Devilish Games of a Virtuous Lady by Scarlett Osborne

Author:Scarlett Osborne [Osborne, Scarlett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-07T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

F ocus on your work. You’ve a business to run.

Doing such a thing, Algernon was discovering, was far easier said than done.

Since the day Molly Cooper had first appeared at the manor, he had found himself acutely aware of her presence. Had found his mind drifting to her at inopportune moments, wondering what she might be doing, picturing her with that endearing frown of concentration on her face.

But there was something about this new formality between them that made it even more difficult to concentrate. In the days since he had brought her back from the hotel, they had not exchanged a single word. He had seen little more than glimpses of her as she darted out of his sight like a shadow.

Algernon found himself desperately missing their casual fireside chats, their shared suppers of bread and cheese. Though he was glad, of course, his staff were recovering from their illnesses, there had been something utterly magical about that night he and Miss Cooper had been alone in the manor.

Far too magical…

The more he tried not to think of her, the more his thoughts careered off in her direction.

Algernon had no idea how he was to go about life with Molly Cooper in the house. Having held her in his arms, however fleetingly, had shown him how desperately he wanted her. How were they to carry on living beneath the same roof?

His actions had rendered her unapproachable. Untouchable. Still, unapproachable and untouchable, Algernon was sure, was better than never seeing her again. Having her in his life as a kitchen hand was better than not having her in his life at all.

Isn’t it?

And so here Algernon sat at his desk, staring into the chaos of papers strewn across his table. He had never been the tidiest of businessmen, but this was a new low.

Focus.

Business had always been his savior. He had always turned to his work when the world around him became too much of a challenge. He would do the same thing now. Lose himself in the workings of his enterprise and stop his mind from straying into unwanted places.

He took a pile of unopened correspondence out of the top drawer. He picked up the envelope on the top of the pile, glancing at the seal. It was from the Baron of Mullins.

Algernon snapped the envelope open and unfolded the letter. He had written back to the Baron, asking politely but firmly that he honor the financial agreement they had made when they had first discussed their latest deal. As his eyes scanned the letter, Algernon felt anger bubble up inside him.

A refusal. An argument. The latest stock, the Baron claimed, was of inferior quality.

“Inferior quality!” Algernon found himself shouting. “What rubbish!”

His angry words hung in the stillness. Algernon paused.

Where did that come from?

Algernon Fletcher was not a gentleman who raised his voice. Certainly not when there was no one else about to hear! He rubbed his eyes, tossing the Baron’s letter wearily onto the desk.

This whole debacle over Miss Cooper was making him restless and irritable.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.