Page 74 of Lumi

“Yes. It’s after midnight. What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to ye. Ishehere?”

Lumi tugged the long-sleeved jumper down, but it did nothing to cover her glorious smooth legs. “Who, Spencer?”

“Aye, the duke. Is he here?”

“No. He left for England a few hours ago. He has to get up early for the hunt tomorrow. Remember, he told us about that at dinner? They ride out at seven.”

I was careful to pronounce my words without a slur but failed. “May I come in for a minute?”

Lumi hesitated, but then she opened her door.

I closed the entrance door and followed her into her small kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

“You want some?”

“No, I’m good.”

I leaned against the doorframe and admired her gorgeous legs from behind. Lumi had been pretty at seventeen, but with every year, she’d grown more elegant and beautiful, and now at twenty-three, she was an alluring vision of female divinity.

“What’s the deal with the duke?”

She glanced over her shoulder before opening the fridge to put the orange juice back in.

“Wait a minute.” I took two steps and reached my hand in to turn a glass of jam.

“Pst.” Lumi shook her head and closed the fridge.

“I bet ye’ll turn it back before ye go to bed.” I snickered. “Ye keep yer fridge like ye expect a sergeant to come by any second to do an inspection.”

“It’s easier if all the labels face outward. Nothing wrong with that.”

“So, ye didn’t answer my question. What’s with the duke?”

“What do you mean? He’s my boyfriend, but he’s not a duke.”

“Are ye going to marry him? I heard him talk about his parents’ estate back in Yorkshire, Norfolk, or wherever. Is that what’s so appealin’ to ye? His title and land?”

Lumi arched an eyebrow at me. “No.”

“I’ve never seen him make ye laugh. Not once. Why are ye with him?” Even as I said it, I could hear the thick jealousy in my voice.

Picking up her glass, Lumi pushed past me into the living room, where she took a seat on the armrest of her couch. “Where is this coming from? I’ve been with Spencer for eight months. Why do you suddenly have a problem with him now?”

“Because he’s going to take ye away from us. River told me he’s an English lord or some shite.”

“I don’t see why you would hold his heritage against him. River’s boyfriend comes from an old aristocratic family too. I haven’t heard you criticize him.”

“That’s because River only just turned eighteen. It won’t last between them. Nigel is too much of a wimp for her. She just doesn’t know it yet.” I raised my index finger and waved it at Lumi. “I don’t have a problem with Spencer being a lord or whatever. My problem is that he wants ye to move to England with him.”

“Not anytime soon. He still has a year left at Trinity.”

I threw my hands up. “A year isnothin’. I bet he’ll propose to ye at his graduation, and then ye’ll move to bloody England with his pompous ass.”

“I thought you liked Spencer.”

“No. I don’t like him.” My voice was a bit slurred. “And I don’t want ye to marry him. Ye’ll regret it if ye do. He’s stiff and humorless. And I bet he’s an amateur in bed too.”