Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons #6) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,25
Trying not to appear to be scurrying to the chair by the fire, she feared her own movements were jerky and displayed her embarrassment. If he noticed, he gave no indication as he returned to her and handed her the small tulip-shaped glass. “Thank you.”
She took a sip, surprised by the richness of the sweet flavor. “Excellent.”
“As you’re well aware, my sister owns a tavern. She’d have my head if I had anything inferior on hand.”
“Well, this might be the best I’ve ever tasted.”
They held each other’s gaze for a long moment before she finally turned away and lowered herself to the chair. Its plumpness gave way and seemed to swallow her, creating a sensation of being hugged. She almost asked who was responsible for his taste in furniture. It, too, was excellent.
His chair groaned a bit as he settled into it, and she imagined she might make the same welcoming sound if he settled himself over her. Where had that thought come from?
She took another sip of the sherry, larger than the first, before tightening her fingers around the short stem, hoping to get her thoughts to behave. She’d come here with the expectation of becoming a seductress. Hence, the revealing gown she’d worn. And now she was to be a teacher.
He lifted a tumbler, probably containing his preferred scotch. He seemed much more relaxed than she felt.
With earnestness, he leaned forward, planted his elbows on his thighs, and clasped his glass between both his hands. “My proposition.”
She waited. He cleared his throat.
“The women who work here—six remain, not counting Jewel—I want to help them find another occupation. Unfortunately, they aren’t as genteel as might . . . be needed . . . elsewhere.”
Her heart melted a little as he strove not to be unkind, as though the women were sitting there listening as he spoke.
“You, on the other hand. Every aspect of you has been buffed to a polish. It’s the reason I knew you were from Mayfair or somewhere similar to it. I thought you could instruct the ladies on how to be . . . more elegant. How to dress with a bit more style. How to speak properly. Perhaps you could even instruct them on how to be a lady’s maid, a governess, a companion. I’m well aware they will never find a position within a noble’s household, but I know several men who have recently acquired wealth and they might convince their wives to be willing to give a few of these women a chance at a more respectable life if they have the ability to learn what you have the knowledge to teach them.”
She hardly knew what to say.
“The bedchamber at your residence—is it like your brother’s, lacking a bed?”
She hated to admit it, but honesty was called for when negotiating a transaction. “Yes.”
“You could reside here, if you wished. A portion of this floor, this parlor in particular, is used for business. The floor above is where the women . . . entertain. The top one serves as our living accommodations. You would have your own bedchamber with a very comfortable bed, other furniture. A fire. We have no shortage of coal here. Your meals would be provided. Three a day. Naturally, you would also receive a salary. I’m willing to be quite generous.”
“I would earn nearly twenty-five pounds per annum at the Mermaid.”
“I’ll pay you a hundred.”
She knew her eyes had grown wide. “A hundred?”
Until three months ago, she’d had little idea what people earned, what constituted a good salary, what it cost to purchase food or lease a residence.
With a forefinger, he tapped the side of his glass. “What I’m offering you is only temporary. Once the ladies are placed elsewhere your services will no longer be required. I want to ensure you’re not returning to a residence with no furniture and no fires. To that end, I will give you an additional stipend of a thousand pounds if you can teach them all they need to know within six months. Five hundred pounds if it takes you a year. If you can’t teach them what they need to know in twelve months, I’ll assume you’re rubbish as a teacher and you’ll be let go with only the hundred.”
A hundred pounds. If it killed her, she’d see that they learned everything they needed to in six months to ensure she’d have the additional thousand. Her expenses would be minimal. She could save most of her earnings.