The words were out before I could stop them, heat racing to my face in the aftermath, but Jesse was still watching me with that same expectant calm on his features.Right, then.
“It has more to do with the fact that I consider the castle my home,” I said after taking a moment to gather myself. “I’m not interested in giving that up.”
For a split second, I couldn’t believe I’d said that out loud. Even my father looked startled while the lawyer simply blinked at me, but Jesse was smiling. It wasn’t a mocking or amused smile either, but rather, it seemed warm and genuine.
“That’s completely fine by me,” he said easily and the tension in my shoulders loosened just a fraction. “I would expect nothing less. Anything else?”
Encouraged despite my surprise, I added a few more small, practical points, highlighting visiting schedules that would make sure any children we had spent time understandingboth families and their responsibilities to them. By the time I finished, I felt oddly breathless, but triumphant too. I’d done it. I’d actually told them what I wanted.
“That’s all,” I said finally.
The lawyer glanced at Jesse, waiting for the nod, then offered me a polite smile before he gathered his papers. “Very well. I’ll add those points to the contract. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll begin updating the draft immediately. I should have a complete, final version by tomorrow night.”
Moments later, he rose and left the dining room, the silence that suddenly followed deafeningly loud. My father cleared his throat and pushed back his chair, his eyes on Jesse as he rose.
“Well, shall we adjourn to the study for a drink?”
Jesse nodded, standing without hesitation. Internally, I sighed and resigned myself to being left behind. The invitation had clearly been meant for Jesse alone. I knew immediately that I hadn’t been included, even if my future husband had come to England at my insistence.
“Of course,” he said smoothly, but as he walked past me, following my father to the door, he leaned down ever so slightly. “Good job.”
The words were so soft that I barely heard him, but he’d definitely said them. Before I could even twist in my chair to smile or acknowledge my appreciation for his encouragement at all, he’d straightened back up and was continuing his conversation with my father.
“Your estate really is impressive,” he was saying as they left the room. “The gardens are beautiful.”
“And costly,” Dad said tightly. “An operation such as ours requires constant upkeep. The cost of maintenance alone is staggering.”
I nearly groaned out loud, but mercifully, their voices faded down the hall. I slumped back in my chair, remaining seated foranother long minute once they were gone.Good job. What does that even mean?
Shaking my head, I rose briskly and hurried toward the hallway. If I stayed any longer, my brain was going to spiral into analyzing every tiny detail of that interaction and that would not help my nerves right now at all.
I’d just reached the doorway when a strange instinct made me glance over my shoulder. My heart skipped when I realized Jesse had paused halfway down the corridor, looking back at the exact same moment I did.
When our eyes met, he smiled at me and the sight of it sent a flutter through my chest that I absolutely did not understand. Just as fast as the moment had begun, however, it ended when my father called to him from inside the study.
Quickly turning once more, I headed for the stairs, trying very hard not to think about why my heart was suddenly beating so fast—and desperately trying to calm it down.
CHAPTER 11
WILL
Iwoke up slowly. No alarms, or emails, or Jesse-related emergencies that Alex or Nate needed to discuss with meright this minute.
It was just quiet, without even the vague sounds of traffic or horns blaring in the distance. My eyes blinked open to gray skies and thick clouds outside, the early morning light weak and inoffensive. I stretched my arms above my head, rolling over with the pleasant thought that this might’ve been the best sleep of my life, but then someone walked across the room.
Surprise smacked into me, jerking me the rest of the way into consciousness. I sat up, alarmed to find a man in a dark suit calmly moving around the stately bedroom like it was completely normal behavior.
To be fair, the room itself looked like something out of a historical drama, with tall windows overlooking the wooded back corner of Eliza’s estate, thick curtains pulled halfway open, and furniture that was probably called things likeantique mahogany writing deskinstead ofdesk I bought online at midnight.
So maybe it was normal here, having someone in your room when you woke up, but I frowned anyway. Because it sure as hell wasn’t normal to me.
The man set a tray on the small table beneath the window. Then he straightened and turned to give me a pleasant smile. “Good morning, sir.”
I blinked a few times, fighting the urge to rub my eyes just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. “Good morning?”
Even though it came out sounding like a question, the dude’s polite smile didn’t falter. He had the composure of someone who’d done this a thousand times before as he took a short step forward. “My name is Aaron, Mr. Westwood. I’m the footman assigned to you during your stay.”
Assigned to me. A footman. Wow.
