Dex had taken his dinner at Old Burlington Street many times as Eloïse Fortrose’s guest, but dining as Blake’s guest felt different in a way that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He was the same person he always was, his hosts were the same people they always were, the house was the same house, so why did it feel different?
He finally decided that it was because he wasn’t there as a rake; he was there as a friend. A friend who was dressed casually in buckskins and top boots. A friend who’d spent the afternoon playing with building blocks, spitballs, and paper darts. A friend who’d been invited down to the kitchen and had spoiled his appetite for dinner by scoffing some freshly iced gingerbread biscuits.
Later that evening, it turned out that he was there as a rake as well. Dex accompanied Elo
