George, standing close behind her, brushed the length of her bare arm softly without letting his father see, and Millie forgot what she’d been about to say.
“Um. Okay.” She fled the room before her cheeks got any hotter.
George looked at Millie’s retreating figure. He’d wanted to see her alone, to say a proper goodbye, but without letting his father guess. Then the feel of her warm, satin-smooth skin under his hand just now drove all that out of his mind. She had changed into a sleeveless white dress, modest enough but for the buttons down the front. The kind of easy buttons you could undo all at once with one tug on her collar.Oh Christ.
“George,” his father called. “Are you going to come and talk to me properly, or are we going to shout to each other from across the room like medievalheralds?”
George walked over. “I came to say goodbye. I am off to Londontonight.”
“Sit down, I have something totell you.”
“Can it wait? I have to catch the ferry.” And he needed half an hour with Millie before going.
“No, it can’t wait. Not another six months before you honour me with your presence again.”
George scraped together as much patience as he could and perched on the windowsill facing his father. Six months? He was afraid of this distance, afraid that away from her, his life would suck him back, and his ‘rules’ would argue against an involvement with Millie. The woman who didn’t fit. Who was not an equal. “I hope to be back sooner this time?”
Old Du Montfort raised hiseyebrows.
“Two months, maybe less.” The words were out of his mouth before his logic could inspect them.
“And where are you going for ‘two months, maybe less’?”
George didn’t want to outline his exact travel arrangements to his father like a school boy. In a life shaped by order and obligations to so many people, George’s timetable was his only pocket of personal freedom, and he guarded it. “It might be longer. I have business stacking up. I’ll come here when that’sfinished.”
He pushed off from the windowsill. If he hurried, he could catch Millie in the library before she came back into the room. But his father had other ideas.
“Sit down for a minute. I need to talk to you.”
“Father, I don’t want tobe late.”
“Sit down.” His father’s tone brooked no argument. George exhaled and sat back on the sill.Five minutes, that’s all I’m giving you.
“I know all too well you are in charge of my household. I am not going to dig the matter up again, but I would ask you not to upsetmy staff.”
“Excuse me?”
“Whatever it was you said to Millie last night, she’s very upset.”
George’s attention zeroed in on his father’s face. “Why? What didshe say?”
“Nothing, but I can tell she isn’therself.”
Was she really upset? Or was his father fishing for information?
The old man was watching him closely. “I don’t need to lose another assistant, George, so don’t talk to her, all right?”
“I’m not the one who drives away staff in this house.” George crossed his arms overhis chest.
Both men glared at each other. But today of all days, George didn’t want to let his father rile him. He took a deep breath. He wanted to explain to Millie why he was leaving. Maybe kiss her goodbye? The thought tickled his mind seductively.
“I mean it, boy!” His father hadn’t called himboyfor a long time. He must be worried about losinginfluence.
“Fine,” George said. “I won’t upset her.” He walked out, suppressing a smile.
His father’s challenge only pushed him closer into her arms. George checked his watch and went downstairs to the library.
Fifteen minutes later. The library
