Page 8 of A Raven Revived

She wanted to see him, but on her own terms. She didn’t want to be surprised by him again, and she certainly didn’t want him to see her this way, dressed in a low-cut gown that hugged her every curve. She wasn’t ashamed of her work. Quite the opposite, really. She enjoyed it immensely. But Fitz had never seen her presented as anything but a perfect lady.

Well, perhaps that wasn’t completely true. She had done some things with him that a lady certainly shouldn’t. Something fluttered in her belly before she pushed the memories back down. Dwelling on those things was the last thing she needed just now.

There was always a line of men waiting for the doors to open and the ladies were there to welcome them with smiles and waves before they danced their way to the side of the gaming floor where they spent most of the evening.

Thankfully, there was no sign of Fitz. Nor did she see him the rest of the night. That hadn’t stopped her from thinking about him the entire time. Fortunately, after three years of doing this, it didn’t take much concentration anymore.

At the end of the night, Michael walked to the middle of the gaming floor and spoke over the din. “Gentlemen, say goodnight to the Lady Ravens!”

They danced and twirled their way between the tables, fluttering their feathered fans and blowing kisses to the patrons before eventually slipping through the black velvet curtains at the back. Ash waited at the top of the stairs as they passed.

“Good night, ladies. Thank you for all your hard work.” One of the owners was always there to thank them and wish them goodnight, along with security to see them safely across to Raven House and lock the doors behind them.

Daisy woke around noon. She threw on a robe and made her way down the hall in search of breakfast. Gwen approached her with her usual friendly smile.

“After you’ve finished eating, Ash would like a word in his office.”

“It’s a good thing you said after. Otherwise, I might miss out on a raisin scone.”

Gwen leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “They’re still warm this morning.”

“Excuse me if I don’t stay and chat then.” They both giggled, and Daisy continued to the sitting room where breakfast was served.

Mrs. Corstairs might be a bit of a strict disciplinarian when it came to overseeing all the ladies’ chores, but she did make a delicious scone. Daisy popped the last bite into her mouth and washed it down with the remainder of her tea.

She took another breath to savor the moment before reporting to Ash’s office.

ChapterThree

“Daisy, come in.” Ash always wore a reassuring smile when inviting someone into his office, but you couldn’t always trust it.

“How are you doing?” he asked as she settled in the seat across from him.

“I’m fine, Ash. I think I rather made a mountain out of a molehill. You may skip the niceties and get right to the actual reason you summoned me.”

He chuckled and gave a small nod. “Fair enough. There are actually two things I wished to speak with you about. The first I’ve intended to broach for a while now, but I’ve been a bit distracted.”

“By your new bride?” Daisy flashed him a goading smile.

Was that a blush that crept into his cheeks as he shook his head? It was the only response he gave to her question. He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on top of the desk. “Let me preface this by saying you are always welcome here, Daisy.”

Suddenly, the raisin scone felt like a rock inside her stomach. He’d said she would always be welcome here, but obviously that wasn’t entirely true. Raven House was meant to be a stepping stone, not a permanent home.

“Don’t look so worried, Daisy. I just want to talk about your future. You’ve been here a little over three years now, and so far, you haven’t shown any interest in moving on to another position.”

She shrugged and looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap. “I haven’t really ever given it any thought.” She raised her eyes to meet his again. “I like it here, Ash, and I’ve always felt safe. I suppose I’ve been worried that if I took a position in a household somewhere, my parents might somehow find me. They’re quite well connected among their ilk.”

“Well, as I said before, you are welcome here. I want you to be happy, though, and long term, I don’t think you’ll find that here. But I want you to know that we can work with you to figure something out. We all have estates where you’d be safe and there are other places here in Raven Row where you could work, as well. Just allow the idea to rumble around in your mind a bit, and if you think of anything that interests you, I’ll be happy to help make it happen.”

“You’re too kind, Ash. I will definitely think on it.”

“Good,” he said with a nod. “Now, the second thing I wanted to speak with you about is Mr. Fitzwilliam.”

Her stomach fluttered at the mention of his name. But why? They had been close once, but as soon as Daisy had become betrothed to his brother, he’d vanished. She had desperately wished he would fight for her or beg her to run away with him. But of course he hadn’t.

In the end, she’d had to run away all on her own.

“Why was he in your office, Ash? And why was he allowed to cross over to the club from here? I’ve never seen an outsider do that.”

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