The Summer of Sunshine and Margot - Susan Mallery Page 0,47

in a positive way?”

“Instead of drinking too much?”

“Exactly. Alcohol doesn’t really make the situation better. It simply masks the problem.”

Some of the wariness returned. “You think you’re so smart.”

“I think I know what I’m doing, otherwise why hire me?”

“I’ll consider it.” Bianca rose and carried her melting ice cream to the sink. After setting it down, she turned back to Margot.

“I still want to have the dinner party right away.”

“I’ll talk to Edna in the morning.”

“See that you do.”

With that, Bianca flounced out of the room. Margot stared after her. She would guess they’d moved past the easy, pleasant part of the training and into the more difficult work. On the bright side, she did love a challenge.

* * *

When Margot walked into the dining room for breakfast the next day, she noticed two things at once: that Alec wasn’t reading the paper and that there was a second place setting at the table.

She hadn’t seen him the previous day—her early morning run had meant she’d missed the simple buffet—so today was the first breakfast since their post–cocktail party dinner.

“Good morning,” he said when he saw her. He motioned to the extra place setting. “You’re more than welcome to take a tray back up to your room if you’d prefer, but if you’d like to stay and eat at the table, I would enjoy the company.”

An odd fluttery sensation set up shop in her belly, making her suddenly not know what to do with her hands. Or her brain.

“I, ah, that would be nice. Can you give me just one minute?”

She hurried out of the room and ran back upstairs. After collecting the ledger, she returned to the dining room and set the old leather-bound book next to him.

“I found this last night,” she said as she poured herself coffee. “It dates back to 1912 and details all the purchases made by the monks. There are also some unexpected trades. Did you know the monks raised honey?” She reached for a plate. “I guess I mean they raised bees and harvested honey. Also, they had quite the herd of donkeys that were relatively expensive. Donkeys and honey. Who knew?”

While Bianca got a little outrageous when she was nervous, Margot knew she got too chatty. She scooped eggs onto her plate, added a couple of slices of bacon, along with a croissant, then told herself to stop talking.

Alec flipped through the ledger. “Where did you find this?”

“Up in the attic. There’s a lot up there. Some of it is just trash, but there are some historical items that probably should be cataloged. They might be of interest to the local historical society or a university.”

He looked at her and smiled. “You’re not afraid to go into the attic at night?”

“No. Ghosts aren’t my thing. And you’ll be pleased to know there wasn’t a single skeleton to be found.”

“That is lucky.”

She picked up her coffee. “The attic needs more exploring. After that, I’m going to be going through the cellar. I’ll do my best not to see any bones there, either.”

“I appreciate that.” He studied her. “I’ve lived here nearly five years and I’ve never done much more than go pick out wine in the cellar.” He smiled. “I always knew if I got started exploring, I wouldn’t stop until I’d combed every inch of the place and I haven’t had the time. I see I should have made more of an effort.”

“Absolutely. People lived here and died here for centuries. Every inch of it is beautiful. The carvings, the stained glass windows, the bell. Your house is very swoonworthy.”

“Is that how we’re describing it?” His voice was teasing. “I’ll accept the compliment on my house’s behalf.”

“You should.”

They smiled at each other. She felt a little zing of tension, which she ignored. It was enough to know Alec saw her as more than an appliance. She wasn’t going to push her luck. Still, it was nice to find a man other than Dietrich attractive. It meant there was hope for her after all.

“How are things with my mother?” he asked. “I didn’t see her around yesterday.”

“She stayed with Wesley until the early evening,” Margot admitted. “I got a text in the morning telling me she was skipping our lesson.”

“Are you surprised?”

“A little, but I’m trying to understand her more. She wants me to get the formal dinner scheduled as quickly as possible.”

“You sound worried.”

“I hope she’s enthused because she wants the practice and not as a distraction. I just don’t know which