crisp, from that sheet to the cases for the pillows, and as she rolled them up to drop in the basket, she had the wildest urge to bury her nose in them and breathe deep. The few occasions she’d been close to Garrett, she couldn’t help but notice the sinfully delightful way he smelled. And sheets were so…intimate.
Footfalls sounded just beyond the door, growing louder. Sidwell, most likely.
She dumped the now-crushed linen balls into her basket and lifted.
A mistake. She couldn’t muffle her groan or the accompanying sharp hiss as she dropped the basket. Grabbing her side, she sank onto the feather tick, struggling to breathe and trying not to breathe at the same time.
“Are you all right?” Sidwell poked his head through the doorway, his forehead creased with concern.
She pressed her lips together and swallowed hard to keep the wobble from her voice as she whispered, “I’m fine, Sidwell.”
“Allow me to help you with that.” He stepped into the room and crouched before the basket, gathering the sheets that had spilled from it.
“No, really. I can manage. Truly, I’m fine.” Katherine forced herself up from the tick, ignoring the throbbing in her side.
“Are you certain?”
“Quite. I thank you, but I can manage from here.” She reached for the rough woven handles, gritted her teeth, and tried lifting again, more gingerly this time.
Sidwell hardly looked convinced, but stepped back just the same. “Very well. If you insist.”
“Thank you. Now, if you will excuse me.” She didn’t wait for his reply, but hurried to swoop past him, before he could see the tears in her eyes.
Garrett scanned the inventory sheet Julian had left for his signature. It was the third time he’d read the list, but the information had yet to penetrate his brain. Try as he might, he couldn’t concentrate. Every time he looked down at the sheet, he saw a willowy woman with dark red hair pulled into a prim braid and gold-flecked hazel eyes. It was nearly enough to drive him mad.
It aggravated him enough that he was almost glad when a familiar voice called out, “Anyone home?” Bradley Jefferson’s smug face came poking around the corner.
“I’m here,” he replied with a sigh, setting down the sheet and leaning back in his chair. “Didn’t even hear you coming up the stairs.”
“I walk softly. Part of my success when it comes to sneaking in around the missus.” Bradley swiped his hat from his head, tossing it onto the top of the coat tree beside the door. “Keeping busy?”
“Haven’t you anything better to do, Jefferson?” Garrett asked. Bradley tugged out the chair across from him and dropped down into it.
“Of course I do, but I wanted an update on the great seduction. Surely you haven’t forgotten.” Bradley’s gray eyes were gleaming with triumph. “By the by, I’ve haven’t seen our little redhead around the Bayside lately. You wouldn’t, by any chance, happen to know where she’s got to, would you?”
Anger uncurled in the pit of Garrett’s stomach as he recalled Bradley’s offer of a friendly wager, which came the same evening Garrett offered Katherine the maid’s position. A wager to see who could woo the lady into bed first. He found it as distasteful now as he did then and didn’t trouble to keep the disgust from his voice. “As I told you before, Jefferson, I’m not about to wager on a woman. I’m not so crass.”
“Afraid of a bit of competition?”
Garrett shook his head. Why let Jefferson know Katherine’s whereabouts? “Either way, I’ve not noticed her absence.”
“Why do I have the feeling you are not as surprised as you’d like me to believe?” Bradley reached into his waistcoat pocket and came up with a cigar. “Surely you’ve been there in your attempts to win our little wager?”
Garrett studied him long and hard. It bothered him, the way Bradley thought nothing of keeping mistresses and lovers squirreled away all over Brunswick. He didn’t know
Footfalls sounded just beyond the door, growing louder. Sidwell, most likely.
She dumped the now-crushed linen balls into her basket and lifted.
A mistake. She couldn’t muffle her groan or the accompanying sharp hiss as she dropped the basket. Grabbing her side, she sank onto the feather tick, struggling to breathe and trying not to breathe at the same time.
“Are you all right?” Sidwell poked his head through the doorway, his forehead creased with concern.
She pressed her lips together and swallowed hard to keep the wobble from her voice as she whispered, “I’m fine, Sidwell.”
“Allow me to help you with that.” He stepped into the room and crouched before the basket, gathering the sheets that had spilled from it.
“No, really. I can manage. Truly, I’m fine.” Katherine forced herself up from the tick, ignoring the throbbing in her side.
“Are you certain?”
“Quite. I thank you, but I can manage from here.” She reached for the rough woven handles, gritted her teeth, and tried lifting again, more gingerly this time.
Sidwell hardly looked convinced, but stepped back just the same. “Very well. If you insist.”
“Thank you. Now, if you will excuse me.” She didn’t wait for his reply, but hurried to swoop past him, before he could see the tears in her eyes.
Garrett scanned the inventory sheet Julian had left for his signature. It was the third time he’d read the list, but the information had yet to penetrate his brain. Try as he might, he couldn’t concentrate. Every time he looked down at the sheet, he saw a willowy woman with dark red hair pulled into a prim braid and gold-flecked hazel eyes. It was nearly enough to drive him mad.
It aggravated him enough that he was almost glad when a familiar voice called out, “Anyone home?” Bradley Jefferson’s smug face came poking around the corner.
“I’m here,” he replied with a sigh, setting down the sheet and leaning back in his chair. “Didn’t even hear you coming up the stairs.”
“I walk softly. Part of my success when it comes to sneaking in around the missus.” Bradley swiped his hat from his head, tossing it onto the top of the coat tree beside the door. “Keeping busy?”
“Haven’t you anything better to do, Jefferson?” Garrett asked. Bradley tugged out the chair across from him and dropped down into it.
“Of course I do, but I wanted an update on the great seduction. Surely you haven’t forgotten.” Bradley’s gray eyes were gleaming with triumph. “By the by, I’ve haven’t seen our little redhead around the Bayside lately. You wouldn’t, by any chance, happen to know where she’s got to, would you?”
Anger uncurled in the pit of Garrett’s stomach as he recalled Bradley’s offer of a friendly wager, which came the same evening Garrett offered Katherine the maid’s position. A wager to see who could woo the lady into bed first. He found it as distasteful now as he did then and didn’t trouble to keep the disgust from his voice. “As I told you before, Jefferson, I’m not about to wager on a woman. I’m not so crass.”
“Afraid of a bit of competition?”
Garrett shook his head. Why let Jefferson know Katherine’s whereabouts? “Either way, I’ve not noticed her absence.”
“Why do I have the feeling you are not as surprised as you’d like me to believe?” Bradley reached into his waistcoat pocket and came up with a cigar. “Surely you’ve been there in your attempts to win our little wager?”
Garrett studied him long and hard. It bothered him, the way Bradley thought nothing of keeping mistresses and lovers squirreled away all over Brunswick. He didn’t know
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