Heiress in Red Silk (Duke's Heiress #2) - Madeline Hunter Page 0,104

say, sir—You have another home, so am I correct that you won’t be living here?”

“Not in the normal way.”

“Ah. I am an excellent cook. Far better than most households employ.” A quick, sidelong glance aimed at Chase. “Will you on occasion want meals here?”

“I suppose that is possible, if I am here late.”

“Very good, sir. Other than linens and such, will you need laundry done?”

“I doubt it.”

“I see. That will spare me much time. Because I will not be required to perform some duties, would you mind if I on occasion continue my employment in the inquiries, when I am needed?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kevin saw Chase’s thin smile. “Let me think about that and see how things go here first.”

“Very good, sir. I do not want to be presumptuous, but it would perhaps be best if we also discussed my requirements.”

“What would those be?”

Brigsby smiled a smile that managed to appear both subservient and superior. “I prefer to receive my wages every fortnight. I know it is not the normal way to do things, but it suits me. And if you anticipate having a guest for meals, notice by that morning at the latest is necessary so I can procure the necessities.”

“That is very sensible.”

“Thank you, sir. Oh, there is one more thing. If you intend to have a lady stay the night, I ask that you remove the door pull that hangs off the latch to the cellar. I wouldn’t want to intrude by mistake.”

“I don’t expect to be doing that, but it is good to know the custom.”

With a gracious bow, Brigsby left the library.

“What have you done to me?” Kevin asked.

“He is an excellent manservant. He can even do your accounts if you want. Once that enterprise starts showing sales and profit, you might consider using him.” Chase drank the rest of his coffee, then set the cup aside and picked up his brandy. “You are lucky to have him.”

“I’ll let you know if I agree after a month or so.” He stood and examined the library. Most of the books had been removed to the house Chase now shared with Minerva. It reminded him of the empty shelves that so distressed Rosamund when she bought her house. That library now overflowed with Kevin’s books. Maybe he would move some here, so she could continue buying the ones she preferred.

He had come upon her yesterday, reading one of the custom-bound volumes she had bought. The pages turned slowly, but she had kept at it. Twice while he was in the library she rose and went to the dictionary she had left open on a writing table.

“Does domestic life suit you?” Chase asked.

“Very much.” Kevin continued his perusal of the chamber.

“Your deciding to take separate chambers within a month of marriage implied otherwise.”

“They are not separate. They are extra. There is a difference.”

“If you say so.”

Kevin knew that tone of voice. It was Chase’s it-is-not-for-me-to-question tone that had ten questions waiting behind it.

“I’m not regretting my marriage, if that is what you think.”

“I don’t think anything except that this is odd.” Chase gestured with his glass around the library.

“If you think so, why did you offer this apartment?”

“You said you were going to do it, and this was available and well situated. It isn’t for me to make your decisions.”

“Yet it is for you to question them, it seems.”

“I only have one question. Does Rosamund know about this?”

“She does. She is in complete agreement that we needed these extra chambers.”

Chase raised his eyebrows, just enough to be irritating.

“What?”

“Nothing. Except—”

There was always an except in conversations like this.

“If I did not know you better, I would say it looks like you are setting yourself up for liaisons within a month of taking your vows,” Chase finished. “But, of course, you don’t have liaisons. Until the one with Miss Jameson.”

“If you must know, this place is for the enterprise. We both wanted an address other than our home. Also an office other than in our home. A place reserved for those matters, so they don’t intrude where they shouldn’t.”

Those eyebrows went up again, for a longer spell. “Ah.”

“That was an extremely annoying ‘Ah.’ It sounded as if the expert at discreet inquiries had concluded he had his answers.”

“All I have concluded is that you have decided that a business partnership and a domestic one don’t sit together well in one place.”

That was an understatement. Since their marriage, Kevin had several times cursed the agreement he had