“In which scenario does Mr. Danvers fit?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You hired a man to work in our home, with no clue as to his mental stability?”
She pursed those luscious, full lips in scornful dismissal of his complaint. “Lord Culver would not have installed a deranged ex-soldier in my—our—home. And I do know a few things about him, for your information.”
He grinned, amused by her show of defiance. “Such as?”
Her chin rose a fraction. “Mr. Danvers was a trusted member of the colonel’s regiment and is highly educated. According to Lord Culver, Mr. Danvers made it his mission to teach the illiterate men amongst the troops to read and write.”
“Well. That is laudable. So the man’s a teacher, by trade?”
Her eyes narrowed in thought. “I don’t believe so. I suggested as much to him once, and he denied it. If I had to guess, I’d say some sort of clergy.”
He could see that. The bastard had a judgmental streak a mile wide.
In fairness, a kindness lurked behind the man’sbrusqueexterior. He’d done more for Teddy by standing with him on the special-medicine front than had his own family.
He started to push back from the table, and instant dismay crossed her face.
“Shall we retire, then?” she said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
He bit back a grin. “As a matter of fact, I rather hoped we might continue our conversation in the receiving room—if you’re not too tired after working for the last several hours.”
Chapter Twelve
“Not at all.I’m more than happy to oblige,” she said, far too hastily, because the idea of taking in the sunset over the ocean, Teddy at her side, sent an instant thrill through her.
Then she glimpsed what she read as a flicker of amusement in his eyes, and added in a more subdued tone, “It is rather odd, though.”
He moved in close to pull out her chair. “What is odd?”
She rose and found herself nearly toe to toe with Teddy.
His tantalizing scent, some perfect combination of warm male skin, the spiced, masculine soap she’d furnished him and something uniquely Teddy, danced into reach.
As long as she’d known him, he’d emitted a distinct, alluring redolence, the aroma clean and fragrant and denoting a slight herbal tinge that caused her toes to curl in her slippers. It didn’t matter if he and Drake had spent the day racing horses through the park, or stealing hearts on the dance floor, or rowing on the water.
She’d made the mistake of mentioning her observation to Drake, once, and the pitying look he gave her had convinced her never to breathe a word of it, ever again.
“You were saying?” Teddy murmured.
What had she been saying?Oh, yes.It concerned his medicine.
“It’s just that doctor at Bell Haven clearly cited fatigue as one of the major side effects of the tincture you’re prescribed.”
He grunted in reply and stepped to the side, placing his warm hand at the small of her back to lead her from the room.
She suppressed a shiver of delight. “Probably, you’re just becoming accustomed to the effects. I’m glad—especially as you require it for your recovery.”
“Mm. I’m sure you’re right.”
They traversed the corridor and entered the receiving room.
“The sunset promises to be spectacular. Shall we venture onto the balcony, pet, or will it be too chilly for you?”
She shook her head. The wind off the ocean would likely chill her to the bone, but the idea of standing beside him, surrounded by potted palms and hanging ferns, the ocean below and stars above spreading before them as far as the eye could see, proved too enticing to resist.
