Miss Bud chuckled. “He’s taken a fancy to our Mungo’s footwear. Chester slips into his room as quick as a flash and is out and running with a boot in his mouth before anyone realizes it.”
Eliza kept her expression politely neutral, not wishing to antagonize the man further.
They reached the next staircase, and, silently, all three climbed.
“At the top here,” Miss Bud said, “is where we’ve tucked you. It will give you some peace, as the house is fair bursting at the seams.”
At the landing, the corridor was narrow, the ceiling lower. Miss Bud opened the door at the far end, and they walked inside the room.
“It’s my hope you don’t mind being up here, Eliza,” Bud said, her tone softening.
The room was small but bathed in morning light from a wide dormer window. Pale curtains matched the coverlet of a neatly made bed. Beside it stood a sturdy nightstand with a vase of dried flowers. A comfortable armchair sat near the hearth, and a narrow chest of drawers stood ready for her few belongings. To Eliza, it was perfect.
“It’s lovely,” she said quietly, meaning it. “Thank you.”
Miss Bud gave a satisfied nod. “Well now, you come down when you’re ready and we’ll take that tea in the kitchens, and then you can meet the rest of the family. Some of the others will arrive, having had word of what happened to Mungo and how it was you that helped secure his release. We’re mighty grateful,” the woman said, patting Eliza’s hand. She then turned to leave.
Mungo stepped back to let the woman pass through the door again, and they heard her footsteps taking the stairs back down.
“If you’ll put those there, please,” Eliza said, suddenly nervous to be alone with this man. “And I’m sorry if my words earlier upset you. That wasn’t my intention, Mr. Mungo.”
He lowered her bags and then straightened, his blue eyes settling on hers. “Just Mungo. Neither of us will discuss what happened again, as I know you have no wish for everyone here to know the details of that night.” His tone was gruff.
“Thank you.”
“I also have no wish to discuss the events of today again.”
It was a warning. Eliza had no doubt about that. But she was not the only one who knew what had happened. Would he warn all those men who had come to his aid, or just her? Also, who would she tell?
“And now I wish you to understand something, Miss Downing.”
“Eliza,” she said quickly, seeing as he was to be Mungo to her.
“These people are my family, Miss Downing,” he said, ignoring her directive, “and while I am grateful for what you did for me today, I would do anything for them and will, if I see you as a threat.”
Shock held Eliza speechless for long seconds. Had he just threatened her?After what they’d both endured, he thought her a threat to his family?
“So while I owe you as you owe me, I don’t know you or your character, or if you should be here in this house with the people I care about. If you do what you’re here to do, we won’t have a problem, but if you don’t… we will,” he said, his voice a low, threatening growl.
“I beg your pardon, but did you just threaten me?” Eliza was sure she’d got that wrong.
“It was not a threat but a statement of what would happen if you harm this family in any way. There is no need to make more of it than that.” He just stood there calmly, arms folded over his enormous chest and stared at her.
Well, she wasn’t calm.
“No need to make more of it?” Her words came out as a screech. “How bloody dare you speak to me in that way,” Eliza added, anger flooding her body. “I was employed to do a job, and I will, but I won’t tolerate such threats—because that is what they are—from you. Especially after I saved your thick-skinned Scottish hide today!”
“Which I thanked you for, and you will tolerate them, Miss Downing. My words were not spoken out of anger, but simply a statement so you understand?—”
“You can take your statement and get out of my room,” she fumed. “You are a horrid, ungrateful man.”
On those words, he left, his feet thumping on each step as he went back the way they’d just come.
Eliza shut the door and then staggered back a few steps to fall onto the bed. The man had threatened her that if she hurt anyone in this family, she’d answer to him. She’d felt anger at his high-handed ways, even as she could not fault his loyalty.
I’ve already proved myself to you, you arrogant Scottish fiend.
Something told her that life was about to take another turn for her, and she fervently hoped it was better than the last one.
