Page 31 of A Housekeeper for the Earl of Drinkwater
But he shook his head, giving Edward a small smile.
“No need for formalities, my lord,” he said, bluntly but with respect. “You can simply show me the house.”
Edward chuckled, nonplussed but not surprised by the colonel’s blunt manner.
“Very good,” he said, moving from behind his desk and toward the door. “Please, follow me.”
The colonel was not much for conversation Edward found, as led him down the drive to the Dower House. Edward respected that, as a fellow veteran of the war. It told Edward that the man was not one for causing trouble and likely just wanted a quiet life, which was what Edward expected of a colonel. Now, he just had to hope the old fellow liked the house.
He toured the house with the colonel, breathing in sharply at the sight of it. It looked nothing like it had just days before. In fact, Edward could have easily believed that someone had replaced the old Dower House with a brand new one.
There were soft, pastel colours everywhere, the drapes had been washed and rehung, the floors polished, the rugs beaten, fresh flowers stood in large vases, giving off pleasant fragrances, and every surface in every room was spotless and shining. Edward silently shouted the praises of the new housekeeper and vowed to give her a generous bonus whenever income allowed.
“I do hope you find this to your liking,” he said to the colonel when the tour was finished.
The colonel, who had so far been hard-faced and silent, suddenly beamed.
“I could not ask for anything better, Lord Drinkwater,” he said. “In fact, I insist on paying you five more pounds per month than your asking price. I must say in all honesty, if you won’t think me rude, that I did not expect much, looking at the outside of your manor. But I must admit, I am impressed.”
Edward laughed, shaking the colonel’s hand heartily.
“Thank you, Colonel,” he said. “The house is yours, whenever you are ready to move in.”
The man returned Edward’s handshake in earnest and grinned.
“That would be immediately,” he said.
Edward left the colonel to his new home, reveling in the comforting rustle of notes and chink of coin of the first month’s rent in his purse, and wearing a large, satisfied smile. The colonel’s tenancy would bring in an extra fifty pounds each quarter, which was an excellent start to the steady flow of income he needed. He knew he had his new housekeeper to thank for it; and he intended to do precisely that.
He got the opportunity sooner than expected. Much sooner, in fact. As he reentered the manor through the servant’s entrance and turned the corner to go to his study, he bumped straight into Miss White. The impact startled them both, and he stepped back, bowing immediately.
“Oh, dear,” he said, flushing. “Please, forgive me, Miss White. I did not expect anyone to be coming this way.”
The young housekeeper blushed, and all at once he was stunned by her beauty. He had noticed it on the day when she’d come for her interview, but in that moment, it was as if he was seeing it for the very first time. Her face was red, but her dimples shone as she smiled shyly at him, and her golden eyes sparkled.
“It is my fault, my lord,” she said, curtseying. “I should have been much more careful about where I was going.”
Edward shook his head, temporarily speechless. He felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him, but for the first time since he’d returned home, it was in a good way.
In fact, he felt something he’d never felt before, not at any point in his life. He struggled to admit it even to himself, but he had not even felt such things when he was with Caroline. All he could do for several moments was smile at the housekeeper.
When she looked away bashfully, Edward came back to himself. He realised he was behaving highly inappropriately with the new housekeeper. He felt his own flush deepen, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. Still, he could not help giving her another smile.
“I am glad to have found you,” he said. “I could not wait to complement you on the wonderful job you did on the Dower House. I understand that it must have been a big project for you, but you handled it very well. And you have my most sincere thanks.”
She blushed again, dipping into another curtsey. Edward found himself spellbound by her sweet smile and blushing. Suddenly, all he wanted in the world was to hear her laugh or speak again.
“You are too kind, Lord Drinkwater,” she said softly, giving him another of the smiles he so longed to see. “It really was very easy, as it did not seem like work at all, for I enjoyed it so much. So, you see, I’m not sure I deserve such praise.”
Edward smiled slowly, stunned at her humility. No task on his broken-down estate could be called easy, but that she would say as much told him a great deal about her character.
“You certainly do,” he said. “And I am forever in your debt.”
She looked away again, but he could see she was still smiling.
“It is I who am indebted to you for giving me this job,” she said. “I am honoured to have such an opportunity.”
Edward wanted to stand there all day and look at her, listening to her speak. But he was acutely aware of how inappropriate that would be, and he struggled to find his composure.
