Page 12 of Tears of Gold

“Nice. Since when?”

His lips quirk a little. “Since, I don’t know. Since hell was created.”

I snort and squeeze his hand which still rests on the gear stick. “Excellent. I should fit into hell just perfectly.”

Eli’s own gaze settles on the imposing building. There is literally nothing discreet about it; it shines and glistens, exuding exclusivity and wealth. “Peter loved it. Being an investment banker, he thought he was the dog's bollocks entertaining clients in there…” he trails off and I squeeze his hand again.

“You okay?"

He clears his throat. “Yeah.” His nod is slow. “I keep forgetting he’s gone. Speaking about him in the past tense just feels all…”

“Odd?” I suggest when he runs out of words again.

Eli nods his head slowly. “Going in there and knowing we are invading his privacy seems wrong.”

“But leaving it your wicked grandmother or mother would be worse. At least this way we might be able to give Peter a decent goodbye.”

When he meets my gaze, I want to take away all the pain. I’d absorb it into myself if I could. I’d take it all. “You're right.” His voice is gruff, gravelly, and it makes my stomach tighten.

“So how does this work? This place. It’s not a home we have to buy, or have a mortgage on?”

His lips quirk. “Faith, we won’t ever have a mortgage. You get that, yes?”

My eyes roll back in my head. “Okay, Lord of the Manor. Some of us grew up in the real world.”

“Faith.” He leans closer, brushing his lips against mine, so gently I catch my breath as a fire lights and flames in my insides. “It’s got nothing to do with the Faircloughs. I do well, even without the Fairclough name. I’ve made good investments.”

“Well, aren’t you Mr Grown-Up.”

He grins. “Come on. Let's see how incredibly ostentatious my brother really was.”

We are walking up the stairs when the door opens and a woman in a twin-set with pearls opens the door and nods to Elijah. “Not quite what I was expecting as a live-in lover.” I whisper under my breath. His lips flicker a smile, but he has his lawyer/Fairclough face on, and I know my Eli has slipped away again.

“Miss Beesley.” He reaches a hand out for her. She looks strict, like a school headmistress who’s sucked on too many lemons.

“Elijah. I’m sorry to meet you again under these circumstances.” She talks like the queen. Her gaze falls on me and Eli clears his throat.

“Miss Beesley, I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé, Faith Hitchin.” I offer my hand, but she can’t take her eyes off my ink and my greeting is extended for an awkward moment too long. Great start.

Eli turns to me, his face formal, but under the regimented professional facade I can spot laughter in the depths of his eyes. “Faith, Miss Beesley is the housekeeper at Thirty-Six Chesham.”

“Thirty-Six Chesham?” I ask.

“Yes, my dear.” It’s Miss Beesley that answers, cutting Elijah off. “Thirty-Six Chesham is one of the most sought after addresses in London. For two hundred years it’s been the epitome of society and standing.”

I just about manage to hold in my groan. “Great, I shall drop off my calling card and pop around on Thursday for cribbage,” I mutter under my breath, and Eli snorts none too politely for society.

“Calling card?” He lifts an eyebrow, oblivious to the member of staff stood right next to him with a face carved from crumbled rock.

“Hey, I’ve read Austen.” I raise my own eyebrow. “And Bronte, all the classics.”

His smile widens. “Favourite?”

I grin back. “You’ll have to guess.”

Miss Beesley clears her throat. “I assume you are here to inspect your new home, Mr Fairclough?”

“No.” Eli’s voice snaps, all warmth evaporating. “I’m here to see my brother's belongings. I assume they haven’t been touched?”