Page 72 of All For You
“But you must be busy,” I argued.
What about his huge staff? Didn’t he have meetings with his estate manager? Didn’t he need to go through the accounts at his old mahogany desk upstairs, scribbling notes on the figures with his feather quill? Activities I’d mentioned many times in my novels. But now, I realized I’d never quite nailed down the details of said meetings and said mysterious accountancy. And what about his property development, West City, in London? No calls to make concerning the workings of that behemoth?
He shrugged. “I suppose I am busy. There’s always something for me to be doing. But I’d like to show you around, if you want that?”
What I wanted was to get away, but then he looked as though he did want to show me around. And now, I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about this man who had the face of the Darcy I’d originally met but seemed like a totally different person.
The author in me loved nothing more than a good character arc.
“I’d like that, thank you.”
He ledme down the hallway toward the front entry. I could barely focus, nervous and embarrassed about being here, intrigued by this new Darcy and wondering when I should bring up our argument. Then I spotted a multicolored creature headed toward us.
She stopped in her tracks, her one non-floppy ear alert, her huge eyes bulging, her big-dog tail slapping from side to side against her sausage-shaped body.
Was it? It was! In all her misshapen glory!
“Topaz LeStar?” I cried out.
Unhurried, Topaz sashayed down the red-carpeted, chandeliered hallway as though she owned it.
“Topaz!” I cried out again and clapped my hands.
I crouched down and slapped the floor, and, her showgirl demeanor gone, she scurried to me with a squeal. I caught her up and cuddled her. But within seconds, she was squirming out of my arms and running to Darcy. I missed Oodles so much my heart ached.
“I couldn’t leave her at home,” Darcy gave a rueful smile. “Max was okay to stay with the housekeeper and Wills needs him when he returns, but Topaz begged me to take her.”
How did she arrive? I must have shown my confusion.
“Alfred, our driver, fetched her with the luggage,” he said. “No way could she have run back with me.”
Wills needed Max. Because Wills was unhappy. My stomach twisted into nervous knots. Darcy handed Topaz off to the butler at the entry.
On the outside steps, I breathed deeply, trying to get my thoughts together, trying to control my panic about being here. I could barely concentrate on the stunning view of the lake, the house mirrored in the deep blue water, and to the side was a romantically crumbling folly.
“Your home is beautiful,” I said, still scared to properly turn my head and look him in the eye.
He turned to me. “It’s all thanks to my staff.”
I kept facing forward to the view. “And your staff seem so happy here.”
He laughed good-naturedly. “Mrs. Reynolds loves this place. She practically grew up here, as she was the daughter of the head groundskeeper, and she lives only a mile away. Many of our team feel a deep sense of loyalty and ownership and pride in this place. As they should—they’re the ones who have made this place what it is. I hope they are happy.”
I pressed the palm of my hand to my forehead in shame. “Darcy, I can’t imagine what you think of me turning up like this.”
“Really? But you have such a good imagination.”
I peeked up at him to see his lips quirking.
“Let’s see the walled garden,” he said, gesturing to the back. “I think you’ll like it.”
CHAPTER 31
Darcy
Lizzy was quiet and tense beside me as we entered the walled garden. But she was here. Close enough that it struck low in my chest, a hard, unsteady rush. Her gaze—beautiful, wary, glinting green—caught mine, and my pulse lurched like it had lost its rhythm. A curl fell across her face, soft and careless, and the need to reach out—to tuck it back, to touch her at all—rose sharp and almost painful. We stood so near, I could feel the space between us narrowing, charged. I was undone.
Why the hell had I waited so long to talk to her? I moved in front of her.
