While You Were Dreaming by Celeste Bradley

Author:Celeste Bradley [Bradley, Celeste]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brain Chocolate Media
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

From across the room, John watched from his place at Lady Emmeline’s side as Miss Grey spun yet another prominent Haven family into her web of kindness.

He shook his head. “And she’s only been here a few days!”

Lady Emmeline followed his gaze. “Oh yes. Norah is always one to befriend the staff. At Kewell Abbey they all adore her.”

John frowned at Lady Emmeline’s not-quite-dismissive tone. “And how do you get on with the Abbey staff, Lady Emmeline?”

She twinkled adorably at him. “Oh, they like me just fine, especially since I made Papa pay all their back wages after I inherited.”

John smiled and relaxed. She was a lady-with-a-capital L, as Simon would say. Of course she wouldn’t have as easy a time crossing the boundaries of class and status as someone like Miss Grey. It was very honorable of her to see the debts paid to the servants, something John wished more of the nobility would manage responsibly. Not every master was as fair and generous as Matthias.

John waited for his inevitable feeling of betrayal at the thought of Matthias and was pleased and gratified to feel no such thing. All he felt for Matthias was goodwill and admiration and also a comfortable faith that Matthias would keep yesterday’s confidence to his grave.

Suddenly restless with a sort of bubbling energy, he turned to Lady Emmeline. “Shall I find you a cup of tea? Perhaps a few of Cook’s famous chocolate confections? He trained with a displaced French chocolatier, you know.”

Lady Emmeline’s expression became carefully polite. “Tea would be lovely, but I don’t care for sweets.” Then she looked across the hall where Miss Grey was now ordering Brand and Tanner about like her personal Christmas army. “Norah is quite partial to them, though. I’m sure she would enjoy them very much.”

John rose and bowed. “Then I shall serve you both.”

He was about to rush off when a dainty hand landed on his arm with a surprisingly firm grip. “Best bring Norah extra. Double.” She sighed and wilted back upon her cushions, looking absolutely stunning and pitiful at the same moment.

John walked away thinking it was an odd sort of request. Had it come from someone less sweet-natured, he might almost have thought it a feminine slight, a catty reference to Miss Grey’s more rounded figure.

John himself didn’t mind a generous shape on a lady. It seemed very warm and womanly to him. His wayward male brain reminded him of the quite satisfying impact of Miss Grey’s lush form on his own that morning in the hall.

Also, her smooth cheeks dimpled quite appealingly when she smiled. He enjoyed it so much he’d set out to amuse her with silly stories of village life on their walk back, just to wrest more smiles and earn that husky gurgling laugh.

The famous Havensbeck cook, hired by Lady Marianna herself, stood like a general on a battlefield in one of the manor’s three vast kitchens. Around him, his minions chopped, steamed, braised and did all manner of activities about which John knew very little.

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