inviting beyond belief. "You needn't be alarmed. I'm not going to hurt you, Adrienne."
"Just put me down!" Everything about him excited her: his hard male body, his appealing scent, the gleam of his hair and his eyes, and even those incongruous spectacles.
"Hold still a moment. Perhaps you've twisted your ankle?"
"No such thing!" Panic began to set in. Her breasts were crushed against his chest in a way that made her want to reach up for his shoulders, his mouth.... "I mean it, you—you rogue! Put me down before I scream for help!"
His eyes were thoughtful, and then he set her lightly on her feet and stepped back. "No need for hysterics."
"I was not hysterical!" Her voice broke, and that made her angrier. Why did she have to sound like a harridan at such a moment? "Stop smiling at me like that! I hardly think that Papa would approve of your behavior!"
"Your papa wouldn't ask the wolf to guard the chicken coop, would he? He trusts me implicitly." Shadows played over his face. "Perhaps you ought to as well."
She thrust out her chin and made no reply, while a chill spread over her body. As if reading her mind, Nathan hunkered down before the marble-faced fireplace and set about laying and lighting a fire. "God only knows when this chimney was last cleaned. Look at the soot! I've never been in a worse-managed house," he declared. "It's a bad piece of luck for both of us."
The flames licked upward, and Adrienne felt better as she held out her hands toward the comforting rays of warmth and light. Nathan had dusted himself off and was circling the library with a taper, lighting candles. When he returned to her side, they were both quiet as they soaked up the fireglow.
Finally Adrienne spoke tentatively. "Earlier, when your voice frightened me out of my wits, did you say something about good news?"
"I did. Lady Thomasina is going to assign a pair of footmen to the physical labor of carrying books. You will help her oversee the project, but in the main, your duties will revert to those you were originally engaged to perform: providing companionship, reading, playing the piano, and so on."
Euphoric gratitude made her feel buoyant. "Oh, Nathan, thank you!" Beaming, she nearly hugged him. How attractive he looked in the firelight!
"Not at all. As you are so fond of pointing out, your father hired me to take care of you. Perhaps now you will believe in me a bit more."
Instantly Adrienne was suspicious. "Was that the only reason you took my part with Lady Thomasina? To lull me into allowing you to take control of my life?"
Nathan nearly laughed. She had a rare, effervescent beauty, her tousled hair agleam with chestnut lights, her thick-lashed green eyes snapping.
"Why can't you like me?"
"Because. Because I simply cannot. And I can't explain." The prospect of surrendering to him, to his aura of competence and desirability, was alarming to her. Too many strong men had tried to control her. "I am ravenous. I'm going down to see what the cook has made for supper."
"Tomorrow evening you shall dine with Lady Thomasina."
"Perhaps that fare will be edible." Adrienne turned away and started toward the doorway, only to realize that Nathan was following her. "Can you not give me a moment's peace?"
"I thought you had been lonely without me."
"You flatter yourself."
"Perhaps." He gave her a smile that prickled the back of her neck, for it said that he knew her secrets. When she strode away again, Nathan caught her arm. "You are too headstrong for your own good, my dear. I understand more and more why your father felt need of me."
"Again I must ask you to loose me!"
"I'm afraid you cannot be rid of me." His chiseled face loomed above her, shadowed by the play of a nearby candle. "I have told you as reasonably as I can that you must endure me, and I continue to suggest that you trust me." He tightened his grip on her arm. "In fact, you will have to trust me and obey me, Adrienne. You see, Walter Frakes-Hogg has been seen near
"Just put me down!" Everything about him excited her: his hard male body, his appealing scent, the gleam of his hair and his eyes, and even those incongruous spectacles.
"Hold still a moment. Perhaps you've twisted your ankle?"
"No such thing!" Panic began to set in. Her breasts were crushed against his chest in a way that made her want to reach up for his shoulders, his mouth.... "I mean it, you—you rogue! Put me down before I scream for help!"
His eyes were thoughtful, and then he set her lightly on her feet and stepped back. "No need for hysterics."
"I was not hysterical!" Her voice broke, and that made her angrier. Why did she have to sound like a harridan at such a moment? "Stop smiling at me like that! I hardly think that Papa would approve of your behavior!"
"Your papa wouldn't ask the wolf to guard the chicken coop, would he? He trusts me implicitly." Shadows played over his face. "Perhaps you ought to as well."
She thrust out her chin and made no reply, while a chill spread over her body. As if reading her mind, Nathan hunkered down before the marble-faced fireplace and set about laying and lighting a fire. "God only knows when this chimney was last cleaned. Look at the soot! I've never been in a worse-managed house," he declared. "It's a bad piece of luck for both of us."
The flames licked upward, and Adrienne felt better as she held out her hands toward the comforting rays of warmth and light. Nathan had dusted himself off and was circling the library with a taper, lighting candles. When he returned to her side, they were both quiet as they soaked up the fireglow.
Finally Adrienne spoke tentatively. "Earlier, when your voice frightened me out of my wits, did you say something about good news?"
"I did. Lady Thomasina is going to assign a pair of footmen to the physical labor of carrying books. You will help her oversee the project, but in the main, your duties will revert to those you were originally engaged to perform: providing companionship, reading, playing the piano, and so on."
Euphoric gratitude made her feel buoyant. "Oh, Nathan, thank you!" Beaming, she nearly hugged him. How attractive he looked in the firelight!
"Not at all. As you are so fond of pointing out, your father hired me to take care of you. Perhaps now you will believe in me a bit more."
Instantly Adrienne was suspicious. "Was that the only reason you took my part with Lady Thomasina? To lull me into allowing you to take control of my life?"
Nathan nearly laughed. She had a rare, effervescent beauty, her tousled hair agleam with chestnut lights, her thick-lashed green eyes snapping.
"Why can't you like me?"
"Because. Because I simply cannot. And I can't explain." The prospect of surrendering to him, to his aura of competence and desirability, was alarming to her. Too many strong men had tried to control her. "I am ravenous. I'm going down to see what the cook has made for supper."
"Tomorrow evening you shall dine with Lady Thomasina."
"Perhaps that fare will be edible." Adrienne turned away and started toward the doorway, only to realize that Nathan was following her. "Can you not give me a moment's peace?"
"I thought you had been lonely without me."
"You flatter yourself."
"Perhaps." He gave her a smile that prickled the back of her neck, for it said that he knew her secrets. When she strode away again, Nathan caught her arm. "You are too headstrong for your own good, my dear. I understand more and more why your father felt need of me."
"Again I must ask you to loose me!"
"I'm afraid you cannot be rid of me." His chiseled face loomed above her, shadowed by the play of a nearby candle. "I have told you as reasonably as I can that you must endure me, and I continue to suggest that you trust me." He tightened his grip on her arm. "In fact, you will have to trust me and obey me, Adrienne. You see, Walter Frakes-Hogg has been seen near
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