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"It’s all right," Leo interrupted "No need to be defensive, Marks God knoouldn’t think of interfering with Merripen’s plans after seeing all he’s done so far" He glanced at the housekeeper "If you’ll point the way, Mrs Barnstable, I’ll go out and find Merripen Perhaps I on"
"A footman will show you the way," the housekeeper said at once "But the work is occasionally hazardous,for a ht but caustic tone, "Besides, it is doubtful you could be of any help"
The housekeeper’s rin Miss Marks had spoken as if Leo were a save the governess a sardonic smile "I’m more physically capable than you suspect, Marks You have no idea what lurks beneath this coat"
"I arateful for that"
"Miss Hathaway," the housekeeper broke in hurriedly, trying to smooth over the conflict, " her sisters’ voices, Win turned to see the with Mr Rohan
"Well?" A her hands to indicate their surroundings
"Lovely beyond words," Win replied
"Let’s freshen ourselves and brush off the travel dust, and then I’ll take you around"
"I’ll only be a few minutes"
Win went to the staircase with the housekeeper "How long have you been employed here, Mrs Barnstable?" she asked as they ascended to the second floor
"A year, more or less Ever since the house became habitable I had previously been employed in London, but the old master passed on to his reward, and the new master dismissed most of the staff and replaced them with his own I was in desperate need of a position"
"I’m sorry to hear that But very pleased for the Hathaways’ sake"
"It has been a challenging undertaking," the housekeeper said, "putting together a staff and training theiven the unusual circumstances of this position But Mr Merripen was very persuasive"
"Yes," Win said absently, "it is difficult to say no to hi and steady presence, that Mr Merripen I’ve often marveled to see his-the carpenters, the painters, the blacks for his attention And he always keeps a cool head We can scarcely do without him He is the fixed point of the estate"
Win noddedinto the rooht cherry furniture, and upholsteries of soft-colored velvets rather than the glooht it a pity that she would never be able to enjoy this house except for occasional visits
Mrs Barnstable took her to a beautiful rooardens "This is yours," the housekeeper said "No one has occupied it before" The bed was ht blue upholstered panels, the bedclothes of white linen There was a graceful lady’s writing desk in the corner, and a satin lass set in the door
"Mr Merripen personally selected the wallpaper," Mrs Barnstable said "He nearly drove the interior architecthundreds of samples until he found this pattern"
The wallpaper hite, with a delicate pattern of flowering branches And at sparse intervals, there was the s
Slowly Win went to one of the walls and touched one of the birds with her fingertips Her vision blurred
During her long recuperation fro a book in her hands and no one had been available to read to her, she had stared out theat a robin’s nest in a nearby s hatch fros, their bodies pink and veined and fuzzy She had watched their feathers grow in, and she had watched theto fill their ravenous beaks And Win had watched as, one by one, they had flown from the nest while she rehts, had often climbed a ladder to wash the second-floorfor her He had wanted her view of the outside world to be clear
He had said the sky should always be blue for her
"You’re fond of birds, Miss Hathaway?" the housekeeper asked
Win nodded without looking around, afraid that her face was red with unexpressed emotion "Robins especially," she half-whispered
"A foot your trunks up soon, and one of the maids will unpack them In the meantime, if you would like to wash, there is fresh water at the wash-stand"
"Thank you" Win went to the porcelain pitcher and basin and sluiced clu water on her face and throat, heedless of the drips that fell onto her bodice Blotting her face with a cloth, she felt onlyheat that had suffused her
Hearing the creak of a floorboard, Win turned sharply Merripen was at the threshold, watching her The damnable flush wouldn’t stop She wanted to be on the other side of the world froain And at the saht of hi to the nut tan of his skin… the short dark layers of his hair, the scent of his exertions reaching her prickling nostrils The sheer size and presence of hiainst her lips She wanted to feel the throb of his pulse against her own If only he would come to her just as he was, this moment, and crush her onto the bed with his hard, heavy body, and take her Ruin her
"Hoas the journey frooing to make pointless conversation with you" Win went to theand focused blindly on the dark woodland in the distance
"Is the roo at hi I need," she interrupted "Thank you"
"I want to talk to you about the other-"
"That’s quite all right," she said,to sound composed "You don’t need to come up with excuses about why you didn’t offer for me"
"I want you to understand-"