Old houses make noises, she told herself, and perhaps Alex is right, that tiredness has fired my imagination. It’s only the wind pounding the loose windows, nothing more. Hurriedly disrobing and putting on her nightgown, Katherine slipped under the covers of her bed. The events of the day coursed through her mind. Glancing around the fire-lit room, it suddenly came to her that someone had prepared the room by drawing all the drapes and adding wood to the fire. Could it have been Selina? Katherine tried to stop thinking of her. Twice that evening, she had allowed herself to become flustered over the fact that the strange maid was here, and it seemed she wasn’t supposed to be. Alex had mentioned that the only female was a cook had been hired by Charles. She decided to meet with Charles in the morning and discuss this matter with him, along with his cold behavior toward her. Katherine’s eyes became heavy watching the blue-orange flames dancing on the logs in the fireplace. The eerie rhythm of the wind sweeping over the fields and thoughts of the vicar wooed her to sleep.
* * *
Alex, happy over Katherine’s abrupt departure, poured himself yet another drink and waited for May-Jewel to return to the sofa. “I didn’t think she’d ever leave. How do you put up with her? Would you care for another glass of wine?”
May-Jewel shook her head. “Why did you antagonize her?”
“So that you, the rightful heir of Wistmere, and I could talk without her scornful frown questioning everything we say.”
“Katherine is as much an heir to Wistmere as I am.”
“Now you don’t really believe that, do you? You are the lady, the one with that certain bearing that tells people that they’re dealing with the mistress of a great manor and not with a former governess.”
May-Jewel was pleased that Alex considered her so highly. She smiled and concluded, Alex might just be right. Technically Katherine is no more than a nanny. It takes a man like Alex, a man of distinction, to see me in my proper place in life and to know that I was born to be an heiress and the mistress of this great manor house. But then she considered Katherine again and how they’d become more like sisters in the past few days. Not wanting to cut Katherine out of the scene completely, May-Jewel said to Alex, “It’s nice that you think I’m qualified to fill the role of mistress. But I’ll need help running the manor and can use Katherine’s level-headedness.” The sleeve of her gown slipped off her shoulder, exposing its soft whiteness.
“Dear lady,” Alex said, moving closer to her, his eyes on her shoulder, “who is more qualified than I to assist you with the running of Wistmere? This manor is my second love, and I know every board and beam of her. All you have to do is sign a document making me the executive director of this estate, and you wouldn’t have to bother your pretty head about all those boring, time-consuming details of business. And I have just such a document with me.”
May-Jewel, not wanting to discuss anything as serious as business now, answered teasingly, “If Wistmere is your second love, then what or who is your first?”
Alex moved closer, took up her hand, and pressed it to his lips. Then he whispered in her ear, “A most beautiful mistress, of course.”
A quiver ran down her arm and rushed to join the tingling sensation in her fingertips as he kissed each one.
He felt her response. “We would be so good together. We should be partners.”
“I… I don’t know, Alex.” At that moment a part of her didn’t want to deny him anything and the idea of besting Katherine did amuse her. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to say ‘yes’.
Before another word could escape her lips, Alex crushed her to his chest and pressed his mouth to hers. Her trembling heart soared. He slipped his hand over her shoulder and along her back. But May-Jewel pulled away, halting the wave of passion that threatened to consume her.
“No, Alex,” she gasped, “this is not what I want!”
Ignoring her words, Alex, kissed the curve of her pouting lips.
“Perhaps not,” he said softly, “but you can’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy being kissed just now. You’re a beautiful, enticing woman, one I could easily love.”
“Oh, no, no, no! We’ve just met!”
“What does it take to fall in love? Only a fleeting moment in the wispy hands of time and two hearts to beat with the same rhythm.” He pulled her to him, holding her against his chest. “Our hearts are beating together. Don’t you feel it?”
Suddenly terrified, she broke from his grasp. What had she gotten into? She pulled herself free, dashed from the room, and up the stairs.
Back in her chamber, May-Jewel welcomed the lanterns and the warmth of the fireplace. She was glad she didn’t have to share a room with Katherine. There were so many things she needed to think about and in private. Reliving the moment of Alex’s kiss made her cheeks redden with shame. She wasn’t ready for such an affair. She admonished herself for openly flirting with him earlier. But she had flirted all of her life. Jeremy and the others said that that was what made her so
