skin.
“Do you like eggs?” May asked from the table.
“I do.”
“I helped gather them,” she said proudly, between mouthfuls.
“It looks like you did a fine job.”
Felicity placed a heaping plate on the table, and he sat beside May. Watching them teasing and making faces at each other, she felt distinctly befuddled. How odd, the way they looked like a family, when she and May hardly even knew him. Forthat matter, how odd that she wanted to run her fingers through his still-damp hair, and feed him his breakfast with her fingers. His lips looked so soft, and when he smiled…
Rafe took a bite, and then another. “Delicious, Miss Harrington.” He winked at May. “I have to say, I’m a bit relieved after seeing the toast yesterday.”
“I told you that was an accident,” Felicity retorted. “You didn’t complain about dinner last night.”
May laughed. “You might have hit him again.”
“The mutton was excellent.” Rafe chuckled. “And I would have said that even if I weren’t in dire fear for my life.”
Felicity laughed. “Oh, stop it.”
“You should smile more often,” he said softly, then wiped his chin with a napkin. “By the way, I thought I might ride into Pelford this morning. Do you need anything?”
I need the roof fixed , she almost said, but didn’t. He wasn’t a slave or an employee, and much as she could have used the assistance, she was accustomed to doing things on her own. “No, I can’t think of anything.”
He nodded and went back to his breakfast. “How many chickens do I—you—we own, anyway?”
Felicity had become expert at detecting her brother’s attempts to change the subject, and chickens seemed like a definite distraction—though Rafe was a fairly formidable one all on his own. “Twenty-four. What do you need in Pelford?”
“I just wanted to take a survey of the countryside, since I own this place now.” He shoveled in another mouthful.
She frowned at him. “To avoid any confusionwith the neighbors, please don’t tell anyone that until my brother returns and we can determine the true story.”
He sighed. “Don’t worry. And I’ll be back in time to work on the roof. It looks as though we’re in for another storm.”
“Can I go with you?” May asked, springing to her feet.
“No, you may not,” Felicity put in, reluctantly looking away from him. “We have cleaning to do, you have reading, and we have a luncheon engagement with Squire Talford.”
Rafe paused with the fork halfway to his mouth. “Who’s Squire Talford?”
“A neighbor. The local school is on his land. I’m on the education committee.”
“I’m not surprised.” Turning to May, he leaned back in his chair. “So, how old is this squire?”
“He’s at least a hundred,” May answered wisely.
Felicity’s pulse jolted into high speed again. He couldn’t possibly be jealous. They barely knew each other, and he was only rowing with half an oar, anyway. “Why do you ask?”
Rafe looked straight at her. “Because you look so lovely this morning. I wanted to be sure someone—besides me, of course—appreciated you.”
With a smile he pushed away from the table and was gone, leaving Felicity to stare at the kitchen door and wonder whether she’d also lost her mind. She had no reason to desire and enjoy the compliments of a lunatic stranger, however compelling and interesting he might be. And she certainly shouldn’t go to the trouble of dressing in her best remaining morning gown simply to impress him. She glanced down at the yellow and green muslin with the carefully matched green pelisse. At leasthe’d noticed, which was gratifying, considering that now she’d have to change out of it again to continue digging through the wreckage.
“He likes you,” May whispered, giggling.
“Oh, hush,” she answered, settling down to finish her own breakfast.
“Well, are you a solicitor, or aren’t you?”
The man seated opposite Rafe in the small,
“Do you like eggs?” May asked from the table.
“I do.”
“I helped gather them,” she said proudly, between mouthfuls.
“It looks like you did a fine job.”
Felicity placed a heaping plate on the table, and he sat beside May. Watching them teasing and making faces at each other, she felt distinctly befuddled. How odd, the way they looked like a family, when she and May hardly even knew him. Forthat matter, how odd that she wanted to run her fingers through his still-damp hair, and feed him his breakfast with her fingers. His lips looked so soft, and when he smiled…
Rafe took a bite, and then another. “Delicious, Miss Harrington.” He winked at May. “I have to say, I’m a bit relieved after seeing the toast yesterday.”
“I told you that was an accident,” Felicity retorted. “You didn’t complain about dinner last night.”
May laughed. “You might have hit him again.”
“The mutton was excellent.” Rafe chuckled. “And I would have said that even if I weren’t in dire fear for my life.”
Felicity laughed. “Oh, stop it.”
“You should smile more often,” he said softly, then wiped his chin with a napkin. “By the way, I thought I might ride into Pelford this morning. Do you need anything?”
I need the roof fixed , she almost said, but didn’t. He wasn’t a slave or an employee, and much as she could have used the assistance, she was accustomed to doing things on her own. “No, I can’t think of anything.”
He nodded and went back to his breakfast. “How many chickens do I—you—we own, anyway?”
Felicity had become expert at detecting her brother’s attempts to change the subject, and chickens seemed like a definite distraction—though Rafe was a fairly formidable one all on his own. “Twenty-four. What do you need in Pelford?”
“I just wanted to take a survey of the countryside, since I own this place now.” He shoveled in another mouthful.
She frowned at him. “To avoid any confusionwith the neighbors, please don’t tell anyone that until my brother returns and we can determine the true story.”
He sighed. “Don’t worry. And I’ll be back in time to work on the roof. It looks as though we’re in for another storm.”
“Can I go with you?” May asked, springing to her feet.
“No, you may not,” Felicity put in, reluctantly looking away from him. “We have cleaning to do, you have reading, and we have a luncheon engagement with Squire Talford.”
Rafe paused with the fork halfway to his mouth. “Who’s Squire Talford?”
“A neighbor. The local school is on his land. I’m on the education committee.”
“I’m not surprised.” Turning to May, he leaned back in his chair. “So, how old is this squire?”
“He’s at least a hundred,” May answered wisely.
Felicity’s pulse jolted into high speed again. He couldn’t possibly be jealous. They barely knew each other, and he was only rowing with half an oar, anyway. “Why do you ask?”
Rafe looked straight at her. “Because you look so lovely this morning. I wanted to be sure someone—besides me, of course—appreciated you.”
With a smile he pushed away from the table and was gone, leaving Felicity to stare at the kitchen door and wonder whether she’d also lost her mind. She had no reason to desire and enjoy the compliments of a lunatic stranger, however compelling and interesting he might be. And she certainly shouldn’t go to the trouble of dressing in her best remaining morning gown simply to impress him. She glanced down at the yellow and green muslin with the carefully matched green pelisse. At leasthe’d noticed, which was gratifying, considering that now she’d have to change out of it again to continue digging through the wreckage.
“He likes you,” May whispered, giggling.
“Oh, hush,” she answered, settling down to finish her own breakfast.
“Well, are you a solicitor, or aren’t you?”
The man seated opposite Rafe in the small,
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