deep
reservoir of pain and control that Bella found herself longing to explore, but
as soon as she saw the flicker there it was gone, replaced by a sense of
reservation.
“Ms. Peters, I presume?”
The cool tone of his voice shocked her back to
propriety. He did not sound at all as though he was pleased to meet her, or
even to see her, though he was clearly the one who had need of her services.
“Yes, my Lord.” Bella curtseyed, careful to keep her
eyes lowered so she didn’t embarrass herself by staring. “I am here to fill the
position of housekeeper, as requested.”
“Well.” He gave her a once-over that was clinical and
cold. “You’ll do, I suppose. Start with the great hall.”
Bella felt a flush of indignation starting. “ Sir, my references if you please. And there is the matter of my wages.”
He took the papers from her with a crooked smile. It
was the first human expression she had truly seen on him, and Bella found
herself strangely drawn to it, even with how rude he had just been. “You wish
to negotiate?”
“I just want to make sure the rate I offered is
accepted. You weren’t clear in your letter, and I have my father’s care to keep
in mind.” She tried to keep her chin firm as she met his gaze. Why did he have
to be so handsome?
The crooked smile vanished as he studied her once more.
“It is acceptable. Are you content?”
Bella tried to keep a sarcastic tone from her voice as
she curtsied once more. “My lord, I am yours.”
“Good.” The harsh tone sounded out of place in his
beautiful mouth, but the Baron cast the words over his shoulder as he pivoted
and left, almost as though he was fleeing the situation entirely.
Bella stared after him, unsure of what she had gotten
herself into.
But the listing had not lied. There was plenty to be
done in this great castle, and whatever she may have thought of her employer,
he had done a reasonable job of keeping things tidy despite the lack of a
regular housekeeper for what she gathered was some years since his father had
died. It was true Bella had to clean away cobwebs, and there was rather more
dust than one would like to see, but the castle held no traces of having held a
bachelor in the prime of his virility roaming about, getting into trouble.
As she cleaned, she couldn’t help but think of her
employer once more. The Baron had been just as terse as she had expected for a
shut-in, but there was something more about him, something that drew her to
him. It wasn’t his looks, though they were strong and handsome. Something about
his soul called out to her.
She shook her head, trying to clear it of such silly
thoughts. She was here to clean his castle, no more and no less. It would do no
one good if she got distracted mooning about him while she did so.
Still… it was easy to imagine those muscles doing more
than flex beneath an expensive suit. Maybe flexing beneath her, in bed… or on
top of her… or against the wall…
Stop it! Bella ordered herself,
blushing even though no one could hear her thoughts. It was hardly her place to
be thinking such things, much less to be mooning on her first day at work.
She bent to scrubbing the floor with a will, grateful
that no one was there to see the pink heat of her blushes as she tried to keep
her damnably handsome employer from her mind.
~
It took Bella a long time after she finished her first
day’s work to actually find her employer. The sun was already beginning to slip
behind the hills, coloring them a brilliant orange, by the time she found the
Baron in his study.
“My lord,” she curtseyed, thinking it couldn’t hurt,
“my day’s work is done. With your permission, I’ll take my leave and return
tomorrow.”
He stood so swiftly she was taken aback. For some
reason she had expected that he would ignore her announcement, but now he was
before her, his face coloring in anger and some
reservoir of pain and control that Bella found herself longing to explore, but
as soon as she saw the flicker there it was gone, replaced by a sense of
reservation.
“Ms. Peters, I presume?”
The cool tone of his voice shocked her back to
propriety. He did not sound at all as though he was pleased to meet her, or
even to see her, though he was clearly the one who had need of her services.
“Yes, my Lord.” Bella curtseyed, careful to keep her
eyes lowered so she didn’t embarrass herself by staring. “I am here to fill the
position of housekeeper, as requested.”
“Well.” He gave her a once-over that was clinical and
cold. “You’ll do, I suppose. Start with the great hall.”
Bella felt a flush of indignation starting. “ Sir, my references if you please. And there is the matter of my wages.”
He took the papers from her with a crooked smile. It
was the first human expression she had truly seen on him, and Bella found
herself strangely drawn to it, even with how rude he had just been. “You wish
to negotiate?”
“I just want to make sure the rate I offered is
accepted. You weren’t clear in your letter, and I have my father’s care to keep
in mind.” She tried to keep her chin firm as she met his gaze. Why did he have
to be so handsome?
The crooked smile vanished as he studied her once more.
“It is acceptable. Are you content?”
Bella tried to keep a sarcastic tone from her voice as
she curtsied once more. “My lord, I am yours.”
“Good.” The harsh tone sounded out of place in his
beautiful mouth, but the Baron cast the words over his shoulder as he pivoted
and left, almost as though he was fleeing the situation entirely.
Bella stared after him, unsure of what she had gotten
herself into.
But the listing had not lied. There was plenty to be
done in this great castle, and whatever she may have thought of her employer,
he had done a reasonable job of keeping things tidy despite the lack of a
regular housekeeper for what she gathered was some years since his father had
died. It was true Bella had to clean away cobwebs, and there was rather more
dust than one would like to see, but the castle held no traces of having held a
bachelor in the prime of his virility roaming about, getting into trouble.
As she cleaned, she couldn’t help but think of her
employer once more. The Baron had been just as terse as she had expected for a
shut-in, but there was something more about him, something that drew her to
him. It wasn’t his looks, though they were strong and handsome. Something about
his soul called out to her.
She shook her head, trying to clear it of such silly
thoughts. She was here to clean his castle, no more and no less. It would do no
one good if she got distracted mooning about him while she did so.
Still… it was easy to imagine those muscles doing more
than flex beneath an expensive suit. Maybe flexing beneath her, in bed… or on
top of her… or against the wall…
Stop it! Bella ordered herself,
blushing even though no one could hear her thoughts. It was hardly her place to
be thinking such things, much less to be mooning on her first day at work.
She bent to scrubbing the floor with a will, grateful
that no one was there to see the pink heat of her blushes as she tried to keep
her damnably handsome employer from her mind.
~
It took Bella a long time after she finished her first
day’s work to actually find her employer. The sun was already beginning to slip
behind the hills, coloring them a brilliant orange, by the time she found the
Baron in his study.
“My lord,” she curtseyed, thinking it couldn’t hurt,
“my day’s work is done. With your permission, I’ll take my leave and return
tomorrow.”
He stood so swiftly she was taken aback. For some
reason she had expected that he would ignore her announcement, but now he was
before her, his face coloring in anger and some
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