Read Online An Affair Downstairs by Sherri Browning - Free Book Online Page B

“Now point your finger at me and close one eye, and then the other. Not both at once. Look with your right eye. Then look with your left.”
    â€œOh.” She’d closed both eyes, confused. “Yes?”
    â€œWhich eye lined up with the finger pointing straight at me?”
    â€œMy right eye,” she said after opening, closing, and opening again.
    â€œAnd the left?”
    â€œI looked like I was pointing to the tree beside you when I looked with my left eye alone.”
    â€œAnd with both eyes open?”
    â€œI still appear to be pointing straight at you, as with the right eye alone.”
    â€œGood.” He closed the distance between them. “That’s ideal. Some people shoot with one eye closed, but I generally find it a good idea to keep both open. We’ll let you experiment a bit to see what works best for you.”
    â€œI get to shoot something now?” She had her doubts. It seemed he would put her off with something else.
    â€œNot today. Today, I want you to get used to the feel of the rifle in your arms.”
    She threw her head back in frustration. “That’s it?”
    â€œIt’s getting dark.” He shrugged. “Brumley probably can’t see you from the house anymore, and you’ll have to be getting ready for dinner soon.”
    â€œDinner is hours away. Aren’t you coming?”
    â€œTonight? I thought I would dine downstairs, then go back to work in the conservatory.”
    â€œDownstairs? With the servants?” She tried not to sound so surprised. “You’re not one of them.”
    â€œI’m not one of you.” He looked at her pointedly. “Lest you forget, I am in the employ of the Earl of Averford. And sometimes I like to hear what the servants have to say. It gives me valuable insight into what’s needed to keep things running smoothly here at Thornbrook Park. Plus, as you might have noticed, I’m running low on supplies at the cottage.”
    â€œI wish I could dine downstairs. They seem like a fun bunch.”
    â€œThe downstairs crew? Some of them are not so bad. Others?” He pulled a face.
    â€œMuch like the upstairs lot, I suppose. Some are preferable to others.”
    He held a rifle to his shoulders, as if he would shoot, and put it down again. “As far as dinner goes, I do prefer the downstairs. They’re much lighter spirits.”
    â€œThe servants, lighter spirits? With all they have to do all day?”
    â€œTheir day is closer to over and they’re ready to cut loose. The footman Bill plays ragtime on the piano sometimes. Scott Joplin, Ben Harney. The maids like to dance. Sometimes, they partner up with the chauffeur.”
    â€œDale? Dale likes to dance?” She tried to picture the gangly chauffeur twirling a maid around the kitchen. “Now I really wish I could dine downstairs.”
    â€œIt can be entertaining. They’re usually a bit more subdued when I’m present, unfortunately.”
    â€œYou do have that grave manner about you.” She peeked up at him from under her lashes to be sure he wasn’t offended. “It wouldn’t hurt to smile more.”
    â€œI’ll take it under consideration. Now, back to rifles.” He picked up the weapon.
    â€œThere you go. Straight back to business. You can’t seem to help yourself, Mr. Winthrop.”
    â€œI’m a man of business, Lady Alice. The sooner we complete ours, the sooner I can get on to other tasks. Now, this is the lock…”
    She tried to pay attention as he pointed to and named parts of the rifle, but she struggled to hold back tears. She’d thought they were getting on until he casually informed her that she was only another task on his list of things to do. But then, wasn’t that exactly what he was to her, just another item on her list? When had it become personal? What made him such an ideal conquest was the lack of emotional involvement