Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1204

Number One Mansion.

Elysia was still dozing in Tarquin’s arms when she heard that Zane and Ridley were coming over.

Last night, Tarquin had been relentless, keeping her up until almost sunrise before finally letting her get some sleep.

She’d really hoped to catch up on her rest this morning!

Well, that plan was shot to hell now.

Especially after hearing that Zane had found proof of his innocence. That made her even more anxious.

“Zane’s definitely here to take Winona back. I can’t let him take her!” she blurted, wide-eyed.

Tarquin pressed a kiss to her forehead. “If you don’t want him to take Winona, then he won’t.”

“But he’s got evidence he didn’t cheat. He’s not going to give up easily,” she fretted.

“I’ll handle it, babe. You get some more sleep—I’ll go downstairs and wait for them.”

Elysia frowned, unconvinced. “You sure you’ve got a plan?”

Tarquin grinned, pinching her cheek affectionately. “Of course. If I can’t handle this, what kind of husband would I be? With me here, you can relax.”

...

A little after nine, Zane showed up at Number One Mansion with Ridley in tow.

He’d brought Ridley along specifically to avoid getting the door slammed in his face.

With Ridley here, Tarquin couldn’t exactly leave them standing outside.

It was only Zane’s second time stepping foot in Number One Mansion.

The first time, he’d been eaten up with jealousy, vowing to one day build an even grander house for himself and Elysia.

But this time, something had changed. He wasn’t planning to take Elysia anywhere anymore. If she liked it here, then here’s where they’d stay.

Zane scowled but sat down beside Ridley anyway.

A moment later, the housekeeper brought in a tray with coffee and pastries.

Ridley took a sip of the coffee, then stared at the cup in shock. “Is this... Jamaican Blue Mountain? The real deal?”

Tarquin raised an eyebrow. “You know your coffee, Ridley?”

Ridley set the cup down carefully, as if afraid he might drop it. “I dabble, yeah. Blue Mountain’s the king of coffee beans. It’s almost impossible to find the genuine stuff these days.”

Tarquin nodded. “We’ve had these beans for a few years. If you like, take a couple bags with you when you leave.”

Ridley looked both thrilled and awkward, torn between gratitude and disbelief. “That’s... wow, thank you, Mr. Bradford. I mean it.”

“No need to thank me. I’m not a coffee connoisseur. These things aren’t that precious to me.”

Ridley grinned, still a little starstruck. For anyone who loved coffee, true Blue Mountain beans were a treasure you couldn’t put a price on.