Page 16 of Love Affair in London (Once Again #12)

M onday morning, they met downstairs at the breakfast buffet included with their rooms. Since the day promised to be pleasant, she’d worn a sundress and a cardigan, which she could remove when the day warmed up.

Jared offered his arm as the hostess led them into the dining room. “I hope you slept well,” he said.

Piper snorted a laugh. “I’ve been up since three,” she admitted with a rueful smile. “I thought sleeping on the plane would eliminate jet lag, but I was wrong.”

The hostess seated them at a table for two, and Piper glanced around, surprised at how busy it was. Tourists and business travelers alike filled the dining room. If the number of people was a sign, it was a good thing she’d planned to get to the Tower of London as soon as it opened.

“And you?” she asked, tilting her head as Jared unfolded his napkin.

“It took me a long time to fall asleep.” The glint in his eye—as if he’d stayed awake thinking of her—sent a delicious shiver through her. “But once I did, I slept until about five thirty. Not too bad.” He stood and flourished a hand. “Shall we?”

Piper followed him to the buffet. “Luckily, I fell asleep almost right away.” After indulging in some private fantasies starring Jared Hart. Storytelling always helped her drift off, and he’d played the leading man. “I just couldn’t sleep all the way through.”

The buffet offered a full English breakfast: sausages, bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, and even baked beans. With no fried bread available, she settled for toast—cold in the British way, though she could have warmed it in the self-service toaster.

Back at their table, Jared raised a brow at her plate. “Baked beans for breakfast? That’s... interesting.”

Piper spread butter on her toast. “The friend I mentioned, Hazel, said the British put everything on toast—beans, sardines, eggs. The only thing she couldn’t abide was peanut butter.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing.” Jared sipped his black coffee.

She topped her toast with a fried egg, letting the yolk spill across the bread. “Thanks for being willing to start early. I read it’s best to get to the Tower right when it opens.” Before the crowds swelled later in the day.

“Happy to oblige.” He took a bite of sausage and potatoes. “Getting up at five thirty feels like I’ve been awake for hours.”

Conversation gave way to a companionable quiet as they ate, with only the occasional clink of cutlery. Piper added some mushrooms and a fried tomato to her toast, marveling at the heartiness of the meal.

Eventually, Jared asked, “What else is on your sightseeing list?”

Piper ticked off her itinerary. “Let’s see.

.. Hampton Court, Kew Gardens, Greenwich, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, which is the church where King Charles was crowned.

Piccadilly Circus, Fortnum & Mason, and, of course, afternoon tea at some point.

” She leaned in conspiratorially. “I read that the Sky Garden is better than the London Eye—and it’s free.

They’ve even got a bar and a restaurant up there.

I absolutely have to go. And it’s close by. ”

“You’re not wasting a minute, are you?” Jared said, amused.

She shrugged with a playful smile. “I’ve only got a week.” Sunday to Monday. Which gave her seven full days.

They discussed other potential sights, and Jared suggested the British Museum. “They have the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon. And mummies. Who doesn’t love mummies?”

Piper slapped her hand to her chest in mock excitement. “Mummies are my favorite! Definitely adding that to the list.”

After they’d finished their breakfast and coffee, Piper picked up her bag with all the essentials for a day of sightseeing—suntan lotion, water, a hat, and so on—and they set off for the Tower.

Since she’d already purchased the tickets, they entered through the middle drawbridge.

The line moved swiftly, and soon Piper and Jared stepped through the gates onto a wide expanse of green.

The ancient stone walls loomed around them, exuding a sense of power and history.

Piper’s steps slowed as she gazed across the manicured lawn at the White Tower, which housed the Royal Armouries and St. John’s Chapel.

“I think this is Tower Green.” She added softly, “Where Anne Boleyn was executed.”

Jared slipped his hands into his pockets, surveying the area. “I think Tower Green is over there.” He jutted his chin at another lawn on the other side of the walkway. “Good old Henry certainly had a penchant for... severing ties . ”

Piper gave him a wry smile. “Actually, after he divorced Queen Catherine, he executed only two of his wives. Jane Seymour died in childbirth, and he had his marriage to Anne of Cleves annulled. Katherine Parr, his last wife, outlived him.”

Jared raised a brow. “You know your Tudor history.”

“I find it fascinating.” She turned to him, her enthusiasm growing. “Let’s start with the Crown Jewels before the crowd thickens. Everyone always makes a beeline for them.”

