Bridget swallowed, pushing down the guilt that had risen in her chest. “I know that, and I feel his loss deep in my heart every single day.” She squeezed her aunt’s hand. “But we are alone now, and wemust fend for ourselves. If Mr. Squires turns us out, we will have nowhere to go. Papa wouldn’t want that. He wouldn’t want us to lose our home. If filling it with strangers is the only way for us to keep it, then so be it. I couldn’t bear to leave Villa De Lacey, and neither could you.”
Aunt Marianne nodded stiffly, but she shifted her body so that it was angled away from Bridget.
All will be well, Bridget told herself.She will grow accustomed to the idea, and then she will see that filling Villa De Lacey with strangers is better than losing it forever.
Chapter Five
The following twomonths were a whirlwind of activity. Bridget inspected every room in the villa, noting chairs, sofas, and cushions that needed reupholstering, curtains that wanted mending, and carpets and wallpaper that required cleaning or replacing. A few of the dressers and wardrobes were in desperate need of a carpenter’s skilled hands. Moreover, she would need to order extra beds, linen sheets, blankets, and pillows from Yorkshire, amongst other necessities. Finally, every room in the house would have to be scrubbed. They certainly did not have enough staff at Villa De Lacey for such an enormous task, so a few new housemaids would need to be employed.
Once Nate approved the list of necessary repairs and purchases, it was time to get started. From the beginning, Bridget involved her aunt, who’d been quite reluctant about the plan to transform Villa De Lacey. But a trip to Yorkshire to buy fabric for the reupholstery of the furniture cheered her and seemed to change her attitude. Next, Bridget put her aunt in charge of hiring the new housemaids, as despite Eliza’s many years of experience at Villa De Lacey, she was far too reserved to manage a large staff. The arrangement worked well, as it gave Aunt Marianne a purpose, and very soon, she’d become the lady of the house again, administering orders and taking pride in her family home. Soon, the villa teemed with seamstresses, maids, carpenters, and chimney sweeps, who worked for weeks to ensure that Villa De Lacey sparkled as bright as Versailles.
Then it was time for Nate to write to his friends in London. The end of the London Season was approaching when most of the ton would be preparing to retreat to their estates in the country. It was Nate’s job to convince them to spend part of their off-season in the Lake District.
This was the most anxiety-inducing period for Bridget. The Lake District was a good 270 miles from London—an arduous journey by carriage that took at least a fortnight—sometimes longer, depending on the weather. But for those who had estates in Yorkshire and other parts of northern and central England, it would certainly be worthwhile.
Still, Bridget knew the length of the journey wouldn’t be a deterrent to the ton if the idea of the Lake District as the most fashionable place to holiday had indeed caught on. Reportedly, the latest edition of Mr. Wordsworth’s guidebook was selling like hot meat pies on a cold rainy day, and if that were indeed the case, it would do half the work for them.
Waiting for replies to Nate’s letters was agony, and had induced Bridget to handwringing. Then, one morning, as Bridget stood admiring the newly upholstered pale-blue sofa and chairs in the drawing room that had been paired with a blue-and-gold floral rug and matching curtains, Nate strode inside and announced, “Our first visitors will be arriving in a fortnight!”
Bridget’s heart leapt as she spun around to face Nate. “Who is it? Who will our first guest be?”
“Our firstguestswill be my dear friends, Lord Frederick, Lord Dodsworth, and Mr. Jefferson. They have all accepted their invitations.”
“Yourfriends?” Bridget’s heart sank at the way Nate had said “friends.” He sounded like an excited schoolboy. “They are not paying guests, then?” she asked, feeling a little deflated. She didn’t like the idea of Villa De Lacey becoming Nate’s playground for his friends. Shewanted it to be a proper, respectable establishment for high society.
“Well, no, they’re not paying guests. But they are working hard on our behalf. They are spreading the word about our exclusive inn around London as we speak. Frederick and Dodsworth are both peers, so their word will travel far.”
“How exciting,” Bridget said, feeling somewhat more optimistic and silently pleased that Nate had referred to Villa De Lacey as “our inn.” They’d grown closer during the past few months while they’d worked tirelessly to get Villa De Lacey ready for guests. And although Bridget missed her father dearly, Nate had proved to be good company. Both he and the work had eased her pain considerably.
Nate grinned. “My brother tried to banish me from London, so I brought London to the Lake District. And it’s all because of you.” He strode toward Bridget, picked her up around the waist, and twirled her about the room. “You’re a genius! An absolute genius!”
“Put me down!” Bridget gasped, both shocked and elated by Nate’s forwardness. The thrill that passed through her upon feeling his hands on her body took her by surprise. She recalled seeing him standing fully unclothed in the window that first day after his arrival, and the memory set her cheeks aflame with—not shame—but an excitement she’d never felt before.
“What is going on here?” Aunt Marianne’s voice sobered Bridget and caused Nate to set her down and step back.
“We were celebrating, Aunt. Did you hear? We have our first guests coming in a fortnight.”
Aunt Marianne, who’d been glaring at Nate, turned wide-eyed to Bridget. “A fortnight, did you say?”
“Yes, Aunt. And there will be many more coming, I am sure.”
“Well then”—Aunt Marianne squared her shoulders like a soldier ordered to report to duty—“there is much to plan—breakfast, dinner, and tea menus. Oh my, I’d best get started,” she said and bustled out of the room.
Bridget let out a sigh of relief.What had Nate been thinking twirling me around like that?
*
Nate did hisbest to keep himself busy and avoid being alone with Bridget in the following weeks. When they did interact, he kept a polite distance. But it had been tricky. She was attractive and clever, and he enjoyed her company. Yet knew it wouldn’t do to engage in a dalliance. He didn’t want to insult or injure her reputation, and furthermore, a dalliance would make for a very uncomfortable partnership. In truth, he certainly could not make the inn work without her. She was going to be a charming and knowledgeable hostess. However, he would have to warn his friends—especially that rake Frederick—to keep their distance. He didn’t want them pestering her with unwanted attention.
Nate stopped in the foyer, where Aunt Marianne had the three housemaids, and the footman lined up like army recruits. She was enjoying herself, taking on the role of an officer as she strode up and down her line of “soldiers” and inspected everything from their clothing to their nails.
Abigail, a young lass from Yorkshire and the newest addition to the staff, smiled at Nate as he came up behind Aunt Marianne. She was a lovely creature with red curls, green eyes, and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. He returned the smile.
“Mr. Squires,” Aunt Marianne turned and greeted him coldly. She’d never warmed to him the way Bridget had done. “Is there something we can do for you?”
“Merely checking all is in order. Our first guests should be arriving any minute now.”
Suddenly, Bijou came racing down the stairs, yapping madly. He was followed by Bridget.
