by Magan Vernon
He let out a frustrated sigh as he slid his phone back into his pocket. “The kitchen quarters are for the staff, down on the first floor. I’ve already told Meredith to bring up our plates.”
“Ours? You’re going to really try to eat with me? Even after I almost killed both of us with tea last time? Or am I taking that the wrong way? You’re just getting your food and leaving me alone with the porcelain dolls eyeing me from the corner?”
“Are you always this dramatic?” He blew out a large puff of air.
I smiled, liking to see this guy get his feathers a little ruffled. There was a line I couldn’t cross, so, I just tiptoed on it.
After spending most of the morning with him, I understood the subject of his great aunt stopped the brooding for a bit.
“Sometimes.”
Before he could answer, the cheery maid with her curly gray hair and pressed, pale blue uniform dress whisked in. She carried a large silver tray as if it weighed no more than one of the many glass marbles I found scattered in random vases throughout the room.
But while the marbles and vases were quite light, the lunch spread that Meredith sat on the marble-topped gold table, was anything but.
Two large plates piled with bread, boiled eggs, fruits, veggies, and even little meat pies stared back at me. Each piece looking more mouthwatering than the last.
“A ploughman’s lunch. I can have Meredith bring you something else. Maybe a grilled cheese or bread with jelly as you call it?”
Gavin spoke as looked up at the maid, whose broad smile stretched across her rosy face. “Whatever you like, miss, I can have the cook prepare.”
“Oh, this is totally fine. Thank you, I really appreciate it. This all looks wonderful, no substitutions needed,” I said, quickly taking a seat at one of the ornately carved chairs before I knocked something over at the table…again…
Once he sat across from me, Meredith swooped in beside us, grabbing the teapot from the tray and pouring us each a cup.
This time I didn’t protest and just thanked her before Gavin excused her and she left the room.
Which left the two of us alone with the food.
True, we’d technically been alone all morning, but I was too busy going through the objects in the room to focus on him.
Now this extremely sexy nobleman was staring at me expectantly. Those blue eyes had their own gravitational pull that kept forcing me to look at him. Then, every time I did, I kept wondering if I had slipped up with some faux pas and needed to remember to put my elbows on the arms of the chair and not on the table.
Shit, why hadn’t I done more research on English eating customs?
“Are you sure you don’t want Meredith to bring you something else?” he asked.
There went that damn eyebrow raise. No smile. Same statuesque face.
Why couldn’t he just give me some kind of hint as to what he wanted?
“Oh. Yes. It looks delicious. What should I eat first? I was just going to follow your lead, but you’re looking at me like I’m about to commit another faux pas.”
He shook his head, laughing slightly. A little flutter gathered in my chest at the sound.
Stop it.
Those icy blue eyes made me forget why I was embarrassed in the first place.
“The woman should always start the meal first, then the gentleman follows her lead,” he said, nodding toward my plate.
“I’m not one to argue with English manners, but that seems crazy. I mean, unless we were at a restaurant or something and your food came before mine.”
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have poked fun at his customs, but some were ridiculous.
I expected the forehead crinkle, but he rewarded me with a small nod and another quirk of his lips.
Finally. I’d take that as at least half a smile.
He picked up his fork.
“I’d start with the pork pie.”
“Pork pie?” I grimaced, wondering how something meaty could possibly be good in a cradle for fruit fillings.
He nodded, pointing at the little meat pie wrapped in butcher paper and tied with white string. “It’s one of the chef’s specialties. Pork shoulder, onion, and sage in a buttery crust.”
My mouth watered, and at the same time my stomach growled.
I unwrapped the pie from its brown paper bag, keeping my head down so Gavin couldn’t see the heat crossing my face. “Guess tomorrow I’ll remember to have breakfast.”
“We didn’t set any specific hours. You can start and end at any time you’d like, really, as long as you get your work done.”
I paused, my fork in midair above the pastry. If only he knew that I needed this money, like, yesterday.
Not just for me, but Mom was counting on this, too.
“It doesn’t even feel like work when I’m surrounded by history like this. I couldn’t wait to get started.”
“Just eat something, okay? I’ll make sure Meredith brings your breakfast into the room you’re working in before you start each day.”
“Oh, no. You don’t need to go to any more trouble for me. Neither does Meredith.”
“Natalie.”
I sat straight up as if an invisible string was pulling me to attention.
“This is my manor. I’m the Lord of Webley and I can do whatever I please. That includes making sure my curator is well taken care of.”
I do not like bossy men, but this guy… Heat pooled low in my belly.
It was that accent.
Yep, that was it.
“I’ll make sure I’m where you need me to be.” Then I stuffed a mouthful of pork into my mouth before I said anything else to embarrass myself.
“Good.”
…
We were mostly silent through the rest of the meal, except for some pleasantries on how good the food was. At least I didn’t embarrass myself anymore with a growling stomach.
