by Meara Platt
“It’s not my feelings I’m concerned about, but my daughter’s. The question is, can you help her?” He scrubbed his neck, his features tight with worry.
She pressed her hands down her skirts, brushing out the invisible wrinkles. She was a Chase woman through and through and her opinions could be overwhelming at times. She’d have to work harder to keep them in check. This wasn’t the first time it had gotten her into significant trouble. “I can, my lord. After everything I’ve been through, for better or worse, it’s only made me less compromising. Stronger. It’s that kind of strength Anne must find within herself.”
* * *
He came around the desk and another fear caused her to take a half step back. Without the desk between them, he seemed even larger. Long, powerful legs and a lean torso making his shoulders seem even broader. She cleared her throat, attempting to remove a lump.
“There’s no need to be nervous. I consider myself a fair and reasonable man.” He reached out to her and then dropped his hand again.
“That’s very generous.” She tightened her fingers in the fabric while looking over his shoulder rather than directly at him. It occurred to her again that this interview was a mistake. So she had to return home? She’d be safe from this attraction and her own flaws that always seem to crop up and cause problems for her. But then what? Live the rest of her life as a guest in her uncle’s home with no purpose in life? “Thank you.”
He nodded quickly. “I shall see you tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow,” she murmured before turning to flee. That was the only word for her spinning exit.
Back in her uncle’s carriage, she slumped down into the seat. The little girl was delightful. Mary would truly enjoy trying to help the child. But Lord Sinclair… Sin, she’d heard Darlington and Lord Viceroy call him, he was…distracting.
A very handsome distraction. Her eyes drifted closed. Only one other man had ever tempted her the way Sin had. The honorable Harold Marksby, son of the Earl of Everly and her fiancé. He’d been tall and so broad in the shoulders that she’d made a habit of tracing the outline of them from his neck down to his arms.
She sighed to herself. She’d allowed Harold all sorts of liberties because of those shoulders. And, of course, because of his proposal. Once they’d been engaged to be married, well, they’d been granted time alone. She brought her hands up to cover her face. Thinking back on it, she wished she’d allowed him more. They’d kissed and touched and teased in ways that had made her ache.
Unfortunately, he had little inheritance of his own and wanting to provide for her, he’d left for the army. That’s when her Chase temper had gotten the best of her. She’d railed at him. She’d rather be poor and have him at her side than be rich with him gone to France. But he shook his head and told her that she didn’t understand a man’s job. He was the provider. How could he be her husband if he didn’t provide?
She’d hit him in the chest, rather hard, and asked how he planned to provide if he was gone?
That was the last words they’d spoken. In the end, she wished she’d been more flexible and given herself to him, wished that she’d kissed him farewell with tears in her eyes and proclaimed her undying love. Instead, she’d sent him off with angry words and hurt feelings. What a fool she was.
And she’d nearly lost her position today. But she’d been granted just enough time to prove herself, her worth. She leaned her head against the wood frame of the carriage. Years had passed since she’d lost Harry. She’d mourned his death for a long time. Been too grief stricken to move on. She no longer felt sad about Harry. Instead, she wished she’d listened to her aunt when she’d urged her to rejoin society to go out and find another man to wed.
Because Mary would have no husband now, no family of her own. A woman of four and twenty was firmly on the shelf. But she could still be useful. Have purpose. It was some consolation. Soon her cousins would start having babies. Once Anne no longer needed her, she could go work for one of them to help to raise their children.
That made her sit back up. She had a plan and it was a good one. The best she could do.
The carriage pulled up to her aunt and uncle’s drive just as another carriage rolled in behind her. Peeking out of the curtain, she smiled as she saw Lord Viceroy’s carriage. Her cousin, Cordelia, had come to visit.
Mary gave a small clap as she exited the carriage and stood on the path to wait for Cordelia to exit. Her cousin was a quiet and thoughtful woman, unlike most of the Chases, who would surely have advice for Mary on how to be her most subdued self. She needed to keep her tongue in check, at least for the next few weeks until she was given the position full time.
