“I must say, you have more color in your face this evening.”
“That’s good to know.” Louisa smiled. “Before you leave, I do have one small request, if you please.”
“What is that, miss?”
“Would you find me some books to read? I have become bored today and wish to indulge my mind with stories since I don’t have anything to think about.”
The housekeeper’s eyes flew open wide. “You can read?”
Louisa scrunched her forehead.What an odd question.“But of course. Why would you think otherwise?”
Mrs. Smythe shrugged and gave a light chuckle. “Forgive me for doubting your ability, but when his lordship brought you here, your clothes were ragged beyond reason. I figured you to be an uneducated vagabond.”
Shame weighed heavily in Louisa’s mind. She had ragged clothes? Perhaps she couldn’t read. Yet, she felt she knew how. “How very observant of you, Mrs. Smythe. I understand your reasoning. I wish I could tell you why I was dressed that way.”
“No need to fret, miss. You must have been raised properly, because you are very well spoken. I’m certain His Grace will give you a better life here as one of his servants.”
Hope blossomed in Louisa’s chest and she smiled. “Do you really believe so?”
“Yes, I do. He’s a good man, I assure you. Kenbridge Hall is going to feel like heaven compared to where you came from. At least his lordship does not beat his servants, like yours did.”
Louisa lost her smile. What was the old woman talking about now? “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand. Why do you think my master beat his servants?”
Mrs. Smythe frowned and shook her head. “Oh, my dear. I should not have said anything. Obviously you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Your back… you have long crisscross scars on it, as if you had been whipped.”
A slow ache pounded in her head and she massaged her skull. Whipped? For the love of all that was holy, why would anyonedo that to another human being? “I wish I could remember, but perhaps it’s a good thing I cannot.”
“Yes, dearie. I suspect it is a good thing. I shall fetch some books for you right away.” The housekeeper waddled toward the door.
“One more thing, please,” Louisa called out to the other woman. “Could you ask the duke if I might have a moment with him? I have some questions to ask about the night of the accident.”
“Certainly.” Mrs. Smythe hustled out, leaving the door open.
Louisa released a sigh and rested her forehead on her bent knees. From the way the older woman described Louisa’s appearance, she wondered what had happened in her past. She didn’t want to remember. Perhaps it was something terrible and traumatic, and her mind blocked it out. As much as she didn’t want to remember anything bad, she did want to think aboutsomething.Currently, all she could think about was the duke and his caring heart and the passion she’d witnessed in his gaze—if even for a brief moment.
Since she’d first laid eyes on him, she couldn’t stop thinking about his kindness. This morning when he’d visited, his expression seemed hollow at first, as if he were just going through the motions of being concerned about her welfare. His mother appeared genuinely worried, but the duke… It was as if he stared right through to her soul, until he’d stepped closer. Once her eyes locked with his, she couldn’t look away. His mesmerizing blue eyes captivated her, held her prisoner. She didn’t mind at all. He was quite handsome, and the more she stared, the more she wanted to be held in his big strong arms, and drown in the warm compassion of his captivating cobalt eyes. She suspected he didn’t offer this expression very often.
This wasn’t a proper way to think about someone who might become her employer, especially if Mrs. Smythe was correct andhe planned to hire her. Surely Louisa only felt this way because he was her rescuer. If not for him, she would have died. Perhaps she admired him for saving her life and not for the person he really was. Then again, she didn’t know what kind of person he was.
Heavy footsteps thumped up the stairs and she jerked up her head. Stalling at the door, the duke’s gaze swept over her. Even with the distance separating them, his eyes burned a path over her body. Realizing she was out of bed without her wrapper, she blushed and pulled her knees closer to her bosom.
“Mrs. Smythe mentioned you wished to see me?”
The duke’s deep voice stirred flutters in her chest and she nodded. “I would like to talk to you about the night of the accident, if you don’t mind.”
He meandered into the room toward her. This evening he dressed casually. His white lawn shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, and his tan breeches appeared almost too snug on his thighs. The black knee boots he wore made her wonder if he’d been out riding earlier. She let her gaze travel back up his wide chest and noticed his collar and cravat were missing, giving her a glimpse of his bare neck. When she caught herself gawking, embarrassment washed over her, yet her heartbeat quickened. Why did she act as if she’d never seen such a robust man before?
Then again, she still didn’t know if she had or not. In reality, this very well could be her first time.
He perched next to her on the window seat, which was large enough for both of them to sit without any part of his body touching hers. Although she wouldn’t mind having his leg brush hers—even if it was accidental.
As soon as he leaned against the window, he pulled away and threw a quick peek at the glass as he rubbed his arm. “Aren’t you cold sitting here?”
“No. The room is toasty warm and here by the window it’s refreshing.”
