Read Online The Governess Club: Louisa by Ellie Macdonald - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ellie Macdonald
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she stated.
“Have you climbed a ladder before?”
She sniffed. In stables, yes, but not for many years. “How difficult can it be?”
“The ladder wobbles.”
“Thank you for the warning. I am sure that I will be fine, if it holds you. Now if you please.” She nodded at the ladder and waited.
With a shrug, he scaled the ladder until he could swing up onto the roof. He leaned over to watch her ascent. Pressing her lips together, she held her skirts up by one hand and with the other clasped the wood of the ladder. Leaning in to compensate for her one-handed rise, she climbed up rung by rung, using the heels of her shoes to secure herself more firmly to the ladder. When she reached the top, he offered her his hand, which she refused until she noticed that half the roof was missing. Deciding the loss of pride was preferable to the loss of her life, she took it.
When his fingers encircled hers, the sensations from earlier that day came rushing back. His calloused skin scraped against hers, making all of her nerves stand at attention, focused on him. Thoughts of how his hands would feel against her belly, her breasts, her thighs and she felt a tingle tease her core.
He didn’t release her hand, instead pulled her closer to him, his arm sliding around her waist. “Be careful.”
“I am fine,” she said, but didn’t pull away, not when his hand felt so nice against her hip.
“Allow me this,” he murmured in her ear. “It is dangerous up here for even the most sure-footed of men.”
She nodded, still focused on the heat coming from his side and seeping into her body. A part of her mind whispered that she should move away, that she did not need to lean against him so, but the instinct to survive had her relishing his support.
Giant Johnny gestured with his free hand, covering the whole roof and pointing at the exposed wood. “We had to reframe most of the roof. The wood was rotten and you would have found yourself with one big hole, hopefully one that didn’t fall on your head.”
“I know what happens to rotten wood.” She found her voice again.
He ignored her and continued explaining their progress on the roof to her, carefully maneuvering her toward where shingles had already been laid, watching to see that she stepped carefully along the exposed wood and providing her support.
He glanced down at her and smiled. John released her to pick up a hammer and held it out to her. “Want to shingle your roof?”
Louisa stared at him. He could not be serious? She had never shingled a roof before. It was a task reserved for m—
On that thought, she took the offered tool and lifted her chin. “Tell me what to do.”
A grin covered his face and he led her to the laid shingles, walking onto the roof. She followed, holding her skirts in one hand, stepping cautiously. She eyed him walking confidently and forced herself to relax. If the wood supported his weight and size, it would do the same for her. Except that statement was something her logical mind failed to communicate fully to her still tense body. A part of her wished he still held on to her hand. Just for the support , she told herself.
He bent down and picked up a shingle. He knelt down and showed her the layering. “When it rains, you want the water to be able to run unobstructed down the roof. By layering the shingles, it keeps the water from entering the house, but if the first layer was at the peak—”
“The water would pool in the ridges instead of flowing down,” Louisa interrupted. “Yes, I see. That is quite logical.”
He grinned at her. “Yes, we men are known for our logic.”
She glared at him. “Do you really want me to respond to that?” She belatedly recognized the tease.
The grin remained. “The shingles are to be nailed down, like so.” He crouched, overlapped the new shingle over the top half of the already placed one and put a nail in each of the four corners, ensuring they entered both wood and shingle. “Easy as
“Have you climbed a ladder before?”
She sniffed. In stables, yes, but not for many years. “How difficult can it be?”
“The ladder wobbles.”
“Thank you for the warning. I am sure that I will be fine, if it holds you. Now if you please.” She nodded at the ladder and waited.
With a shrug, he scaled the ladder until he could swing up onto the roof. He leaned over to watch her ascent. Pressing her lips together, she held her skirts up by one hand and with the other clasped the wood of the ladder. Leaning in to compensate for her one-handed rise, she climbed up rung by rung, using the heels of her shoes to secure herself more firmly to the ladder. When she reached the top, he offered her his hand, which she refused until she noticed that half the roof was missing. Deciding the loss of pride was preferable to the loss of her life, she took it.
When his fingers encircled hers, the sensations from earlier that day came rushing back. His calloused skin scraped against hers, making all of her nerves stand at attention, focused on him. Thoughts of how his hands would feel against her belly, her breasts, her thighs and she felt a tingle tease her core.
He didn’t release her hand, instead pulled her closer to him, his arm sliding around her waist. “Be careful.”
“I am fine,” she said, but didn’t pull away, not when his hand felt so nice against her hip.
“Allow me this,” he murmured in her ear. “It is dangerous up here for even the most sure-footed of men.”
She nodded, still focused on the heat coming from his side and seeping into her body. A part of her mind whispered that she should move away, that she did not need to lean against him so, but the instinct to survive had her relishing his support.
Giant Johnny gestured with his free hand, covering the whole roof and pointing at the exposed wood. “We had to reframe most of the roof. The wood was rotten and you would have found yourself with one big hole, hopefully one that didn’t fall on your head.”
“I know what happens to rotten wood.” She found her voice again.
He ignored her and continued explaining their progress on the roof to her, carefully maneuvering her toward where shingles had already been laid, watching to see that she stepped carefully along the exposed wood and providing her support.
He glanced down at her and smiled. John released her to pick up a hammer and held it out to her. “Want to shingle your roof?”
Louisa stared at him. He could not be serious? She had never shingled a roof before. It was a task reserved for m—
On that thought, she took the offered tool and lifted her chin. “Tell me what to do.”
A grin covered his face and he led her to the laid shingles, walking onto the roof. She followed, holding her skirts in one hand, stepping cautiously. She eyed him walking confidently and forced herself to relax. If the wood supported his weight and size, it would do the same for her. Except that statement was something her logical mind failed to communicate fully to her still tense body. A part of her wished he still held on to her hand. Just for the support , she told herself.
He bent down and picked up a shingle. He knelt down and showed her the layering. “When it rains, you want the water to be able to run unobstructed down the roof. By layering the shingles, it keeps the water from entering the house, but if the first layer was at the peak—”
“The water would pool in the ridges instead of flowing down,” Louisa interrupted. “Yes, I see. That is quite logical.”
He grinned at her. “Yes, we men are known for our logic.”
She glared at him. “Do you really want me to respond to that?” She belatedly recognized the tease.
The grin remained. “The shingles are to be nailed down, like so.” He crouched, overlapped the new shingle over the top half of the already placed one and put a nail in each of the four corners, ensuring they entered both wood and shingle. “Easy as
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