Page 13 of Familiar Things New

William shook his head. “Andrew, Andrew. You really are a funny fellow.”

“Thank you,” Andrew replied, a blush coming over him. “But it’s not intentional.”

Andrew looked down at his shoes and then back up at his snifter. He swirled the remaining liquid a couple of times. William had already begun chattering on about his favorite types of alcohol, but Edwin was struggling to stay focused on his words. Instead, Edwin continued to watch Andrew fiddle with his snifter. It looked as though the man was attempting to work up the courage to finish the rest of the whiskey.

Edwin’s stomach fluttered. Something about Andrew was so incredibly endearing. It was his honesty, perhaps, in part. Rather than slowly nursing the whiskey over a long stretch of time while pretending to like it, he had simply thrown it back, suffered a coughing fit, and then proceeded to have no problem admitting the truth that he could barely tolerate the taste. Not many people could stand to be so honest, even with themselves, and especially not around someone as rich (and probably therefore a little intimidating) as William.

Lost in thought, Edwin took another sip of his whiskey. He let the liquid sit on his tongue. While Edwin was concentrating on the taste, Andrew looked over at him, and they locked eyes. Andrew’s cheeks reddened a little, just like they had in the conservatory. Edwin found himself smiling a bit as he swallowed.

And then his heart pitter-pattered.

And his stomach swooped.

And his whole body caught fire.

All in rapid succession.

Heat swirled in Edwin’s chest, and it took him a moment to realize that the sensation wasn’t caused by the burn of the whiskey.

Quickly, Edwin tore his eyes away. He couldn’t let himself start thinking about Andrew like this. For oh-so-many reasons. Reasons he need not repeat to himself now, even in the safe confines of his own head.

William nudged Edwin with his elbow.

“What are your thoughts?” he asked.

Edwin clenched his teeth. Damn. He shouldn’t have allowed himself to become caught up in Andrew’s . . . endearingness like this. Now he’d completely missed whatever William had been saying. And William was sure to tease him about it, either now or later. Or both. Probably.

Edwin opened his mouth to confess that he hadn’t been listening, but then Andrew cut in.

“As fun as it sounds to sample some rum, I think I need to be careful. Otherwise, I’m not sure how I’ll ever make it to my room at the boarding house. I might even end up falling on the stairs as it is.”

William snorted.

Smiling broadly, Andrew raised his snifter as though making a silent toast and then promptly threw back the rest of the alcohol in one swift motion. His face contorted into a sour expression as he swallowed, his eyes noticeably tearing. Afterward, he coughed again but only twice.

“Thank you for the offer, though,” he said.

William smiled warmly and nodded. “Next time, then.”

Edwin blew out a breath. Whether Andrew knew it or not, he had saved Edwin from looking like a fool. William finished the rest of his drink, and then Edwin followed suit.

“Shall we sit for a while instead?” William asked as he placed his empty glass on one of the bookshelves. “Enjoy our post-whiskey fuzziness?”

Andrew walked over to the bookcase and set his glass beside William’s.

“Yes, I think that would be wise on my part,” he said. “Before I start to really feel the effects of the whiskey. Otherwise, I might break an heirloom or something.”

Damn it all to hell, Edwin hated how refreshingly honest and completely charming that comment was. His eyes flitted over to the seating area, where there was one two-person sofa and one high-backed chair, and he started to imagine what it might be like to sit next to Andrew. He’d probably find himself lost in either the man’s handsomeness or his peculiar brand of charm—something that might happen regardless of where he sat, but would only be made worse by them being close. And then William might notice. Or, worse, Andrew would. Either or both of them would see Edwin blushing or staring or—

No. Edwin could not let that happen.

Quickly, Edwin strode over to the high-backed chair. He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he sat down. Andrew and William headed to the sofa. On the way, Andrew tripped over a rumple in the carpet and stumbled forward. And Edwin tried not to find it sweet in some nonsensical way. But oh, damn, how infuriatingly endearing it still was.

And Edwin still needed to endure an entire carriage ride home with the man.

Dear Lord.

Chapter Four