Page 19 of Holly & Folly

She had been quite certain she was the only one housed in this part of Bellthorne, but there was a distinct humming within. A man’s humming.

Her stomach clenched.

Could Mr. Fowell have persuaded Lady Dalmeer to change his room to be nearer hers?

Surely, he was not so brazen. She was overreacting to his hand on the small of her back. He had merely been trying to keep her steady on the slippery ground.

She tiptoed the remainder of the distance to her room despite that, slipping inside with a glance down the corridor. Once her maid had helped her prepare for sleep, she locked the door, then verified it could not be opened before settling into her bed.

“Shall we divide and conquer?”

Nell tried not to raise her brows at the suggestion from Mr. Fowell.

She had assumed he would insist upon remaining together for the decorating. Yet more evidence she had been reading too much into his behavior yesterday.

He handed her a basket of red bows with a number of tacks in a cushion on one side. “Perhaps you would be willing to hang these between each bust on the east wall. I shall place holly boughs on the plinths.”

Nell took the basket willingly.

Lord Dalmeer and Miss Caldwell were taking on the passageway entries, where they would be draping garlands. From what Nell could see, Miss Caldwell would not be agreeing to the divide-and-conquer method. She kept quite close to the earl, as though she feared Nell might trip and hit her head on one of the busts, depriving her of her partner yet again. Miss Caldwell seemed to like Mr. Fowell well enough, but he could not compete with an earl—and certainly not against the Earl of Dalmeer.

Nell made her way to the first gap between the busts while Mr. Fowell detangled the first bough. There were sconces between every other bust, providing a convenient place to loop the ribbon. Anywhere else, she would use the tacks to secure it.

She made quick work of the first one, offering a smile to Mr. Fowell as he came to place his first bough on the plinth as she was moving to the next gap.

A glance down the passage brought her gaze to Lord Dalmeer.

As though he sensed it, his eyes met her. Was there a hint of accusation in them as Miss Caldwell’s fingers tangled with his on the greenery?

Nell smiled and went back to work.

By the time she had reached the end of the passageway, she was convinced she had been unjust to Mr. Fowell. Or perhaps he had decided she was not worth his attentions.

She had no desire to be the object of Mr. Fowell’s interest, and yet, somehow, she felt a bit piqued at the thought that he had lost interest in her. She was a walking contradiction.

Or perhaps she had simply been glad that he, at least, did not find her presence distasteful.

She reached into her basket for a tack and found there were none left. She looked at what remained of their task—at least a dozen more would be necessary.

“I must ask for more tacks,” she informed Mr. Fowell, holding up the basket. “I shall return directly.”

“Shall I go in your stead?” he asked.

See? He was thoughtful.

“I am quite glad for the exercise, but I thank you.” She gave him a smile, then made her way down the passage. It was looking very festive now, hung with red ribbon, the busts adorned with green and red holly, and the entries soon to be hung with greenery too.

The Antique Passage was shaped in an L, creating two separate but connected sections, hence Nell’s confusion the first evening. She had only passed through one portion on the way to her bedchamber that evening.

Lord Dalmeer stood atop a ladder at the base of the L’s turn, arms raised as he held a pine bough with one arm and tried to fix it in place with the other hand.

Miss Caldwell stood below, her face upturned to watch him, showing the pretty lines of her neck to advantage.

The earl’s gaze flitted to Nell as she approached, fixing upon her. “Is all well, Miss Prescott?”

“Yes. I am off to fetch more tacks. I have not been judicious enough in my use of the ones provided. Might you tell me where the nearest bell pull can be found?”

He let one end of the bough drop and made to descend the ladder. “Allow me to show you.”