Devil in Spring (The Ravenels #3) - Lisa Kleypas Page 0,88
accepted the position, his lack of enthusiasm had been obvious.
“Lady St. Vincent doesn’t pay attention to time,” Gabriel had told him, “so you’ll have to mind her schedule. She tends to lose things easily. Keep an eye out for dropped gloves, handkerchiefs, books, anything she might accidentally leave behind. She’s sweet-natured and impulsive, so for God’s sake keep swindlers, street-sellers, pickpockets, and beggars away from her. Also, she’s often distracted, so don’t let her trip on the pavement or veer into the street.” Gabriel had hesitated before adding, “She’s hard of hearing in her right ear, and it sometimes causes vertigo, especially in poor lighting when she can’t orient herself. She’d have my head if she knew I’d told you. Now, do you have any questions?”
“Yes. Am I supposed to be a footman or a bloody nanny?”
Gabriel had leveled a steady gaze at him. “I understand this may seem like a step down from working at the club. But to me, there is nothing more important than her safety. Lady St. Vincent is a young, curious, very active woman who doesn’t think in conventional ways. She has much to learn about the world—and the world has much to learn about her. Protect my wife, Drago. It won’t be as easy as you think.”
Drago had given him a short nod, the hint of annoyance fading.
Gabriel’s thoughts returned to the present as Pandora aired her grievances.
“I wanted a footman with twinkly eyes like Father Christmas, not the eyes of a Viking mercenary. Footmen are supposed to be clean-shaven and pleasant-looking, and have nice names like Peter or George. But mine is scowly and growly, and his name is Drago and he has a black beard. You should have seen when I stopped by the toy department at Winterborne’s. He stood by the door, glowering with his arms folded, and all the children grew nervous and started looking for their mothers.” She gave Gabriel a suspicious glance. “Does he know anything about being a footman?”
“Not much,” he admitted. “Drago has worked at the club in various positions. But the butler is training him, and he learns quickly.”
“Why can’t I have an ordinary footman like the other ladies have?”
“Because you won’t always be going to the places other ladies go.” Gabriel sat on a chair to remove his shoes and stockings. “You’ll be looking for factory space, and meeting with suppliers, retailers, and wholesale traders, and so forth. If you take Drago with you, it will ease my mind about your safety.” As he saw the mulish set of Pandora’s jaw, Gabriel decided to take another tack. “Of course, we’ll replace him if you wish,” he said with a casual shrug. He began to unfasten the buttons of his braces. “But it would be a pity. Drago grew up in an orphanage and has no family. He’s always lived in a small room at the club. He was looking forward to living in a real household for the first time in his life, and seeing what family life was like.” That last sentence was pure conjecture, but it did the trick.
Pandora sent him a long-suffering glance and heaved a sigh. “Oh, all right. I suppose I’ll have to keep him. And train him not to scare people.” Dramatically she fell backward on the bed, arms and legs akimbo. Her small, glum voice floated up to the ceiling. “My very own footmonster.”
Gabriel regarded the small, splayed figure on the bed, feeling a rush of mingled amusement and lust that made his breath catch. Before another second had passed, he’d climbed over her, crushing her mouth with his.
“What are you doing?” Pandora asked with a spluttering laugh, twisting beneath him.
“Accepting your invitation.”
“What invitation?”
“The one you gave me by reclining on the bed in that seductive pose.”
“I flopped backward like a dying trout,” she protested, squirming as he began to hike up her skirts.
“You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist.”
“Take a bath first,” she implored. “You’re not fit for the house. I should take you out to the stables and scrub you like one of the horses, with carbolic soap and a birch brush.”
“Oh, you naughty girl . . . yes, let’s do that.” His hand wandered lecherously under her skirts.
Pandora yelped with laughter and wrestled him. “Stop, you’re contaminated! Come to the bathroom and I’ll wash you.”
He pinned her down. “You’ll be my bath handmaiden?” he asked provocatively.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“I would,” he whispered, touching his tongue to the center of her lower lip.