But Mary’s excitement dampened as Lord Viceroy stepped out first to help his wife down. While Mary was glad the two were so enamored with one another, Mary herself would have liked a visit with just Cordelia.
“Hello,” Vice called, waving. “How did the interview with Sin go?”
Sin and Vice were first cousins and had been close as children. “Anne is a wonderful little girl,” she answered, not wanting to discuss her own failings or Sin’s.
Vice grinned. “Indeed, she is.”
Cordelia stepped up to hug Anne. “Lord Sinclair will be lucky to have your help.”
Mary’s lips pressed together, but she didn’t respond. The fact that he’d given her such a small window made her think that he didn’t really trust her to help. She’d prove him wrong. “I will be fortunate to gain the position.”
Cordelia narrowed her gaze from behind her glasses. “Mary, you are a wonderful caregiver. Anyone can see that.”
“Thank you, Cordelia,” she answered, linking her arm with the other woman’s. “Let’s go see your parents. They’ve missed you.”
Cordelia began walking with her. “How did you like Lord Sinclair?”
Mary’s feet faltered, and she tripped on nothing at all. “Fine,” she answered in a croak. How did she say that she was both terribly attracted to the man and sure she herself had been off-putting to say the least?
“Fine?” Cordelia asked slowing their pace further. “What does that mean precisely?”
“Cordelia.” She gave her cousin’s arm a squeeze. “It means the interview went well and I begin the position tomorrow.” At least for now. But Mary refrained from sharing that thought so as not to worry Cordelia as she looked over at Vice. “Lord Viceroy, do you consider your cousin to be a man of even temperament?”
“Indeed,” Vice answered, but Cordelia pushed up her glasses, frowning.
“Chad,” Cordelia murmured. “Perhaps you should take this time to visit with your own family while I see mine.”
“What?” he asked stopping on the steps. “Why can’t I come with you today and then you come with me tomorrow?”
Cordelia cleared her throat. “I wish to shop tomorrow. I’ll walk you back to the carriage. Mary,” Cordelia turned to look at her. “Why don’t you wait for me in the front parlor? I’ll be right there.”
Mary gave a nod even as her insides clenched. She’d wanted to talk with Cordelia alone and she’d get her wish, but somehow, she knew that Cordelia was about to begin stirring the pot.
Sin sat at his desk, staring at nothing in particular. His thoughts were focused quite firmly on the woman who had left his home an hour before. He’d fetched a new quill, though he’d yet to dip the device in ink.
Part of him was tempted to write a letter to Mary Chase explaining that while she appeared to be of excellent family and skill, she simply wasn’t right for his household. His mouth twisted into a frown. The truth was, she might very well be right about and for Anne. The person she wasn’t correctly fitted to was himself. He scrubbed his face. At least this was all temporary. He could let her go after that two-week test.
The thought of her being fitted to him once again made all his muscles tense. Damn his willful body and its desire for fragile beauty. But that was only part of the problem. She’d come in and in a rather strong move, h
ad begun pointing out his flaws, of which he had many. Hell, he knew he was failing Anne. He knew that despite wearing those proper dresses and pristine bows, his daughter wasn’t happy. And Mary had recognized the problem instantly.
Which was why he needed to give her a chance.
The parchment in front of him remained empty. Could Mary make the difference in his daughter’s life?
“My lord,” Reeves called from the door, his nasally voice penetrating Sin’s reflections. “Lord Viceroy is here to see you. He has arrived unannounced yet again.”
His head snapped up. Vice? “Send him in.”
The butler pursed his lips. “Yes, my lord.”
Sin sat back in his chair. What did Vice want? But then he tossed the quill on the desk. The question didn’t need asking. Vice was certainly here to find out how the interview had gone with Mary. Likely Vice’s wife had sent him to discuss how the interview went.
