Read Online Independent Brake (The Dominion Falls Series) by Sarah Cass - Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah Cass
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better I’d think you were wooing me, but somehow I doubt as much.”
“Maybe I’m just attempting to coerce you into another lesson before you leave for work. You are right there, and I am right here.”
“But I must be at work in less than an hour, Mr. Warner.” She pressed her hand over his mouth when he began to protest. “And I must wash up so I don’t smell like a whorehouse, get dressed, eat, and tame this unruly head of hair. So no, that does not leave plenty of time.”
He scrunched his brows together in a disapproving glare.
“Oh, hush. You aren’t mad. You’re only disappointed you failed to win this time?”
Soon as her hand moved, he spoke, “Who says I’ve failed?”
She leaped off the bed before he could grab her and snatched her clothes from the floor. Pure luck got her to his personal washroom with the door closed before he’d caught her. Still chuckling, she leaned against the locked door. “I’ll only unlock when you swear to behave, sir.”
“Then I guess you’ll miss work—for I’ll never swear.”
Despite the threat, Kat knew Patrick would never keep her from her job. Unlike him, she hadn’t vast wealth enough for a personal washroom on the second floor of a home. She sighed as she filled the basin with water. Every time she came into the washroom she thought of her parents and how eager to throw around their wealth they’d once been.
She wondered if they still were as eager for the acceptance of high society. Or if they’d ever bothered to look for her, or still did. She sank onto the stool, her mind drifting back to the day she’d left home. Her ideas to send a letter to her father had never come to fruition, and as it often did, her guilt gnawed her belly.
The touch of a hand to her shoulder startled her out of her reverie, and she grasped Patrick’s wrist. He squeezed her shoulder, and she noticed he was fully dressed. “You were quiet for so long I became concerned.”
Kat frowned. Once she’d released his hand, she turned toward him. “I haven’t been in here that long.”
“Fifteen minutes.” He held out her chemise. “You won’t have time to eat at this rate. I’ll help you get dressed, on my best behavior, I promise.”
She tried to ignore how his brow remained puckered in concern, and instead snatched the chemise away and threw it on. They worked together to set her corset in place, and she re-tied the laces while he dug through her clothes for her petticoats and crinoline. By the time they’d set all her layers in place, she hoped his concern had passed, but it lingered in a tiny wrinkle between his brows.
“As always, you are dashing.” He flashed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Although your hair is more unruly than usual. Why don’t I have Loren bring your food up while you try to tame it?”
“Could you?” Kat sank back onto the stool in relief.
“Gladly. You get started, I’ll take care of things, and of course you will use my carriage to get to work. I won’t have you late, no matter how much I might tease you otherwise. It would do you no good to lose your job.”
“Thank you.” She turned her attention to her hair, glad for the distraction from his worried gaze. By the time he reappeared with a tray, she had almost managed to pin her hair in place. “I thought you were having Loren bring the tray?”
“I changed my mind.” He set the tray down on the vanity. “Care to tell me what’s troubling you?”
“Not particularly.”
“Are you certain?”
“I...”
He lifted a brow and met her gaze.
“Not particularly.”
“You held the expression of one who was missing something. Or perhaps, someone.” He’d blocked her view of herself the moment she’d lifted her hands from her hair. Although, she didn’t need to see her face to know the heat of a blush lit her cheeks. He didn’t mock her in any fashion, only set his hand on hers. “I know because I’ve felt the same myself.”
“Patrick. This
“Maybe I’m just attempting to coerce you into another lesson before you leave for work. You are right there, and I am right here.”
“But I must be at work in less than an hour, Mr. Warner.” She pressed her hand over his mouth when he began to protest. “And I must wash up so I don’t smell like a whorehouse, get dressed, eat, and tame this unruly head of hair. So no, that does not leave plenty of time.”
He scrunched his brows together in a disapproving glare.
“Oh, hush. You aren’t mad. You’re only disappointed you failed to win this time?”
Soon as her hand moved, he spoke, “Who says I’ve failed?”
She leaped off the bed before he could grab her and snatched her clothes from the floor. Pure luck got her to his personal washroom with the door closed before he’d caught her. Still chuckling, she leaned against the locked door. “I’ll only unlock when you swear to behave, sir.”
“Then I guess you’ll miss work—for I’ll never swear.”
Despite the threat, Kat knew Patrick would never keep her from her job. Unlike him, she hadn’t vast wealth enough for a personal washroom on the second floor of a home. She sighed as she filled the basin with water. Every time she came into the washroom she thought of her parents and how eager to throw around their wealth they’d once been.
She wondered if they still were as eager for the acceptance of high society. Or if they’d ever bothered to look for her, or still did. She sank onto the stool, her mind drifting back to the day she’d left home. Her ideas to send a letter to her father had never come to fruition, and as it often did, her guilt gnawed her belly.
The touch of a hand to her shoulder startled her out of her reverie, and she grasped Patrick’s wrist. He squeezed her shoulder, and she noticed he was fully dressed. “You were quiet for so long I became concerned.”
Kat frowned. Once she’d released his hand, she turned toward him. “I haven’t been in here that long.”
“Fifteen minutes.” He held out her chemise. “You won’t have time to eat at this rate. I’ll help you get dressed, on my best behavior, I promise.”
She tried to ignore how his brow remained puckered in concern, and instead snatched the chemise away and threw it on. They worked together to set her corset in place, and she re-tied the laces while he dug through her clothes for her petticoats and crinoline. By the time they’d set all her layers in place, she hoped his concern had passed, but it lingered in a tiny wrinkle between his brows.
“As always, you are dashing.” He flashed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Although your hair is more unruly than usual. Why don’t I have Loren bring your food up while you try to tame it?”
“Could you?” Kat sank back onto the stool in relief.
“Gladly. You get started, I’ll take care of things, and of course you will use my carriage to get to work. I won’t have you late, no matter how much I might tease you otherwise. It would do you no good to lose your job.”
“Thank you.” She turned her attention to her hair, glad for the distraction from his worried gaze. By the time he reappeared with a tray, she had almost managed to pin her hair in place. “I thought you were having Loren bring the tray?”
“I changed my mind.” He set the tray down on the vanity. “Care to tell me what’s troubling you?”
“Not particularly.”
“Are you certain?”
“I...”
He lifted a brow and met her gaze.
“Not particularly.”
“You held the expression of one who was missing something. Or perhaps, someone.” He’d blocked her view of herself the moment she’d lifted her hands from her hair. Although, she didn’t need to see her face to know the heat of a blush lit her cheeks. He didn’t mock her in any fashion, only set his hand on hers. “I know because I’ve felt the same myself.”
“Patrick. This
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