moan, she began to worry she had done him irreparable harm. Seeking help, she raced from the room and straight into the arms of Mr Henson.
“Who’s making that dreadful ruckus?” The butler caught Lisa by the elbow and directed her back into the library.
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” He reached down to haul Owen up by the collar of his shirt. “That’ll teach ye to leave the lasses alone. Ye’ll be lucky to avoid a horse-whipping when His Grace hears about this. Ye know his views about harassing unwilling girls.”
Owen groaned a garbled protest as he stumbled from the room, a shove in the middle of his back from the butler sending him on his way.
“Are you all right, lass?” Mr Henson asked, turning to face her.
“Yes, sir. I don’t know why he thought he could . . .” Lisa gripped her hands to stop them from shaking.
“Don’t fret. I was a bit worried you’d be trouble, but you’ve done naught to provoke the men. You can’t help your looks or the delusions that fill a feckless young man’s head. Mind you, seems like you can handle yourself well enough.” He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. “Do you need some time to collect yourself, or will you be right to continue?”
“I’ll be fine, thank you, sir.”
“Very well then, but do let me know if any of the others give you trouble. We pride ourselves at Worthington Hall on providing a safe environment for the staff. His Grace wouldn’t have it any other way.”
With a final nod, Mr Henson left the library, leaving Lisa to collect the discarded cleaning utensils with hands that shook.
Her work was almost finished when she heard a noise.
“Owen, is that you?”
The footman had seemed cowed after she had struck him with her knee, but Lisa doubted she would get the opportunity to best him the same way twice.
“If that’s you, Owen, you’d better stay away from me, or I’ll give you some more punishment.” The tremor in her voice undermined her forceful tone, so she raised her voice. “I mean it! I don’t want you touching me or kissing me. Just leave me alone.”
Catching a movement to her right, Lisa turned to see Nathaniel stepping forward from a shadowed doorway.
“Oh, it’s you.” He didn’t return her smile, and lowering her head, she quickly dropped a curtsy.
“I’m sorry, my lord. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Peering up through her lashes she saw him stalking towards her, her stomach lurching as she wondered if he had discovered her link with his friend, Lord Copeland. As he came closer, she saw he was limping slightly, the more likely cause of his annoyance. He must regret putting himself at risk over a mere servant.
Twice in the same morning, Lisa found herself backed up against the bookshelves, as Nathaniel crowded her against the wall. He reached a hand towards her, and she flinched.
“You think I would strike you?”
“No.” Lisa shook her head, looking up at him warily. “It’s just you’re so angry with me.”
“Why would I be angry with you?” He sounded genuinely puzzled.
“Because of your leg. If you hadn’t come to my rescue you would not have been injured.”
“I told you it was nothing, the injury well worth the price of your safety.”
Lisa forced herself to keep still as he reached for a strand of hair that had come loose during her tussle with Owen. After tucking it back into the bun at her nape, he trailed his fingers down the side of her neck, her skin tingling at his touch.
“The ‘Owen’ you were threatening, is he the footman who’s been shadowing you?”
She nodded.
“It’s not hard to guess his transgression, but I’m curious. How exactly did you punish him?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Lisa?” he prompted, and she started out of her reverie. He really was quite wonderful to look at.
“Um, well, you see, I remembered something a friend of mine told me about protecting myself from an unwanted advance, and I
“Who’s making that dreadful ruckus?” The butler caught Lisa by the elbow and directed her back into the library.
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” He reached down to haul Owen up by the collar of his shirt. “That’ll teach ye to leave the lasses alone. Ye’ll be lucky to avoid a horse-whipping when His Grace hears about this. Ye know his views about harassing unwilling girls.”
Owen groaned a garbled protest as he stumbled from the room, a shove in the middle of his back from the butler sending him on his way.
“Are you all right, lass?” Mr Henson asked, turning to face her.
“Yes, sir. I don’t know why he thought he could . . .” Lisa gripped her hands to stop them from shaking.
“Don’t fret. I was a bit worried you’d be trouble, but you’ve done naught to provoke the men. You can’t help your looks or the delusions that fill a feckless young man’s head. Mind you, seems like you can handle yourself well enough.” He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. “Do you need some time to collect yourself, or will you be right to continue?”
“I’ll be fine, thank you, sir.”
“Very well then, but do let me know if any of the others give you trouble. We pride ourselves at Worthington Hall on providing a safe environment for the staff. His Grace wouldn’t have it any other way.”
With a final nod, Mr Henson left the library, leaving Lisa to collect the discarded cleaning utensils with hands that shook.
Her work was almost finished when she heard a noise.
“Owen, is that you?”
The footman had seemed cowed after she had struck him with her knee, but Lisa doubted she would get the opportunity to best him the same way twice.
“If that’s you, Owen, you’d better stay away from me, or I’ll give you some more punishment.” The tremor in her voice undermined her forceful tone, so she raised her voice. “I mean it! I don’t want you touching me or kissing me. Just leave me alone.”
Catching a movement to her right, Lisa turned to see Nathaniel stepping forward from a shadowed doorway.
“Oh, it’s you.” He didn’t return her smile, and lowering her head, she quickly dropped a curtsy.
“I’m sorry, my lord. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Peering up through her lashes she saw him stalking towards her, her stomach lurching as she wondered if he had discovered her link with his friend, Lord Copeland. As he came closer, she saw he was limping slightly, the more likely cause of his annoyance. He must regret putting himself at risk over a mere servant.
Twice in the same morning, Lisa found herself backed up against the bookshelves, as Nathaniel crowded her against the wall. He reached a hand towards her, and she flinched.
“You think I would strike you?”
“No.” Lisa shook her head, looking up at him warily. “It’s just you’re so angry with me.”
“Why would I be angry with you?” He sounded genuinely puzzled.
“Because of your leg. If you hadn’t come to my rescue you would not have been injured.”
“I told you it was nothing, the injury well worth the price of your safety.”
Lisa forced herself to keep still as he reached for a strand of hair that had come loose during her tussle with Owen. After tucking it back into the bun at her nape, he trailed his fingers down the side of her neck, her skin tingling at his touch.
“The ‘Owen’ you were threatening, is he the footman who’s been shadowing you?”
She nodded.
“It’s not hard to guess his transgression, but I’m curious. How exactly did you punish him?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Lisa?” he prompted, and she started out of her reverie. He really was quite wonderful to look at.
“Um, well, you see, I remembered something a friend of mine told me about protecting myself from an unwanted advance, and I
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