father wasn’t surprised.”
Hannah raised an eyebrow. “Real y? How come?”
“He’s intuitive.”
Hannah gave a tight smile and fought the urge to bite her lip, as was her habit when she was nervous. Christopher took her hand and lifted it to his lips. At the last second, he turned it over and kissed her palm. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.”
Hannah smiled again, her heart racing as he ran his thumb over the inside of her wrist. He’d yet to relinquish her hand, and she didn’t real y want him to. After a few seconds of thick silence, Christopher cleared his throat. “I wil see you tomorrow for dinner.”
Hannah nodded. “Okay.”
He pul ed his gloves on and walked out the door.
“Hannah?”
She turned to see Emma poking her head out of the parlor.
“Spying?”
Emma smiled. “No, that’s your job, remember?”
“You’re funny.”
Emma stepped into the foyer. “Do you want to talk before we turn in?”
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Let’s say goodnight and I’l help you with your dress.”
Hannah fol owed Emma back into the parlor, and after hugging Sophie and Jamie, they made their way upstairs.
Hannah was met by the heat of the fire in her room and sighed with pleasure. “I like this having staff thing.”
Emma giggled. “I know what you mean. Now I just need something to do during the day while Clay’s at work. I don’t like being alone.”
Hannah unbuttoned her jacket and removed her blouse.
“You never were very good at it, either.”
“Nice.” Emma drew a circle in the air with her finger. “Let me unlace you.”
Hannah turned her back and Emma went to work on her corset.
“Tel me what’s going on with you and Chris.”
Hannah dropped her head forward and sighed. “There’s nothing going on, Em.”
“Right…I remember, years ago, that I told you to flatten your hand before putting it near a horse’s muzzle, and yet, you seem to have forgotten al my wise tutelage in the presence of tal , dark and handsome.”
“It has been a long time since you forced me to hang out with you at the barn, you know.”
“What happened in Maryland?” Emma pressed.
“Nothing happened in Maryland.”
Emma yanked at a tie, pul ing Hannah back. “ Something happened in Maryland, Han. Christopher’s acting weird.”
Hannah shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I know why.”
Emma turned Hannah to face her. “What was the something that happened in Maryland that would send Christopher Butler into such a frenzy he would cut his visit short with his mother , the woman he adores more than life, and seek you out?”
“I suppose you’d have to ask him that.”
“Did you spend a lot of time together?”
“No.” Hannah stal ed and then shrugged. “A little, I suppose.
We had a picnic down at the lake and he let me drive the buggy on the way there.”
“He let you drive?” Emma’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Oh, my love, you’re in trouble.”
Hannah pushed her skirts and hoops from her hips. “What do you mean?”
“Either you’ve made an impression…or he’s trying to.”
Hannah chewed on her lip. “What kind of impression? I’m the crazy lady he found in his parents’ barn, who tried to escape multiple times, only to be caught again, and yel at him when he hacked me off.”
“Why did he make you mad?”
“He destroyed my clothes for one, and he spoke to Gwen like a Neanderthal, for another.”
Emma started to laugh. “Oh, Han-Han, you’re the first woman—first person, period, who has ever stood up to him, let alone yel ed at him. He probably doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
Hannah unhooked the front of her corset and threw it into the corner of the room. “Wel , he should probably figure it out, or he might drive me insane.”
Emma crossed her arms. “You’re fal ing for him.”
“I’m not!” Hannah sat on the edge of the mattress. “I just met him.”
Emma sat next to her. “You’ve never gone gooey
Hannah raised an eyebrow. “Real y? How come?”
“He’s intuitive.”
Hannah gave a tight smile and fought the urge to bite her lip, as was her habit when she was nervous. Christopher took her hand and lifted it to his lips. At the last second, he turned it over and kissed her palm. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.”
Hannah smiled again, her heart racing as he ran his thumb over the inside of her wrist. He’d yet to relinquish her hand, and she didn’t real y want him to. After a few seconds of thick silence, Christopher cleared his throat. “I wil see you tomorrow for dinner.”
Hannah nodded. “Okay.”
He pul ed his gloves on and walked out the door.
“Hannah?”
She turned to see Emma poking her head out of the parlor.
“Spying?”
Emma smiled. “No, that’s your job, remember?”
“You’re funny.”
Emma stepped into the foyer. “Do you want to talk before we turn in?”
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Let’s say goodnight and I’l help you with your dress.”
Hannah fol owed Emma back into the parlor, and after hugging Sophie and Jamie, they made their way upstairs.
Hannah was met by the heat of the fire in her room and sighed with pleasure. “I like this having staff thing.”
Emma giggled. “I know what you mean. Now I just need something to do during the day while Clay’s at work. I don’t like being alone.”
Hannah unbuttoned her jacket and removed her blouse.
“You never were very good at it, either.”
“Nice.” Emma drew a circle in the air with her finger. “Let me unlace you.”
Hannah turned her back and Emma went to work on her corset.
“Tel me what’s going on with you and Chris.”
Hannah dropped her head forward and sighed. “There’s nothing going on, Em.”
“Right…I remember, years ago, that I told you to flatten your hand before putting it near a horse’s muzzle, and yet, you seem to have forgotten al my wise tutelage in the presence of tal , dark and handsome.”
“It has been a long time since you forced me to hang out with you at the barn, you know.”
“What happened in Maryland?” Emma pressed.
“Nothing happened in Maryland.”
Emma yanked at a tie, pul ing Hannah back. “ Something happened in Maryland, Han. Christopher’s acting weird.”
Hannah shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I know why.”
Emma turned Hannah to face her. “What was the something that happened in Maryland that would send Christopher Butler into such a frenzy he would cut his visit short with his mother , the woman he adores more than life, and seek you out?”
“I suppose you’d have to ask him that.”
“Did you spend a lot of time together?”
“No.” Hannah stal ed and then shrugged. “A little, I suppose.
We had a picnic down at the lake and he let me drive the buggy on the way there.”
“He let you drive?” Emma’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Oh, my love, you’re in trouble.”
Hannah pushed her skirts and hoops from her hips. “What do you mean?”
“Either you’ve made an impression…or he’s trying to.”
Hannah chewed on her lip. “What kind of impression? I’m the crazy lady he found in his parents’ barn, who tried to escape multiple times, only to be caught again, and yel at him when he hacked me off.”
“Why did he make you mad?”
“He destroyed my clothes for one, and he spoke to Gwen like a Neanderthal, for another.”
Emma started to laugh. “Oh, Han-Han, you’re the first woman—first person, period, who has ever stood up to him, let alone yel ed at him. He probably doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
Hannah unhooked the front of her corset and threw it into the corner of the room. “Wel , he should probably figure it out, or he might drive me insane.”
Emma crossed her arms. “You’re fal ing for him.”
“I’m not!” Hannah sat on the edge of the mattress. “I just met him.”
Emma sat next to her. “You’ve never gone gooey
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