here wouldn’t be made unnecessarily difficult.
“My lord?”
Philip suppressed a black oath as the housekeeper came and stood before him, hands clasped together in front of her, a model of a deferential servant.
He couldn’t find fault with her work, and nothing she said to him was ever anything less than polite and obedient.
And yet, there was always something in her demeanour that made Philip edgy. He knew that she would not approve of Selina being here, and he wanted to make damn sure she kept her unpleasantness to herself.
And not just because Selina was helping Timothy. He could admit that to himself, at least. He didn’t want Selina hurt. He didn’t want to see that incredible spirit tested by her treatment in his home.
“Timothy’s ah – helper will be arriving today. Like every one of my guests, I expect her to be treated with respect.”
A flash of something venomous lit the old lady’s eyes, but it was gone so fast Philip almost thought he’d imagined it.
“Forgive me, my lord, but if this person is a helper then surely she is not a guest?”
Philip slipped on his aristocratic mask. The one he used when dealing with difficult people. The one he used to remind people that he was in charge and his decisions were to be followed through and not questioned.
He hadn’t mentioned that the ‘helper’ was a she, but then he supposed it would be obvious that it was Selina.
“The lady and her companion will be helping Timothy, but they are friends and guests. As such, they will be treated with all due respect.”
This time the flash of venom was even more pronounced.
“So, I am to instruct the staff to wait on the gypsy girl and her companion, my lord?”
It was an impressive fete, Philip decided, to be able to pack so much disapproving judgment into what should have been a deferential question.
“You are to instruct the staff to treat Miss Lee and Miss Healy with every courtesy befitting the guests of an earl, Mrs. Leary. If that is something that you feel you cannot manage –“
“I can manage, my lord. I’ve been working in this household since your grandfather ran it.”
She might as well have finished her sentence with, “and you’re not half the man he was.”
Philip was about to dismiss her without further comment when he remembered his concerns about the servants’ gossiping about Selina and the fact that they’d been alone together last night.
“One more thing,” he said infusing his tone with authority, ensuring that the recalcitrant woman knew he would brook no argument. “That courtesy will extend to the control of wagging tongues, Mrs. Leary. If I hear even a whisper of scandal attached to her name, or mine, there will be consequences. Am I clear?”
Mrs. Leary’s cheeks flushed, and he knew that he’d been right to worry about talk. But she nodded her understanding.
Philip dismissed her hoping that she did her job and warned the staff about the dangers of spreading rumours about Selina. And about him. He would keep a close eye on things, however, and make sure that they adhered to his rules, and didn’t take it upon themselves to mistreat Selina.
Philip took out his timepiece. Less than an hour until Selina should be arriving. Though she’d warned him that sticking to times wasn’t exactly a forte of hers.
He could well believe that she didn’t confine herself to strictures of time. She was far too free spirited for that.
Yet he found himself looking out for her arrival. And not just because of Timmy, either. And this, he knew, was a problem.
He was getting closer and closer to admitting his attraction to the girl.
And yet – the last thing he wanted was to be attracted to her.
How could he even be thinking that way when Timothy was suffering so? When he’d let Charlotte down so badly that even now in death, she was so tormented that she couldn’t move on?
His wife and his son had suffered in unspeakable ways because of him. And now he was lusting after the one person who might be able to help them both?
Philip cursed himself and moved to pour a snifter of brandy.
He would simply have to put these selfish thoughts from his head.
Selina would stay as long as it took to help Timothy, and then she would leave.
He would go back to England. Back to a normal life.
And that would be the end of any sort of relationship between them all.
Movement outside the window where he stood caught