Page 84 of Save You

The chauffeur clears his throat.“I’ll get there, miss.I just need a little time.”

“Of course.If I can ever do anything to help…” I have no idea how I could ever help Percy, but just now, offering seems like the right thing to do.

“There is actually one thing you can do for me.”Our eyes meet in the rearview mirror.“Please take good care of James.”

My breath catches and I have to gulp.

“I will,” I say after a short while.“I promise.”

Twenty minutes later, we’ve arrived.As Percy parks the car, I look through the tinted windows to the outside of the restaurant.I know that we were headed in the direction of Pemwick.But I don’t know this area.

Percy opens the door and helps me out.The sun is just setting and bathing the building in front of me in an orangey-red light.The sign is already lit up, and I readThe Golden Cuisinein fancy lettering.As Percy holds the restaurant door for me, my heart is suddenly racing.

“Mr.Beaufort is waiting inside.Have a nice evening, Ms.Bell.”

I thank him, then walk inside nervously.The minute I step through the door, I see James waiting for me.A smile spreads over my face.I’m so relieved that I can feel like this with him again.

He’s wearing a black shirt and a blue Beaufort’s suit with broad checks, which fits him like a glove.I can see his tiny monogram on the breast pocket.

James smiles hesitantly back, looking me over the way I just did to him.My throat dries out as his eyes glide down my body.

“You look beautiful,” he whispers.

I get goose bumps.“Thanks.You look stunning too.”

He offers me his arm and leads me further into the restaurant.It’s full, and as I can only see one table free, I assume that that’sours, but James walks through a side door and leads me up the stairs beyond it.

As we emerge into some kind of upstairs conservatory, I catch my breath.There’s a tree in the middle of the room with colorful lanterns in its branches.The ceiling and windows are decked with chains of fairy lights that give a warm glow.The whole place is magical.And only one of the round tables is set.

James leads me to our table.He’s the perfect gentleman, pulling out my chair for me, and then pushing it in behind my knees as I sit.

As he takes his seat opposite me, I glance out of the windows.The view is breathtaking.Now, you can still see the countryside around Pemwick, but I’m sure that the rolling green hills will be swathed in darkness within half an hour.

A waiter appears from nowhere and sets a jug of water on the table, then hands us our menus.I flick through, constantly glancing up at James.Am I this nervous because this is my first official date with any boy—or because it’sJamessitting opposite me, smiling at me over his glass?

I smile back at him.“It’s beautiful here.”

“It really is.Mum sometimes brought Lydia and me to eat here.I have nice memories of this place,” he replies.

James’s words make me flush warm with affection for him.I love the fact that he wants to share somewhere so special with me, especially as I know how difficult his family relationships are for him.

“Thank you for inviting me here.”

I reach over the table for his hand and stroke it gently.James’s expression darkens.

“I wanted to show you that spending time with me isn’t just misery.It can be more.”

“James…” I begin, but the waiter comes back to our table just then, to take our orders.I choose gnocchi with goat cheese, and James opts for a stuffed chicken leg.After that, we’re alone again and I’m longing to pick up our conversation from earlier.Sometimes I wish I was a genius at small talk, like Ember.No matter how difficult the situation, she finds a way to break the ice.

“I’ve set up a Goodreads account, by the way,” James says, out of the blue.

I prick up my ears.“Really?”

He nods.“I want to tackle the list.The…one we made in Oxford.”He coughs, and I can virtually see the memory of that night flickering in his eyes.“The books thing seemed like a good starting place.”

“I love that!”I blurt.“So, what’s on your reading list, then?”

The corners of James’s lips twitch suspiciously.Then he pulls out his phone and opens the app.He taps on it a few times, then looks up again.