Whispers in the Dawn (22 page)
Read Whispers in the Dawn Online
Authors: Aurora Rose Lynn
“The ghost is real,” the housekeeper said. “He must have heard you were coming and wanted to welcome you to the manor. But you’ll find out about him for yourself during your stay here. Would you like a currant scone with your tea?”
Paige nodded. “I’d love one.”
Would the ghost require that she lift her skirt for his voyeuristic tendencies? Heavens, but there were no such beings as ghosts. Even as she reflected on that, she saw the vivid sea-green eyes of the man who tormented her dreams. He was nothing more than a ghost painted by her imagination. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sight that was never far from her consciousness. Blood thrummed through her veins as it always did when she thought about those eyes—intelligent, warm, compassionate.
Like a honeybee searching for nectar, the housekeeper dashed around the kitchen, filling the shiny, stainless steel teakettle with tap water and placing it on a gas burner. The woman obviously lived here alone much of the time, Paige decided, and her sanity seemed to be hanging in the balance.
“When are you going to interview me?” she asked suddenly. She didn’t want to spend the next hour hearing about a silly ghost if she wasn’t going to be hired for the job.
Mrs Whittaker raised thick eyebrows. “An interview for what?”
“I thought you, or whoever it was on the phone this morning, had told me to come here and the job was mine if I got here before eight.” She fixed her gaze on the old woman’s white collar, edged with a tiny bit of lace.
“Heavens! That was me you spoke to. As soon as I heard your voice, I knew you were right for the job.”
“How could you tell?”
The housekeeper rubbed her hands on the front of her apron. “I just could. Did you change your mind?”
“Oh no, of course not. What will my duties include?”
Rain splattered against the kitchen windows like the rat-tat-tat of a small gun firing repeatedly. As Paige looked outside, another bolt of lightning jagged through the darkness. She gave a little shriek as thunder crashed overhead, and drew back in her ladder-backed chair set facing the dining table.
Mrs Whittaker seemed oblivious to the shard of light or Paige’s fear. “To keep this place clean. I’m gettin’ a bit old for anything except cooking.”
Paige’s curiosity kicked in. “Does anyone else live here?”
“Only Lord Carondolet. That’s the first thing you must learn while you’re here. You must never, never disturb him.”
A vision of a crotchety old man flitted through Paige’s mind. “Does he ever come down for dinner?”
Mrs Whittaker turned on her with an expression of absolute horror. “My dear,” she exclaimed. “His lordship never comes down to the servants’ quarters. It’s perfectly unheard of. It’s not the way things are done at Rosebury Manor.”
“Where does he eat then?” Paige felt out of place, like a backwoods bumpkin among the exquisite furnishings and ornate paintings. What little she had seen of the manor was not for ordinary folk like her. In her mind’s eye, she saw grand lords and ladies wearing shimmering silks and colourful satins who did nothing more strenuous than think of a foxhunt or the next masked ball.
About the Author
Aurora Rose Lynn, a bestselling erotica author, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and conure. She enjoys writing romance with a sensual twist but first and foremost, her stories must be about love. When she isn’t writing romance, she writes young adult and fantasy stories under a pen name.
Email:
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Aurora loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.total-e-bound.com
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