June 7th 2016

I actually read through this before hitting publish! I didn't spot any mistakes, but if you do, tell me.

Sarah xx

~*~*~

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, babe."

"How are things?"

"A bit shit. You're on the other side of the world."

"That's not where I was going with that, but I agree. That's a bit shit."

"Well, the other thing is a bit shit, too. We need to fly my father's body home but one of us has to go out to fly home with the coffin."

"I'm sorry, what? You need to fly? To Where? From where? What?"

"To Ibiza and back."

"Ibiza?"

"Don't ask. Laurence was rather fond of the party island. He bought a villa there about ten years ago so he had somewhere to take his blonde airheads. He only arrived in Ibiza on Tuesday, hit the bottle on Wednesday and died on Saturday night. Oh, you want to hear the really sad thing?"

"From your tone of voice, you mean 'sad' like pathetic, not 'sad' as in upsetting, don't you?"

"You know me well, babe."

"Ok... so what's the sad thing?"

"My father died on Saturday night and no one found him until Sunday because the Ukranian model he'd been partying with fucked off after the bar bill was paid."

"Daniel-"

"He died, sad and alone."

"Sweetheart, that's... awful. I mean, I know you two didn't get along, but no one should die like that."

"..."

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm hugging my phone... there. Did you feel it?"

"Haha... yeah, I did."

"Wish I could be there with you. I feel like a really bad fiancée for leaving you go home and having to face this alone."

"I'm not alone. Connie and Samuel are here, and Elias and Jenna brought Nola to see me. Granted, they're not you, though. You know, if you're my fiancée now, I really should get you a ring."

"I don't need a ring, I just need you. That's all I want."

"Oh, so you don't want a huge Harry Winston diamond?"

"No."

"You actually sound genuine when you say that."

"I don't want huge. I don't want Harry Winston. I don't want a diamond. I want you."

"But you need a ring. Everyone needs to know that you're mine."

"In that case, what about getting you a ring? Shouldn't everyone know that you're mine too?"

"The only ring you're getting on my finger is a Haribo ring."

"Wait, what? You wouldn't want a wedding ring?"

"Of course I do. I thought you were talking about getting me an engagement ring."

"What do you need one for?"

"That's what I was thinking. So, you don't want a diamond ring?"

"Nah, not a fan of diamonds. They used to be rare which is why they got so expensive, but now? Every bride-to-be has one. I'd rather something quirky."

"Quirky?"

"Yeah, like a Star Wars themed ring."

"But you hate Star Wars."

"Apart from that little fact, it wouldn't be all that bad."

"So, you want a Star Wars ring?"

"Daniel, as long as I get to call myself your wife, I don't give a damn if the ring off a Coke can is my engagement ring. As long as I get to be Mrs Daniel Whitaker, everything else is inconsequential."

"You know you'll technically be Mrs. Henry Courtenay, right? Or even Duchess of Kendal."

"But I want to be Mrs. Daniel Whitaker. I can't be a Courtenay."

"Why not?"

"Sophie Courtenay doesn't have that nice flow to it like Sophie Whitaker does."

"And being a Duchess?"

"Do I have to be one of those as well?"

"Unfortunately."

"Hmm... I might have to reconsider the whole proposal thing."

"Seriously?"

"No, but... Do you really see me as a Duchess? You know I swear every other word when I'm angry or excited!"

"I could always pass the Dukedom to Samuel."

"..."

"..."

"Is that wise?"

"Probably not, but I'd give it all up in a heartbeat for you. Hell, for you, Soph, I'd move to Outer Mongolia."

"You know that place technically does not exist anymore, don't you?"

"It doesn't?"

"It's just Mongolia."

"What about Inner Mongolia?"

"That's part of China."

"China? Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"I don't believe you. Well, for you, I'd go to Timbuktu."

"Oh, that's a real place. I've been there."

"You've been to Timbuktu?"

"In the physical sense and the metaphorical sense. The real place is in Mali."

"Mali?"

"West Africa."

"Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm trying to be romantic here and you're giving me a Geography lesson."

"Yeah, but did I manage to take your mind off your father? Even for a minute?"

"..."

"..."

"Ah, you were trying to distract me."

"I was trying to make you happy. Or happier."

"You always make me happy."

"Ditto."

"..."

"So, who is the one that's got to go to Ibiza? You or Samuel?"

"I think it's cruel to just send one of us, so I think we're both going. May as well. Plus, we need to see what the villa there is like and decide whether or not to sell it."

"You're making decisions like that already?"

"Sooner rather than later. Plus, we have Veronica to deal with too."

"Oh, I forgot about her. Has someone told her about Laurence yet?"

"Connie did."

"How did that go?"

"How'd it go?! Well, it went a little like this- 'Veronica. Laurence is dead.' And then Veronica hung up."

"She what?"

"Yep. She hears that her husband is dead and then she hangs up so she and that Swedish masseur she's with can continue their Italian getaway. She hasn't even bothered to call Samuel and me to see how we're coping. Not that I expected her too. When the reality that she's no longer a Duchess sinks in, she'll come crawling back."

"What do you mean?"

"When she was married to Laurence, she had all the trappings of being a Duchess. Now the he's dead, she's just the Dowager Duchess, which means she doesn't have any of the privileges that came with being a Duke's wife. Her position is based on what I'm willing to give her now and I'm not giving her anything."

"Daniel-"

"If you're going to say that it's harsh, I don't want to hear it. She will come back here, try to patch things up just so I'll continue to pay for her to flaunt herself around the world and I'm not prepared to do that. When you meet Veronica, you'll understand."

"You want me to meet your mother?"

"Not particularly, but it's inevitable. Once she hears that we're engaged, she'll demand to meet you."

"Because that's not intimidating."

"She won't like you."

"Gee, thanks."

"Haha, I didn't mean it like that. You're younger, prettier and you'll be taking over her title. You'll have everything she doesn't have, so she'll resent you for it. Just remember one thing, though, ok?"

"What?"

"I love you enough for the entire world."

"..."

"And you've already won over the most important person in my life. Second most important now, after you, of course."

"Naturally. But, out of interest, who is the second most important person in your life?"

"Evelyn."

"Ah. Yeah, she loves me."

"But I love you more."

"I love you, too."

"Glad to hear it. Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to go. Samuel's making weird handshapes at me, so I think they need me back to make more repatriation plans."

"Yeah, go. Just promise me one thing first?"

"Anything?"

"You call me whenever you need me. Galeanthropy, remember?"

"Galeanthropy."

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I know."

"I was expecting an 'I love you' back."

"It's a quote from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back."

"I hate star Wars."

>

"-Coming.- Sophie, I have to go. I love you."

"I know."

"That's my girl... No, wait! That's my fiancée."

"You bet your life I am."

~*~*~

A/N

Thank you all for being amazing, lovely readers! I would never get through writing Hello if it wasn't for you all! I love you lots and lots, like Jelly Tots. (And I love Jelly Tots- they're a type of sweets/ jelly candy.)

Sarah xx