Authors: Nichole Matthews
For a long m
oment she simply stared at him. He had a line between his brows and his mouth had tightened, but his eyes were level with hers and she knew he could see into her soul. Could see h
er heart in her eyes,
he gave her no quarter.
He gave
her
no space for prevarication, so
s
he nodded and
allowed him to lead her t
o the sitting room
forcing one foot in front of the other
.
“Thank you.”
He stopped and looked at her
before turning to the
only other
occupant in the room
.
His rough-tipped fingers stroked over the back of her hand. “It is my pleasure.”
“Aunt,” Parker greeted
when he stepped over the threshold. He first saw to P
ersephone
’s comfort. Insuring she was relaxed, sitting near
Adele’s
chaise
on the rose velvet settee
before
he poured himself a brandy. He gestured to his aunt’s empty glass of Madeira. “Would you
like me to top off your drink?”
“Thank you, dear.
”
Her shrewd eyes followed Parker’s walk across the room
, then she returned her gaze to where Persephone was situating herself on the settee.
Persephone was
overwhelmed by the room. Pink?
She shuddered.
Not her favorite color.
Parker studied her reaction to the room
.
“Are you not a fan of the color pink,
Persephone
?”
He slanted a glance at his aunt
and smiled smugly
. “I believe I have
found
a new champion
for my cause
.”
The laugh lines beside his mouth deepened.
“Oh pooh!” Adele swatted at him.
Persephone tensed and looked at them with a furrowed brow. “Champion?”
She shifted uncomfortably.
“I advised my aunt
not a week past that I intend
to redecorate
this parlor
.” He nodded
his head. “
I feel that s
ince my sister
s no longer reside
at
Rosebriar
, I
would like to begin this project
with this room
and rid myself of this g
od awful color once and for all,
but my aunt believes my sister’s would be devastated by the change
and therefore I should leave it be
.
”
“Why would your sisters be devastated
, my lord?”
She bit her lower lip
as she waited
.
“This room was
our
mothers,” he clarified. “She died while giving birth to Piper and Poppy.”
"I see.” Persephone’s
eyes wandered over the room attempting to view the room through a man’s eyes. Pink velvet settee,
chintz covered spindly-legged chair with tiny red roses and pink stripes
,
pink-veined marble fireplace. Definitely a
room fit for a woman, not a man. But she also tried to look at it through the eyes of his sisters. It was more than a room; it was a museum of sorts.
It was a
portrait of who their mother had been and still was in their minds.
“My father never had
it changed even after her death,
”
he added.
“Over the years we’ve just had it refurbished.”
He looked around the room once more taking in all that it contained. All the memories that haunted each piece housed in the room. He hoped he hadn’t spoken to soon. Why
did he have to feel anything?
“It is a lovely room, but perhaps not suitable for a bachelor
’s home
.”
Parker’s brow rose at Persephone’s confirmation and his lips quirked.
“See aunt, a woman after my own heart.”
“Have you thoroughly considered your sister’s reaction to the change, my lord?”
Persephone
tried hard to
keep her tone light.
“
They no longer live here,
”
he reminded Persephone and his aunt.
Persephone glanced at the portrait above the pink-veined marble fireplace.
“Is that a portrait of your mother?”
“Yes. That would stay.”
Persephone bit her lip before she continued, “I had not taken you for a man to disregard someone’s feelings.” Her throat went tight as she braced herself for his disapproval. She had spoken out of turn. Had she given her opinion too readily?
One corner of his mouth tipped up. “Thank you f
or pointing that out, Persephone
.” His eyes narrowed, studying her face. “I would hate to lose your good opinion.”
Adele watched
their exchange with interest.
Persephone
lowered her eyes.
“
I
t is all they have left.” Her hands
shook, so she
locked
them
together
to hide their trembling
. “It is important to them.”
He sat quietly as if considering her argument for his sister’s feelings. His quick smile was like glimpsing the sun on a cold, winter morning. “You hav
e made a valid point, Persephone
.
”
Parker caught her in his gaze. “
I will give it heavy consideration before I make any definitive decisions to change.”
Persephone
raised her eyes and
smiled
,
her eyes twinkling with pleasure
.
Her body warmed under his praise.
Parker sat back and watched her
glow under his minute praise, pleased with how easy it was to add a sparkle to her eyes.
Adele reached over and patted Persephone’s hand. “It is so good
to see you out of your room.”
“Yes, my lady.” Persephone flashed such an obvious look of relief at being out of the room that Parker chuckled, a deep, soothing sound.
