Page 170 of Master of My Heart

Soothing, classical music played on the radio as he maneuvered smoothly through the traffic. The leather seats were soft and supple, molding to her body. Everything reeked of luxury, something she wasn’t quite used to. Her parents hadn’t been poor, but they certainly didn’t drive luxury cars. Chase was obviously well-off, which she was still getting used to.

“Where’s the Manor?” she asked in a soft voice. The car was so quiet, she assumed he’d be able to hear her. It didn’t even sound as if it had an engine.

“In Cambridge. Across the river.” He nodded toward her window. She turned and stared at the Charles River in the setting sunlight as they drove next to it. She saw the twinkling lights of the buildings on the other side.

“What do you do, besides be an Elder?”

Richard smiled. “You don’t think I sit in the Manor all day and dream up nefarious plots?”

She couldn’t stifle her laugh at the image of him sitting like a villain in a cartoon, scribbling plans on big pieces of paper and laughing maniacally.

He laughed softly. “I’m the CEO of a defense contracting company.”

“Like weapons and stuff?”

Richard nodded. “And electronics. We design and manufacture all types of things.”

“So, you could blow up the world?”

“I never thought about it in those terms before,” Richard said, tilting his head. “I suppose I could, but why would I want to?”

Sabrina shrugged.

“I prefer to think about it as helping our military stay strong and equipped.”

“That’s a nicer way to think about it.”

“I think so.”

Thinking of the military made her think of Chase, which made her heart ache again. She stared out the window and blinked back tears.

A while later, they pulled up to a set of wrought-iron gates, which opened a moment later. Richard drove through and down a long driveway that curved in front of an enormous, three-story mansion of white stone. He stopped by a black wooden door and turned the car off.

“We’re here.”

He exited the car and hurried around to open the door for her. She stepped out and stared up at the building for a long moment, until Richard cleared his throat and motioned for her to follow him up the steps.

The foyer was two stories high with a giant crystal chandelier hanging in the center. The floors were polished white marble, the walls paneled in dark wood. Two marble staircases curved around to form an archway over the hallway to the back of the house.

A large man with closely cropped dark hair and wearing a brown tunic and matching pants appeared from a side door. He bowed slightly to Richard. “Good evening, my lord,” he said.

“Good evening, Patrick,” Richard responded in a friendly tone. “How are you?”

The big man smiled. “Good, sir. Thank you for asking.” He looked at Sabrina and his eyes widened. “Is this... ?”

Richard nodded. “Patrick, I’d like you to meet Sabrina Mansfield. Sabrina, this is Patrick. He runs the place when I’m not here.”

“It is an honor to meet you, my lady.” When he bowed to her, she looked at Richard, who seemed pleased.

“It’s nice to meet you...” She trailed off. He didn’t call her by her name. She didn’t know what she should call him. She looked at Richard.

“In the Manor, you should address all men as ‘my lord,’” Richard explained.

“Seriously?” she asked, thinking he was joking.

But his expression was serious. “For now. It will depend on what position you decide to take here.”

She sobered immediately. “Oh.”

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