A Duchess a Day (Awakened by a Kiss #1) - Charis Michaels Page 0,110
say the words. He already struggled with the nature of his job—gritty, and common, and sometimes violent—and how this impacted his lady wife. But to resign and have no job at all? To retreat to the forest and chop down trees and do her bidding? He saw the irony: it was almost like returning to work as her groom. It felt uninspired and lazy. There was plenty of work to do, but he would provide nothing to their living.
Girdleston had paid him a fraction of their agreed fee for minding Helena, but it had been enough to set him up in his old life. He’d bought his horse and outfitted himself to work as a mercenary. He’d hired a wagon and workmen to relocate his father to Castle Wood and renovate the gamekeeper’s cottage. Whatever was left, he’d given Helena and then set out to work as hard and as fast as he could for the richest clients.
The money he earned would keep them all comfortable for the rest of the year, and Helena promised very big profits from her harvest in the autumn.
After that? Declan couldn’t say.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, leaning against him. Idly, she ran her fingers through his hair.
“Nothing,” he lied, nuzzling against her breast. “I am drinking you in. Oh, how I’ve missed you.”
She dropped her face against his hair. “I spend my days thinking, ‘I wonder what he is doing right now?’ I think about you a hundred times a day, at least. We all miss you, but I understand that your work is important. I want you to be happy.”
“I . . . I would be happy here, I think,” he said. The words came out in a rush. “If that is something we might . . . consider.”
Helena hesitated, her hands going still in his hair. Declan listened to her heartbeat against his ear.
After a moment, she said, “The duke did say one more thing. When he was here.”
The duke? Declan thought, confused. He grabbed handfuls of her skirt and pulled her closer to him. “What did the duke say?”
“He said his new foreman believes the forest in this county would be well served by hiring . . .” she took a deep breath, “. . . a sheriff.”
Declan looked up. “A sheriff? Like the sheriff of Nottingham?”
“Well, like any county sheriff, I assume. As duke, Lusk is ultimately responsible for the county, and I suppose he has the power to install things like sheriffs and vicars and constables and magistrates. Apparently, at the moment, he requires a sheriff. He mentioned something about highwaymen on the New Road and stolen chickens. Poaching on his land. He wondered if you would be interested in the job.”
Her voice was light and casual, but Declan could hear hope—a very tense, very cautious hope. He squeezed her more tightly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Declan tried to think of conflicts or barriers but his brain leapt to the very great potential of the offer. He would be here, with Helena, with his family. He could use his experience and skill to patrol the forest, to protect, to deescalate violence, and investigate crime.
He could work without leaving his wife.
“But was Lusk serious?” Declan asked. Now his heart pounded in time with hers. He smoothed his hands down the backs of her legs. When he reached the hem of her skirt, he delved beneath, massaging her calves.
Helena let out a little yelp and laughed. “He was entirely serious. I think . . .” she dipped her head and kissed him, “. . . I think taking the job would be a favor to him—and a peace offering. After all we’ve been through. He’s so very in love with Knightly, God help him. He can see now that our five-year betrothal was wretched. He wishes to make amends.”
“And could you tolerate me?” Declan asked, kissing her, working his hands up the backs of her legs. “Here in Somerset all the time? Home every night?”
“It is my most fervent wish,” Helena whispered, breathless. She’d gone slack against him. He cupped her bottom in his hands.
“Mine too,” he breathed. “I cannot leave you again. I cannot.” He devoured her with a kiss.
Helena cried out, a grateful, breathy sound of delight, and he drank it in.
“Never leave me again, Declan,” she breathed against his cheek. “Never leave me again.”
And then they stopped talking and reveled in the soft forest floor, and mild spring sunshine, and each other.