“I’m sure you haven’t,” Mr. Crawford said. His voice was soft and his eyes trained on Emily, and yet Mary felt her insides quiver as if he spoke only to her.
Reaching up, she pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered a gentle reminder to herself about not letting any man tempt her.
“You probably want to take a look at the damage and at the cottage where you will be staying,” Cassandra said. “Mary can do the honors while Emily and I start on supper. You are welcome to join us for our evening meal if you like, unless of course you prefer the tavern in the village.”
“Thank you, but I do believe a hearty home-cooked meal would be just the thing this evening,” Mr. Crawford said. He stood and lowered his gaze to Mary. “Shall we proceed with the tour, Miss Clemens?”
She was a lovely woman, Caleb decided as he followed Miss Clemens out of the parlor and toward the stairs. Feisty too, judging from her impassioned defense of the caretaker’s dismissal. He liked that she’d stood her ground and thrown the man out when he threatened her principals. In fact, he had to admit he was slightly surprised by what he’d discovered when he’d knocked on the door and the three young women had bid him welcome.
When they’d asked his name, he’d hesitated just long enough to ensure that none of them knew him. He doubted they would since he could not recall meeting any of them before, not even his best friend’s sister, Lady Cassandra.
As soon as he was certain of anonymity, he’d introduced himself as Mr. Crawford, which wasn’t so much of a lie since it was his last name. It would allow him, he hoped, to be treated as a normal person while he was here, which was all he really wanted, aside from the task of fixing the roof.
The women were remarkably pretty, which instantly piqued his curiosity. It made no sense that none had married, though he supposed they all had their reasons. So far he only knew of Lady Cassandra’s, but when Miss Clemens had walked into the parlor carrying the tea tray, her eyes sparkling and her lips drawn up in a radiant smile, he’d been transfixed. He wanted to learn her secrets now, and he wanted to know why she’d fled the front entrance with the hasty excuse of fetching refreshments.
“How did you end up here?” he asked, going straight to the point without any finesse.
The tip of her shoe caught the edge of a step on the staircase. Her body jerked as she stumbled, her hand clutching the banister firmly for support. Caleb was tempted to reach out and steady her, but that would probably be unwise, so he clasped his hands behind his back, hid a chuckle, and allowed himself to savor her discomfort.
“That is a rather personal thing to ask,” she grumbled. She’d regained her balance and was now marching up the stairs. “We have only just met.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not curious,” he told her lightly. She reached the top of the landing and turned to face him, effectively bringing her daringly close to his person when he stepped up onto the landing as well. Her lips parted, either in surprise or to offer a sharp rejoinder, he wasn’t quite sure, until the flint in her green eyes eased, and she blinked a few times in rapid succession.
“Curiosity can be a burden, you know.” She swirled around and rushed onward as if she hoped to escape his presence.
Caleb followed her easily enough with a few long strides. Reaching a door at the end of the hallway, she undid the latch at the top, yanked it wide open, and hurried up the next flight of steps as if fearing he might accost her.
That gave him pause, and he immediately frowned. He hoped her reasons for being here didn’t include falling victim to a dishonorable scoundrel.
Climbing the stairs a bit slower than before, Caleb stepped up into the attic and instantly sucked in a breath the moment she came into view once more. She was peering out a dusty window while sunshine spilled through it and onto her face. Bathed in light and with a few stray strands of golden hair falling across her cheek, she looked like a creature from another world. Her lips were rosy and slightly moist, as if she’d recently licked them, her nose an elegant line that curved with perfection.
Caleb took a moment to gather his thoughts, completely upended by the beauty Miss Clemens portrayed. And although her gown was plain, the way she stood, leaning slightly forward, allowed him to admire her shapely contours with greater ease.
A surge of heat erupted inside him, and he clenched his hands to ward off the sudden desire that assailed him. After all, he hardly knew this woman, and if she feared him, she’d be right to, because the only thing he could think of now was how she might respond if he stepped up behind her. Would she lean into his embrace and sigh with pleasure?
No, he decided with a wry smile. From what little he’d learned of her so far, he rather suspected she’d smack him. And as pleasant as that might be in the end, he could not take the risk of her sending him packing. Because then he’d be forced to go straight back to London, to the desk that awaited him there in his study, and the dull future looming before him.
Sighing, he left Miss Clemens to ponder the view and forced himself to consider the roof. Without looking too closely, he could see the extra light pouring through where tiles had gone missing. Water stains here and there on the floor suggested a series of long-existing leaks. Some had caused the floorboards to rot, which not only made them unsafe to walk on but probably resulted in heavy dripping in the bedrooms below whenever it rained.
“This roof is sorely lacking in attention, Miss Clemens. I’m not surprised the previous caretaker was frustrated by his inability to fix it for you.”
“Providing food and clothing was a little more pressing,” she told him tartly.
He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. She’d come away from the window and was making her way toward him, watching her step to avoid the rot. “I’m also sure you’d like to prevent yourself and the children in your care from getting sick, as you are all at risk of doing if you live in a damp and chilly home.”
“We have fireplaces.” Her voice had grown defensive.
“And heat rises,” he told her gently. “If the roof is not secure, all that heat will go straight outside.”
She pressed her lips together and drew a deep breath. “You’re right,” she said, startling him with her concession. “Do you think you can fix it before winter sets in?”
He gave the roof another quick glance and nodded. “Viscount Aldridge gave me the funds to do it, so yes, I believe it will be possible.”
The smile she gave him in exchange for his assurance left him feeling slightly unsteady.
“Thank you, Mr. Crawford. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to hear you say that.” She placed both hands on her hips. “Now, shall I show you where you will be staying?”
Caleb nodded, his gaze holding hers until her cheeks colored. There was no doubt in his mind that he affected her somehow, which was definitely gratifying since she so clearly affected him. He was also sure that she felt it too, this unmistakable attraction between them, but rather than accept it, she seemed quite determined to fight it and deny it and run from it as fast as she could.