After I tried not to devour every single thing on my plate (seriously, who knew a meat pie could actually taste good?) Gavin pressed a button on his phone, and a slew of maids were cleaning up our dishes before we could even stand.
“Does this mean you’re showing me the rest of the manor now?” I asked, standing straight and trying to keep my voice even. I didn’t want to sound all breathy like a horny teenager eager to see the backseat of her boyfriend’s Honda.
I was more than excited to see the estate but tried not to show it.
And okay, so maybe it would be less awkward if we were walking around and not sitting across from each other in silence.
I wanted to get back to the carefree air we had that morning.
And even if we’d been in only the one wing, what I’d seen so far had been massive and filled with more treasures than I’d discover in any flea market. And they were all of real historical and monetary value. My little history-loving heart pitter-pattered at what else I’d find.
Gavin frowned as Meredith came into the room.
“I have some business to attend to in my office, but Meredith will give you a tour of the rest of the manor.”
“Oh. Okay. That’s great,” I somehow managed to say without my voice deflating.
Of course, he wasn’t going to stick around. He was a busy man.
And I was his employee.
Meredith entered the room, her ballet flats not even making a sound as she walked over to us. “Are you ready, miss? It would be my pleasure to show you around.”
I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Gavin before he had his phone to his ear and strode out of the room.
My shoulders slunk.
What the hell?
Why did I care where he went?
He was a pain, and it would be better to not have him around, unless I had questions Google, or the nice maid, couldn’t answer.
&nbs
p; I turned toward the smiling woman with her hands folded in front of her. “Where to first, miss?”
“The next room, I guessed?”
She nodded. “Follow me.”
The hallway was lined with oil paintings and portraits that had to have been hundreds of years old.
“How long have you worked here?” I asked, trying to gauge the woman’s age. She was petite with graying hair and laugh lines around her eyes, which could have put her anywhere between thirty-five and one hundred. But the way she moved was like a much younger and taller woman. So much so that I had to speed walk to keep up with her.
She smiled, slowing her pace a bit, her shoes not even making a sound as she practically floated over the wood floor lined with an Oriental runner. “Right after I was born, my mother began working for Lady Sarah. But I didn’t start as one of the maids until I was out of primary school then became head housekeeper only about twenty years ago.”
“Wow. So, you must know a lot about the estate and the family.”
My face must have given away my real thoughts, because the smile broadened against her rosy cheeks. “If you’re asking about Lord Gavin, I have known him all his life. He’s always been a bit of a handful but was Aunt Sarah’s favorite. He was the only one of the family who wasn’t trying to pressure her into marriage, since he was so much younger. I think she enjoyed talking about anything other than weddings and china patterns.”
She opened a pair of mahogany doors with large golden handles, the light shining through so blindingly I had to squint.
“Not that Lady Sarah didn’t have a penchant for china.”
As my eyes adjusted to the light, my senses exploded. Vibrant maroon tapestries hung beside a wall of twenty-foot-high French windows. The bright light streamed onto a long wooden table surrounded by at least thirty high-back chairs.
A large cabinet took up a back wall. Filled with an antiquer’s dream of different porcelain cups and bowls.
Walking slowly and surveying the room, my gaze then landed on the patterned china staring at me from the cabinets. “I take it Gavin, I mean Lord Gavin, isn’t a fan of the blue fluted half lace pattern?”
She shook her head. “Not the half lace nor the full lace or monogram. He’s never been one for guests or dinner parties. Like his great aunt, he prefers his time alone.”
“Well that’s kind of sad…” I muttered, before I could take it back. Of course, there was nothing sad about the guy. He was nobility in a huge home. Maybe he just didn’t want people poking around his stuff, like the girl he hired to do just that.
My muscles tensed as Meredith’s words hung over me.
Alone. That’s the way he liked it.
Part of me believed that he liked our little banter, and I’ll admit that I enjoyed the way he talked about his aunt’s items.
My scalp prickled as an uneasy feeling slipped in. He was probably just being nice. The guy enjoyed his alone time, and I needed to remember that. “Shall we move on?” Meredith asked with that cheery smile etched into her face that knocked me out of my gloomy reflections.
“Yeah, sure.” Clearing my throat, I stood a little straighter. Just because her boss, and I guess my boss, was kind of standoffish didn’t mean I needed to be aloof to this nice woman. “I mean, yes. That would be great.”
We walked through long hallways with more priceless oil paintings into grand rooms, each filled with glistening treasures. I counted at least ten different bedrooms, at least eight bathrooms, and that wasn’t even the whole house.
If I wanted to finish by the end of the summer, I’d have to double down my efforts.
Stop trying to chat up the lord of the manor. That would save some time.
“Would you like to see the gardens, Miss Natalie?” Meredith asked suddenly after we left what I believe was another living area filled so high with different antiquities that we had only a narrow pathway to get in and out of it.
I let out a deep breath I didn’t even realize I was holding in. “Yeah. That would be great, actually.”
