Son of a rogue and a gypsy, Hero Fiennes Tiffin was a notorious rake until a shattering betrayal left him alone and embittered in the Welsh countryside. Desperation drives quiet schoolteacher Josephine Langford to ask Hero Fiennes Tiffin to help sav...
"Is it part of a mistress's job to redecorate her lover's house?" she asked with dismay.
"Most mistresses would swoon with delight at the opportunity," he assured her. "Would you like to visit the attics? There are masses of furniture up there. You might find things that are more to your taste."
Looking a little dazed, she said, "Later, perhaps. Before I make any changes, I will have to observe and think."
"Wise woman." He glanced at the ormolu clock on the mantel. "I must meet my steward now, so I'll leave you to your own devices for the rest of the afternoon. We dine at six. If you wish to bathe first, ring from your room. The staff should be able to manage hot water. Until dinner?"
He withdrew, already feeling less oppressed by the house. Three months of Josephine 's sturdy good sense should improve Westgate immeasurably. Perhaps, in time, it might no longer feel so much like his grandfather's house.
Josephine
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Josephine spent the next hour examining the public rooms. The basic layout and proportions were appealing, but the furnishings seemed to have been chosen more for grandeur than comfort, and there was too much of everything.
When she finished her survey, she went to her bedchamber, which was as large as the whole ground floor of her cottage. It was also cluttered, but the blue draperies and bed hangings were pretty. If she removed all the unnecessary furniture and the two dismal paintings of dead animals, it would be quite pleasant.
Feeling drained, she self-indulgently flopped across the bed, then folded her hands behind her head and thought about what had happened since she had arrived at Westgate. It seemed as if days rather than hours had passed.
She was still incredulous that the Earl had casually handed the reins of his household to her, with blanket permission to spend what she wished. But now that she had recovered from her surprise, she relished the prospect of improving this gaudy, dusty, neglected mansion. For the rest of the afternoon, she thought, made lists, and jotted down question to herself.
She was drawn from her plans when the clock struck five. Time to prepare for her first dinner with Hero.
Work had steadied her, and she no longer felt as emotionally fragile as she had by the lake. Nonetheless, being in such a grand house was unnerving. Even ringing for a bath made her uncomfortable, since the Langfords had never had any servants.
Trepidation vanished when the little maid who responded to the bell turned out to be a former student. Dilys was a sweet-natured girl who had always adored her teacher, and she accepted Miss Langford's presence as if it were perfectly natural for a schoolmistress to be the guest of an Earl.
For her part, Josephine found that asking Dilys for a bath was no harder than asking a student to recite the times tables. However, she was unable to stop herself from helping when Dilys staggered into the room with two heavy coppers of steaming water. If she were a real lady, Josephine supposed that she would have stood by and let the girl struggle.