Vice walked through the door, wearing his usual devil-may-care look. His arms swung at his side and there was a bit of bounce to his step.
“I see marriage has done little to dampen your spirit.” He looked at Vice, who took the seat across from Sin, lounging back without a care.
“Marriage dampen my spirit?” Vice winked. “I’m the happiest I have been in…” Vice looked at the ceiling. “Forever.”
Jealousy tore through Sin’s chest. “How fortunate for you.”
The smile slipped from Vice’s face. “Your turn for happiness is coming again soon, cousin. I’ve no doubt.”
Sin shook his head. Falling in love meant making one’s self far too vulnerable. “Thank you for saying so. I’m not sure I even strive for happiness. Stability would suit me fine.”
Vice winced. “You have achieved that financially.”
“I have. And with help from you that I appreciate more than I could say. Now if I could just get Anne on the right path, I would consider myself content.”
Vice sat straight in his chair. “So you’ve decided to hire Mary to help you then.”
Sin grimaced. He couldn’t hide it. “I did. But…” He didn’t know quite how to express his hesitation and the employment probation he’d decreed.
Vice leaned his elbows on his knees. “You trusted me when I told you I could help you financially. Taking over the club has given you the funds to hire the staff you need. Now trust me when I say that Mary can help your daughter. She’s got an intuition with these sorts of things that can’t be explained.”
Sin let out a long breath. “She hadn’t been here five minutes when she questioned my parenting choices.”
Vice sat back in his chair, his lips pulling up at the corners. “Ah, yes. Don’t you love their feisty spirit? The Chase women are quite the handful and I mean that both figuratively and—”
“Thank you,” Sin cut him off, not needing to add to his visual picture of the woman. “You’re talking about a potential member of my staff.”
“I was talking about my wife, actually.” Vice winked. “But you shouldn’t be afraid of strong-willed staff. Your butler is a beast.”
His butler was, in fact, a rather opinionated man. But not when it came to the areas that Sin was actually vulnerable. And besides, Reeves’ strength was part of what had carried him through the past few years. Right or wrong, he’d needed the man. “He keeps the rest of the staff in check.”
Vice raised a brow. “He’s too familiar.”
Sin stood, crossing to the fire. “So your point is that I should hire more people to push me around?”
Vice chuckled. “Well said. And no. Mary is a good woman and she’ll learn her place. In the meantime, Anne will only benefit from the Chase strength of character.”
“Is she strong?” Sin murmured. “Mary that is. She looks so—”
“Beautiful?” Vice asked.
Sin turned back to Vice, the other man’s eyes sparkling with mischief. “I was going to say delicate. Fragile. Perhaps…” The sort of woman Sin might grow attached to. His chest ached with the pain of the past.
Vice shook his head. “Don’t let her size fool you. Strength of character comes from within.”
That was a bloody good point. “If you truly think she’ll help Anne, then she’s worth trying.”
Vice winked again, his hand lacing behind his head. “I think she’ll do a world of good in this house.”
Sin assessed his cousin, his thoughts twisting about in his head. Did Vice also think he was failing Anne? And even if Mary was the answer, how would he survive their cohabitation?
Chapter Four
Mary stood as Cordelia entered the room. “You didn’t need to send Vice away.”
“Yes, I did.” She pushed up her glasses and stopped just in front of Mary. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Mary looked at the wall to her right. Words filled her mouth, wishing to spill all her worries to Cordelia but then again, Cordelia might tell Vice, who might then share with Sin. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Liar,” Cordelia reached for her hand. “You’re upset.”
Mary rubbed her temples, shaking her head. “I insulted his parenting right to his face,” she whispered. “Lord Sinclair almost didn’t hire me. As it is, he’s going to bring me on for a fortnight to test out the arrangement.”
