Leila actually hadn’t noticed; she was willing the nausea to abate. God, it was bad enough that she’d been crying, but now here she was fleeing to the bathroom and there wasn’t even time to close the door.
‘You’re quite a noisy housemate,’ James said when she came out a little while later.
Leila smiled, embarrassed but grateful that he simply addressed things rather than ignored them. It was time for her to do the same because he had got into the bed.
‘You’re under the covers,’ Leila accused.
‘Because I’ve called for breakfast and I want the maids to see us looking all loving and happy,’ James said, ‘or will that make you feel sick again?’
She misunderstood.
‘I feel better when I have eaten.’
‘Does it happen a lot?’ James asked, more curious than revolted.
‘Most mornings. Earlier on it was any time of the day, but now it is just when I am hungry.’
She had brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth and, a little pale, she sat on the sofa.
‘I am sorry that you had to hear it though,’ Leila said. ‘Some things should be private.’
‘Why?’ James asked. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it—you’re talking to the king of hangovers. Although I’ve given it some thought and I am going to go on the wagon.’ He saw her frown. ‘I’ve decided that I’m not going to drink while you can’t. We’ll crack open the champagne the day it’s born.’
‘That would be lovely.’
‘Come to bed,’ James said, and she startled.
‘I would rather sit here.’
‘Come here,’ James said, and patted the bed beside him, but Leila shook her head.
‘Well, sit on the sofa then.’ James shrugged. ‘But it’s a bloody long way off. We’ll have to keep saying “Pardon?” and “What did you say?” and it might look a bit odd to the maids.’
‘Your English is too fast for me.’
‘Come here,’ James said. ‘I can’t say it any more simply than that.’
‘No.’ Still Leila chose the sofa. ‘I don’t care what your servants think of me.’
‘Pardon?’
‘I don’t care what...’ Leila started, and then reluctantly smiled as she realised his little joke.
And James smiled back.
There was a knock at the door and James called for breakfast to be brought in.
Leila was very used to maids coming in in the morning. She asked for green tea sweetened with honey and for a pastry. James took his coffee and then told them they’d manage the rest but Leila called them back.
She told them to open the curtains and to run her a bath. She told them to add extra oils and to ensure that her luggage was here on the hour and could they get orange blossom honey for her tea in future.