He stood.
“I feel like a new woman.”
“I’m glad.”
Adele smiled. “I thought we had agreed to be more informal?” Her voice low.
Persephone watched in her peripheral vision as his tall, muscular frame moved to the chaise and lifted the delicate glass to replenish the Madeira before dinner was announced. He turned towards her and asked, “Would you c
are for some Madeira, Persep
h
one
?” Parker held up the bottle. “It is my aunt’s favorite.”
Looking up, Persephone realized he had drawn much closer, he held her ga
ze for a moment as she considered
his request. “A sm
all taste would be lovely,
Parker.
”
He filled the elongated tapered bowl one third filled with the rich wine and passed the stemmed glass to her before he sat next to her on the settee.
Adele glanced sidelong at her. “
Parker
tells me you are from somewhere in Berkshire?”
“Yes, Adele
.”
“Our Poppy lives in Berkshire at
Allingham
Park.” She smiled. “She married the Duke of
Hawksley
this past year.”
“Congratulations
,” Persephone said in almost a whisper.
“We are so happy with the news of Gabriel’s birth,” Adele added.
“Babies are such a blessing.” Persephone smiled.
“Yes
,
my dear.” Adele beamed. “We ar
e all on pins and needles for more
information
.
I’m sure
Hawksley
is over the moon. A son.
”
“Dinner, my lord,” Dobbins stated from the doorway.
***
Anger coiled
hotly
in Granville’s
stomach, a growing monster biding its time before bursting free.
Where the fuck was she?
Hell, he wasn’t thinking clearly. He
rose to his feet so quickly, he slammed his chair back against the shelves behind his desk with a loud crash
.
He was running out of time. They were going to string him up before too long if he couldn’
t contain this little problem.
Fucking bitch!
She made
him look weak.
He in turn would see that she
look
ed
weak. He lifted the whip
that lay across the corner of his desk
with his right hand and caressed the hard leather handle with his left. Then he expertly flicked his wrist and listened to the hiss, then crack as it stretched out in front of him. Soon she would bear
another
mark of his anger.
Soon.
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again
P
arker leaned back in his chair
as a footman served a
n additional
portion of lake trout onto
his plate. He glanced up, the hint of a
satisfied
smile
played at his lips
. “Dinner this evening was caught
by my own two hands, Persephone
.”
He wiggled the fingers on both his hands in front of him.
Persephone couldn’t hide her smile at his proud statement.
“It is quite delicious,” she commented
before dropping her gaze
.
Parker’s sensual lips curled up at her praise even though he had not been the one to prepare the meal.
“
Are you boasting on yourself?”
Adele question
ed
humorously.
Parker winked. “If I don’t, then who will?”
“You are
a man full of many surprises,”
Persephone replied, taking a bite of the fish.
“You catch fish and rescue damsels in distress and their charges.”
Parker
studied her; then his lips curved in a faint smile. He
was pleased that she was able to find humor even after her recent ordeal. The past week had definitely
altered his daily
routine dramatically, yet
he was enjoying the intrusion.
Persephone avidly watched the exchange between nephew and aunt with a smile in her eyes. She missed the easy camaraderie she had had with her parents and their
relaxed
interaction brought
the pain back to the surface.
She
sat back,
attempt
ing
to eat all the food on her pla
te, but the lump in her throat
and
her
profound aware
ness
of
Parker sitting so close to her, made th
e
task
practically
impossible.
Parker watched her as
s
he
made a half-hearted attempt at eating
. S
he pushed her food around, her nervousness obvious in the way her eyes skated to him constantly and her muscles tensed each time he moved.
He was fascinated by the humor he ha
d seen lurking behind her eyes. Her green eyes. He desperately wanted to kill the bas
tard who put the fear in them
, masking their vi
brant emerald hue. He cocked his
head to the side. She
charmed
him with h
er fierce protectiveness towards her daughter, the mystery of where she
came from, and her vibrant red
hair. He was mesmerized by the red lights that flic
kered when she moved her head distracting him from his meal.
His eyes narrowed.
All in good time.
Persephone felt the lump growing in her throat and put her useless fork down. She hoped this uncomfortable meal would end soon so she could escape to her room and have a good cry.
She was a practical woman.
She knew that the feelings flowing through her body were a reaction to his rescue, that had he not taken such great care of her and Tillie, she wouldn’t be feeling anything at all.
She knew that t
he attraction she felt for him must be put aside, a thing to be taken out only late at night and romanticized upon.