Page 38 of Captivating the Countess
She raised her light-colored eyebrows and waited without comment.
Rain unlocked a door at the end of the hall. He despised uncertainty. Ruthlessly, he chose to have this decision made now—but he had to do it with care or she’d run back to the far north. “My steward normally has the use of a large cottage in the village. It’s designed for a family man with wife and children, one who keeps a stable so he might ride over here daily.”
“I see. It sounds a little too large for me.”
“Exactly.” He opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Tonight, she wore a scent of lavender and a sweet scent all her own that had him salivating like a damned dog. He had to remain rational and not howl, but that required forgetting Bell’s kisses and exquisite curves. That was not within the realm of possibility.
“I have pondered the problem of how to accommodate your needs. I know you wished to use your salary to pay debts. A house would require servants and upkeep just as your manor does. Besides, I dislike the idea of you living alone or riding alone.”
“I rather like the idea of living alone,” she argued. “It would be peaceful, and I would not as likely stir the ghosts.”
Of course, she argued.It was what they did. Rain was unaccustomed to ladies disagreeing with him. His sisters had grown up in Somerset. He’d gone to school and spent most of his vacations in York, learning the medical practice. He knew his sisters were argumentative, but he’d not had to deal with them to any extent until his father’s illness. Their husbands had always acted as buffer if there was any minor disagreement.
But his new steward... He couldn’t ignore Bell. Lust warred with impatience and concern. His molars would never survive, even though she spoke to him much as Davis once had, perhaps with a little less deference. The countess was more arrogant than his impoverished cousin.
And had a musical voice that could be singing lullabies for how little she raised it. Even her arguments aroused him. He’d always been a rational, responsible gentleman. She was turning him into a slavering animal. He needed a solution—soon.
“Nonetheless, you need servants,” Rain insisted. “The castle has plenty. You can’t afford them. And as you’re aware, feeding a stable is costly. So I’m offering this suite in substitute. It’s far from the family and should be quiet.” He lit the sconces so she could see.
He could tell she was interested, perhaps more than interested. She drew her hand over the silver-blue of the sofa situated in front of a tiled fireplace. Darker blue wing chairs flanked the sofa. A Regency-era writing desk and bookshelves occupied one corner. The women in his family had good taste—and his money to waste.
Wooing with furniture... he’d have to take notes.
“There is a bedchamber and bathing chamber to the left.” He gestured at a door painted with a mural of peacocks. “A second bedroom and a maid’s room is on the right.” That panel was painted with swans. “We once used this for visiting family. But my aunts are older now and prefer I visit them. And my cousins are grown. My sisters prefer their own apartments and the nursery for their infants. This sits vacant.”
“This house is immense. You could sleep royalty here.” She peered into the bedchamber on the left.
“Vicki isn’t likely to visit,” he said dryly. “The days of royal retinues needing suites are long gone, thank heavens. I’ve been told we have nearly five miles of corridors, but I’ve not attempted to measure. My family has always had architects eager to add their mark, like Teddy.”
“Five miles! I shall be able to exercise without leaving the house.” She wandered into the bedchamber, out of sight.
Rain raised his voice slightly, unwilling to watch her in juxtaposition with a bed unless he could act on it. “The only reason the suite is in good repair is that my sisters and aunts like decorating. Like Teddy’s studio, it has large windows. These overlook the rose gardens, I believe.”
“Modern fixtures,” she said admiringly from the washroom. “You could ensconce your favorite aunts in here when they grow old and feeble.”
Rainford snorted at the thought. “Keep in mind that the aunts on the paternal side who grew up here are Malcolms. They have huge families, as well as occupations that keep them busy. I assure you they do not need it.” Neither did his uncles by marriage, some of whom were Ives and would go berserk confined in this femininity.
She reappeared to cross the parlor to the maid’s room. “I’ve been sharing a maid with the other ladies. I don’t know what I would do with one all my own. But I’m sure one would love this charming space.”
“Once my sisters have gone home, we’ll have maids to spare. My sisters let their servants off for the holidays, knowing we have extra they can share. If you could see out the window at this hour, you’d realize this suite is at the very end of the north wing, directly over your office. You need only go down the back stairs to be there, if you don’t mind using the servants’ door. The guest stairs are back at the intersection with the main block of the house.”
She swirled around to confront him, her hands crossed in the folds of her dinner gown. “And what do you want in return for this luxury?”
The incident last night had not vanished with daylight. Their uncanny attraction and kisses had to be on her mind as well as his. He’d not been able to think of anything else all day.
But his motives were... mostly... honorable. “I ask nothing. You requested a private space when you arrived. I considered Davis’s cottage but concluded that would worry me enormously. I’d forgotten about this wing. It’s so very far from the rest of the house that it’s just not used. So I had the servants take a look. They deemed it habitable.”
She nodded but continued to watch him expectantly. “So you’ve found a compromise that works for both of us, thank you. But why bring me here now? It could have waited until your guests were gone and the staff a little less overworked.”
How did she manage to look so defiant and delectable at the same time? “Unless you have some idea of what is causing the odd activities below, I thought you might be more comfortable out of the way. In the interest of experimentation, I’d hoped we might see if the ghosts followed you.”
She looked rightfully wary but seemed to accept that. “Wise, thank you. I’ve never had a poltergeist follow me around, but your ghosts are persistent.”
“Poltergeist?” Relieved that he didn’t have to explain himself more, at least this minute, Rainford followed the path of enlightenment.
“A fetch that can move objects, like the tray and the chandelier. I hadn’t yet proved the slamming doors are supernatural, but after this evening, it seems your resident haunt has chosen to present herself. It would be nice to know if your grandmother is behind the activity or something else.” She crossed the parlor to look outside the windows.
He knew it was too dark to see, but like moth to flame, he followed her. “You think there might be others?”
