stop. “But it will be your dog. You do not need my opinion.”
His eyes narrowed on her pale face . “It is always good to have a second pair of eyes, Per sephone,” he said after a pause. “Other’s opinions put things in better perspective.”
She stared down at where his hand held hers. Th e heat of his hand almost burned her flesh. She just breathed, in, out, in, out , over and over until the panic tha t threatened to rise subsided.
He stooped down to eye level and looked her square in the eye , acknowledging her fears but not yielding at all. His blue eyes gentle. “You are safe, sweetheart.” He said in his soothing tone, watching her with observant eyes. Her size made him feel powerful. She m ade him feel as if he could slay all of her dragons. She was tangling herself into his life without any effort on her part .
For a long m oment she simply stared at him. He had a line between his brows and his mouth had tightened, but his eyes were level with hers and she knew he could see into her soul. Could see h er heart in her eyes, he gave her no quarter. He gave her no space for prevarication, so s he nodded and allowed him to lead her t o the sitting room forcing one foot in front of the other . “Thank you.”
He stopped and looked at her before turning to the only other occupant in the room . His rough-tipped fingers stroked over the back of her hand. “It is my pleasure.”
“Aunt,” Parker greeted when he stepped over the threshold. He first saw to P ersephone ’s comfort. Insuring she was relaxed, sitting near Adele’s chaise on the rose velvet settee before he poured himself a brandy. He gestured to his aunt’s empty glass of Madeira. “Would you like me to top off your drink?”
“Thank you, dear. ” Her shrewd eyes followed Parker’s walk across the room , then she returned her gaze to where Persephone was situating herself on the settee.
Persephone was overwhelmed by the room. Pink? She shuddered. Not her favorite color.
Parker studied her reaction to the room . “Are you not a fan of the color pink, Persephone ?” He slanted a glance at his aunt and smiled smugly . “I believe I have found a new champion for my cause .” The laugh lines beside his mouth deepened.
“Oh pooh!” Adele swatted at him.
Persephone tensed and looked at them with a furrowed brow. “Champion?” She shifted uncomfortably.
“I advised my aunt not a week past that I intend to redecorate this parlor .” He nodded his head. “ I feel that s ince my sister s no longer reside at Rosebriar , I would like to begin this project with this room and rid myself of this g od awful color once and for all, but my aunt believes my sister’s would be devastated by the change and therefore I should leave it be . ”
“Why would your sisters be devastated , my lord?” She bit her lower lip as she waited .
“This room was our mothers,” he clarified. “She died while giving birth to Piper and Poppy.”
"I see.” Persephone’s eyes wandered over the room attempting to view the room through a man’s eyes. Pink velvet settee, chintz covered spindly-legged chair with tiny red roses and pink stripes , pink-veined marble fireplace. Definitely a room fit for a woman, not a man. But she also tried to look at it through the eyes of his sisters. It was more than a room; it was a museum of sorts. It was a portrait of who their mother had been and still was in their minds.
“My father never had it changed even after her death, ” he added. “Over the years we’ve just had it refurbished.” He looked around the room once more taking in all that it contained. All the memories that haunted each piece housed in the room. He hoped he hadn’t spoken to soon. Why did he have to feel anything?
“It is a lovely room, but perhaps not suitable for a bachelor ’s home .”
Parker’s brow rose at Persephone’s
His eyes narrowed on her pale face . “It is always good to have a second pair of eyes, Per sephone,” he said after a pause. “Other’s opinions put things in better perspective.”
She stared down at where his hand held hers. Th e heat of his hand almost burned her flesh. She just breathed, in, out, in, out , over and over until the panic tha t threatened to rise subsided.
He stooped down to eye level and looked her square in the eye , acknowledging her fears but not yielding at all. His blue eyes gentle. “You are safe, sweetheart.” He said in his soothing tone, watching her with observant eyes. Her size made him feel powerful. She m ade him feel as if he could slay all of her dragons. She was tangling herself into his life without any effort on her part .
For a long m oment she simply stared at him. He had a line between his brows and his mouth had tightened, but his eyes were level with hers and she knew he could see into her soul. Could see h er heart in her eyes, he gave her no quarter. He gave her no space for prevarication, so s he nodded and allowed him to lead her t o the sitting room forcing one foot in front of the other . “Thank you.”
He stopped and looked at her before turning to the only other occupant in the room . His rough-tipped fingers stroked over the back of her hand. “It is my pleasure.”
“Aunt,” Parker greeted when he stepped over the threshold. He first saw to P ersephone ’s comfort. Insuring she was relaxed, sitting near Adele’s chaise on the rose velvet settee before he poured himself a brandy. He gestured to his aunt’s empty glass of Madeira. “Would you like me to top off your drink?”
“Thank you, dear. ” Her shrewd eyes followed Parker’s walk across the room , then she returned her gaze to where Persephone was situating herself on the settee.
Persephone was overwhelmed by the room. Pink? She shuddered. Not her favorite color.
Parker studied her reaction to the room . “Are you not a fan of the color pink, Persephone ?” He slanted a glance at his aunt and smiled smugly . “I believe I have found a new champion for my cause .” The laugh lines beside his mouth deepened.
“Oh pooh!” Adele swatted at him.
Persephone tensed and looked at them with a furrowed brow. “Champion?” She shifted uncomfortably.
“I advised my aunt not a week past that I intend to redecorate this parlor .” He nodded his head. “ I feel that s ince my sister s no longer reside at Rosebriar , I would like to begin this project with this room and rid myself of this g od awful color once and for all, but my aunt believes my sister’s would be devastated by the change and therefore I should leave it be . ”
“Why would your sisters be devastated , my lord?” She bit her lower lip as she waited .
“This room was our mothers,” he clarified. “She died while giving birth to Piper and Poppy.”
"I see.” Persephone’s eyes wandered over the room attempting to view the room through a man’s eyes. Pink velvet settee, chintz covered spindly-legged chair with tiny red roses and pink stripes , pink-veined marble fireplace. Definitely a room fit for a woman, not a man. But she also tried to look at it through the eyes of his sisters. It was more than a room; it was a museum of sorts. It was a portrait of who their mother had been and still was in their minds.
“My father never had it changed even after her death, ” he added. “Over the years we’ve just had it refurbished.” He looked around the room once more taking in all that it contained. All the memories that haunted each piece housed in the room. He hoped he hadn’t spoken to soon. Why did he have to feel anything?
“It is a lovely room, but perhaps not suitable for a bachelor ’s home .”
Parker’s brow rose at Persephone’s
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