their own accord.
She was the first to look away, turning her attention to the heap of untidy paperwork on the desk.
He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you give me a proper tour of the house? My plans were interrupted yesterday.” He paused meaningfully and she dutifully remembered how exactly how she had interrupted those plans. If she thought she had a chance of getting away with throwing him out again, she might have been tempted into a repeat performance. Anything other than have to deal with the complicated attraction she felt for him. Or seeing Theo’s reaction when he finally saw her home in its inglorious entirety. She didn’t want him to see how they lived – not when the reality was so depressing.
Rosie stared hopelessly at the papers scattered over her desk. “But…”
“If you like, we could look over the accounts later.”
She shrugged, mentally admitting defeat. He’d officially relieved her of her other duties and there were no more excuses. Giving the paperwork one last, longing look, she got to her feet. “I don’t seem to have anything better to do.” And, she supposed, it would be best to move around the building, rather than sit in the confined office space when the memory of his kiss was still so vivid.
To his credit, Theo said very little as they viewed the dilapidated rooms together. There was plenty he could have said – about the peeling wallpaper, the cracked plasterwork, the missing cornices and the dangerously dipping ceilings.
As they moved along the upstairs, she heard an almighty clattering behind her and turned to find Theo sprawled on the landing. “Oh, my.” She rushed over and offered him a hand. “I should have warned you to look out for the buckets.”
“What are they doing there?” He took her hand, but didn’t burden her with any of his weight as he sprung effortlessly to his feet.
“We leak when it’s wet,” she explained. “The buckets are there to catch rainwater.” It would be too easy to leave her hand nestled in his, but she pulled it away.
He ran his hand through his hair. “I suppose I’d better add a new roof to the cost of renovations.”
Rosie knew he had to be mentally calculating the cost of repairs and refurbishment as they stepped over the debris. And she knew the total wouldn’t bear thinking about. But still Theo didn’t criticise and she really liked him for that.
She wanted the manor to be restored to its former splendid glory. It had been a beautiful house once and it deserved to be taken care of. But she couldn’t be happy with Theo’s plans when her head was still buzzing with the news he was going to live at the manor. How could she hope that he’d let her and Evie stay when he’d made it clear that he wanted the place to himself?
She still found it hard to accept the manor was no longer in the family. Of course, it had never actually belonged to Rosie in the first place. But while first her father and then Harry had held ownership she’d believed she and Evie had an automatic right to a home here. Just showed you how wrong a girl could be, she realised bitterly.
***
“Your brother seems to have effectively stripped every asset from the place,” Theo commented at last. He threw the estate cash books back onto the desk and picked up a folder of miscellaneous correspondence, flicking through it with lightening speed. His wish for a guided tour realised, he still hadn’t said much, but she’d been able to tell from his grim expression that he wasn’t in the least impressed by what he’d seen.
At Rosie’s insistence, they then put in a horrific couple of hours going over the estate accounts. Sitting with only the old, rickety desk between them was doing her blood pressure few favours, but she didn’t want it said that she’d hidden any of the unsavoury facts.
“Legally he’s done nothing wrong.” Rosie grimaced, even to her own ears the excuse sounded pathetic.
“Perhaps, but all he’s left is the shell
She was the first to look away, turning her attention to the heap of untidy paperwork on the desk.
He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you give me a proper tour of the house? My plans were interrupted yesterday.” He paused meaningfully and she dutifully remembered how exactly how she had interrupted those plans. If she thought she had a chance of getting away with throwing him out again, she might have been tempted into a repeat performance. Anything other than have to deal with the complicated attraction she felt for him. Or seeing Theo’s reaction when he finally saw her home in its inglorious entirety. She didn’t want him to see how they lived – not when the reality was so depressing.
Rosie stared hopelessly at the papers scattered over her desk. “But…”
“If you like, we could look over the accounts later.”
She shrugged, mentally admitting defeat. He’d officially relieved her of her other duties and there were no more excuses. Giving the paperwork one last, longing look, she got to her feet. “I don’t seem to have anything better to do.” And, she supposed, it would be best to move around the building, rather than sit in the confined office space when the memory of his kiss was still so vivid.
To his credit, Theo said very little as they viewed the dilapidated rooms together. There was plenty he could have said – about the peeling wallpaper, the cracked plasterwork, the missing cornices and the dangerously dipping ceilings.
As they moved along the upstairs, she heard an almighty clattering behind her and turned to find Theo sprawled on the landing. “Oh, my.” She rushed over and offered him a hand. “I should have warned you to look out for the buckets.”
“What are they doing there?” He took her hand, but didn’t burden her with any of his weight as he sprung effortlessly to his feet.
“We leak when it’s wet,” she explained. “The buckets are there to catch rainwater.” It would be too easy to leave her hand nestled in his, but she pulled it away.
He ran his hand through his hair. “I suppose I’d better add a new roof to the cost of renovations.”
Rosie knew he had to be mentally calculating the cost of repairs and refurbishment as they stepped over the debris. And she knew the total wouldn’t bear thinking about. But still Theo didn’t criticise and she really liked him for that.
She wanted the manor to be restored to its former splendid glory. It had been a beautiful house once and it deserved to be taken care of. But she couldn’t be happy with Theo’s plans when her head was still buzzing with the news he was going to live at the manor. How could she hope that he’d let her and Evie stay when he’d made it clear that he wanted the place to himself?
She still found it hard to accept the manor was no longer in the family. Of course, it had never actually belonged to Rosie in the first place. But while first her father and then Harry had held ownership she’d believed she and Evie had an automatic right to a home here. Just showed you how wrong a girl could be, she realised bitterly.
***
“Your brother seems to have effectively stripped every asset from the place,” Theo commented at last. He threw the estate cash books back onto the desk and picked up a folder of miscellaneous correspondence, flicking through it with lightening speed. His wish for a guided tour realised, he still hadn’t said much, but she’d been able to tell from his grim expression that he wasn’t in the least impressed by what he’d seen.
At Rosie’s insistence, they then put in a horrific couple of hours going over the estate accounts. Sitting with only the old, rickety desk between them was doing her blood pressure few favours, but she didn’t want it said that she’d hidden any of the unsavoury facts.
“Legally he’s done nothing wrong.” Rosie grimaced, even to her own ears the excuse sounded pathetic.
“Perhaps, but all he’s left is the shell
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