A Midsummer Night's Kiss (Howertys #1)

Chapter 19: Well, Good Morning to You

"You already have your room here, as long as you don't mind living in a bachelor's residence," he said, and having decided that the servants were taking too long, he opened the door and shouted his butler's name down the hallway. Closing the door again, he continued as if nothing had happened, "Though Hefferton Place belongs to me and not our aunt and uncle. I could always send them back to the Midlands, and you can live there by yourself. We could get you a lady's companion. The only reason they have been living there is to care for you, and you're old enough now not to need them."

"That... That seems harsh." No matter what, the Grants had left their own house and their own lives to come to Hefferton Place when her and James's parents died. They had not been the best caretakers, but they had been there when no one else had been available. It had to count for something.

"Very well, I won't. As long as they behave," James grumbled as he resumed pacing the room.

There was a light rasp on the door, and he quickly pulled it open to find the butler on the other side.

"You called, my lord?" Dobbins said calmly, as if the viscount hadn't just been shouting his name down the hall, and looked as if he'd just walked through the fires of hell with a bottle of brandy as his only companion.

"I would like you to inform Miss Grant that I should like to see her in the library in an hour," James said.

"Certainly, my lord. Right away."

"You may wish to take a bath," Angel suggested helpfully.

Her brother let out a long-suffering sigh. "And please have a bath drawn."

"I will have it done immediately," Dobbins agreed with a glitter of amusement in his eyes before quickly leaving the room to do as he'd been told.

"What are you planning to say to Joan?" Angel asked once the door shut.

"I don't know yet," James admitted, scratching his head.

"Try not to lose your temper." She stood. "It's going to be a difficult discussion either way."

"I will try." He made a face. "I've never been particularly good at speaking to Joan. She always seems to step around the subject."

Knowing her cousin, Joan would claim it was all a terrible misunderstanding. Hopefully, her brother would not fall for the innocent act that Aunt Christine happily believed every single time.

Giving James a reassuring smile, she bid him farewell and left the room. No matter the outcome of his confrontation with Joan, he had offered her to live with him, and that knowledge lent a fresh spring to her step as she walked back to her room. She tried to keep busy by rearranging her porcelain figurines and writing in her diary, but eventually gave up, as she could not stop worrying about what was about to happen. Deciding to distract herself with a book, she left again—after making sure there was no sign of Joan in the hallway.

She'd reached the library and was halfway across the room to the shelves of books before she realised she was not alone. Nathaniel lay on a chaise longue, fast asleep. That would explain how James had found out so soon. The marquess must never have left. She shifted from one foot to the other as she watched his sleeping form. It did not escape her that this was the second time she'd walked in on him sleeping in her brother's house.

Lying on his back with his face turned to the room, he looked relaxed with a hand on the floor where his arm had fallen off the chaise. He had removed his waistcoat and cravat, leaving him in only his black trousers and white shirt. Taking a few steps closer, she noticed that the top buttons had been undone, leaving a deep V of smooth, tanned skin visible. The temptation to touch him was ever-present, and she had to clasp her hands behind her back to ensure she did not reach out towards him. He was always handsome, but when asleep and relaxed, he was simply beautiful. Surely it must be sinful for a man to be so good-looking?