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“I’ll get a round in,” said Freya, who swiftly took the orders and disappeared to the bar.

“So, how are my favourite boys?” Lottie put one arm around Zack and managed to pat Tom’s shoulder with it at a stretch.

“We’re good, Lotts,” said Zack, his cheeks pink with pleasure. “All the better for being back here with you. And I can’t deny, I think we’re all a little merry.”

“Even you?” Lottie looked directly at Hannah, who felt like she’d been burned.

She looked away and then back at Lottie. “Perhaps a little. It is Christmas, after all.”

Lottie nodded, thoughtfully, as Freya returned with the drinks.

Chapter Eighteen

LOTTIE

“So, what gossip have I missed?” Lottie enquired, well aware that neither Zack nor Freya were backwards in coming forwards. Tom tended to keep his cards to his chest, and, of course, so did Hannah.

Freya’s eyes sparkled for a moment. “Well, Hannah was telling us all about how great it felt to take down the prime minister.”

Lottie felt her stomach drop. Freya had a bad habit of stirring at times. She narrowed her eyes at her niece before looking at Hannah, who seemed surprisingly relaxed.

Hannah sighed. “I’m not sure that’s quite how I put it.”

Lottie noticed that her cheeks were red, her hair slightly mussed and her eyes a little hooded. Yes, the local ale would do that to a girl. She felt her curiosity pique as Hannah looked at her without any of the barriers that had been present since her arrival at the castle.

“But I will say that it was an extraordinary moment in an extraordinary day.” She gave a sheepish grin – another expression Lottie hadn’t seen before.

“I can only imagine,” Lottie mused. “A bit far away from my little life here in the Highlands, unblocking toilets and fixing windows.”

Hannah seemed to frown slightly, but she didn’t say anything. Lottie wasn’t sure whether it was distaste or something else.

Tom looked across at Lottie. “There’s nothing little about what you do here. Who else gets to run a castle every day?”

Lottie chuckled. “It’s a fair point, Tom. Although I’m pretty sure that there are more glamorous jobs.” She looked over at Hannah again. Her face seemed to have closed up again.

“Yeah,” said Freya, her eyes flashing, “like working behind the bar here.”

“And a grand job you do, too,” said Zack. “Rory told me you’re the most efficient bar hand he has.”

“Rubbish,” said Freya, her cheeks reddening slightly. “I’m only here for the cheap beer and tips.”

“It sounds to me like you’re doing a good job,” said Hannah, her face relaxed again.

They continued their conversation while Lottie tried to work out what Hannah was thinking. She had seemed so uncomfortable when Lottie talked about the realities of her job. She suspected that would never have been the case had she become a solicitor or barrister in the capital. But then, she had more important things to be doing with her life, as it turned out.

There was a small part of her that envied Hannah her success. She had taken herself to the pinnacle of her industry, and used her clearly exceptional skills to make meaningful change, hopefully for the better. Taking down a villain, a literal villain, and facilitating his removal from power. Lottie might have been in a position to do something similar had her career gone the way she planned.

She thought back to the carefree days of university, swanning about with friends, working hard and playing hard. She didn’t recall exam anxiety or stress. She’d just enjoyed it. Perhaps it was good that she had, given what was to follow.

“Lotts, you with us?” Zack waved a hand in front of Lottie’s face. “We’re going back to the hotel. The journey took it out of us.” Lottie started to stand. “No, Lotts. You’ve not even finished your drink. Stay here with Hannah and Freya and chill for a bit.”

Lottie looked across at Freya, who was leaning back in her chair examining her nails. Hannah, meanwhile, looked slightly nervous. Was it really that scary to be left with her? Zack was right, she still had much of her drink to go. She smiled and nodded, allowing Zack and Tom to kiss her cheek and make their way back to the honeymoon suite.

Freya waved goodbye to the men as they left and then peered over at the bar. “I’ll be right back,” she said.

Suddenly Lottie and Hannah were alone at the table, a situation Lottie wouldn’t have engineered given the awkwardness that persisted between them.

“So,” Lottie said, working hard to think of something to say. “You’ve discovered our local boozer then? What do you reckon?”