“I’m kind of tired after Doreen’s inauguration yesterday.”
“And the big news she and Alonzo shared with us this afternoon.”
Darius found a smile. “Yes.”
Doreen and Alonzo had glowed. He couldn’t be happier for them. Alonzo had privately thanked him for his advice. If only Darius could get his own love life in order.
“You’re also drinking my tea.” She nodded toward his half-empty cup.
“You offered it to me.”
“Since when do you drink Earl Grey?”
“I thought it tasted funny.” Darius frowned at the beverage.
Ms. Helen snorted. “It tastes the way it always does. You’re the one acting funny. Have you and Peyton argued?”
“What makes you think that?”
“The fact that the two of you stayed on different ends of the room during Doreen’s inaugural ball.” Ms. Helen’s tone was dry.
Well, dammit, had he become his parents? He didn’t want to air his private life in public, even in subtle ways like avoiding each other.
“We’ve broken up.” His fist clenched around the teacup.
Ms. Helen’s eyes widened in dismay. “Why?”
“She has a fiancé.”
“No, she doesn’t. I asked her about that right after she moved to town.”
Darius gave a wry smile. “She doesn’t have one now, but she was with him until Thanksgiving. I’ve met him.”
“He’s in Trinity Falls?”
“He was almost a week ago, on December twenty-seventh. He flew in from New York to convince her to go back with him.”
“Since she was at Doreen’s ball yesterday, I take it the reconciliation wasn’t successful.” Ms. Helen seemed confused. “So if they’re not together anymore, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is she lied to me. She never mentioned she’d been engaged.”
“Maybe she didn’t think it was important.”
Darius stared, wide-eyed, at his lifelong friend. “How could the fact that she’d agreed to spend the rest of her life with someone not be important?”
“She must have been intending to break their engagement for a while,” Ms. Helen said pensively.
“Then why hadn’t she ended it before she left New York?”
Ms. Helen shrugged. “That’s something you
’ll have to ask Peyton.”
Darius nudged aside his half-empty cup of tea. “And why didn’t she tell me her parents were wealthy?”
“Why would that make a difference to you?”
Darius gave Ms. Helen a dry look. “Her ex-fiancé works for her father’s financial investment company. I somehow don’t think her parents would be thrilled for her to marry a small-town newspaper reporter.”