Page 29 of The Legend of Lovers Hollow
“There was a purple velvet turban from the fifties he adored. Couldn’t get the damn thing off him. He even wanted to sleep in it, screamed if we tried to take it away.”
Warren’s grin is now so wide I’m afraid he might strain something.
“And don’t get me started on the lipstick. His mother’s—well, your mother’s too, I suppose. Her favourite was one called… oh, now, what was it?”
“Espionage,” I mutter, and Warren looks positively gleeful.
“That’s it.” Grandfather nods. “Espionage. Really dark red, stained damn near everything it touched. The amount of times we had to scrub it off everything—not only his face but also the walls and the furniture because he liked to leave pretty lip prints on everything.”
Warren starts laughing, and as mortifying as it is, he looks so happy. His laugh has always been this infectious thing that makes my chest warm. There’s a careless freedom that’s an innate part of him, something I’ve always envied. Warren tends to sail through life finding joy in everything he does, whereas I’ve always been the one who followed in his wake like a small black thundercloud, too serious and anxious about everything.
“Oh, Pops.” Warren wipes the tears from his eyes as his laughter subsides. “We’re going to be best friends, I just know it. Why don’t we go down to the mix and mingle, and you can tell me more stories about my big brother?”
“It’s meet and mingle,” I correct. “Grandfather, don’t you want to put some pants on first?”
“No,” he says unselfconsciously.
“You heard the man,” Warren says. “Don’t be so stuffy, Morgs. It’s a brave new world. Gender is just a social construct and clothes shouldn’t have a label.”
Grandfather frowns. “It would be hard to put washing instructions on them if they didn’t have labels.”
“I meant you should wear whatever makes you comfortable.”
“At last someone who talks some sense.” Grandfather huffs and takes my brother’s arm. “Come on, then. Let’s see if they have whiskey at this meet and mingle thing.”
“It’s nearly ten in the morning,” I remind him.
“It’s six o’clock somewhere,” both he and my brother chorus. They then look at each other and laugh.
We all set off down the corridor towards the stairs. It takes us twice as long to get down to the ground floor because we have to go at Grandfather’s pace, and by the time we reach the ground floor, I can see my brother frowning. I know what he’s going to say. It’s nothing I haven’t said myself.
This place needs an elevator, especially for Grandfather, but also for Essie and Martha, who’ve decided to become permanent residents here. They may be very fit and active, but the twin sisters are still over eighty.
“Ellis!” Grandfather calls out.
My heart jolts and starts to beat out a rapid staccato as I look up and see him cross the lobby towards us.
“Cedric, looking good,” Ellis says, eyeing his wraparound skirt.
“Are you behind this, then?” I ask, not sure whether to be exasperated or amused.
Ellis shrugs. “Cedric needed something comfortable. Essie and Martha came up with this as a solution. They had a whole collection of them from their travels which they were only too happy to give him.”
“There’s more than one?”
Ellis’s eyes slide slowly over my body, and I’m not imagining the heat in his gaze.
“Um, Cedric,” he says to my grandfather, although his eyes don’t leave mine. “Why don’t you show Warren the bar and introduce him to Dilys? She’s serving her cocoa and Aggie’s freshly baked cookies for the meet and mingle.”
“I want cookies,” Warren pipes up. “Are they warm?”
“They’re really,reallyhot.” Ellis licks his lower lip as his gaze dips to my chest and the sweater that clings to me like a second skin.
“Are you hungry, lad?” Grandfather asks Warren, but before I hear him answer, Ellis speaks up.
“Um, Morgan, can you come to the office with me for a few minutes? I have some… uh, paperwork that needs your attention.”
I’m dimly aware of my brother’s childish snigger, but Ellis’ warm hand has already slid into mine, and he’s dragging me around the desk and into the office.