Breathe Me Smith and Belle (Royals Saga #11) - Geneva Lee Page 0,3

the house, or as I liked to think of it: sanctuary. As soon as I stepped from the confined compartment into the corridor, the sounds of construction greeted me. Hammering, sawing—and god knows what else—rose through the landing of the stairs from the work being down on the ground level. I padded down the hall, into the east wing and slammed the bedroom door closed behind me. For a moment, I sank against the wood, clutching the towel tightly around my body. It wasn’t as though living in a beautiful house on a large estate was a hardship. I’d grown up on one, save for the times I was away at boarding school. I knew what it took to run the grounds. I knew my husband’s insistence on hiring a butler, a cook, a groundskeeper, and a housekeeper were all wise decisions. He’d seen to everything—almost everything.

At the moment, it was hard to imagine how quiet this house would soon be. But once the foreman and his crews finished their work, it would just be the two of us and a bunch of strangers. The nearest neighbor was several kilometers away and the village was over a fifteen minute drive. I should have expected as much when Smith said he wanted somewhere peaceful to raise our daughter. I should have been ecstatic at the prospect of living here and raising a family. I’d wanted that: to have children with Smith. I still wanted it, but I couldn't help worrying about how much I was giving up in the process. I’d nearly suggested looking for a house closer to my mother, just to know I would be near someone I knew. Thankfully, the ongoing drama surrounding my own family estate had shown me enough to know that was a bad idea.

“Chin up, soldier,” I muttered to myself. Tossing the towel on the bed on my way to the master bath, I started the shower, reminding myself that it was one of the many reasons this house was going to be worth the sacrifice. The entire bathroom had been gutted, plumbing and fixtures updated, into a loo worthy of a five star resort. Smith insisted it be exactly to my standards, so that I would have a place to escape during the rest of the remodel as well as a quiet spot to relax after the baby was born. I’d opted for Carrara marble, knowing its simple sophistication would never go out of style. A two-person soaking tub overlooked the sweeping hills behind the house. His and her vessel sinks sat opposite one another on a long vanity, lit overhead by a matching set of chandeliers. The marble flooring extended to cover one wall entirely in the delicate white tile to make a massive, walk-in shower. A single pane of clear glass rose from the floor and other than two large, rainfall-style showerheads and a central drain, there was little else to the shower. It had been a trick to figure out where to put the soap so as not to spoil the effect. In the end, a small shelf had been built into the wall, allowing a place for us to stash our necessities. I’d designed the space so Smith and I could shower at the same time. Although, considering how regularly he joined me on my side of the shower, it could have been half the size.

I piled up my hair and stepped into the shower, hoping it would wash away my anxieties before going to meet with the potential nannies—another concession I’d made to my protective husband. We both had businesses to run. I’d debated selling my half of Bless, my couture clothing rental service, to my business partner, but I couldn’t quite let it go. As much as I wanted to be a mummy, I didn’t want to completely give up my identity. A sharp kick inside me stole my breath as though my darling girl already had opinions of her own on these matters.

“You could just come to work with me,” I cooed, rubbing a circle over my ever-larger belly and earning another kick. “Us girls have to stick together.”

I just didn’t see why I couldn’t do both: be a mum and a business woman. My best friend managed to be a mother and the Queen of England.

“With a household staff,” I reminded myself with a sigh, shutting off the water. Even Clara had a nanny in the beginning. I’d been helping her since William was born.