“You…” Words failed her and for a second she was tempted to turn away and avoid his gaze. It was intense and searching and it pierced her skin with smoldering heat. “Thank you,” she managed.
“You are welcome.” He hesitated briefly before stepping back, his eyes sharpening as if with renewed focus. “I should probably get started on the roof.”
And then he turned and walked away.
Watching him go, it occurred to Mary that she was a fool. Choosing to wear a high-collared gown made no difference at all. Indeed, she could wrap herself up in heavy wool blankets, and it still wouldn’t make her feel fully clothed in Mr. Crawford’s company.
Caleb appliedhimself to his work in the hope that removing broken tiles and cutting away rotted sheathing would rid his mind of Miss Clemens. It did not, though it did offer his body a welcome release in the form of physical exertion.
Christ, she’d been lovely in the midst of her fury, her eyes sparking with indignation when he’d stopped her from talking to Peter. And the prim gown she’d worn, buttoned up all the way to her chin like a piece of armor to protect her in battle. It had stirred his blood until all he could think of was how he might peel the garment away from her body to uncover the skin beneath. He’d do it slowly, taking his time to torture her a little and to heighten the anticipation for them both.
Bloody hell.
He pried additional shingles from the roof and tossed them onto the ground below. He’d been here only one day and already Miss Clemens had put him in a state of need unlike any he’d ever experienced before. It was not only troubling but also invigorating. Especially since he’d discovered her to be a lot more than just another attractive woman.
She was fiercely protective of the children under her care, and she was ready to fight for what she believed in. But she was also willing to listen to reason, and this was something he truly admired. Most people he’d known were too stubborn to do so but not Miss Clemens.
And the fire in her eyes whenever he approached her, stood near her, or looked at her, revealed her to be a passionate woman, even though he was sure she’d deny this if asked. Cutting away another large piece of sheathing, Caleb chastised himself for thinking in such unruly terms. A gentleman did not ask a respectable woman if he stirred a desire within her. But the prospect of doing so and where it might lead was yet another fantasy for him to enjoy later in the privacy of his cottage.
“Mr. Caleb!”
He looked down at the ground to where Miss Emily Howard was standing. “Yes?”
“Luncheon is ready. Would you care to take a break?”
Caleb glanced at the widening hole in the roof and then back at Miss Howard. “Thank you, but I would like to finish this first so I’m ready when the supplies arrive. I’ll grab something later if that is all right.”
She nodded and disappeared back inside, leaving Caleb to continue with his work. He would also have to add flashing around one of the chimneys since it looked like the wind must have ripped part of it off. Clambering sideways, he set to work on the next group of broken tiles, pulling them off one at a time until the sheathing beneath was revealed. He tested the wood with his knife and sighed when the tip of the blade sank into the spongy surface. This would have to be cut away and replaced as well. He proceeded to do so while taking care to preserve the good wood.
“Mr. Crawford?”
Caleb stilled in response to Miss Clemens’s voice. It was closer than he would have expected, considering his current location. Placing his palm further up on the roof for support, he shifted his weight and turned his head. The top of her face peered over the gutter, and for a second his instinct was to leap toward her and pull her to safety. But he was on a slanted roof and would likely send both of them tumbling to their deaths if he did that.
So he drew a deep breath and steadied his voice. “Why are you standing on the ladder, Miss Clemens?”
“So I could bring you this,” she said. Her hand came into view, sending a jolt through Caleb as he realized she wasn’t holding on to the ladder as well as she should be. And then she reached out and placed a small parcel close to his feet. “You must eat something, so I thought I would bring you a ham and cheese sandwich.”
Caleb glanced at the offering and slid his way slowly toward it. “Thank you, Miss Clemens.” He was actually quite hungry.
“How are the repairs coming along?” she asked while he picked up the sandwich and peeled back the cloth she’d used to wrap it.
He took a bite to hide his smile because really, the fact of her standing there with most of her face hidden from view, conversing with him while he sat on the roof above her, was simply too absurd.
“It’s a rough bit of work,” he admitted. “I won’t manage more than a couple of patches today, and that’s still assuming the supplies I purchased arrive within the next couple of hours.”
“Hmm…” Her eyes, the only part of her face he could see, grew pensive. “You enjoy it though, I think.”
“The work?”
“Well, yes. You were humming before I alerted you to my presence. It was a cheerful tune.” He chewed his food while he watched her. “Have you always wanted to be a laborer?”
“I do enjoy doing practical jobs that allow me to work with my hands,” he told her carefully.
“Did it require a lot of training?”
He took another bite of sandwich, allowing himself to mull that question over for a bit. “I picked up most of my skills as I went along. Sometimes all that’s required is a willingness to learn. I applied myself, asked questions. And paid attention.”
“Hmm…” She was silent a moment, during which he continued eating. It was strange, her standing like that high off the ground, but stranger still was how much he liked having her there. “You must have some good credentials for Viscount Aldridge to have engaged you.”
