Page 86 of Sloth: The Fallen Earl
A sad glint lit his eyes. Little flecks of gold that told of his emotion. “Ah, yes, but we are both aware there are other ways in which people can be hurt.”
Cressida sucked her stomach in. For an agonizing, horrifying moment, she thought he’d discovered the truth about her love for him. That he knew her heart belonged to him and that he’d shattered it numerous times since The Devil’s Den.
Cressida unfastened the ribbons at her back and quickly tugged the article off. She hurried over to the cupboard and hung the dirty apron alongside the rest of those in need of cleaning. “You wished to see me, my lord?” she asked on a rush, sparing herself from any probing that could lead to further vulnerability in front of him.
As she moved throughout the kitchen, she felt his eyes upon her.
“Burgess informed me you were in the kitchen.”
“Is that a problem, my lord?” She tucked the stray hairs of her serviceable chignon back behind her ears, trying to tuck the strands into place.
He perched a hip upon the edge of the kitchen table and stared musingly at her. “It’s funny, isn’t it, Cressida?”
“My lord?”
“It’s just that from the moment we met at The Devil’s Den…”
That hadn’t been where they met. That just happened to be the only place he recalled meeting her.
“You only referred to me as Benedict, and here we are. The moment we agreed to refer to one another by our given names, you’ve startedmy lordingme. I wonder why that is?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say,” she lied. She absolutely could say; she just wouldn’t.
It had been far easier to refer to him as Benedict when she’d believed there was a possibility of a future with him. The kind man who’d escorted her without question from the seediest part of London thattonmembers were allowed to live and whom apologized for his bad behavior and unquestionably offered tofind the nursemaid of a woman he didn’t trust was one she found herself falling deeper in love with.
She required barriers between them.
At her silence, he folded his arms at his chest and raised an eyebrow.
He saw her lie. He was just too much of a gentleman to call her out on it.
Under his deep scrutiny, her cheeks pinked. It was too much. This was too much to be forced to live five steps ahead of her brother and society in general to keep them from discovering the extent of her circumstances. She didn’t like being off-kilter the way this man left her. She needed to regain self-control or she was going to lose all of herself, and she feared she’d never be found once that happened.
“My lord—”
He cut her off. “Benedict.”
She’d concede him this point. “Benedict,” she said, “you still haven’t said the reason you came to speak with me. Is it about the kitchens? Would you rather I not be here? Have your staff complained?” She chewed at her lower lip. Cook and the others had seemed amenable and as though they’d warmed to her this morning, but perhaps they’d sent word.
“No. You are, as I said, free to use the entirety of this residence as your own, Cressida. That includes the kitchen. I’ve never, however, had a young lady, or heard of a young lady, who preferred to rise early before the staff does and work in the…” He cast an inscrutable look about. “kitchen.”
Cressida pursed her lips. “I trust you find that disagreeable.”
He returned his focus to her. An amused smile curled his lips. “I find that fascinating.”
“I grew up in the country, my lord.”
He gave her a pointed look.
“I grew up in the country,Benedict.” She placed a slight emphasis on his name. “There’s nothing at all really fascinating about it.”
“To you, perhaps. I, however, find myself intrigued.”
Intrigued by her? She kept in a snort. That’d be a first.
Resting his left hand upon the table, he leveraged himself to a full stand. “Do you think I’m being insincere?”
“Benedict, I don’t believe you’re capable of insincere. If you say you’re intrigued, you are. I just can’t sort out for the life of me why you would be.”
