Page 72 of An Earl to Remember
“Very well. Miss Heyford it shall be then? Hmm?”
It felt silly, given their remarkable intimacy, but it was safer. “Yes, my lord.” Georgianna cleared her throat. “How…how are you? Have your headaches stopped?”
“Yes. There have been no ill effects since the return of my memories.”
“Good.”
They stared at each other for a beat, and her belly knotted. What was this terrible tension? “Why did you ask me to come to London?”
He stared at her for a moment, that unwavering regard almost pushing her into a squirm. She jutted her chin, and his lips tugged, that look in his eyes gleaming even brighter.
“Was the journey pleasant?”
She tucked a wisp of hair behind her ears. “The accommodation was wonderful, thank you.”
“Good.”
He stood, padded over to the side mantel, and poured golden liquid into two glasses. “Are you to stand by the door, Miss Heyford?”
A dart of amusement went through her, and she sauntered closer. It would not do for him to think her unsure, even though she quaked inside…not from fear but the shattering awareness he evoked. He handed her the glass, and she took it to her lips for a bracing sip.
“I would like to hire you to cater my grandmother’s birthday dinner in a few days.”
Shock stole her words for a few moments. “Hire me?”
“Yes.”
“I do not know what to say,” she said softly, for this was the last thing she had expected.Why would you do this, Daniel?“Why me?”
“Are you not a brilliant chef?”
“I am incomparable,” she said, smiling.
“I recalled what you said about learning cultures through your food. Do you have much experience preparing delicacies from other countries?”
She stilled, her heart stuttering in a rather odd manner. Excitement unfurled through her. “I… Some. My mother has several recipes, but I have never been able to try them because…well, because my resources are lacking, my lord. But once I have everything I need…the space, the kitchen help, and the ingredients, I can create anything.”
“I want my grandmother to be transported through these dishes, fulfilling that hole created by being unable to travel anymore. A seven-course meal, Miss Heyford, each course something exquisitely unique from a different country. Can you do this?”
She struggled to show an unaffected composure when she wanted to hug him.
Georgianna had dreaded their meeting on her train journey, thinking he would want to exact his pound of flesh for her deception. She had been so sure the earl she would meet was the proud, conceited man who had heartlessly tossed her off his yacht.Who are you?she silently whispered, and a part of her knew the man without the memory was also the earl. Still, his offer felt remarkable and in the realm of fantasy, and her heart squeezed at the realization he was fulfilling some of her dreams.
“Yes, I can!”
“Good. Name your price.”
Oh! “Five hundred pounds.”
A brow lifted. “Five hundred pounds?”
It was an outrageously expensive sum. “Yes, of course. I have subtracted the aid you provided by hiring workers and sending them to the manor in Crandell. I was…alarmed when they mentioned their wages have been paid in full for a year.”
Humor deepened the green of his eyes. “So you are saying you’ve already provided me a discount?”
She smiled and lifted an elegant shoulder. “If you feel I am taking advantage of your generous nature, by all means, let us haggle, my lord.”
His low chuckle washed over her senses, and she dug her toes into the shoes.
