Page 12 of Firethorne
Chapter Six
Maya
“I’m so sorry about my father, and...my brother,” Lysander said apologetically, saying the last part a little quieter and rolling his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder. Then he turned back around, dazzling us with his smile and a kindness that shone from within. “And I’m so sorry, but I didn’t catch your names.” He stuck his arm out for my father to shake his hand.
“I’m Arthur. Arthur Cole,” my father said, gripping Lysander’s hand firmly to give the handshake he’d wanted to give and been denied only moments ago. “And this is my daughter, Maya.”
Lysander’s gaze moved to me.
“Maya Cole.” He said my name like he was testing how it sounded on his tongue, and the way he said it made the blush I’d stifled earlier start to bloom on my cheeks.
What the hell was wrong with me?
“The pleasure is all mine,” he said as he picked up my outstretched hand and dipped his head to kiss the back of it.
I didn’t know how to react to his old school charm, but I smiled back at him sweetly. He was making an effort—effort that’d been lacking from the other Firethorne men.
He stared at me for a few seconds longer than I expected, his eyes twinkling with forbidden promises as he held my hand in his. The warmth of his palm sent sparks of electricity into mine, and I tried not to show he was affecting me as I kept my breathing regular and my smile neutral and friendly. Then he shook his head as if he were waking himself from a daze, gently let go of my hand, and gestured to the door behind us.
“Shall we?” he asked, then he winked, and a flutter erupted inside me.
I really needed to get a grip.
There was a boyish charm on his face as he strode past us and headed out of the house with a spring in his step.
“It’s not far, just across the park,” he announced, and then turned and peered down at my black boots, and his smile widened. “You wore the perfect shoes for this estate, Maya Cole. Miriam is always complaining about her heels whenever she has to venture outside. I can already tell you’re a wise woman.”
I didn’t own a pair of high heels. These were the only boots I had, the only shoes I owned. But I smiled back at him and nodded in response. I liked being called wise, and theywerethe perfect boots. They’d lasted longer than my last pair.
“Can I take your luggage?” Lysander asked, ever the gallant gentleman, but he didn’t try to grab it like the driver had.
“No, it’s fine,” I replied.
“We can manage,” my father chipped in.
I didn’t want us to appear ungrateful, so I quickly added, “Thank you, though,” as I tried to keep up with Lysander’s long, confident strides on the pebbled path.
“I feel a little awkward, walking you to your cabin while you both carry suitcases. It’s not very gentlemanly of me, is it?” Heglanced back at us, slowing his steps when he saw we were struggling to keep up. “But you’re an independent woman. I like that. I won’t insult you by forcing the subject.”
The way his eyes stayed locked on mine, and the playful warmth that burned in his gaze made me feel like he was flirting with me. It wasn’t something I was used to, and I was a little unnerved about how to react. So, I pushed the thought away, concentrating instead on keeping in step with him and my father, and taking in our surroundings, despite the darkness around us. The grounds had an eerie presence, mist and fog looming in the distance as the gravel crunched under our feet.
“How long has your family lived at the manor?” my father asked, making small talk and asking a question I was sure he already knew the answer to.
“Our family have owned this estate since it was originally built back in eighteen thirty-four,” Lysander stated proudly, and proceeded to tell my father the history of the building, pointing out recent renovations and restoration work that’d been carried out. Lysander was attentive, answering my father’s questions and taking an interest in everything he said.
I couldn’t help but zone out, leaving them to chatter as I glanced around, wondering how far away the closest neighbours were. The only lights I could see came from the main house and the streetlamps leading up the drive. But we were heading away from those, and in front of us lay nothing but darkness. The irony wasn’t lost on me. We were heading into the unknown. But with Lysander leading us, I felt a little less wary.
After a while, as the glow from the house faded behind us, Lysander remarked, “It’s so dark out here. I need to talk to my father about installing more lights in this part of the grounds. We can’t have you wandering out here alone in the night like this. God knows what could happen. You could fall and hurt yourselves. It’s a liability.”
He seemed genuinely concerned, but I frowned. Surely, they’d had other live-in employees? Ones that had used this cabin that we were heading to. Why was the lack of lighting suddenly a surprise to him?
But before I could question it, Lysander turned to me and asked, “Are you excited to start work tomorrow, Maya?”
“I would be...” I shrugged my shoulders, huffing as plumes of cold air clouded in front of me. “If I knew what I was doing.”
Lysander threw his head back and laughed.
But I hadn’t meant it as a joke. I really was struggling to get my head around all of this. But I was keeping it together, for my father’s sake.
