Page 170 of Bound By Her

“We are going to start from scratch.” Her voice heldits traditional authority, although she felt paper thin. “Basics include tea, cigar service, and furniture work. Eric will run you through all three, starting now.”

She paused, waiting for someone to dissent. Praying for one of them to dissent. Because if they were not going to hold up their end of the deal, then she didn’t have to either.

When there were no interruptions, she continued, “You will practice and work with Eric every day for the next three days. On the fourth day, you will show me what you have learned. Do not disappoint me.”

She left then, taking one step at a time, back to her bedroom. By the time she made it to the threshold, her legs were shaking. Her hands trembled on the handle. She could hear Eric giving instructions on the floor below. She was so tired.

CHAPTER 40

NORTH CAROLINA

Adria dug her heels into the carpet. Pushing her shoulder against the shelf, she grunted, putting her weight into it. The large object slid six inches before catching on something and coming to a sudden halt. Taking a breath, she pushed again.

“Rearranging?” Eric asked.

She ignored him, pushing her shoulder into the shelf, feeling it turn.

“Let me help, Miss.”

“I can do it,” she said, rounding on him.

He stepped back.

Adria stuffed her hands into her pockets, trying to hide the shake.

“I’m sorry, it’s just a little harder than I thought,” she mumbled, motioning to the furniture.

Eric moved to the other side of the bookshelf. He pointed to the opposite wall, and she nodded.

Together, the two of them pushed the item until it was snug in its new home.

“I’m thinking about redoing the front garden,” she said.

Eric nodded. “Maybe now isn’t the best time to be redecorating every room in the house. Or the gardens.”

Her hands slid back into her pockets.

“The boys are on track, no?” she prompted.

She didn’t understand what Eric wanted from her. Everything was going exactly as they had planned.

Granted, she felt like a limp doll with no stuffing, but she was up and moving. What more did he want?

“Plus, you are doing a great job,” she said, picking up a stack of books and placing them on the shelf. “Thank you for picking up the slack by the way.”

“There is only so much I can do. The boys still need more, they need you,” Eric said.

She shook her head.

“No, they don’t. They need protocol. They need structure. And they can get that from anyone.”

“And Kaydon?”

Adria flinched.

Whenever she closed her eyes, she was plagued with images of Jonathan standing over him. Kaydon’s face pressed into the bench. Marks on his back where the bullwhip had broken skin.

They haunted her.

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