“Perfect. That’s for the Worcesters and the Angleseys.”
“Are they family?”
Henry nodded. “But I forget how they’re related.”
“The Dowager Duchess of Worcester is The Duke of Bath’s sister,” Hugo said from behind us, making us both turn around. “Which makes Lady Gabriella and The Duke of Worcester cousins. Additionally, Lady Gabriella and The Duchess of Worcester, Adelaide, are best friends, and The Countess of Anglesey is Evangeline, Adelaide’s twin sister. Also note that there’s a question mark on The Countess’s attendance as she gave birth last month.”
I looked at Henry then back at Hugo. “How in the hell do you remember all that?”
“Because my mother likes to remind me that I’m heir to an ancient dukedom and if I forget all these things, I’m not too big to be taken across her knee.” His lips twitched to one side. “And forgive me for saying so, but at thirty years old, I have no desire to be spanked by my mother.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN – SOPHIE
Munchkin, My Arse
It was very hard to argue with that particular point of view.
Not that either of us tried—but Henry did have a rather dour look on his face as Hugo approached us.
“Haven’t you gotten started yet?”
“This is your job,” Henry said blithely.
“So was helping Jonathan’s sheep give birth safely,” Hugo shot back. “Which is part of my actual job.”
“Well, since you’re here now, I’ll leave you to it. If you can be trusted not to harass Sophie again.”
I pressed my lips together. Wow. There was some sibling rivalry here.
“I managed it just fine for a couple of hours yesterday, thank you,” Hugo replied. “But don’t feel as though you need to leave.”
“I think it’s for the best.” Henry glanced at me. “I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks for offering to help.” I smiled at him.
He softened. “Anytime.”
I watched him as he left then turned to Hugo. “You don’t get along, do you?”
He snorted and sat down. “Sometimes. He’s only ten months younger than me, so there are some underlying issues about inheriting all this.” He waved his hand around in a vague gesture. “We’re close, but we bicker.”
“No kidding,” I muttered. I didn’t really have any desire to get into their family dynamics any more than I already had. “Did the lambs make it?”
A smile broke out across his face, and it was the realest, most genuine smile I’d seen him give yet. There was a boyish charm to the glint in his eye, and I had to fight my own smile as something in my stomach fluttered.
Wow.
Danger, danger.
“They did,” he said happily. “Thankfully. I only went to help because she’d been labouring a while, but after I got the first one unstuck, the second one practically fell out. She was cleaning them both when I left, so it looks good for her accepting them.” He sat down opposite me. “Don’t worry. I showered before I left the farm.”
“Well, I did assume so. Unless you usually help sheep give birth in a white t-shirt?”
His boyish grin turned into his usual adult, asshole smirk. “Not my usual uniform, no. Have you made any progress at all here?”
I shook my head. “I arrived a few minutes before you did.”
“Great. Here I was hoping to have a nice, relaxing day.”