Danielle?”
“I would mind. I ain’t no Danielle. My friends call me Danny. Since you ain’t one o’ them, you can call me Dan.”
She was delightfully amusing in her stubborn adherence to being standoffish. Wouldn’t give an inch, he was guessing. Habit, he was sure. But he supposed she would have had to be defensive, growing up where she did.
“But we are going to be friends, dear girl, so I suppose I will get used to Danny. Actually, it’s a nice name, has a nice ring to it.”
“Get over it, mate,” she grouched, then at his raised brow, added, “Sir.”
He grinned. “Very well. On to the next subject then. Have you any dresses in that sack you’re guarding with your life?”
She shook her head. “Just my pet and one change o’ clothes.”
“More pants, I presume?”
“Course more pants,” she said tersely. “I’ve been a boy for fifteen years.”
“Good God, really?”
She was blushing now, profusely.
“Well, you do realize that you picked the job that will require feminine togs? My father might thumb his nose at convention, but I’m not my father. I don’t expect uniforms, though,” he assured her. “No indeed. This is a bachelor residence, and as such, I expect my servants to enjoy working here. No worrying about collars not being stiff enough or wrinkled skirts or the like.”
“I was expecting to wear a dress,” she said stiffly. “Did I mention I ’ave no money?”
“You did, didn’t you?” He grinned again. “Not to worry. My housekeeper will be able to help in that regard and to get you otherwise situated and instructed. Come along. Much as I enjoy your company, I suppose I should turn you over to her now.”
She followed him, but stopped when they reached the bottom of the stairs, told him, “You’ll let her know you hired me? That she can’t fire me? The last time I tried to be a maid, soon as I met the ’ousekeeper I got fired. She didn’t like the way I talked, or looked.”
“I can imagine,” he said dryly.
“No, ye can’t,” she snorted. “Ye’ve never tried to be a maid b’fore.”
“Well, no, I don’t suppose I have.”
“Don’t be laughing at me again, Malory. I won’t tolerate it. And that was in a lower-class ’ousehold, not one up ’ere on the bleedin’ rich end o’ town.”
He wiped the grin off his face. “So you have tried honest work before?”
“Never got a chance to. Either got fired quick or couldn’t get ’ired. Can’t read, ye know, which don’t give me many choices for jobs.”
“Would you like to be able to read?” he asked curiously.
“Sure I would, but I’m too bleedin’ old for any schooling now.”
“But you’re never too old to learn. Regardless, you needn’t worry about anyone firing you here. You didn’t exactly get hired under normal means, now did you?”
He was surprised that she actually looked embarrassed by that reminder. She wasn’t going to be easy to deal with. Stepping on eggshells around her came to mind. It was that defensive stance of hers, ingrained, that so easily took offense. And she didn’t have a deferential bone in her body. Cocky guttersnipe was what she was. But that was to be expected from someone who’d never had to deal with their betters before—except to rob them.
“Come along,” Jeremy suggested. “Mrs. Robertson is probably in the back of the house somewhere. You’ll like her. Motherly sort. She—”
He got no further before the front door opened and his cousin Regina barged in. Bad habit, Reggie had, of not knocking. Of course, she did live just down the street, and she did know that he’d yet to find a butler.
She was startled by his presence there in the hall. “Goodness, didn’t expect to find you this quickly. Were you on your way out?”
“No, just getting my new servant situated.”
She looked at Danny then and tossed her a brief smile, but to Jeremy she said, “Well, that settles that.”
He raised a brow at her. “Dare I ask
“I would mind. I ain’t no Danielle. My friends call me Danny. Since you ain’t one o’ them, you can call me Dan.”
She was delightfully amusing in her stubborn adherence to being standoffish. Wouldn’t give an inch, he was guessing. Habit, he was sure. But he supposed she would have had to be defensive, growing up where she did.
“But we are going to be friends, dear girl, so I suppose I will get used to Danny. Actually, it’s a nice name, has a nice ring to it.”
“Get over it, mate,” she grouched, then at his raised brow, added, “Sir.”
He grinned. “Very well. On to the next subject then. Have you any dresses in that sack you’re guarding with your life?”
She shook her head. “Just my pet and one change o’ clothes.”
“More pants, I presume?”
“Course more pants,” she said tersely. “I’ve been a boy for fifteen years.”
“Good God, really?”
She was blushing now, profusely.
“Well, you do realize that you picked the job that will require feminine togs? My father might thumb his nose at convention, but I’m not my father. I don’t expect uniforms, though,” he assured her. “No indeed. This is a bachelor residence, and as such, I expect my servants to enjoy working here. No worrying about collars not being stiff enough or wrinkled skirts or the like.”
“I was expecting to wear a dress,” she said stiffly. “Did I mention I ’ave no money?”
“You did, didn’t you?” He grinned again. “Not to worry. My housekeeper will be able to help in that regard and to get you otherwise situated and instructed. Come along. Much as I enjoy your company, I suppose I should turn you over to her now.”
She followed him, but stopped when they reached the bottom of the stairs, told him, “You’ll let her know you hired me? That she can’t fire me? The last time I tried to be a maid, soon as I met the ’ousekeeper I got fired. She didn’t like the way I talked, or looked.”
“I can imagine,” he said dryly.
“No, ye can’t,” she snorted. “Ye’ve never tried to be a maid b’fore.”
“Well, no, I don’t suppose I have.”
“Don’t be laughing at me again, Malory. I won’t tolerate it. And that was in a lower-class ’ousehold, not one up ’ere on the bleedin’ rich end o’ town.”
He wiped the grin off his face. “So you have tried honest work before?”
“Never got a chance to. Either got fired quick or couldn’t get ’ired. Can’t read, ye know, which don’t give me many choices for jobs.”
“Would you like to be able to read?” he asked curiously.
“Sure I would, but I’m too bleedin’ old for any schooling now.”
“But you’re never too old to learn. Regardless, you needn’t worry about anyone firing you here. You didn’t exactly get hired under normal means, now did you?”
He was surprised that she actually looked embarrassed by that reminder. She wasn’t going to be easy to deal with. Stepping on eggshells around her came to mind. It was that defensive stance of hers, ingrained, that so easily took offense. And she didn’t have a deferential bone in her body. Cocky guttersnipe was what she was. But that was to be expected from someone who’d never had to deal with their betters before—except to rob them.
“Come along,” Jeremy suggested. “Mrs. Robertson is probably in the back of the house somewhere. You’ll like her. Motherly sort. She—”
He got no further before the front door opened and his cousin Regina barged in. Bad habit, Reggie had, of not knocking. Of course, she did live just down the street, and she did know that he’d yet to find a butler.
She was startled by his presence there in the hall. “Goodness, didn’t expect to find you this quickly. Were you on your way out?”
“No, just getting my new servant situated.”
She looked at Danny then and tossed her a brief smile, but to Jeremy she said, “Well, that settles that.”
He raised a brow at her. “Dare I ask
Similar Books
