Read Online Broken Bonds (Club Imperial Series) by Katherine Rhodes - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Rhodes
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cool spring breeze. The room was painted a soft gray and there were recessed lights in the ceiling as well as four table lamps at the corners of the couches.
He guided her forward and off to the left appeared a hallway in creams and dark woods with a staircase on its right, winding through a landing to the second floor. The hall continued out beyond the stairs to what looked like a breakfast room. They didn’t go that way; they kept on straight to a half-open dutch-door into the mostly wonderfully rustic and modern kitchen she had ever seen. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. There was a middle aged woman standing behind the island when they walked in and she smiled at the two of them. She put the chef’s knife down and walked around the table. “Ms. Westerly, how nice to finally meet you!” the woman declared, holding out her hand. Emmy shook it with her good hand.
“Emmy, this is Joanne,” Nathaniel said. “She’s the housekeeper and cook.”
“Nice to meet you,” Emmy greeted her.
“I’ll be helping you around for a few weeks, I understand.” Joanne winked. “Please, don’t be afraid to ask for anything at all.”
“Thank you,” she said, graciously.
“Now, your room is at the top of the stairs.” She led the way, over to a set of stairs which Emmy hadn’t seen. They were narrow, but gorgeous with tiled risers. She pointed up. “Nathaniel, it’s the room next to yours.” She motioned them up the stairs.
“Thank you Joanne,” he said with a nod. “Dinner?”
“Will be ready at five thirty, as usual,” she answered. “You’re keeping me busy with all these guests, Mr. Walsh. I went from keeping three rooms to keeping seven, and cooking for all those mouths.”
“Seven?” Emmy questioned as she carefully started up the stairs.
“Victor has a nanny for the baby,” Joanne explained. “Laurel should be up there somewhere.”
Joanne had set up an amazing room for her. It was all white with diaphanous curtains and ruffling on the bedspread. The floors were dark cherry, and the area rug was ultra-plush and soft gray with hints of yellow. The furniture was white with the same gray shot through on the drawers. The king-sized bed looked small in the room, and was accompanied by a sitting area around another fireplace.
Emmy walked in slowly, looking around. Nathaniel strolled in behind her and went to one of the doors on the left and opened it. “Your bathroom,” he said, smiling. He pushed the other door open. “Your closet.”
“Why do I have a closet?” She walked over. “Oh my God, Nathaniel, is that my whole wardrobe?” She looked at him. “You moved all my clothes here?”
“I knew you’d be here for more than a day, so I hope you don’t mind.”
“Are you trying to move me in?” Emmy was indignant.
“Do you really think I can pick out your clothes for you?” He laughed. “It was easier to just bring it all here and let you deal with it. You have a very large selection of clothing, Emmy, and I didn’t want you to keep going back for new clothes every week. I just had them bring it all.”
“My own room, my own bathroom, all of my clothes...” Emmy deflated a little bit. “I feel like you want me to move in, and we still have so much to talk about and figure out and get to know about each other.” She sat on the bed and felt like she wanted cry. Again.
“Emmy, I didn’t want you to need a certain pair of pants and not have them. I told you I’m not moving you in. I’m just trying to make you comfortable.” He came to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “If I were moving you in, don’t you think this would all be in my closet? We’ll move it all back when it’s safe.”
Emmy wanted to fight. She wanted to go back to her place, with her bed and her furniture and her routines. But she really would have a hard time fending for herself with a broken arm and busted ribs. She swallowed her anger. “Well, show me around, I guess. Since I’m going
He guided her forward and off to the left appeared a hallway in creams and dark woods with a staircase on its right, winding through a landing to the second floor. The hall continued out beyond the stairs to what looked like a breakfast room. They didn’t go that way; they kept on straight to a half-open dutch-door into the mostly wonderfully rustic and modern kitchen she had ever seen. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. There was a middle aged woman standing behind the island when they walked in and she smiled at the two of them. She put the chef’s knife down and walked around the table. “Ms. Westerly, how nice to finally meet you!” the woman declared, holding out her hand. Emmy shook it with her good hand.
“Emmy, this is Joanne,” Nathaniel said. “She’s the housekeeper and cook.”
“Nice to meet you,” Emmy greeted her.
“I’ll be helping you around for a few weeks, I understand.” Joanne winked. “Please, don’t be afraid to ask for anything at all.”
“Thank you,” she said, graciously.
“Now, your room is at the top of the stairs.” She led the way, over to a set of stairs which Emmy hadn’t seen. They were narrow, but gorgeous with tiled risers. She pointed up. “Nathaniel, it’s the room next to yours.” She motioned them up the stairs.
“Thank you Joanne,” he said with a nod. “Dinner?”
“Will be ready at five thirty, as usual,” she answered. “You’re keeping me busy with all these guests, Mr. Walsh. I went from keeping three rooms to keeping seven, and cooking for all those mouths.”
“Seven?” Emmy questioned as she carefully started up the stairs.
“Victor has a nanny for the baby,” Joanne explained. “Laurel should be up there somewhere.”
Joanne had set up an amazing room for her. It was all white with diaphanous curtains and ruffling on the bedspread. The floors were dark cherry, and the area rug was ultra-plush and soft gray with hints of yellow. The furniture was white with the same gray shot through on the drawers. The king-sized bed looked small in the room, and was accompanied by a sitting area around another fireplace.
Emmy walked in slowly, looking around. Nathaniel strolled in behind her and went to one of the doors on the left and opened it. “Your bathroom,” he said, smiling. He pushed the other door open. “Your closet.”
“Why do I have a closet?” She walked over. “Oh my God, Nathaniel, is that my whole wardrobe?” She looked at him. “You moved all my clothes here?”
“I knew you’d be here for more than a day, so I hope you don’t mind.”
“Are you trying to move me in?” Emmy was indignant.
“Do you really think I can pick out your clothes for you?” He laughed. “It was easier to just bring it all here and let you deal with it. You have a very large selection of clothing, Emmy, and I didn’t want you to keep going back for new clothes every week. I just had them bring it all.”
“My own room, my own bathroom, all of my clothes...” Emmy deflated a little bit. “I feel like you want me to move in, and we still have so much to talk about and figure out and get to know about each other.” She sat on the bed and felt like she wanted cry. Again.
“Emmy, I didn’t want you to need a certain pair of pants and not have them. I told you I’m not moving you in. I’m just trying to make you comfortable.” He came to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “If I were moving you in, don’t you think this would all be in my closet? We’ll move it all back when it’s safe.”
Emmy wanted to fight. She wanted to go back to her place, with her bed and her furniture and her routines. But she really would have a hard time fending for herself with a broken arm and busted ribs. She swallowed her anger. “Well, show me around, I guess. Since I’m going