He gestured for her to lead the way. “I’m all for seeing some bling.”

The Jewel House didn’t disappoint, though there was a line that took ten minutes to get through.

Piper’s breath hitched as they entered the hushed, dimly lit space where glittering displays held the treasures of kings and queens.

Each piece seemed more ornate than the last—brooches dripping with diamonds, heavy scepters inlaid with rubies, and crowns that glimmered with an almost otherworldly light.

Piper stopped in front of a display, her gaze fixed on King Charles’s coronation crown.

“It’s incredible,” she murmured, awe in her voice.

Twenty-two-carat gold, with sapphires, rubies, amethysts, and more, the crown shone like the sun.

“It weighs almost five pounds. Can you imagine carrying that around on your head?”

“Even worse, what if it fell off during the ceremony?”

Piper tsked at Jared. “Don’t even think it.”

The jewels went on, the Imperial State Crown worn for the opening of Parliament, with more sapphires, a large ruby, and a massive diamond. “At least this one is only two pounds.”

“Imagine the heist movie they could make about this place,” Jared mused.

Piper laughed. “Jason Statham could play the lead.”

“Obviously,” Jared agreed, grinning.

She clutched her chest dramatically. “Be still my heart. I love him in everything—even Crank. ”

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Never seen it.”

Her gasp turned a few heads. “Oh my God. It’s pure adrenaline—he’s injected with a drug that’s going to kill him unless he keeps his heart rate up. It’s insane.”

“Sounds like that old movie DOA ,” Jared said.

Piper considered it. “I guess it is, but with way more chaos. And Jason Statham.” She faked a swoon.

They lingered over the dazzling exhibits, especially the Coronation Regalia, including the crowns, the scepters, and the orb, until Piper felt almost overwhelmed by the brilliance of all the jewels. “My eyes are going buggy,” she declared as they finally stepped outside.

The fresh air was a relief after the intensity of the displays.

Then they explored the medieval chambers of the Bloody Tower.

Piper ran her fingers lightly over the stone walls, imagining the countless stories they held.

As they toured Sir Walter Raleigh’s quarters and the rooms where the two young princes were supposedly kept before their disappearance in 1483, Piper’s shiver returned.

“I wonder if Richard the Third really killed those two little boys who were next in line for the throne,” she pondered.

“If I had to bet,” Jared said, “I’d say he did.”

“I saw a PBS special about the discovery of skeletons in the sixteen hundreds beneath some stairs in the Tower that might have been the two boys,” Piper said. “Fascinating stuff.”

After skipping the torture exhibition—Piper insisted she’d had her fill of grim history for one day—they made their way through the Royal Mint exhibit and eventually back out onto the green.

The crowds had thickened considerably. Jared took her hand without hesitation. “Hold on to me. I might lose you in this mob.”

Piper enjoyed the touch, his hand warm, his grip reassuring. She glanced up at him and smiled, the noise and chaos of the crowd fading into the background.

“Do you want to walk the moat gardens?” he asked.

“That sounds lovely.”

The air seemed sweeter in the gardens, and the flowers added bursts of color to the scene. They sat on a bench, surrounded by greenery, letting the calm wash over them.

After luxurious minutes of peace away from the crowds, Jared turned to her. “Are you hungry yet?”

“Are you kidding?” She made a face at him. “I’m good for at least another three hours. That breakfast was intense.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. How about coffee? There’s that Costa Coffee right by the hotel.”

“Very convenient,” Piper said with an inner smile. She wasn’t ready for the day with Jared to end.

After a brisk walk, they entered the Costa coffeehouse near Tower Bridge.

“What would you like?” she asked.

Jared pulled out his wallet. “This one’s on me.”

“Oh no.” She wagged her finger at him. “You don’t pay for a thing. Not while I’m around.”

He stood his ground. “You can’t keep paying for everything.”

“I didn’t pay for breakfast.”

Shaking his head, he laughed. “Neither did I. It was included with the room.” When he opened his mouth to protest again, she put a finger to his lips.

A jolt of electricity shot through her body. His lips were warm, and the touch felt almost like a caress. It wasn’t something strangers did—and that’s what they were, more or less. His eyes darkened slightly, and she wondered if he’d felt the same jolt.

The moment lasted perhaps five seconds—which felt like a long time—before the flush of embarrassment crept into her cheeks. There was bold, and then there was foolhardy.

But they ordered, and Jared let her pay.