlotte had insisted the gala be held at.

Apparently, Fredrick’s father had refused to allow their family seat near Coventry to be the host of it, so she’d picked the next best thing.

Not to be pedantic, but picking a hotel called The Coventry Manor wasn’t exactly endearing herself to the Earl of Coventry.

It wasn’t the path to the future in-laws’ hearts I’d choose, anyway.

“Don’t worry,” Eva reassured him, hanging onto my arm. “I promise we won’t be late. Ellen booked the afternoon for us in the salon, so we’ll be ready when you need us to be. Five at Arrowwood, yes?”

He sighed. “If I have to say that one more time, I might as well erect a sign in the front of the hotel.”

“That might be helpful,” she teased. “For now, off you go. We have to find Adelaide a dress that will intimidate every single unattached woman that Charlotte is determined to set you up with.”

I gripped her arm. “Wait—”

“Ta-ta, cousin!” Gabi said, skipping up the steps. She grabbed my other arm and between her and my sister, I was swept into the hotel before I could protest anything more than a minor stutter of shock.

“Let’s go,” Eva said. “We’ve already raided all the wardrobes and set out a bunch of dresses for you.”

“There’s an emerald green one that’s amazing,” Gabi continued as we went up the stairs and turned down the hall to the huge wing that made up our living quarters. “I didn’t even know it was in my wardrobe.”