“Good.” Theo put his hand atop hers on the table and squeezed. His touch and mellow baritone distracted her, and it was a moment before she registered the next words.
“There’s nothing more I want you to do today except rest, and tomorrow you can go to visit June. Maybe I’ll see about showing you around the estate.”
“Oh.” She swallowed a mouthful of toast, then looked up anxiously. “Is she okay?”
“Yes.” He patted her hand. “Dr. Eastway looked at her. No ill effects.”
“I’d rather go to her today.” Funny, how attached she’d become to the lady. She didn’t even know what her real job was here.
“No. You caused quite a ruckus last night.” He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. “I want to make sure everyone knows your place on the estate before I let you loose on them.”
She cocked her head. “My place?” She supposed some might resent her. Were there others like Dankyo, who would hate her?
“Yes.” He studied her, waggled his head. “Your place. Simple. Under me.”
“Oh! Now that’s—”
“True?”
Heat slowly crept up her neck to her cheeks. In a way, it was true, she guessed. Oh, heavens. It appalled her and thrilled her all at once. But saying it out loud. No.
“Can’t say it to me yet? Never mind. I’ll have you doing it soon.” His eyes danced; then he leaned across the table and kissed her hard and slow until her head spun.
Resting, doing nothing more than sitting about, left too much time for thinking. Theo went missing soon after breakfast.
To occupy herself, she did sit-ups and watched the men and women walking about outside. She thought about examining every inch of Theo’s room—the closed drawers and locked cupboards tempted her. Opening most of them would be easy. Making sure Theo never knew she’d done it wasn’t so easy.
Oh, but it was so, so tempting.
After chewing on her lip awhile, she left them alone.
By the time he returned late that night, she’d done two hundred and fifty push-ups and three hundred sit-ups as well as fifty of every other exercise she could remember. She’d gone through the katas of Judo, Kendo, and Karate.
The first thing Theo did on his return was sniff the air.
“What have you been doing? Bath. Now.”
Horrified at his expression, she scurried to obey.
When he entered the bathroom, she was under the water with just her eyes and the top of her head above the water.
He eyed her. “Are you pretending to be a crocodile or a seal? Because I think I like mermaid better. Perhaps I should check if you’ve grown a tail?”
To her disappointment, when he slipped into the bathtub, he only cuddled her in his lap. “Remember,” he said, licking the very tip of her nose, “we’re not making love until I take you on a picnic. And thank you for not prying into anything of mine. I like that I can trust you.”
“Um. You’re welcome.” The simple compliment made her feel good—weird but good. She nestled up to him some more and laid her head against him at the snuggly juncture of chest and shoulder. She inhaled. Warm and lemon-soap fresh and extract of man. Yummy.
The next morning he slapped her bottom to wake her. Again, she’d slept through him rising.
He smiled, slung a frock coat over his shoulder, and ran his hand through his dark curls.
“Sorry. I’ll be distracted again today. I have another trip to town in a week or so. Political stuff—and I have to smooth some feathers first by telegraph. I’ll arrange for Kirsten to start you on a tour of the estate, in…three-quarters of an hour?” He raised his eyebrows. “I’ll catch up with you once I’m done. Try not to trip over Dankyo. The man is very protective of me, and it’ll take a while before he accepts you.”
Claire nodded. “I understand. I guess I’d feel the same way if I were him.”
Kirsten? Ah, yes. The girl who looked after Theo’s bedroom. He trusted her to look over his property with no more than a serving girl as company? No guards? It gave her a ridiculously happy feeling. To be trusted so graciously in return made her feel like lying down at his feet. Trust inspired loyalty. It was infectious. Now she knew why he had such a tight cadre of people around him.
“What should I wear for this tour?”
He pulled her into his arms. “Something that you like. Have a look in the wardrobe.” He softly kissed her mouth. “I’ve had some more clothes put in there. Kirsten’s a lovely lady. You’ll find June at the nursery. Enjoy yourself.”
“I will.” She touched her mouth where he’d kissed her as he strode to the door.