“Feel free to take a walk around the estate. It is very secluded, and there is a pond out back a ways. I must say, it’s very lovely.”
He nodded, then turned and carried the plates of food back to the room.
Neither he nor Maxey said anything while they ate, but through her tender smiles and twinkling eyes, he knew she loved him. Before they had finished eating, Nora brought up their clothes. Maxey stared at her plate, refusing to look at her mother, so Nash thanked Nora and closed the door after she left.
He would have to take Maxey with him to find his governess. Matthew knew Nash was close. Soon it would be a battle of wits between them, and Nash prayed he would turn out the winner.
Without exchanging words, they both dressed in their new disguises. Maxey used combs from her mother’s vanity table to fix her hair. He shook his head. Maxey was definitely not supposed to be a servant. She was too graceful, and had the natural beauty that spoke of a higher position. She’d look well on his arm as his wife.
As he finished buttoning his shirt, his attention fell on the cupboard where the washbasin sat, and next to it, a bar of soap. He needed a bath, as did Maxey, but he didn’t want to stay in this room another minute. Taking a walk would do them both good.
Suddenly, he recalled Nora mentioning the secluded pond out back. He grinned.Perfect!
“Oh no.”
Maxey’s worried voice had him swinging his gaze to her. She stood with her arms folded across her chest, her head tilted as she studied him through narrowed eyes.
“What is on your mind, Nash?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have a grin stretching across your mouth, which tells me something is cooking in that brain of yours that is not good.”
He swaggered to her and gathered her in his arms. “And why would it not be good? What if I tell you it is indeed very good?”
She toyed with the top button of his shirt. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me what it is.”
He shook his head. “I’ll do one better.”
He stepped back and took her hand, pulling her toward the door. As he passed the basin, he grabbed the bar of soap. She didn’t ask what he had in mind, but followed him down the hallway, down the stairs, and outside. It was his goal to take Maxey’s mind off her mother, and he would do anything to accomplish that.
Chapter Eighteen
After Nash tookthem to the pond and allowed Maxey to bathe while he gave her some privacy—and she returned the favor for him—he walked with her hand in hand through the glade of trees. Being with him like this filled her with love, and she realized she wanted this always.
“What shall we do now?” she asked.
“We will head out to find my uncle’s housekeeper.” He squeezed her hand. “Mrs. Jackson worked for Matthew while I lived there. She will be able to tell me where my uncle would keep important documents. She will also know his daily routine and might be able to help me to sneak into his manor. No matter what it takes, I will protect you.”
The darkness of his eyes and softness of his expression told her he was telling the truth. “I know you will. I trust you completely.”
“You do? When did that change?”
She bumped her arm against his. “I’ve been utterly foolish since meeting you, and I’m regretting not trusting you from the start. Nash, you have never lied to me, and I see that now. Actually, I have known for a while, but my stubbornness argued with my feelings.”
He nodded, bent his head, and kissed her lips briefly. “My heart grows warm from your words. I have never lied to you, and I never will.”
“So, tell me, do you have a title?”
He laughed loudly. “No. I was never given one. Only my brother. Besides, I enjoy the way you say my name. It has always been like music to my ears.”
“That is because I say it with love.”
He stopped them, took her in his arms, and covered her mouth for a wonderful, passionate kiss, but soon he pulled away and continued on their walk.
“Tell me about your uncle’s housekeeper,” she said.
When he talked about Mrs. Jackson, he held so much emotion in his voice. Maxey could feel the love he had for the older woman.
