Page 27 of Oz
“Who did?” I ask.
“Maggie,” comes Oz’s voice from the door. He hands Milo a plate and sits down with his own.
“Maggie, the maid?” I ask, suddenly realising that she isn’t serving dinner.
He nods and takes a bite of his food. He gives a low groan and I shift in my chair slightly while ignoring Niall’s raised eyebrow.
“Wait. Maggie can cook?”
He nods slowly.
“But what about Mrs Granger?” I stiffen. “You haven’t sacked her, have you?” I whisper.
He immediately shakes his head. “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that.” He pauses. “Well, I would totally sack people and I did sack two of the cleaners when I found them eating biscuits in one of the beds upstairs and watchingThe Jeremy Kyle Show, but no one else at the moment. Anyway, that would always be up to you.” I relax back into my chair and he smiles. “Mrs Grangeris going to head up the baking in the kitchen in the visitor’s centre.”
“Oh my God,” I breathe. “That’s fucking genius.”
He nods. “I know,” he says modestly. “She’s very happy. She makes wonderful cakes, and homemade baked goods go down really well with the general public. We can offer cream teas and things like that. We should make a mint. Meanwhile, Maggie has taken over in the kitchen. I’ve been watching her and she cooked lunch for us once when Mrs Granger had gone for a lie down.” He shrugs. “It was an easy decision to make. Mrs Granger will stay on her money but I’ve offered Maggie some more.” He looks at me quickly. “Was that okay?” he whispers.
“It was genius,” I say again. “Of course she should have more.”
“I was worried,” he says, darting a glance at an oblivious Milo.
“It’s fine.”
Niall snorts. “I’ll say so. I knew you were the one for the job when you mentioned guarding the aristocracy’s possessions.”
“What?” I ask, but Oz chuffs slightly.
“Nothing. Dinner’s getting cold.”
We all immediately turn back to the food. Silence falls for minutes while we eat and then gradually conversation starts up again the way it has since Oz came. He’ll mention a TV programme or a film or relate some humorous incident from the day, and everyone will spark off it.
I sneak a look at him sitting in a pool of evening sunshine. The light enhances his dark hair and plays over his high cheekbones, making them look like they’re washed in gold. At that moment he looks up at me and for the life of me I can’t tear my gaze away. Our eyes hold and time seems to slow around us.
Milo breaks it by asking a question, and when Oz looks away I notice his chest rising and falling sharply. I look out ofthe French windows, endeavouring to control my breathing and trying hard to think of something terrible that will make my erection go down. I think of last night’s dinner and feel my cock wilt.Thank God for Mrs Granger’s cooking.
The next second all my thoughts fly out of my head when a man wanders past the windows. “Who the fuck is that?” I ask and everyone looks up.
Oz immediately jumps up. “Oh, that’s Josh. He was supposed to go home hours ago.”
“Who is he?” I persist, looking at the young man who’s bending over my flower beds.
“That’s the apprentice gardener,” Oz says and walks out of the doors to speak to the lad.
I turn to Niall. “Apprentice gardener?” I mouth.
He shrugs. “I don’t know.” He turns to Milo, who immediately blushes bright red. “Who is he?” he asks.
“That’s Josh. Oz contacted the local agricultural college last week and enquired about apprenticeships and whether they had any keen young gardeners.” He looks at me. “He said something about Sid’s bad back.”
My mouth quirks. “Clever bastard,” I say admiringly.
Milo blinks and looks up as Oz comes back through the door.
“He’s really keen,” Oz says, sitting down at the table again. “He says Sid’s taught him loads already. Apparently, he knows lots about rare types of plants.” He looks at me and winks. “Maybe he found them while he was lying on them in the orchard.”
I can’t help my grin and I shake my head. “Are there any other staff here that I don’t know anything about and don’t appear to be paying much for?”
