Read Online Timeless Desire by Lucy Felthouse - Free Book Online Page B

weren’t,
would you?”
    Emily beamed at the old woman, then set about gently removing things from the desk. This included the usual sheaves
of paper, letter tray and inkwell, as well as an ornate clock, some small
statues and an old photograph of the hall. She cleared a space on one of the
shelves at the edge of the room and placed everything there. She’d just have to
remember to put everything back before she left, ready for when the house
re-opened to visitors in the morning.
    She moved as quickly as she could, aware that Mrs.
Thompson was still standing holding the tray. Once the desk was clear, the
other woman made to put the tray down, but Emily stopped her. “Just a second. Let me just put my coverings down. I’ll be
as quick as I can.”
    Dashing across the room to where she’d dumped her bags
by the door, Emily grabbed them and moved them to the floor by the desk. Within
seconds she’d pulled out a surface cover and protected the desk.
    Mrs. Thompson put the tray down. “You are a
perfectionist, child. My very favorite kind of person.”
    Then, winking at Emily, she made to take her leave. “The
night guard, George, works from six until six, so he’ll be here to let you out
whenever you’re finished for the day. Night.” She
glanced at her watch. “He’s probably here now, actually. He knows you’re
coming, so no need to worry about him pouncing on you. Knowing him, he’ll pop
in just to say hello, but he won’t bother you for long. He’ll be off on his
rounds, keeping his eye out for the many criminals and cat burglars we get
lurking in our grounds.”
    Seeing Emily’s dumbfounded look, Mrs. Thompson chuckled.
The resulting expression on her face made her look like the sweet old lady
Emily was sure she was once you got to know her. “I’m just pulling your leg, my
dear. Not about George, of course, but about the cat burglars. We don’t get any
trouble around here. The security is just a precaution. Anyway, I’ll leave you
to get on. If you should need anything urgently, please come and find me. I’m
in the cottage on the other side of the kitchen gardens.”
    Walking to the door, she turned just inside the frame.
“Good night. If I do not see you before, I shall see you when you arrive
tomorrow evening.”
    “Good night, Mrs. Thompson. And thank you.”
    But the old lady was gone, leaving Emily alone in the
library once more. She set about pouring herself a cup of tea and by the time
she’d added the milk and sugar, Emily had a frustrating thought. She hadn’t
asked about the ladder. Her usual way of working was from top to bottom, left
to right. But to get anywhere near the top, Emily was going to need a ladder.
Even the tallest person would not be able to reach those high shelves without
help. They were right up by the ceiling, for heaven’s sake!
    Kicking herself, Emily made to chase after the house
supervisor. But as she drew closer to the library doors, a figure stepped through
them. Emily almost screamed when she saw the figure dressed all in black—thinking
back to Mrs. Thompson’s talk of cat burglars—then her brain clicked into gear. Of course. This must be George.
    He wasn’t quite what she’d expected, however. Emily
had envisioned a gray or white haired old fellow with a comb-over and a flashlight.
In actual fact, George looked as though he wasn’t much older than her, and his full
head of hair was a rich chocolate brown that matched his eyes. Judging by his
physique, Emily suspected he could also drop any potential burglars without so
much as breaking a sweat. Yum.
    Dragging her gaze back to his face, Emily smiled and
held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Emily. You must be George.”
    He grasped her small hand in his large, strong one and
Emily had to force herself not to look down. She had a real thing about hands. Fingers, in particular. For all her bookish appearance and
her literally bookish job, Emily had quite the libido and the fertile imagination
to go with it. So