staff."
Sabrina nodded in agreement. "I can meet with the staff
right off, and then attend to your correspondence. By this evening I should
have a better idea of where things stand." She already knew that she would
never be at ease in Mr. Northcliffe’s company. How in the world was she going to
withstand these twice daily meetings? He made her feel decidedly unsettled and
she couldn’t imagine a time when conversing with him would become effortless.
But she had to try. No matter how her blood rushed through her veins every time
she looked at him and no matter how her heart raced, she needed to learn to
treat Ford as her employer. Respect and distance was the protocol she would
live by.
"Excellent," Ford said, moving the food around on
his plate but not actually eating anything. No wonder Delores was concerned;
the man’s mind was not in the present. "And I would appreciate it if you
can make most of the decisions without me. I’m very close to a breakthrough and
I want to devote every possible moment to my experiments."
"Of course. Tonight we’ll try to get most of the big
things out of the way. Your preferences and such, and then I’m certain that
I’ll be able to go on from there without bothering you overmuch." She took
a sip of hot tea before asking her next question, hoping Ford wouldn’t be
annoyed by it. "What kind of experiments are you doing, if I may ask?"
Sabrina couldn’t help but be curious.
Ford looked startled that she would be interested in his
work. A slow smile that melted her insides spread across his face and a sparkle
entered his golden brown eyes behind his spectacles. Afraid that she would get
lost in those mysterious depths if she didn’t glance away, Sabrina looked at
her hands.
"I’m searching for a cure for influenza and I try
different formulas on mice." Ford looked grim as he searched for the words
to explain his mission. "I’ve been working on it for years, but I think
I’m close this time."
"That sounds very important." Sabrina wanted to tell
him how she would be devastated if Alice became sick with the disease, but she
couldn’t let that bit of information slip out just yet. "I would enjoy
learning more about what it is you do. So that I can more readily anticipate
your needs," she quickly added, thinking that she may have been out of
line for an employee.
"It would be helpful if you knew my schedule, I
suppose," Ford said, thoughtfully. "Then you could make sure that
events you accept on my behalf won’t be too much of a strain on my research
timetable."
"Would you mind showing me your laboratory?"
Sabrina asked, hoping she wasn’t overstepping her bounds. But for some reason,
with this man, she couldn’t help but be fascinated by every aspect of his life.
Just sitting across the breakfast table from him made her
breath catch and her bosom tingle. He did things to her insides that no man had
ever done, and if he would deign to give her even a glimpse of his private
life, she could at least find some satisfaction in that. Since having any other
part of him or his world was simply out of the question. She no longer lived in
that realm of existence, the life of privilege and parties, servants of her own
and nice clothes. That was her past and she must be content with the way things
had turned out.
"Maybe some other time," Ford replied sheepishly. "I’ve
been up for two days straight and I’m afraid the only thing I’ll be doing after
this is snoring."
Sabrina’s heart did a little flip at the way Ford was
looking at her. She allowed herself the fantasy that he would be dreaming about
her. Maybe he would be kissing her within an inch of sanity in his blissful
unconsciousness.
"Mrs. Tremaine?" Ford said, looking as if he had
been trying to get her attention for some time. "Is seven tonight
acceptable?"
"Seven?"
"To meet after dinner?"
"Oh, yes, of course. Seven is perfect." Sabrina
was so embarrassed. She was mortified with the direction of her thoughts. But
if
Sabrina nodded in agreement. "I can meet with the staff
right off, and then attend to your correspondence. By this evening I should
have a better idea of where things stand." She already knew that she would
never be at ease in Mr. Northcliffe’s company. How in the world was she going to
withstand these twice daily meetings? He made her feel decidedly unsettled and
she couldn’t imagine a time when conversing with him would become effortless.
But she had to try. No matter how her blood rushed through her veins every time
she looked at him and no matter how her heart raced, she needed to learn to
treat Ford as her employer. Respect and distance was the protocol she would
live by.
"Excellent," Ford said, moving the food around on
his plate but not actually eating anything. No wonder Delores was concerned;
the man’s mind was not in the present. "And I would appreciate it if you
can make most of the decisions without me. I’m very close to a breakthrough and
I want to devote every possible moment to my experiments."
"Of course. Tonight we’ll try to get most of the big
things out of the way. Your preferences and such, and then I’m certain that
I’ll be able to go on from there without bothering you overmuch." She took
a sip of hot tea before asking her next question, hoping Ford wouldn’t be
annoyed by it. "What kind of experiments are you doing, if I may ask?"
Sabrina couldn’t help but be curious.
Ford looked startled that she would be interested in his
work. A slow smile that melted her insides spread across his face and a sparkle
entered his golden brown eyes behind his spectacles. Afraid that she would get
lost in those mysterious depths if she didn’t glance away, Sabrina looked at
her hands.
"I’m searching for a cure for influenza and I try
different formulas on mice." Ford looked grim as he searched for the words
to explain his mission. "I’ve been working on it for years, but I think
I’m close this time."
"That sounds very important." Sabrina wanted to tell
him how she would be devastated if Alice became sick with the disease, but she
couldn’t let that bit of information slip out just yet. "I would enjoy
learning more about what it is you do. So that I can more readily anticipate
your needs," she quickly added, thinking that she may have been out of
line for an employee.
"It would be helpful if you knew my schedule, I
suppose," Ford said, thoughtfully. "Then you could make sure that
events you accept on my behalf won’t be too much of a strain on my research
timetable."
"Would you mind showing me your laboratory?"
Sabrina asked, hoping she wasn’t overstepping her bounds. But for some reason,
with this man, she couldn’t help but be fascinated by every aspect of his life.
Just sitting across the breakfast table from him made her
breath catch and her bosom tingle. He did things to her insides that no man had
ever done, and if he would deign to give her even a glimpse of his private
life, she could at least find some satisfaction in that. Since having any other
part of him or his world was simply out of the question. She no longer lived in
that realm of existence, the life of privilege and parties, servants of her own
and nice clothes. That was her past and she must be content with the way things
had turned out.
"Maybe some other time," Ford replied sheepishly. "I’ve
been up for two days straight and I’m afraid the only thing I’ll be doing after
this is snoring."
Sabrina’s heart did a little flip at the way Ford was
looking at her. She allowed herself the fantasy that he would be dreaming about
her. Maybe he would be kissing her within an inch of sanity in his blissful
unconsciousness.
"Mrs. Tremaine?" Ford said, looking as if he had
been trying to get her attention for some time. "Is seven tonight
acceptable?"
"Seven?"
"To meet after dinner?"
"Oh, yes, of course. Seven is perfect." Sabrina
was so embarrassed. She was mortified with the direction of her thoughts. But
if
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