be reorganized, even if it looked perfectly in order. Who am I to say?”
He’d never seen the linen closet. “When you say your room is adequate, what do you mean?”
“I mean it has a bed, a chair, a dresser… What else do I need?”
He sat up a little straighter. “What about a lamp? A window? A television?”
“It has the first two. There’s a television in the gathering room, but I haven’t watched it. Not sure about the others.”
“How are the others?” He had a feeling he knew the answer to this question already.
“Mrs. Applestock and Lolly are wonderful. They’re exactly as you’d think they’d be. And as they appear to be.” She let out a little snort. “So are Elswood and Mrs. Baton, for that matter, but I don’t want to speak ill of anyone.”
“Which means you have ill to say. You just don’t want to say it.”
She smiled but gave him no other response.
He could answer for her. “They’re both very stern, serious people. I know that. But are they like that all the time?”
“So far.” She shrugged. “I really don’t see much of them, Elswood especially. Mrs. Baton gives me my orders in the morning, we all eat breakfast together, then everyone goes their way.” She paused like she was thinking. “Henry’s very nice. And I met Fenwick this morning at breakfast. He seems nice, also.”
“They are both kind, considerate men. Hard workers.” He sighed. “As for Hyacinth and Elswood, perhaps I should speak to them—”
“No.” She stiffened suddenly. “That is, please don’t. I don’t think it would be well received. Or make any difference, except that they might assume I was the root of it.”
“And that would make things harder for you.”
She nodded. “Maybe we should go look for that cat.”
Perhaps it was her declaration that she believed in his innocence, perhaps it was his attraction to her, perhaps it was something else entirely, but he was feeling a sudden urge to give her some happiness like she’d just given him. Whatever the reason, the desire to do something for her just would not be squelched. “Theodora, we’re not going to find the cat.”
“No, Sire, we most likely are not.”
“Let’s not spend our time doing that, then.”
“All right.” She got up. “I should get back to the library. Thank you for the berries.”
“Please, sit down.”
She hesitated for a moment, then sat. “As you wish.”
“The rules of the indenture are broad. In fact, the only real stipulation is that you are to spend a year of your life in service to me. And service is a broad term.”
She nodded. “That’s how I understand it.”
“This house doesn’t need another member of the housekeeping staff. Or kitchen staff. Or any staff, for that matter. I don’t need it.”
She paled a little. “I promise, I am doing everything Mrs. Baton tells me to—”
“Forget Mrs. Baton.” He took a deep breath. It was hard for him to say the next words, but the small amounts of time he’d already spent with Theodora had made his need abundantly clear. “I would like you to serve your year as my companion.”
Hard blinking answered him. Then a stern glare and a deep frown. “I am not that kind of woman, Your Lordship.”
“I don’t mean that kind of companionship.” Although the thought of her in his bed was not unpleasant. At all. But he was going to have to explain himself more plainly. In language that pinpointed just how pathetic he was. “I mean as my friend. As company. As an actual companion.” He stared out at the pavilion.
“Oh.” She was quiet for a while, but he didn’t want to look at her in case she was staring at him in revulsion for being so pitiful. “I could do that.”
That turned his head. “You could?”
She nodded. “What kind of things would you want to do?”
“Well, for one thing, we could have meals together. I have dined alone for years, and I am sick to death of it. We could take strolls in the garden. Maybe one night a week we could watch a movie. Did you know there’s a theater room in this place?”
“I didn’t know. I suppose eventually I’d be sent to clean it, though. All right. I can do those things, although I might be tired from the day’s work sometimes.”
He shook his head. “There would be no day’s work. All of that would cease.”
“Oh? Well, that would free up my time considerably.” A little half smile bent her mouth. “What else would you