laughed it all away with a flick of his hand. “My estate lands have been in the family for centuries. I take no credit for their acquisition and have little interest in adding any more taxable land to my deeds.”
She imagined it would take crafty economic sense to maintain so much land, and something told her he wasn’t being honest about how he felt about it. ‘Old feud’ question clicked in her mind again. She shrugged it off. He was a stranger. Why should he open up to her in the first five minutes of their meeting—and why should she care? Was it because she found him attractive?
Mrs. Carver arrived with a tray of tea and cookies and set it on the coffee table in front of Shawna. “There, dear…” Obviously she expected Shawna to serve, and with a twinkle, Shawna began the old world tradition.
Mrs. Carver rattled on casually about various things she felt Shawna should know about the refrigerator, the village, the weather, and anything else that popped into her busy brain. However, there was something behind it all—something forced, as though she were purposely being more polite than normal. Shawna filed this for later thought.
All at once, Mrs. Carver looked at her watched and jumped to her feet. “Och, but look at the time. I have an appointment to show someone a house and must rush. Don’t get up…I’ll just show myself out.” She bent to Shawna and gave her arm a squeeze as she dropped a kiss on her cheek. “There now, dear, you need anything, you call me. My card is on your little desk over there…” She indicated with her chin, and then with a bustle and a laugh she was gone.
The young squire and Shawna looked at one another and burst out laughing together. Shawna hadn’t had a good laugh like that in ages. She was still tickled when she said, “She is fantastic, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is very thorough in her work, although I fear she does not approve of me.”
“But why wouldn’t she?” Shawna’s delicate brows were up.
He got to his feet and. with his hands up, said “Probably because I am a bachelor with a reputation.” He chuckled over this and sighed. “Well then, before I overstay my welcome, I thank you and Mrs. Carver for the tea and welcome you most heartily to MacDunn cottage, Ms. MacBay….”
“Shawna—please, and thanks for stopping by, and the flowers…”
She was surprised then to see his eyes slowly glance over her body before they came back to her face. It was done unobtrusively, and it was done with quiet admiration, yet Shawna took a mental step away.
Oh, she liked the squire, but she didn’t need or want a romantic entanglement.
He reached for her hand and clasped it warmly in both of his, taking a moment before he offered on a low note, “Please…Ms. MacBay…if you need anything—call.” He looked right into her eyes before he slowly released her hand. He reached into an inner pocket. “I prepared this for you. It has both my cell and my home phone. Don’t forget, you call.”
He was looking for an invitation to do the same. She ignored it. She just couldn’t become attached to anyone—no matter how attractive that ‘anyone’ was. Her time there was temporary. Without reminding him to call her Shawna, she took the piece of paper he handed her, and waved it slightly. “Thanks.”
~ Five ~
AN HOUR AFTER the squire and Mrs. Carver left, the house phone rang and Shawna nearly jumped out of her skin. She had not asked for a phone to be installed, but evidently there was one—somewhere.
She followed the sound and found it on the kitchen wall. Picking up the receiver, she said tentatively, “Hello?”
“Hello, dear, Mrs. Carver here.”
Shawna’s eyes opened wide with surprise. “Mrs. Carver?”
“That’s right, it’s me. I thought that I should tell you one or two things more you might be needing to know.”
“That is very nice, Mrs. Carver—but this phone—I did not ask for…”
“No—you didn’t, dear, but
She imagined it would take crafty economic sense to maintain so much land, and something told her he wasn’t being honest about how he felt about it. ‘Old feud’ question clicked in her mind again. She shrugged it off. He was a stranger. Why should he open up to her in the first five minutes of their meeting—and why should she care? Was it because she found him attractive?
Mrs. Carver arrived with a tray of tea and cookies and set it on the coffee table in front of Shawna. “There, dear…” Obviously she expected Shawna to serve, and with a twinkle, Shawna began the old world tradition.
Mrs. Carver rattled on casually about various things she felt Shawna should know about the refrigerator, the village, the weather, and anything else that popped into her busy brain. However, there was something behind it all—something forced, as though she were purposely being more polite than normal. Shawna filed this for later thought.
All at once, Mrs. Carver looked at her watched and jumped to her feet. “Och, but look at the time. I have an appointment to show someone a house and must rush. Don’t get up…I’ll just show myself out.” She bent to Shawna and gave her arm a squeeze as she dropped a kiss on her cheek. “There now, dear, you need anything, you call me. My card is on your little desk over there…” She indicated with her chin, and then with a bustle and a laugh she was gone.
The young squire and Shawna looked at one another and burst out laughing together. Shawna hadn’t had a good laugh like that in ages. She was still tickled when she said, “She is fantastic, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is very thorough in her work, although I fear she does not approve of me.”
“But why wouldn’t she?” Shawna’s delicate brows were up.
He got to his feet and. with his hands up, said “Probably because I am a bachelor with a reputation.” He chuckled over this and sighed. “Well then, before I overstay my welcome, I thank you and Mrs. Carver for the tea and welcome you most heartily to MacDunn cottage, Ms. MacBay….”
“Shawna—please, and thanks for stopping by, and the flowers…”
She was surprised then to see his eyes slowly glance over her body before they came back to her face. It was done unobtrusively, and it was done with quiet admiration, yet Shawna took a mental step away.
Oh, she liked the squire, but she didn’t need or want a romantic entanglement.
He reached for her hand and clasped it warmly in both of his, taking a moment before he offered on a low note, “Please…Ms. MacBay…if you need anything—call.” He looked right into her eyes before he slowly released her hand. He reached into an inner pocket. “I prepared this for you. It has both my cell and my home phone. Don’t forget, you call.”
He was looking for an invitation to do the same. She ignored it. She just couldn’t become attached to anyone—no matter how attractive that ‘anyone’ was. Her time there was temporary. Without reminding him to call her Shawna, she took the piece of paper he handed her, and waved it slightly. “Thanks.”
~ Five ~
AN HOUR AFTER the squire and Mrs. Carver left, the house phone rang and Shawna nearly jumped out of her skin. She had not asked for a phone to be installed, but evidently there was one—somewhere.
She followed the sound and found it on the kitchen wall. Picking up the receiver, she said tentatively, “Hello?”
“Hello, dear, Mrs. Carver here.”
Shawna’s eyes opened wide with surprise. “Mrs. Carver?”
“That’s right, it’s me. I thought that I should tell you one or two things more you might be needing to know.”
“That is very nice, Mrs. Carver—but this phone—I did not ask for…”
“No—you didn’t, dear, but
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