“A fortnight?” Cordelia squeezed her fingers. “I like Lord Sinclair a great deal, but he needs major help in the parenting department and I am so glad you’re able to give it to him. Even if he might not keep you on permanently. Though if anyone can convince him to change, it’s you.”
“What?” Mary looked at Cordelia.
Cordelia pursed her lips. “That child needs a little freedom to overcome her fears.”
Warmth spread through Mary. “That’s exactly what I thought.”
Cordelia nodded. “He’s grief-stricken from the loss of his wife. He can’t see that path. But you’ll aid them both. I’m sure of it.”
Mary’s eyes widened. “I don’t know, Corde. I don’t think he liked me.” Mary didn’t add that she liked him far more than was proper. Like wasn’t exactly the word. She was drawn to him in a way she had never experienced before. The tips of her fingers tingled to touch his hair, and she’d spent far too long wondering what it’d be like to share an intimate embrace with him. Shivers trickled down her spine. Maybe more than an embrace…
“How could he not like you?” Cordelia wrapped her arms about Mary. “You’re smart and fun and full of zest.” Her cousin gave her a squeeze.
“Thank you,” Mary gave Cordelia a hug before stepping back. “I appreciate your words of comfort.”
“But you’re not comforted,” Cordelia added, her hands coming to her hips. Slowly she looked Mary up and down as though she were studying for clues. “Something else is bothering you.”
“No,” Mary yelped but even she knew she’d said it far too quickly and much too loudly.
Cordelia slowly adjusted her spectacles on her nose. “It’s his looks, isn’t it?”
“What?” Heat filled her cheeks. “No. Of course it isn’t.”
Cordelia shook her head, waving her off. Of course her cousin didn’t believe her. “They’re distracting. One man shouldn’t be allowed to be so handsome.”
Mary’s shoulders slumped. “The same could be said for your husband.”
Cordelia tapped her chin. “True. But I wasn’t considering living full time as his employee.”
Mary shrugged. “I’ll have to keep my head down and keep to myself, I guess.”
Cordelia turned and walked toward the window. “I say you be yourself. You would do him a world of good. And for that matter you could also apply yourself to marrying him.”
Mary gasped. “I’m the tutor. And a spinster and—”
“From good family, beautiful, motherly, and available.” Cordelia turned back, a flicker of interest sparkling in her eyes. “This could be your chance to have a family of your own. You don’t say it but you feel the call. I’ve seen you around infants.”
Mary couldn’t deny her deepest yearnings, slumping in her chair, resting her head in her hands. “If I wanted the position of wife, I probably should have made a more favorable impression on the interview.”
Cordelia covered her mouth with her hand, suppressing a chuckle. “Oh Mary. That is a bit funny.”
Mary shrugged. “And true.”
“Funny things often are.” Cordelia came back to her side, laying a hand on her shoulder. “But your chance isn’t finished. Prove yourself valuable and see how your future unfolds.” Cordelia took a step away but then came back. “And protect your virtue. He’ll have to marry you if he wants that.”
That made Mary’s head snap up. “He doesn’t want me that way at all.” She might be ridiculously attracted to him but he’d been the picture of control.
“Oh please. You’re stunning and just his type, or at least that’s what Vice says.” Cordelia gave her a sideways glance.
Just his type? Was that true? “What sort is that?”
Cordelia shrugged then waved her hand. “Lovely, petite. You might be surprised by how much he actually likes you.”
* * *
Mary sat back in her chair. But why would he have been so cold if he’d been interested in her?
Sin stood just outside the front door, Anne’s hand tucked into his. In the end they’d decided to give her a few days off from lessons to get to know Mary. Might as well give her trial run a real chance at success. They’d also agreed to greet Mary when she arrived to make her feel welcome.
Which was a decision he wanted to regret. Lords did not, as a general rule, meet staff at the door on their first day. But as Anne bounced next to him, the first real smile on her lips that he’d seen in weeks, he had a difficult time regretting the choice.