Alex kissed her once more on the forehead.“I’ll rely on you to introduce me around.If you are of a mind, perhaps you could ride with me as I inspect the Davenport holdings.”
“Yes, I would enjoy that,” she said eagerly.“In truth, I would be disappointed if you left me behind to rattle around that big house all on my own.”
“You would never be idle, even if I did leave you there.The house will require a major restoration, I’m sure.You’ll have your hands full with that alone.Decorate it to your liking, Tulip.I want you to be happy living there.I have no idea what shape it is in.”
“Or whether there will be funds enough to restore it,” she remarked.“We can adjust our plans as necessary once you’ve taken a full account and decided upon the priorities.Will you leave all the decisions on decorating the house to me?I think we must agree on them together.After all, it is your home.You are the one with the rightful claim to it.”
“Only by entailment.But I’ll give my opinion when asked.However, I trust your judgment.”
She laughed softly.“Do not be so hasty about that.I have never owned a house or ever decorated anything of importance.You have a good eye for detail, Alex.You’ve done a lovely job with this apartment.”
He shrugged.“It is just an apartment.”
“It is a lovely place, and you’ve made it a welcoming home.Thornwycke Hall is enormous.It was originally built to house a small army to serve and protect the duke.There will be structural issues that are beyond my comprehension.I would not be surprised if the older portions of the house are crumbling and might need to be closed off.As for its daily running, there must be a housekeeper who will attend to those duties.The manor is too big to function without one.The old housekeeper was a kindly woman by the name of Mrs.Dodge.”
“I vaguely remember her,” Alex said.“I’d see her marching briskly through the halls but she never paused to speak to me unless it was to caution me not to run about the house or my grandfather would spank my backside raw if I broke anything.”
“She wasn’t a bad sort, but caring for Thornwycke Hall meant everything to her.An exuberant eight-year-old boy running amok in the elegant parlor among priceless items must have given her a heart palpitation or two.She passed away several years ago and I don’t know anything about her current replacement.Several housekeepers came and went in quick succession between then and now, some lasting no more than a day or two before hopping on the next mail coach out of Burnham.”
“Not surprised,” he said with a grunt.
“But I think the current one has been there since shortly before your grandfather died, so that’s about five years.She could be helpful in providing us information.”
“We’ll find out soon enough.”He gave her a light kiss on the lips.“All right, I mean it this time.We have an early start tomorrow and must get some sleep.Sweet dreams, Tulip.”
“Do you mind if I curl up against you?”
He chuckled.“I don’t mind at all.Give me a shove if I unwittingly squash you.”
“You won’t.Your protective instincts are too strong.You’ll look out for me even in your sleep.”
He hoped so.
He never wanted to hurt Tulip.
Would Thornwycke change him?
He tried to fall asleep, too.
But his thoughts were in a roil, so he remained awake a while longer and watched Tulip as she fell into a peaceful slumber.
Slivers of moonlight shone upon their bed and seemed to cradle her body.
She was a soft, little thing.
He liked that she was snuggled against his side, her head resting on his arm.Her hair was long and curled over her shoulders in a gentle cascade.He stroked her hair, brushing a few, stray strands off her cheek.
This was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep himself.
The morning came too soon, and with it the glare of sunlight that had him squinting and blinking until his eyes adjusted to the brightness.
He started to shift off the bed, then realized Tulip was still nestled against him, so he slowly slipped his arm out from under her head and eased away.He was careful not to drag the covers along with him as he rose.
His arm began to tingle as he moved it.
No wonder the limb was numb, Tulip had been resting on it all night.
After taking care of his necessaries, he quietly shaved and washed up, then tossed on a fresh shirt and trousers.He would save the rest, the waistcoat, cravat, and jacket for later when they were about to leave.
