Page 29 of Irresistible
“Lancelot and I have been wed nearly five. We wanted to visit Paris, but the timing was rather poor.” Mrs. Chesmore pouted.
“Mais oui,” Chesmore said with a frown. “La guerre stupide.”
“Thankfully that is over now,” Jess responded.
“Parlez-vous français?” Mrs. Chesmore asked excitedly.
Jess realized her error. She and Dougal were supposed to act as though they didn’t speak French in the hope that the Chesmores might speak freely in French without realizing they were understood. “Un plus,” she said, purposely using the wrong word.
“I think you meanpeu,” Chesmore corrected.
“Oh yes.” Jess shook her head. “I wasn’t very good at my French lessons, I’m afraid. What little I do remember, I am almost always getting wrong.” She waved her hand with a self-deprecating laugh while mentally chastising herself.
A woman with dark blonde hair topped with a white cap entered. Her sharp brown gaze swung to Jess and Dougal.
“This is Mrs. Farr, our housekeeper,” Chesmore said. He looked to her. “Some cake would not come amiss. And coffee, of course.”
Jess exchanged a brief glance with Dougal. Now that they knew who she was, they would devise a plan to search her room and perhaps make inquiries with the other servants. Jess had no idea how they would accomplish all this under the noses of their hosts.
Mrs. Farr nodded at Chesmore, then returned her attention to Jess and Dougal. She dipped a brief curtsey before departing.
Chesmore took his wife’s hand in her lap, his thumb caressing her flesh. It was somewhat distracting. Nearly everything they did was distracting. Jess had never met a couple like them before.
“My lamb and I were discussing your sudden arrival and agree the timing is too perfect to ignore.” He exchanged a hopeful look with Mrs. Chesmore. “And now that we know your intent is to enjoy the sea, we would love to invite you to stay.”
Jess turned her head to Dougal, who did the same. Giving an infinitesimal nod, Jess hoped Dougal would speak. She felt as though she’d already bungled things with the French and feared she might misspeak again. She was quite irritated with herself.
“We don’t wish to be an imposition,” Dougal said, swinging his focus to their hosts. “You’ve already helped us so much.”
“This is the perfect place to enjoy the sea,” Chesmore explained. “There’s a path right down to the beach, in fact.”
“That does sound tempting,” Dougal murmured. He looked to Jess once more, “Darling?”
Before Jess could respond, Mrs. Chesmore interjected, “You must stay. We adore having guests. In fact, we’re hosting a dinner party in a few days, and you simply must remain for that at least.”
“You’ll enjoy a much better aspect of the sea here than in Poole,” Chesmore added.
“I think we should stay,” Dougal whispered. He was so very good at this.
“All right.” Jess smiled at him.
Dougal clapped his palm against his thigh. “It’s settled. We shall be delighted to accept your kind invitation. We are overcome by your generosity.” His eyes met Jess’s. “Aren’t we, my hummingbird?”
Jess had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She supposed it was better than pigeon. That he would think of her as something so dainty and elegant made her feel surprisingly giddy. “Most definitely.”
“Brilliant!” Mrs. Chesmore laughed gaily.
“I wanted to ask you about the house,” Dougal said, looking about the room with its predominantly pale blue décor. There was a wide fireplace with stone mermaids carved on each side. They held up the mantel on their hands, their hair flowing as if the wind was actually gusting toward them. “What little I’ve seen of it is stunning. There are so many details pertaining to the sea.”
“You must have a tour,” Chesmore said. “After we have our cake and coffee, we’ll take you through it.”
“That sounds lovely.” Jess suppressed a shiver as Dougal’s fingertips grazed the back of her arm.
Dougal settled his hand on her shoulder. “We’re looking forward to hearing what writers you’ve named the rooms for.”
Mrs. Chesmore laughed lightly. “It’s silly perhaps, but we enjoy literature. And naming things. We still need a better name for the house, however. Seaview House is so uninspiring.”
“Something fromThe Tempest, perhaps,” Dougal suggested.
