Chapter 17
The Darlington offers luxurious rooms starting at around eight hundred pounds per night. It’s not cheap, but still a bargain compared to the most expensive suite, whose nightly cost is a whopping twelve thousand pounds.
Excerpt from a London guidebook
Kate
“You’re kidding me,” I murmured. “This is your cheapest room?”
Henry nodded and placed the room key on the desk.
It had a heavy, metal tag engraved with a golden “107.” Despite its vintage appearance, the key used state-of-the-art technology.
It was fully digital and worked like an ID card, but the key had to be inserted into the lock rather than just scanned.
Not only were the rooms secure as a result, but the hotel’s timeless style was preserved.
“This is your cheapest one?” I repeated incredulously.
I had asked Henry to give me the least expensive room.
I didn’t expect a storage room, of course, not at The Darlington, but the room we were standing in now—my room—was about as far from a storage room as you could get.
Warm daylight flooded through the sheer curtains and lit up the space.
The beige carpet looked so plush that I gave in to the urge to take off my shoes.
There was a lounge area with a sofa, two armchairs, and an antique-looking side table.
Further into the room stood a dark-stained wardrobe and a desk, on which lay stationery and a gold pen, both emblazoned with The Darlington logo.
The room was a dream. Everything matched, and the result was an effect of absolute perfection that I was afraid to destroy.
Still, that didn’t stop me from placing my rucksack down next to an enormous four-poster bed piled high with meticulously arranged pillows.
If Henry hadn’t been with me, I’d probably have thrown myself onto the cloud-like heap without a moment’s hesitation.
“Yes. It’s not as well situated, and it’s smaller than the other rooms.”
Smaller? The room was huge, and that didn’t even include the bathroom, which was at least half as big as the bungalow where I’d lived with Randell and my mum.
There were two sinks, a rain shower, a bathtub, and a dressing table.
Next to the toilet was a bidet. Mirrors lined three of the four walls, and I could see myself from every angle.
Apparently rich people had no reservations about seeing their reflections in any and all circumstances.
“How much does the room cost for one night?”
Henry opened his mouth to speak.
“No. Wait! Don’t tell me. I think I’d rather not know. I can keep deluding myself about how it’s just two hundred pounds or something.”
Henry’s snort indicated I was way off the mark.
The luxuriousness of it all left me feeling lightheaded.
My eyes wandered to a glass door that led to a little balcony.
I pushed it open and stepped outside. Despite the sun, the cold prickled at my skin.
My room didn’t have a view of the Thames, like Henry’s apartment did, but looked out onto a courtyard that almost completely blocked out the noise of the city.
I took a deep breath and let the calm wash over me, even though things in my head felt loud and chaotic.
I was looking for a catch—it all seemed far too good to be true.
Henry claimed that he didn’t expect anything from me, but where I came from, nothing was free.
On the contrary, if you weren’t careful, you’d be tricked and robbed or, worse still, end up in the bad books of the wrong people.
“So you like the room, then?” Henry asked.
I felt his eyes on me. It wasn’t the kind of look that made my flight instinct kick in. It made me want to stay. “It’s incredible.”
“I’m glad.”
I stepped back into the room and closed the balcony door to keep out the cold air. The change in temperature made me shiver. Or perhaps it was just the anticipation of a warm bath, the soft bed, and my favourite TV show, which hopefully I’d finally get a chance to watch.
I turned to Henry, who was watching me with his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.
His outrageous good looks briefly distracted me from what I wanted to say.
The tailored suit clung perfectly to the contours of his body, and the navy blue of its fabric accentuated his bright eyes, which stood out against his thick, raven-black hair.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks, Snowflake.”
“You’re welcome, Shorty.”
I shook my head vehemently. “Oh, no. Forget it.”
“What?” He glanced at me with feigned concern, but I caught the unmistakable twitch of his lips. “Don’t you like the nickname?”
“It’s not a nickname. It’s an insult.”
“I’ll have another think.”
“Or just leave it,” I suggested.
“No, I don’t think I will.” There was a hint of a challenge in his voice, and I knew he wouldn’t give up until he’d found a nickname for me. For some reason, I liked the idea of it.
“Thank you,” I said again. I didn’t just mean for the room, but for everything that had happened since last night. I plucked up the courage to step right up to Henry and resolutely wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him with all my might.
And the best part?
He hugged me back without a moment’s hesitation.
I buried my face in his chest as he held me close, his body warm against mine, sending tingles across my skin.
He smelled comfortingly of laundry detergent and soap.
A feeling of security I hadn’t felt in months, perhaps even years, coursed through me.
I could feel the rhythmic beating of Henry’s heart in his chest. It was steady and strong, whereas my own fluttered erratically.
My fingers dug into the thick fabric of his suit jacket, and against all reason, I snuggled closer to him, because his closeness quieted the chaos in my head.
And his touch made me believe that everything made sense.
“Kate . . .” He whispered my name.
I released him and took a step back. My cheeks were glowing, and I didn’t dare look at him. I fixed my gaze on his chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ambush you like that.”
“You didn’t.” His voice sounded a little scratchy, but not angry, which gave me the courage to raise my head.
Perhaps I was imagining it, but I thought I saw the same heat that had risen to my cheeks burning in his eyes.
Before I could interpret his expression, his phone vibrated.
He glanced at it. “Shit. I’ve got to go. ”
“Sure. Don’t let me stop you.” He’d already given me more of his time than I’d expected him to. “I think I’ll take a bath.”
A dark flicker passed briefly over Henry’s face, but then he took a step back. He adjusted his cuff links and his suit jacket, creased by my enthusiastic hug. “I have a favour to ask.”
“Anything.”
“Please don’t tell anyone how we met. It would be good if no one here found out about your past.”
I blinked. “Oh . . . OK.”
Henry rubbed his neck. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with it, but other people might, and things are quite tricky right now. Every little thing makes the headlines, and every tiny slipup is blown up into a scandal. I don’t want you to get caught up in it, and—”
“It’s OK, Henry,” I interrupted. “I can lie.”
He sighed with relief. “Thank you.”
“It’s fine,” I replied with a smile.
Henry lingered for a moment longer before wishing me a nice day and turning to leave.
I didn’t move. My heart pounded wildly, and my thoughts raced as I watched the door close behind him. With his departure, the chaos in my head returned, bringing back my doubts about whether there really was a place for me here at The Darlington.