Page 41 of Mr Winterbourne's Christmas

Epilogue - Adam

Edgeley Park, Buckinghamshire

“Are you quite sure Lysander won’t mind me visiting again so soon?” Jonny said.

“Hmm?” Adam glanced up from his newspaper. Jonny sat on the opposite bench of the carriage, tapping his fingers nervously against his left knee, which was itself jiggling up and down. The man had far too much nervous energy, and right now he looked thin and tired, dark circles shadowing his eyes. Which was why Adam had insisted he come back to Edgeley Park with him. A few weeks in the country would do Jonny the power of good.

“I don’t know how you can read a newspaper in a moving carriage,” Jonny said, without waiting for an answer to his first question. “I’d be quite nauseous.”

“I daresay that’s why you’ve talked nonstop since we left the last coaching inn,” Adam said drily. He had ridden most of the way from London, letting Jonny have the carriage to himself but had relented on this last leg when Jonny complained of being lonely.

“Well, I’m very sorry to have bored you!” Jonny said huffily.

Adam laughed. “One thing you are not, my dear, is boring. And by the way, Lysander won’t mind you visiting at all. He’ll be delighted to see you again.”

Jonny gave a small involuntary smile that revealed how much that assurance meant to him, and Adam patted his jiggling knee fondly.

“Though you’ll have to wait a while to talk to him properly.” Adam set his newspaper aside and leaned back against the bench seat. “I’ve been away from home almost three weeks and I can’t wait to get him alone.” He grinned. “You’ll have to amuse yourself for the first few hours, I’m afraid.”

Jonny chuckled fondly. “You’re disgustingly in love. Really I quite despair of you, Adam.”

Adam glanced out the window in a pathetic attempt to hide his smile. They were nearly at Edgeley Park and he couldn’t wait to see Lysander. It was almost five o’clock so there was a good chance he’d be home, or home soon enough at least.

When they drew into the driveway in front of the house, Adam had the door open and was jumping down before the carriage had fully stopped.

“Fletcher will see you in!” he called over his shoulder at Jonny—Jonny only laughed.

The door opened as he ran up the steps.

It was Fletcher.

“Good evening, sir,” his butler said. “It’s good to welc—”

“Quite so, Fletch,” Adam interrupted almost giddily. “Is Mr. Winterbourne...?”

Fletcher’s smile was indulgent. “In the study, sir.”

“Guest in the carriage,” he managed in a strangled tone as he rushed past. “See him inside, will you?”

Fletcher’s chuckle followed him down the corridor.