Page 48 of The Moonstone Governess
As soon as the doctor left, Thaddius began to ask Daire questions. The usually genial innkeeper now assumed the role of protective father, determined to make certain nothing amiss had happened to Brenna, or he would toss Daire out along with his indolent friends.
Brenna sat up with a wince. “No, Thaddius. He was a gentleman. I behaved like a goose. I had just finished carrying in the books when he strode in and surprised me. He had no idea I was here until I darted out and ran straight into the tea cart.”
Daire knew he had not spoken to her like a gentleman, but he did not contradict Brenna’s version, since there was no need to stir up more trouble. It was bad enough the rain was still pounding down and little work would be done on the house.
And now Brenna was hurt.
Thaddius began apologizing to him. “I’m so sorry, Your Grace. I did not think you would mind having Brenna bring those books into your suite, since you were eager to move ahead with the business of repairing her house. and I just assumed—”
“Thaddius, no apology necessary,” Daire said, because he was not going to allow himself to accept the role of innocent bystander when he had been the instigator. “In fact, charge the cost of this tea cart mess to my account, including those breakfast vouchers you handed out. Send word to Dr. Hewitt that he is to charge me for Brenna’s stitches. I ought to have mentioned it to him before he left.”
Brenna frowned at him. “But—”
“And have one your maids bring up some tea and scones. Lots of them. Your cousin needs nourishment.”
Thaddius left them to put in the order himself.
The tea and scones were quickly delivered by one of his staff, who then bustled off to attend to other duties. Daire and Brenna were left alone again for the moment, but the suite’s door was open, and he expected someone would be sent in shortly to serve as Brenna’s chaperone.
For the moment, he had her all to himself.
Daire poured Brenna a cup of tea and placed a scone on a plate beside her. “I am truly sorry,” he said quietly. “What I said to you—”
It was her turn to cut him off. “I should have made my presence known the moment you walked in and began taking off your shirt. We were both stupid. All right? We seem to have a knack for being stupid together.”
He cast her an affectionate smile. “Seems to be something we must work on, how to be around each other without giving each other fits. Now, what is this you wish to tell me about books?”
Her eyes lit up. “The best news. You’ll never guess.”
He smiled. “Tell me, little dove.”
She wrapped her graceful fingers around her teacup to warm her hands. “As yesterday’s tea party came to a close, I approached Duchess Henley and asked if she might spare some time within the next few days to give me some guidance regarding refurbishing Stoningham Manor to your mother’s liking.”
“And?”
“She grabbed my hand, and that very moment took me through every room in her house, including the bedchambers.” She cast him a guilty look, revealing she had not confessed to sneaking upstairs during the party. “Then she took me into their storage room and showed me an entire bookshelf filled with books and boxes of fabric samples. She said the duke’s father had engaged one of England’s foremost decorators to do most of the work. Duchess Hen made a few changes after they were married, but not much. His father was a meticulous man who kept meticulous records. And do you know the best part?”
“He kept all the sample books in pristine condition?”
“Yes, that too. It turns out the fabric shop they used, Dumbley & Hayworth, is in Plymouth. We do not need to send all the way to Exeter or London for the materials.And,” she said with emphasis, her eyes taking on a starlit glow, “it turns out the sewing itself is all done there, too. Right on the premises. How long do you think it will take us to go to Plymouth and back by carriage, Your Grace? Their shop is on Plym Square, one of the more elegant shopping streets in town. Do you know of it? Is it possible to ride there in a day, place our orders, and return before nightfall? Felicity and I were at the manor at break of day this morning, taking precise measurements for each room and sketching out specific designs for your mother’s bedchamber and those she will likely use to entertain her guests. I have a design in mind that will be perfect for her private salon.”
Daire listened to Brenna as she chattered excitedly, but stopped her when he realized she only meant to decorate the rooms his family would occupy and meant to do nothing for herself. “Brenna, you are to redo the entire house. Have I not made myself clear on this?”
She nodded. “But is it not wasteful to—”
“No, it is not. My mother is a duchess. The entire house must reflect her status.” He did not really believe his own words, but it was not very far from the truth. Besides, he could not bear the thought of Brenna depriving herself or appearing of lesser worth than his family.
She sighed. “All right. In fact, Felicity insisted we measure all the rooms, so we did. The details are all set down in my journal. But—”
“No, you may not pay for any of it.”
“Gad, you are the most irritating duke I have ever met.” But she cast him a smile that touched his deadened heart. “The fabric books are stacked in the corner.” She pointed toward the hearth wall. “I was bending over them when you walked in and suddenly began tossing off your clothes. This is why you did not see me. You were quite funny, hopping about like a rabbit as you tried to remove your boots.”
“Good thing you said something before I dropped my breeches.”
Flames shot into her cheeks again.
He sighed. “Brenna, being curious about my body does not make you wanton.”
