feet and raced to his water bowl on the other side of the kitchen. He thirstily licked the water to his heart’s content.
S akura, too, was deadly thirsty. She opened the fridge door and poured herself a good cup of apple juice. Once she’d finished, she sighed and said, “Ah, that was good.”
Beth opened the oven door and pulled out the tray of chocolate biscuits that had just been baked.
“Woo. Nice,” Sakura said, bending over to snaffle one. She popped the hot piece into her mouth and sighed with pleasure. “You’re the best. I’m starved.”
“Who told you to go out for so long? You didn’t have lunch either,” Beth grumbled. “Go and eat properly in the drawing room like everyone else. Jesus! No wonder you’re so thin.”
Sakura chuckled. “That’s okay. I’ll eat here.”
“ Sakura, do go and eat with your brothers,” Beth said with a no-nonsense tone.
Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. The images of the seven men back on the road flashed before her eyes.
“Come along now,” Beth said, grabbing for another tray of sandwiches. “Mr. Princeton wants you to meet them. Not that you haven’t met them before. But you haven’t seen them for a while now, haven’t you. To be frank, I haven’t either. But oh, you should see them now. Handsome men they are.”
“I’ll come right along in a wee bit, Beth. I just need to clean up,” Sakura said. “After all, I can hardly present myself in this state.” She took a step forward for Beth to see her, since after all she was in quite a mess, with sweat and dirt from walking through the woods and all.
Beth shook her head. “You’re still as wild as ever. What will they say when they see you in such a state? All right then, but don’t be too long,” the housekeeper said, walking out the door with a tray in her hand. “Oh, by the way, we’ll be serving seven more now.”
Sakura sighed. Of course.
Once the housekeeper was gone, Sakura made quick work of her escape. She took out the extra pounds of pork, marinated it with her special marinade and then scribbled on a piece of yellow Post-it note the cooking instructions for Beth. Then she grabbed a large tray and tossed on some chocolate biscuits, mini-sandwiches, muffins, and an apple and a bunch of red grapes. After that, she grabbed a bottle of apple juice and a glass and then rushed off to the back stairs where she was sure no one would see her. Toby followed closely behind.
She hid in her room that night, work ing on her photos and putting them up for sale on her website. Now and again, she munched up her snacks to her heart’s content, tossing a wee bit for Toby to enjoy. It was just a little after six o’clock when she heard them all raiding up the stairs onto the second floor.
Holy smokes! She’d just remembered that all the brothers’ bedrooms were on the same floor as hers.
Her hands froze before the keyboard as her heart continued to pound outrageously fast. She turned to stare at the door, hoping they wouldn’t open hers by accident. Surely, dear God, they remembered their own bedrooms and wouldn’t randomly walk into hers, which of course was at the very far end of the house.
“That was the best afternoon tea I’ve had in a long time,” she heard Logan say.
“You have afternoon tea?” Sebastian asked.
“Can’t wait for dinner,” Conrad said. “I heard there’s roast pork.”
“Need a shower, ” Darcy stated.
She sensed t hey were getting closer and closer to her room. Something wasn’t right. Her body tensed up. She glanced at Toby, who was looking at her in confusion, wondering what was wrong with her.
Wo of!
She wanted to die.
“What was that?” Nicolas uttered .
“What ?” Tristan asked.
“I thought I heard something,” Nicolas replied.
“You’re going senile, old man,” Tristan said. “Hearing things.”
Sakura put a finger to her lips, telling Toby to be quiet. Toby cocked his head to one side, still confused.
Suddenly, she heard
S akura, too, was deadly thirsty. She opened the fridge door and poured herself a good cup of apple juice. Once she’d finished, she sighed and said, “Ah, that was good.”
Beth opened the oven door and pulled out the tray of chocolate biscuits that had just been baked.
“Woo. Nice,” Sakura said, bending over to snaffle one. She popped the hot piece into her mouth and sighed with pleasure. “You’re the best. I’m starved.”
“Who told you to go out for so long? You didn’t have lunch either,” Beth grumbled. “Go and eat properly in the drawing room like everyone else. Jesus! No wonder you’re so thin.”
Sakura chuckled. “That’s okay. I’ll eat here.”
“ Sakura, do go and eat with your brothers,” Beth said with a no-nonsense tone.
Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. The images of the seven men back on the road flashed before her eyes.
“Come along now,” Beth said, grabbing for another tray of sandwiches. “Mr. Princeton wants you to meet them. Not that you haven’t met them before. But you haven’t seen them for a while now, haven’t you. To be frank, I haven’t either. But oh, you should see them now. Handsome men they are.”
“I’ll come right along in a wee bit, Beth. I just need to clean up,” Sakura said. “After all, I can hardly present myself in this state.” She took a step forward for Beth to see her, since after all she was in quite a mess, with sweat and dirt from walking through the woods and all.
Beth shook her head. “You’re still as wild as ever. What will they say when they see you in such a state? All right then, but don’t be too long,” the housekeeper said, walking out the door with a tray in her hand. “Oh, by the way, we’ll be serving seven more now.”
Sakura sighed. Of course.
Once the housekeeper was gone, Sakura made quick work of her escape. She took out the extra pounds of pork, marinated it with her special marinade and then scribbled on a piece of yellow Post-it note the cooking instructions for Beth. Then she grabbed a large tray and tossed on some chocolate biscuits, mini-sandwiches, muffins, and an apple and a bunch of red grapes. After that, she grabbed a bottle of apple juice and a glass and then rushed off to the back stairs where she was sure no one would see her. Toby followed closely behind.
She hid in her room that night, work ing on her photos and putting them up for sale on her website. Now and again, she munched up her snacks to her heart’s content, tossing a wee bit for Toby to enjoy. It was just a little after six o’clock when she heard them all raiding up the stairs onto the second floor.
Holy smokes! She’d just remembered that all the brothers’ bedrooms were on the same floor as hers.
Her hands froze before the keyboard as her heart continued to pound outrageously fast. She turned to stare at the door, hoping they wouldn’t open hers by accident. Surely, dear God, they remembered their own bedrooms and wouldn’t randomly walk into hers, which of course was at the very far end of the house.
“That was the best afternoon tea I’ve had in a long time,” she heard Logan say.
“You have afternoon tea?” Sebastian asked.
“Can’t wait for dinner,” Conrad said. “I heard there’s roast pork.”
“Need a shower, ” Darcy stated.
She sensed t hey were getting closer and closer to her room. Something wasn’t right. Her body tensed up. She glanced at Toby, who was looking at her in confusion, wondering what was wrong with her.
Wo of!
She wanted to die.
“What was that?” Nicolas uttered .
“What ?” Tristan asked.
“I thought I heard something,” Nicolas replied.
“You’re going senile, old man,” Tristan said. “Hearing things.”
Sakura put a finger to her lips, telling Toby to be quiet. Toby cocked his head to one side, still confused.
Suddenly, she heard
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