smile. ‘Robert brought him here when he returned after Papa died. He told me that he had to pay a fortune to get Andre to the country and I doubt he would find as generous an employer elsewhere.’
‘Robert likes good food then?’
‘We suffered for years with the last cook,’ Eleanor said and laughed. ‘It was not that she was unable to cook but she was fond of the cooking sherry and sometimes we had a dinner that had been ruined or overcooked.’
‘That is unfortunate,’ Samantha said and her face lit with amusement. ‘I should not care for that myself.’ She wondered if some of the tales the former cook told in the kitchen were quite true or embroidered to spite the employer who had turned her off in favour of a French chef.
The two of them spent the day very pleasantly and were sitting together in the large front parlour, still talking and laughing when Robert walked in. Immediately, they fell silent.
‘Miss Merlin,’ he said. ‘Would you excuse Eleanor for a few minutes please? I should like to talk to her…perhaps here if you would not mind?’
‘Certainly, sir.’ Samantha got up, nodding her head pleasantly as she went past him and out of the room. She hoped that her face was not pink, though it did feel a little warm.
Walking out into the hall, she went through a door at the back and into the library. The shelves were filled with books that she thought interesting, and what she liked most was the worn look of the leather bindings. Perusing them shelf by shelf she discovered many interesting books she would enjoy reading, if she were to remain here for more than a few days. However, she would not allow herself to think about how pleasant she found her surroundings for it was likely that she would find herself dismissed at any moment.
When she heard the door open behind her, she did not look round for she imagined it would be Eleanor come to tell her what her brother had said to her and jumped when she heard him speak her name. She turned swiftly to look at him, her eyes wider than she knew and apprehensive.
‘My lord, I did not expect you…’ She held her breath, believing that she was about to be sent home. ‘You wished to speak with me?’
‘If you will forgive me for my former rudeness to you please. I have not treated you well – and last night I behaved badly. Please accept my apology.’
‘There is nothing to apologise for, my lord.’
‘I think there is on my part…and I apologise for my carelessness this morning. I should have remembered we had a guest who might walk towards the lake.’
‘I…ought to have turned away at once but somehow could not…it is I who should apologise, sir.’
‘No, no, the fault was mine.’ A flicker of humour showed in his eyes. ‘We shall agree to differ for there is something of more importance to discuss. I have come to tell you that I have made my peace with Eleanor,’ he said. ‘She understands that I do not intend to forbid her marriage, but that she must wait until I have become properly acquainted with Mr Brockleton.’
‘I am glad of that,’ Samantha replied, but her heart sank. Now he would tell her that he had no further need of her services and she would be asked to leave. ‘I can pack my things and leave this afternoon if you wish, sir?’
‘I would prefer that you stay,’ he said, a little nerve flicking at his temple. ‘I have promised Eleanor that we shall go down to Bath for a few weeks once Mr Brockleton joins us. She needs a chaperone if she is to make her come out in Bath society, which I feel is more forgiving and easier for her than London. It is my hope that you will accept the position – I am prepared to pay whatever is required.’
‘Accompany you to Bath?’ Samantha’s heart leaped as she saw the faint smile in his eyes. When he looked at her like that…but he was thinking only of his sister. ‘The school will be closed for six weeks now,’
‘Robert likes good food then?’
‘We suffered for years with the last cook,’ Eleanor said and laughed. ‘It was not that she was unable to cook but she was fond of the cooking sherry and sometimes we had a dinner that had been ruined or overcooked.’
‘That is unfortunate,’ Samantha said and her face lit with amusement. ‘I should not care for that myself.’ She wondered if some of the tales the former cook told in the kitchen were quite true or embroidered to spite the employer who had turned her off in favour of a French chef.
The two of them spent the day very pleasantly and were sitting together in the large front parlour, still talking and laughing when Robert walked in. Immediately, they fell silent.
‘Miss Merlin,’ he said. ‘Would you excuse Eleanor for a few minutes please? I should like to talk to her…perhaps here if you would not mind?’
‘Certainly, sir.’ Samantha got up, nodding her head pleasantly as she went past him and out of the room. She hoped that her face was not pink, though it did feel a little warm.
Walking out into the hall, she went through a door at the back and into the library. The shelves were filled with books that she thought interesting, and what she liked most was the worn look of the leather bindings. Perusing them shelf by shelf she discovered many interesting books she would enjoy reading, if she were to remain here for more than a few days. However, she would not allow herself to think about how pleasant she found her surroundings for it was likely that she would find herself dismissed at any moment.
When she heard the door open behind her, she did not look round for she imagined it would be Eleanor come to tell her what her brother had said to her and jumped when she heard him speak her name. She turned swiftly to look at him, her eyes wider than she knew and apprehensive.
‘My lord, I did not expect you…’ She held her breath, believing that she was about to be sent home. ‘You wished to speak with me?’
‘If you will forgive me for my former rudeness to you please. I have not treated you well – and last night I behaved badly. Please accept my apology.’
‘There is nothing to apologise for, my lord.’
‘I think there is on my part…and I apologise for my carelessness this morning. I should have remembered we had a guest who might walk towards the lake.’
‘I…ought to have turned away at once but somehow could not…it is I who should apologise, sir.’
‘No, no, the fault was mine.’ A flicker of humour showed in his eyes. ‘We shall agree to differ for there is something of more importance to discuss. I have come to tell you that I have made my peace with Eleanor,’ he said. ‘She understands that I do not intend to forbid her marriage, but that she must wait until I have become properly acquainted with Mr Brockleton.’
‘I am glad of that,’ Samantha replied, but her heart sank. Now he would tell her that he had no further need of her services and she would be asked to leave. ‘I can pack my things and leave this afternoon if you wish, sir?’
‘I would prefer that you stay,’ he said, a little nerve flicking at his temple. ‘I have promised Eleanor that we shall go down to Bath for a few weeks once Mr Brockleton joins us. She needs a chaperone if she is to make her come out in Bath society, which I feel is more forgiving and easier for her than London. It is my hope that you will accept the position – I am prepared to pay whatever is required.’
‘Accompany you to Bath?’ Samantha’s heart leaped as she saw the faint smile in his eyes. When he looked at her like that…but he was thinking only of his sister. ‘The school will be closed for six weeks now,’
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