Page 30 of Break Me: Smith and Belle

“I’m always here for you, Smith.” She turned on her heel and carried Penny carefully upstairs toward the nursery.

I’d gotten to the second line of my text to Georgia when it occurred to me that Nora had never called me by my first name before. I suppose it made sense, given that she was here full-time Belle insisted on being called by her first name. Still, it didn’t sit well with me. Then again nothing seemed quite right in Briarshead these days. I thought we’d left London behind for a simpler life, but now I had to face facts. Nothing was ever simple where we were concerned.

14

Belle

It was official. Edward was a natural with babies. I’d seen him enough with Penny to know that he felt fairly comfortable around them, but watching him with Wills, who was a few months older, proved to me that not only was he an excellent uncle, someday he would be an amazing father. If he ever found love again.

“He adores you,” I said as Edward and Wills played pat-a-cake on the ground. Harrods had kindly cleared The Penthouse, their private shopping space, for us to have afternoon tea. They probably wanted to avoid the spectacle that trying to dine with half the royal family would cause as much as we did. This seemed to relieve Georgia, who’d busied herself on her phone for the better part of the afternoon once we’d been locked away somewhere safe. Clara lounged comfortably next to me on a gray suede couch and sighed happily as we watched her brother-in-law play with her son.

“Maybe you’ll start coming around more,” she said hopefully.

Edward’s answering smile was tight. “I’m planning on going back to the country with Belle.”

“You can’t possibly want to go back to Briarshead,” I said.

An eyebrow quirked over the rim of his glasses. “Ready to get rid of me?”

“Never,” I promised. It wasn’t that I wanted my best friend to leave Thornham. It was that I wanted to stay in London. “But you’re going to be bored. I have to get into my new offices tomorrow and deal with some Bless orders for the new season.”

“I can manage myself. It turns out there’s some fun things to do in the country.” This time his grin was more genuine.

“That reminds me,” I said, snapping my fingers. “When did you come home on New Year’s Eve?”

“No one is supposed to come home on New Year’s Eve,” he told me seriously. “I was out past midnight.”

“Careful,” Clara interjected, “or you’ll turn into a pumpkin.”

“The prince isn’t the one who turns into a pumpkin,” he said dryly.

“He’s the one chasing after the girl he met at the party,” I confirmed, siding with him. “Sounds more like you and Alexander.”

Silence fell immediately, and I realized what I’d done wrong. We’d managed to keep his name out of conversation thus far, allowing Edward and Clara space to work towards rebuilding their relationship. Reminding Edward of his brother wasn’t going to help with that.

“So, what is there to do in Briarshead?” Clara said quickly, steering the conversation back to less dangerous waters.

“Not what,” I told her, “but who.”

“Oh really?” She clapped her hands excitedly. “I want to hear about it.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Edward turned the page of a board book for Wills. “I made a friend.”

“Who he stayed out with well past midnight,” I added with emphasis.

“Would this be a single, male friend?” Clara asked.

“This would be a single, hot, French chef male friend,” I said. Even to me that sounded promising.

“We were just having fun,” Edward said flatly, refusing to meet our eyes. Clara and I looked at each other. Apparently we were a way off from matchmaking with him.

“Did you find everything you need?” Clara asked, changing the subject again. Apparently, we were going to stick to the safest conversation of all: shopping.

“I think so.” I listed out the items I’d already purchased in my head. “Honestly, I just want them to feel a little more comfortable. Not that Georgia minds, but I want Jane to feel at home the next time she visits.”

“You’ve had a lot of visitors considering you have a newborn.”

“Yeah, we needed some help with Penny,” I admitted sheepishly.