She nodded as she turned around and led me into a large solarium filled with numerous plants. The room may have been stifling, but I found myself transfixed, gaping at the different colors as the floral scents tickled my nose.
“This way, miss,” Meredith’s words called over a fresh blooming lilac.
I followed her around a trail of plants until we got to a set of French doors. She thrust them open as a gust of fresh air whipped into the room, the sunlight warming my face as we stepped into a lush green yard.
Before I could even get two steps out or survey the surrounding flora, a large, white poof ball of a dog bounded toward me. Followed by a few others.
“Koda, Panda, Misha, and you too, Bear, sit,” Meredith commanded.
Each dog looked at Meredith then obediently did what they were told, sitting in a straight line, each bigger and fluffier than the next. Just basically a pair of little black eyes inside a mammoth drop of white.
I’d seen Great Pyrenees only in photos. But these beautiful, furry beasts looked even more gorgeous than in the photos I’d seen, with their white hair brushed to a gleaming shine and all of them sitting straight and poised.
“Wow, they’re super well-behaved,” I said, going up to one of the dogs and scratching behind his ears. That gave me a small nudge from the dog next to him, so I quickly went down the line, giving each one a good pat.
“Oh, yes. They’ve been living on the property for years. I believe Lord Dom was the one who decided they would also get their own living quarters and be properly trained if we were going to have this dog family on the property.”
“How many are there?” I asked as a few more came bounding toward us, stopping as soon as they found the others sitting and took their place in line for petting.
“I think the last count was over thirty. But I can’t be sure.”
I blinked, my heart warming at the brooding noble guy caring for all these dogs.
“You know, I’ve seen a lot of amazing things during my short time here, but this many white, fluffy, well-trained puppies have to be the best thing.”
“Well, not all are so well-trained.”
I looked up, following Meredith’s gaze to a group of large, round puppies that had to be at least thirty pounds, bounding toward me at full speed.
I laughed, squatting to the grass as the gaggle of little floofs pawed at me, licking and jumping for attention.
The castle itself was heaven, but anything that involved a bunch of puppy kisses in a garden was the best thing on earth.
Yet I found myself glancing back at the manor.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a teeny spark inside me that hoped Gavin would come out to help with this tour. That he would have a little nugget of wisdom about the history and stories of his great aunt.
But the more I looked at the building, the more the entire gravity of the situation loomed over me.
I had to focus and get these items taken care of.
This wasn’t about talking to the lord of the manor or just petting puppies.
Though I guess another few minutes’ break couldn’t hurt before getting back to work.
Chapter Four
Lord Gavin
“Hello, Mother.”
I tried to keep my tone light, but every time Lady Helena, aka my mother, called me, it usually ended with an argument and her abruptly having somewhere to be.
The same argument over and over, to be exact.
“Gavin, darling, where have you been? Frederick said your appointment with the chancellor was cancelled this morning, so I expected a call.” Her voice rose a bit higher. “Unless of course you finally made a date with Duchess Cornelia. That would be just the best news to bring to Grandmother before her birthday. Especially if she was your date for the Iris Festival with an engagement pl
an in mind.”
Gritting my teeth, I pulled the phone away from my ear for a minute.
Taking a deep breath, I chose my words carefully.
“No, Mother, I was showing the new curator some of the pieces from Aunt Sarah’s collection and she had questions before moving on.”
Conveniently, I left out the part where we talked for hours and had a great lunch.
“Oh, good. Finally, you can appease the historical society and get rid of that rubbish Aunt Sarah collected. I told your father we should just have petitioned to tear down the place with everything in it and build you something new. But of course, he said it was a family estate and the historical society or any of the other family members wouldn’t have it. Honestly, you’re twenty-five. When your father was your age, we already had the estate and I was pregnant with your brother.”
There went the gritting of my teeth and the beginning of the same argument we’d had almost every day since I was given Webley.
Mother kept talking.
Something ran past the window. The dogs were out. Today it was as if they were coming out in droves. First one wave, then another. Then, finally, the newest litter of puppies came tumbling toward the house.
“What the hell is going on down there?” I muttered, speaking more to myself, but of course that was the one-time Mother listened.
“What? Is everything okay? Do I need to call your father? Or better yet, security?”
Stepping closer to the window, I peeled back more of the curtains. Natalie, flat on her back, while a parade of puppies took turns pawing at her for attention.
Meredith stood off to one side, a wide smile on her face. Natalie laughed, her whole body shaking, petting each dog with a huge grin on her face.
A smile pulled at my own lips, and finally my shoulders released the tension they’d been holding in.
“Everything’s fine, Mother, but I have to go. Some of the dogs have chosen to greet the new curator, and I should make sure she’s okay.”
She scoffed. “Those blasted animals again.”
I winced.
“You know Great, Great Grandfather loved them, and Aunt Sarah kept the tradition alive. Hell, they’re probably considered a Webley tourist attraction. If they aren’t, the historical society should get on that.”
