Page 50 of A Housekeeper for the Earl of Drinkwater
“Perhaps this Miss White was the best he could afford, what with the finances in such a state,” the first woman said.
“I think he said her name is Serena,” the second woman said. “And she was probably the only chit daft enough to stay and work in a mansion in such shambles.”
It isSerena, she hissed in her mind, balling her hands into fists.And it is Miss White to you.She knew they were the earl’s aunts, but she had never heard such a level of contempt in her entire life.
Apart from that, they were in someone else’s home. Even if it was a relative’s home, they had no right to act in such a disrespectful manner. And it was a relative’s home, that of their bereaved nephew, to be precise. Serena thought they were terrible for behaving as they did.
They could say what they liked about her; they could not know she was of noble birth, as well. But how dare they come in and speak so ill of the earl? If they did not know what he had been through recently, they obviously were not close to him. And if they did know, that made their unsympathetic cruelty much worse.
She held her breath until she could no longer hear their cackling. Then, she slipped to the servant’s entrance and hurried outside. If she had to hear one more vile word from those women’s mouths, she might not be able to hold her tongue.
The fresh air outdoors was instantly calming, and she turned, so that the gentle breeze could caress her face. She thought a walk in the gardens would set her mind straight again. At least, it would as long as she could avoid Lord Drinkwater’s awful aunts.
She headed for the gardens, enjoying the songs of the birds flitting overhead. She was busy watching them as she walked, having got to know the gardens well enough to have memorised the many winding paths. As such, she jumped out of her skin when she bumped into someone coming in the other direction.
She leapt back, expecting to be face to face with one of the earl’s lovely aunts. But instead, she found herself looking into a pair of familiar lovely deep-green eyes.
“Lord Drinkwater,” she said, breathless for more than one reason. “Please, forgive me.”
The earl smiled down at her. She could have sworn he looked not only delighted but also relieved to see her. Her heart began to race, and she could feel her cheeks flood with colour.
“There is nothing to forgive, Miss White,” he said. “It is a wonderful surprise to see you out here.”
Serena giggled, blushing harder at her silly behaviour. Once more, she was stricken speechless by the earl’s handsomeness. And, as if wonders would not cease, he looked even happier than before.
He stared at her for a moment, causing her heart to beat impossibly fast. She thought she might swoon if he did not take his eyes off her, though she did not really want him to.
“Would you care to take a walk with me?” he asked, offering her his arm.
Serena nearly did swoon then, keeping upright only by curling up her toes in her shoes until it hurt. The pain took over her mind temporarily, and at last she was able to speak.
“I would like that, my lord,” she said, glancing around. “But should I not have an escort?”
He gave her an impish grin.
“I won’t tell anyone,” he said. “And I would not dream of doing anything to harm your reputation.”
Serena smiled shyly.Oh, heaven forbid, you should do such a thing,she thought, secretly wishing the opposite.
“Very well,” she said. “Lead the way, my lord.”
She took his arm, feeling her blush darken further. The attraction between them was electric, and Serena felt she could hardly breathe. She had never enjoyed the company of another person as much as she was enjoying the earl’s at that moment, and she wished it never had to end.
She tried to catch her breath as they walked on. The silence was comfortable, and yet she could tell the earl wanted to break it with conversation. She tried to pull her head out of the clouds so that she could engage with him, but when she looked up into his gorgeous face again, all she could do was giggle.
“I do not believe I have ever met a person who is as genuinely happy as you are, Miss White,” he said.
Serena blushed.
“How could I not be happy?” she asked. She truly was happy at Chimneys. At least, as happy as she felt she would ever be without her family or her home. “I love my work here, and I love the manor.”
Lord Drinkwater nodded with approval, his eyes sparkling and making her heart skip too many beats.
“You certainly are remarkable with it,” he said. “My home almost looks like a whole new place. And I like it very much.”
Serena blushed and giggled again.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said.
