Holly held out her hand, palm up. ‘Want to lay a bet on it?’
He eyed her hand as if it were something poisonous. ‘I don’t gamble.’
She laughed. ‘You’re even more boring than I thought. What are you afraid of, Julius? Losing money or compromising one of your starchy old principles?’
He gave her a black look. ‘At least I have some, unlike some other people I could mention.’
‘Like your father?’ Holly wasn’t sure why she thought immediately of his father. But she’d heard enough about Richard Ravensdale’s reputation to wonder how Julius could possibly be his son. Julius was an apple that had rolled so far away from the tree it was in another orchard. He was so uptight and conservative. His brother, Jake, was another story, however. Jake’s exploits were plastered over the internet. It made for very entertaining reading.
Julius’s brows snapped together in a single black bar. ‘What do you know about my father?’
‘He’s a ladies’ man,’ Holly said. ‘He’s what I’d call a triple-D kind of guy: dine them, do them, dump them is his credo, isn’t it? A bit like your twin brother’s.’
‘You didn’t let on that you knew who my family was earlier,’ he said. ‘Why not?’
Holly gave him a cheeky smile. ‘Fame doesn’t impress me, remember?’
His mouth tightened until his lips almost disappeared. ‘This is a bloody nightmare.’
‘Hey, I’m not judging you because of your parents,’ Holly said as she resumed preparing the vegetables. ‘I reckon it would totally suck to have famous parents. You’d never know who your friends were. They might only be hanging out with you because of your connection with celebrity.’ She looked up to find Julius staring at her with a frown between his brows. ‘What’s wrong?’
He gave his head a little shake, walked over to the fridge and opened it to take out a bottle of wine. ‘Do you want one?’ He held up the bottle and a glass.
‘I don’t drink.’
His gaze narrowed a fraction. ‘Why not?’
Holly shrugged. ‘I figure I’ve got enough vices without adding any more.’
He leaned back against the counter at the back of the kitchen as he poured a glass and took a deep draught of his wine. And another. And another.
Holly shifted her lips from side to side. ‘You keep going like that and Sophia won’t be the only one around here needing strong painkillers.’
‘Tell me about your background,’ Julius said suddenly.
Holly washed her hands at the sink. ‘I expect it’s pretty boring compared to yours.’
‘I’d still like to know.’
‘Why?’
‘Humour me,’ he said. ‘I’m feeling sorry for myself for having a triple-D dad.’
‘Aww. All those silver spoons stuffed in your mouth giving you toothache, are they? My heart bleeds. It really does.’
He screwed up his mouth but it wasn’t a smile. More of a musing gesture, as if he were trying to figure her out. ‘I know I come from a privileged background,’ he said. ‘I’m grateful for the opportunities it’s afforded me.’
‘Are you?’ Holly asked with an elevated eyebrow.
His frown carved a V into his forehead. ‘Of course I am.’
‘So that’s why your housekeeper had to twist your arm to do your bit for charity?’ she said. ‘To convince you to help someone a little less fortunate than yourself? Yeah, I can totally see how grateful you are.’
He had the grace to look a little uncomfortable. ‘Okay, so you weren’t my first choice as a charity, but I give to other causes. Generously, too.’
‘Anyone can sign a cheque,’ Holly said. ‘It takes guts to get your hands dirty. To actually physically help someone out of the gutter.’
‘Is that where you were?’
She challenged him with her gaze. ‘What do you think?’
He held her look for another pulsing moment. ‘Look, I’m sorry we got off to a bad start. Maybe we could start over.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Holly said. ‘You’ve already made your mind up about me. It’s what people like you do. You make snap judgements. You judge people on appearances without taking the time to get to know them.’
‘I’m taking the time now,’ Julius said. ‘Tell me about you.’
‘Why should I?’
‘Because I’m interested.’