Christmas at the Castle by Marion Lennox

Author:Marion Lennox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE HOTEL WAS over-the-top, breathtakingly gorgeous. Holly sat in the front of Angus’s car and stared in awe.

‘I’ve heard of this place,’ she breathed. ‘I never dreamed...’

‘It’s as excellent as its name suggests,’ Angus said. ‘I stay here every time I come to London.’

‘Of course you do,’ Holly said and then looked doubtfully down at the dog. ‘Will they let Scruffy in?’

‘Stanley organised it,’ he said. ‘There won’t be a problem.’

There wasn’t a problem. Or not much of a problem.

‘We’ve put you in the top floor suite,’ the manager told them; he seemed to have sidled from nowhere at their approach to the reception desk, smoothly replacing the girl on duty. ‘It has access to our rooftop garden for the wee dog.’ He glanced at the wee dog and his face stilled—clearly there were wee dogs and wee dogs and this one didn’t quite fit his idea of the sort that would fit this establishment.

‘Excellent,’ Angus said. ‘Two bedrooms?’

‘One.’ The manager frowned. ‘Your man did say accommodation for you and your...partner.’ He glanced down at Holly’s finger and his face froze still more.

‘But His Lordship doesn’t like sharing with my dog,’ Holly said. ‘He...he snores. And he smells. He can’t help it, but there it is.’

The man gazed at Angus and his expression took a slight turn towards sympathy. It was clear he was wondering how His Lordship had become lumbered with such a crazy duo as Holly and Scruffy. And then he turned apologetic, truly regretful at having to lumber him still more.

‘I am sorry, sir,’ he said. ‘But we don’t have room to manoeuvre. Being the last shopping week before Christmas we’re fully booked. You have a one-bedroom suite on the top floor. There is a settee. If you like, we can make the settee up into a bed, but...’

‘Yes, please,’ Holly said and then at the man’s look, she tilted her chin. ‘I’m an old-fashioned bride,’ she said.

‘As you wish,’ the man said. ‘We’ll make it up for you, My Lord.’

My Lord. Angus had used this hotel before, but only as Angus Stuart. Stanley had used his title, then. Angus felt his mouth tighten. He’d given orders: make the booking, a suite with two bedrooms, dog-friendly and don’t use my title.

Stanley did what he wanted. Stanley had been doing what he wanted for years, he thought. This room was probably his payback for the blast he’d given him for the dog. Still, he was stuck with the man until the castle sold. He was stuck with his dishonesty and his prejudices and his innate dislike of Holly.

But not here he wasn’t. Here he had a one-bedroom suite with the woman who was wearing his engagement ring, albeit a very odd engagement ring.

Holly. She looked wonderful. She was wonderful. She was a colourful, warm, vibrant woman who’d just charmed his siblings and his suspicious stepmother.

She was also instinctively retreating.

‘Don’t even think it,’ she muttered as they headed for the lifts.

‘What?’ He tried to sound innocent but he knew he’d failed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.