slammed it as hard as she could and stomped back to her bedroom.
By the time he was gone and she’d had her turn in the bathing room, she was running even later and furious about it. Dear God, was it only yesterday that the house had seemed a quiet place of refuge? Now it was filled with the presence of a big, overbearing hulk of a man, and she had no idea what to do about it.
Her maid, Priscilla Dobbs, helped her dress and coif her hair, then Krista hurried for the stairs, grabbing the ribbons of her felt bonnet on her way to the door. The carriage waited in front. She plucked her woolen cloak off the ornately carved coatrack in the entry, urged even faster by the sound of her father’s prized pair of matched chestnuts stomping, jangling their harness in their eagerness to get under way.
The butler, long-time family retainer Milton Giles, silver-haired and always extremely proper, pulled open the door and stepped back to let her pass. “Have a good day, miss.”
“Thank you, Giles.”
She started forward, anxious to reach the office, but just as she stepped through the door, Matthew Carlton appeared in her path, having just reached the top of the front porch stairs.
“Krista! I was hoping I would find you here.” He smiled. “I stopped by your office. They said you hadn’t come in yet. I thought perhaps I might catch you before you left for work.”
Krista bit back a sigh of frustration. “I’m sorry, Matthew. I am running extremely late this morning. Is there something you need?”
“I suppose you could say that. Viscount Wimby and his wife, Diana, have extended an invitation tonight to join them for a performance of the Unearthly Bride at Her Majesty’s Theatre. I realize it is extremely short notice, but I was hoping you might accompany me.”
She needed to catch up on work. She had this week’s editorial to write, which reminded her she must speak to Corrie about her article on the circus. Krista wanted to be sure her friend left out any reference to the wild man in the cage. Corrie didn’t yet know the man was living in her best friend’s house—at least for the present. Once she did, she would realize how important it was to protect his privacy.
“I appreciate the invitation, Matthew, I truly do, but I have a great deal to do and—”
“And what? It seems there is always something you have to do that takes precedence over me.”
“That isn’t true. I have simply been busy. A rather unexpected… guest… has arrived and it has thrown my schedule off a bit.”
She looked up just then and inwardly groaned. Leif was descending the stairs in his ridiculously too-tight shirt and trousers, his fierce blue gaze drilling into Matthew.
Matthew stared equally hard at Leif. “Who…is… that? ” His eyes nearly popped from their sockets. “Surely that is not your house guest.”
Krista didn’t like his tone, and apparently, neither did Leif. Though he couldn’t understand a word, his jaw subtly tightened.
“It’s a very long story, Matthew. Right now, I don’t have time to explain.”
Matthew looked at the tall blond man, incredibly handsome even in his ill-fitting clothes, and overwhelmingly male. “If you imagine any possible future for the two of us, you will take the time to explain.”
Surely he couldn’t be jealous. Leif might be handsome, but he was also insufferably crude and completely barbaric, certainly no threat to a gentleman like Matthew.
She fixed a smile on her face. “All right, we’ll go to the opera, as you wish. I’ll explain everything tonight.”
“I would like an explanation now. I believe I am entitled to one.”
Thankfully, her father appeared in the hallway just then. “I thought I heard voices….”
Krista sighed with relief. “Father, Matthew has some questions about our…houseguest. Would you mind taking a moment to explain?”
Leif stepped off the bottom stair. “Who is this man?” he asked her, as if he had a right to know. He spoke in
By the time he was gone and she’d had her turn in the bathing room, she was running even later and furious about it. Dear God, was it only yesterday that the house had seemed a quiet place of refuge? Now it was filled with the presence of a big, overbearing hulk of a man, and she had no idea what to do about it.
Her maid, Priscilla Dobbs, helped her dress and coif her hair, then Krista hurried for the stairs, grabbing the ribbons of her felt bonnet on her way to the door. The carriage waited in front. She plucked her woolen cloak off the ornately carved coatrack in the entry, urged even faster by the sound of her father’s prized pair of matched chestnuts stomping, jangling their harness in their eagerness to get under way.
The butler, long-time family retainer Milton Giles, silver-haired and always extremely proper, pulled open the door and stepped back to let her pass. “Have a good day, miss.”
“Thank you, Giles.”
She started forward, anxious to reach the office, but just as she stepped through the door, Matthew Carlton appeared in her path, having just reached the top of the front porch stairs.
“Krista! I was hoping I would find you here.” He smiled. “I stopped by your office. They said you hadn’t come in yet. I thought perhaps I might catch you before you left for work.”
Krista bit back a sigh of frustration. “I’m sorry, Matthew. I am running extremely late this morning. Is there something you need?”
“I suppose you could say that. Viscount Wimby and his wife, Diana, have extended an invitation tonight to join them for a performance of the Unearthly Bride at Her Majesty’s Theatre. I realize it is extremely short notice, but I was hoping you might accompany me.”
She needed to catch up on work. She had this week’s editorial to write, which reminded her she must speak to Corrie about her article on the circus. Krista wanted to be sure her friend left out any reference to the wild man in the cage. Corrie didn’t yet know the man was living in her best friend’s house—at least for the present. Once she did, she would realize how important it was to protect his privacy.
“I appreciate the invitation, Matthew, I truly do, but I have a great deal to do and—”
“And what? It seems there is always something you have to do that takes precedence over me.”
“That isn’t true. I have simply been busy. A rather unexpected… guest… has arrived and it has thrown my schedule off a bit.”
She looked up just then and inwardly groaned. Leif was descending the stairs in his ridiculously too-tight shirt and trousers, his fierce blue gaze drilling into Matthew.
Matthew stared equally hard at Leif. “Who…is… that? ” His eyes nearly popped from their sockets. “Surely that is not your house guest.”
Krista didn’t like his tone, and apparently, neither did Leif. Though he couldn’t understand a word, his jaw subtly tightened.
“It’s a very long story, Matthew. Right now, I don’t have time to explain.”
Matthew looked at the tall blond man, incredibly handsome even in his ill-fitting clothes, and overwhelmingly male. “If you imagine any possible future for the two of us, you will take the time to explain.”
Surely he couldn’t be jealous. Leif might be handsome, but he was also insufferably crude and completely barbaric, certainly no threat to a gentleman like Matthew.
She fixed a smile on her face. “All right, we’ll go to the opera, as you wish. I’ll explain everything tonight.”
“I would like an explanation now. I believe I am entitled to one.”
Thankfully, her father appeared in the hallway just then. “I thought I heard voices….”
Krista sighed with relief. “Father, Matthew has some questions about our…houseguest. Would you mind taking a moment to explain?”
Leif stepped off the bottom stair. “Who is this man?” he asked her, as if he had a right to know. He spoke in
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