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“Good for you But the season is approaching and we’re having a full schedule, as usual, you know”

“Of course” Social life remained precious for Adelaide She loved all the pomp and ritual that surrounded it They were bound to attend together, naturally He understood it as part of the game and accepted it without question But social duties did not list as exactly his cup of tea He wondered what he really enjoyed about his life

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds He shrugged slightly “Good night, Adelaide”

“Good night, Hugh” She closed the door, without a sound

He turned, walked to his bed and pulled the cord for his valet

As he lay in his bed, he thought what the new maid did at that moment

Sleeping like a log, no less Sarah had gone through all the tasks given by Mrs Talcott: sweep the floor, dust the carpets, clean furniture, doors, s fro just her second day at her first job as a maid, she ended the day utterly exhausted She had used to help her aunt clean their se city home So, by the time her head finally found the pillow, her mind’s eye visualized her handsome boss and shut down

Sarah slept alone in her cubicle of a room All the other maids slept in pairs, but they counted odd numbers, so Sarah used alone her double cot alone The ave them a chance to chat a little before bedtime

Weeks passed by and Sarah begun to get used to her daily routine She got acquainted with the house staff and she found enjoyment in the results of her hard work

But seeing Lord Hawkmore everyday ate at her mental sanity His powerful frame and his manly attractiveness shook her insides Every ti If she crossed with hiaze, as if he could read her through and through She would blush; downcast her eyes and hurry away But when her eyelids fell at night, the ie of hiruent fantasies These counted as unfas And she did not have a clue as to how to deal with them

H

is role, her boss An earl She had been hearing the other irls existed as irls were used for those lords’ physical needs If they fell pregnant they got put out by the wives or those children would be raised under the shadow of the real heirs, with disastrous consequences Sarah wanted none of it for herself But this seeood job, a fair pay and she needed it

Hugh felt no better He could not count the uts churned with some alien reaction every tiest i her His hands itched to touch her, just her hands or her forearm But the need of physical contact with her beca by the hour

Maybe he should find a e needs He had no interest in anyone though Hishim with a bony, plain-faced maid If he so much as vented to take a downstairs stock Maids were for lords’ encies No noblearded as fools And these saucy gossips would never be kept away from the ballrooms He would not throw his centuries-old family name to the rats

CHAPTER 2