too.”
Both the maids nodded and smiled at each other as they carried Erva up the main flight of stairs.
Will didn’t know why, but at that moment he felt he couldn’t approach Erva while she was with the maids. The one he recognized from this morning. Did he employ her? He tried to keep his servants at a minimum and tried even harder to know everyone he paid. But for the life of him, he couldn’t remember her name. Or the other one’s. Surely they must be sisters. So why didn’t he recall employing them?
He merely watched as the maids carried Erva up the stairs while talking about it raining in Paris too and how they wanted to go there soon. Will swallowed and glanced back down, surprised Paul had come to stand so close to him. He too stared at the maids and Erva.
“They smell fabulous,” Paul said.
“Pardon?”
“The new maids.”
Will grunted an acknowledgement.
“They smell like lavenders. They look even better. You know, they’re taller than I.”
Will glanced again at his man of business.
One of Paul’s dark brows arched. “I’ve always wanted to kiss a woman who was taller than I.”
Will smiled. “Which would you pick?”
“Ah, it would be cruel to pick just one.”
Will chuckled. He again checked the maids’ progress, and they just then walked out of eyesight. Sighing, he felt a bit disjointed and unsure what to do.
He’d kissed Erva. Better yet, she’d kissed him.
It had been clumsy, impetuous, and so perfect.
“The town is talking of you and Lady Ferguson. Already there are rumors that the two of you have been lovers for years.”
Will sighed again. He hated gossip. But he may as well be Don Quixote fighting windmills for all the good it would do to clarify himself to society.
“You like her?”
Will peeked at Paul. He thought of telling his best friend how in one day’s time he’d gone from feeling dead to suddenly more alive than ever before. He thought about telling him that Erva stirred emotions in him he’d buried long ago. He thought about saying something regarding her beauty, and how she had him stymied every time she’d opened her precious mouth. But his response was simply to blow out a puff of air on a groan.
Paul blinked then cocked his head. “You like her a lot.”
Will gave his friend a small smile.
“Oh,” Paul said, nodding as if he understood. With Paul, Will wouldn’t put it past the man if he did understand him and his less than communicative ways. “You know, she has money of her own right, or so the New York society says, so she’s not after your money.”
Will glared at Paul.
Paul let out his own exacerbated sound. “Well, forgive me, but most of the women who cross your path are after your money. I worried this morning that that was what she was about, just storming into your house the way she did.”
“No, I broke down her door. Remember?”
Paul grinned. “Rather splendid work. I’m sure she was impressed with that. And by the by, the carpenter’s repaired the door hours ago. Although it does still smell of paint.”
Will nodded. “Thank you for that.”
Paul didn’t say anything for a moment, and finally Will had to check his friend again.
“You keep staring upstairs.”
Will shrugged.
“You really like her.”
Sighing once more, Will finally turned to Paul. “Yes, I—I want her to stay longer than she intends.”
“Invite her then.”
Will narrowed his eyes, feeling particularly juvenile when he said, “I was thinking of something more manipulative to force her to stay.”
Paul silently chuckled. “Tying her to the furniture? Chaining her?”
“Seduction.”
Paul kept his smile, but it changed into something more lewd. “I see. So you were thinking of tying her to the bed .”
Will chuckled himself. “If she wants that sort of thing, then I’m game.” He nodded, then added, “Would—would you help me?”
Paul’s eyes narrowed.
“I mean.” Will chuckled. “I mean, I—I’ve never seduced a
Both the maids nodded and smiled at each other as they carried Erva up the main flight of stairs.
Will didn’t know why, but at that moment he felt he couldn’t approach Erva while she was with the maids. The one he recognized from this morning. Did he employ her? He tried to keep his servants at a minimum and tried even harder to know everyone he paid. But for the life of him, he couldn’t remember her name. Or the other one’s. Surely they must be sisters. So why didn’t he recall employing them?
He merely watched as the maids carried Erva up the stairs while talking about it raining in Paris too and how they wanted to go there soon. Will swallowed and glanced back down, surprised Paul had come to stand so close to him. He too stared at the maids and Erva.
“They smell fabulous,” Paul said.
“Pardon?”
“The new maids.”
Will grunted an acknowledgement.
“They smell like lavenders. They look even better. You know, they’re taller than I.”
Will glanced again at his man of business.
One of Paul’s dark brows arched. “I’ve always wanted to kiss a woman who was taller than I.”
Will smiled. “Which would you pick?”
“Ah, it would be cruel to pick just one.”
Will chuckled. He again checked the maids’ progress, and they just then walked out of eyesight. Sighing, he felt a bit disjointed and unsure what to do.
He’d kissed Erva. Better yet, she’d kissed him.
It had been clumsy, impetuous, and so perfect.
“The town is talking of you and Lady Ferguson. Already there are rumors that the two of you have been lovers for years.”
Will sighed again. He hated gossip. But he may as well be Don Quixote fighting windmills for all the good it would do to clarify himself to society.
“You like her?”
Will peeked at Paul. He thought of telling his best friend how in one day’s time he’d gone from feeling dead to suddenly more alive than ever before. He thought about telling him that Erva stirred emotions in him he’d buried long ago. He thought about saying something regarding her beauty, and how she had him stymied every time she’d opened her precious mouth. But his response was simply to blow out a puff of air on a groan.
Paul blinked then cocked his head. “You like her a lot.”
Will gave his friend a small smile.
“Oh,” Paul said, nodding as if he understood. With Paul, Will wouldn’t put it past the man if he did understand him and his less than communicative ways. “You know, she has money of her own right, or so the New York society says, so she’s not after your money.”
Will glared at Paul.
Paul let out his own exacerbated sound. “Well, forgive me, but most of the women who cross your path are after your money. I worried this morning that that was what she was about, just storming into your house the way she did.”
“No, I broke down her door. Remember?”
Paul grinned. “Rather splendid work. I’m sure she was impressed with that. And by the by, the carpenter’s repaired the door hours ago. Although it does still smell of paint.”
Will nodded. “Thank you for that.”
Paul didn’t say anything for a moment, and finally Will had to check his friend again.
“You keep staring upstairs.”
Will shrugged.
“You really like her.”
Sighing once more, Will finally turned to Paul. “Yes, I—I want her to stay longer than she intends.”
“Invite her then.”
Will narrowed his eyes, feeling particularly juvenile when he said, “I was thinking of something more manipulative to force her to stay.”
Paul silently chuckled. “Tying her to the furniture? Chaining her?”
“Seduction.”
Paul kept his smile, but it changed into something more lewd. “I see. So you were thinking of tying her to the bed .”
Will chuckled himself. “If she wants that sort of thing, then I’m game.” He nodded, then added, “Would—would you help me?”
Paul’s eyes narrowed.
“I mean.” Will chuckled. “I mean, I—I’ve never seduced a
Similar Books
