Page 23 of An Earl to Remember
Daniel frowned. “You expect me to do chores?”
Her gaze gleamed, and there was something provoking in that stare.
“There is no need to sound so aghast, Mr. Stannis. My sister Elizabeth and I do the bulk of it, along with Mrs. Woods, our housekeeper. However, she does not live at the manor and comes by twice in the week.”
“Where are the other servants?” Even though the house was not impressive, it still needed a few servants to ensure it was run smoothly. A maid, one footman, a cook, at least.
There was an expression in her eyes he could not identify.
“We cannot afford it, but you assured me before we got married that you are perfectly capable of working on the house and even in the garden if necessary.”
He held her regard, and Daniel noted she seemed mortified. He realized then the family’s circumstances had been much better in previous years, and they must have had to seriously retrench. Questions swirled inside, but he only said, “And where is this list?”
She dipped into the pocket of her dress and withdrew a slip of paper. Daniel reached for it, reading quickly, carefully burying the outrage snapping through his veins like crackling lightning.
“I presume all of these are my chores,” he murmured, dangerously soft.
She pinned him with a bright smile, and it damn well annoyed Daniel that her prettiness sent his heart into a lurch. Long lashes framed bright, golden-brown eyes that were captivatingly tilted and pinned on him with unwavering intent. A memory of those eyes widened and darkened with lust flashed through him, and his heart kicked a furious rhythm. He could feel her body against his…and he closed his eyes, briefly trying to capture the elusive memory. It danced from him, but Daniel was even more certain he knew Miss Heyford carnally.
“Yes, but they all need not be done today. However, for me to prepare a proper breakfast for the family, eggs must be collected from the chicken coop, so do be careful when you deal with Hetty, and fresh milk must be collected from Nellie. I do not wish to exert you much because of your injury, unless of course you believe your state to be too delicate?”
Delicate?He narrowed his gaze at her, feeling the stab she made at his masculine pride.How interesting. He wondered what they had argued about that would see them separated only hours after their marriage. There was a look about her that informed him she expected him to make a fuss about collecting eggs and milk.
“I shall see to these chores,” he said.
Her lips parted with surprise, and he felt some satisfaction he had upended her expectations.
Daniel marched out the back door with the basket that had been thrust into his hands and tried to locate wherever the chickens lived. There was a small, ramshackle building that was surrounded by a hedged enclosure. He stared at the building, for a moment wondering why the hell he was truly going to collect eggs. Daniel did not need his damn memory to know this was beneath him.
“Are you going for eggs?”
It was to Daniel’s credit he had not startled at that whisper. He glanced down, lifting a brow at the small child perfectly hidden behind an old bale of hay. “What are you doing?”
She peeked out and looked behind him before she glanced up. “I am hiding from Lizzie. I do not want to learn about rivers and mountains today. It is dreadfully boring.”
Ah, the words somehow brought back to him the feeling of tortuous days in a school room with tutors. Though he could not see anyone’s faces, he knew the boredom the scene evoked.
“Is Lizzie your governess?”
She shook her head, dark curls bouncing on her cheeks and forehead. “My sister.”
He considered the child for a moment before dipping into a bow. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Mr. Daniel Stannis.”
She charmed him by scrambling from her hiding spot to hold the edge of her bright yellow dress with its mud-stained hems and sank into a curtsy. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stannis, I am Miss Annabelle Heyford, but everyone calls me Anna.”
She had been taught graces and etiquette. When she rose, the child almost pitched forward but caught herself in time. Her cherub cheek dimpled, and dark blue eyes twinkled up at him. She was clearly pleased with her efforts.
“Are you Georgie’s new husband?”
He lifted a brow. “Is there an old husband?”
The little girl wrinkled her nose quite charmingly. “Mr. Johnson wanted to marry Georgie, and Lizzie said he made a cake of himself by going down on his knees and spouting nonsense. Georgie did not have him, and he was bitterly disappointed and would no longer sell us any milk. Georgie had to buy Nellie, who can be very stubborn about sharing her milk and is not afraid to let you know.”
Daniel blinked at that unexpected information. “We’re all mad here. I’m mad, you’re mad, Miss Heyford’s mad.”
The child’s eyes lit with delight. “Do you also readAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland?”
It surprised him somewhat that she knew he spoke of the Cheshire Cat. “I do.”
