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He let out a breath and chuckled. “I shouldn’t be surprised you’re delighted with that notion.”

I couldn’t understand why he was so amused. “It would save a great deal of time, and I would be willing to pay for my room and board. I wouldn’t expect the school to pay my expenses.”

He leaned forward. “You’re not going to be staying at the school, Claire.”

I couldn’t help pouting. “Then why did you even suggest it?”

I turned to look out the window, and wondered where we were going when I saw that he wasn’t taking me back to the Kendricks’ townhouse. I glanced down at the list on my lap. “Are we going to one of the boarding houses?”

His arms were crossed, his regard settled on me with an unsettling intensity. “No.”

“You know my financial means. This area looks as though it might be above them.”

He didn’t reply as the carriage slowed to a halt in front of a narrow townhouse. I glanced up. There were only two floors.

I frowned. “Is this a boarding house?”

He remained silent as he descended from the carriage and turned to help me out.

“Where are we?” I asked as I followed him to the front door. I expected him to knock, but instead he produced a key and unlocked the door. He stepped to one side and waited for me to move past him.

I was beginning to have a very bad feeling about this, but I would at least see what Greyson had in mind.

When we entered the house, no butler or footman greeted us. I made my way to the room on the right, taking in the small drawing room that was fully yet modestly furnished. A cream-colored settee, two armchairs that were angled before a small fireplace, and a table that would be perfect for serving tea when receiving callers.

Dread formed in the pit of my stomach when I realized where Greyson had taken me. I wandered into the middle of the room and took a few moments to calm my racing heart before turning to face him.

“Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

He raised one brow. “That would depend on what you’re imagining.”

He was clearly amused, but I refused to be charmed into falling in line with his plans.

“I sincerely hope that you’re not…” I squared my shoulders and forced myself to continue. “I think we may have had a misunderstanding. I am not looking to be your mistress, so if you are setting me up in a home you’ve procured just for that purpose, I’m afraid I must decline.”

He was watching me closely. “Would the idea be so distasteful? You did seem amenable to the idea of the two of us becoming closer.”

I sucked in a breath at the casual reminder of the physical intimacies we’d already shared. “Yes, but I do not wish to become your mistress. I did not leave my stepmother’s household only to be kept by you. When you grow tired of me, I’ll be in the same position. I’d much rather just find a place for myself that is mine. Even if that’s a room in a boarding house that isn’t in the most fashionable area of London.”

He leaned against the wall, and I waited.

Finally, he shook his head. “This isn’t my house, Claire. I’ve never kept a mistress, and while I can’t say that will always be true, that isn’t what we are doing here.”

I ignored the way my stomach turned over at his admission. “So why are we here?”

“This house is within your financial means, and I thought you might like to rent it. If you approve, then the owner can prepare the paperwork for you to sign. You’ll be able to lease it and stay here on your own.”

I couldn’t believe what Greyson was saying. He’d actually gone to the effort of finding a house for me to rent. I’d been thinking that he’d forgotten all about me when during that time he’d been organizing this.

I wanted to jump into his arms and say yes, but I forced myself to be practical. “Can I see the rest of the house?”

“Of course,” he said, amused. He knew exactly what I was doing.

A few minutes later, we were upstairs, which had only a spare room and the main bedroom for my use. There were also two small rooms for servants, and he’d already shown me the kitchens that were downstairs.

I could already picture myself living in this small, cozy house. Aside from the drawing room on the main floor, there was a dining room and a small library to which I was itching to add the small number of novels I’d collected.

I licked my lips and turned to Greyson. “I can’t live here until I’ve hired servants.”