“She loves music.”
“Yes, but she does not play anymore. Her hands have grown too arthritic, and it pains her.”
“Do you still play?”
Emma hesitated. Did Owen remember leaning over her, turning the pages as she played for him? How she became distracted and looked up instead, holding his gaze until?—
“Emma?”
“Yes. I do.” Emma swiped a hand down her arm to fight the wash of prickles along her skin. “She often requests it in the evenings. Though lately, she has preferred to converse or playcards with you. Once we live here, and it is only Mrs. Buckley and I again, I wondered if she might hope to resume the habit of music in the evenings.”
Owen straightened. “You do not intend to dine at Buckley Place?”
She had no ready reply.
“You would be invited every evening,” he pressed. “It is too big a house for me to dine alone.”
“Once you have the family your aunt is convinced you will soon acquire, you will have company.”
He laughed, but it was humorless. “You and I both know she has odd notions at present, and that is one of the strangest. I’ve only been back in England for a few weeks. Marriage is the furthest from my mind. But that is not what I came here to speak with you about.”
Emma fought her rising pulse at the notion that she was the objective of his errand. “Oh?”
“They’ve halted progress on the east wing. Evidently the bedchamber to be built was meant to become…” He stopped, looking behind his shoulder. “Whereismy aunt?”
“Somewhere in the cottage. She is helping me inventory.”
Owen took Emma’s hand and tugged her farther into the room until they were tucked into a quiet corner. Her heart thrummed along with the beat of the workmen’s hammers, blood whooshing in her ears. Valor gave a little bark and followed them, but when he deemed Owen not to be a threat, he sat at her feet and looked up at them.
When Owen seemed satisfied they would not be overheard, he leaned closer, giving her a whiff of his soap. “Mr. Wick informed me that the new bedchamber in the east wing was meant to be a surprise for Aunt Clara, a large new bedchamber for her and my uncle to share. He asked what I would like to do with the space now…if he should proceed as planned.”
“Goodness,” she breathed, unable to hold her breath any longer.
“What do you think I should do?”
Continue with the surprise his uncle had planned for his aunt, or change the plans entirely? Emma had difficulty thinking with Owen so near. His gray eyes were soft and searching. “Only you can decide that now, Captain. It is your house.”
“Yes, but what would you do?”
If the decision had been left entirely up to her, she would not add bedrooms to a house littered with them. Were Mr. Buckley’s fortune at her disposal, she would build a library and fill it with books or close up the space and cease adding on to an already gargantuan house.
“You have an idea,” Owen said.
Emma pushed away her thoughts, both indulgent and judgmental, and trained a smile on him. “I cannot answer that, Captain. It is your house, and your decision to make.”
His expression faltered. “Have we not entered into a truce, Miss Darling?”
“We have.” With him standing so close, it was difficult to concentrate. They took up the corner of the room, Emma standing with her back to the wall and Owen leaning close, speaking quietly so as not to be overheard. But his nearness was suffocating, his scent intoxicating.
Valor grew bored with them and lay down at her feet.
Owen’s gaze flicked to the dog, then back to Emma. “It is tothatend I hoped to engage you as my partner moving forward in managing my aunt. You know her better than anyone, and if I am not mistaken, you and I have a similar goal in regard to her.”
She nodded. “I believe we do.”
He cracked a smile. “In that case, will you help me? Be my partner in this until Aunt Clara is comfortably settled. If we were to work together, I know we could manage things smoothly.”
It was not an unreasonable request. She had already agreed to put the past behind them and become something of acquaintances. The act of doing so had already reduced her anxiety when seeing Owen. But to actively work together? Did that allow for the development of a friendship, however brittle it might be?
