“I feel certain the doctor will—”
“The doctor has come and gone and, in fact, has ordered you to bedrest, of which I am the enforcer.” He raised the book. “Hearing me read aloud is excellent medicine.”
“Mr. Camden, I have a job to—”
“Oliver,” he corrected in a whisper. “And if you don’t lie still I shall be forced to bring out Poe as punishment.”
I couldn’t usher up a reply so I dropped back against the pillows and stared at him.
“So, what shall it be?” He raised the book I’d loaned to Victoria. “Fairy tales?” He brought out another, his eyes dancing with an unleashed smile. “Or Shakespeare?”
“Mr. Camden, I truly am much better.”
“I am glad to hear it, Sadie.” His gaze softened into mine and my breath took a decidedly shallow turn. “I was sorry to have hurt you.”
The gentleness in his entreaty stole my fight. Oliver Camden possessed a nearly intoxicating ease about him, a characteristic that swelled an ache through me to enjoy his company. Miss Withersby could only offer him shallow, heartless conversations, but I…I knew the books he loved. I craved the same joy of stories. And there was something inexplicable that bid me to linger a bit longer in his company with each new meeting.
He had an infectious playfulness that nearly distracted from his …what was it? His grin softened as I stared, and my heart trembled beneath his admiration.
Kindness.
“I shouldn’t be here,” I whispered, waving toward the room. “This is not the place for me.”
“Right here?” He shrugged a shoulder, some awareness dawning in his expression. Something I couldn’t quite interpret, but my pulse tripped into a higher beat as he continued to hold my attention, as if it understood. “I believe it may be the exact place for you.”
“Sadie!” Victoria burst through the door followed closely by Mr. Camden. Trailing behind came Dolly, one of the housemaids, carrying a laden tray of tea and cakes. “You’re awake. I’m so glad.”
Without hesitation, or intervention from either her brother or father, Victoria bounded on the bed and snuggled up to my good side. “You were asleep ever so long. Like the cursed princess.”
From the shadows falling over the room, “ever so long” couldn’t have been more than a few hours, but even the knowledge of Oliver Camden watching over me for any length of time had me nearly burying my head under the plush pillows.
Victoria’s little face tipped back to stare up at me, the slightest scratch running down her left cheek. Had that been from one of the buttons on my dress? Or a loose rock, maybe? I brushed a thumb against her skin without thinking. “Were you hurt at all?”
“Not a hint.” Mr. Camden closed in a few steps, his hands folded in front of him in solemn stance. “You wrapped yourself around her. I…I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” He gestured toward Oliver, his lip quivering. “We are.”
The vulnerability on the man’s face, aging him, quelled my fight for propriety, and I resigned to live these next few hours as if I belonged on the other side of the stairs. “I am happy I was there, Mr. Camden.”
“You…you have a special place with our family, Sadie.” He cleared his throat. “We shall always see it that way.”
“Ollie said that listening to someone read made people feel better, so I told him to read until you were better, and you look so much better already.” Victoria touched a loose strand of my hair, its dark sheen a contrast to her pale skin. “Your hair is very long and lovely. Just like a princess.”
I reached up, horrified to find my hair completely loose from its usual bun. With my good hand, I snatched up a handful and pulled it to one side, making a poor attempt of twisting it back. Dolly sent me a sympathetic nod as she placed the tray on the table at the end of the bed, but everyone else appeared utterly ignorant of my unkempt state or the complete inappropriateness of this entire scene.
Having tea with an English family in the Sheraton Room of Biltmore was not remotely typical in the life of a housemaid. Dreaming about it, perhaps, but not living it.
“And here is my thank-you.” Victoria snuggled closer and pulled a gift from behind her back, placing it on my lap. “Ollie helped me choose it for you.”
My attention swung to Oliver, who merely tipped his head, his eyes glittering like the goblin he was.
“It’s only a small token of our appreciation, you understand,” Mr. Camden added. “There is no possible way we could adequately thank you for saving Victoria.”
“Open your present.” The little girl giggled, tugging at the red ribbon on the white, slender package. “Then we can have tea.”
“I’ll need your help because I only have one hand right now.”
Victoria delved into the package without a moment’s hesitation and unveiled a copy of Finding Ever After, the fairy tale book I had shown her on our first meeting. “It’s your very own copy since you love fairy tales so much.”
I blinked down at the book. I would never have been able to afford such an extravagant purchase for myself, with its rich color illustrations and golden lettering on the front. But now I had my very own copy? What a treasure.
I looked to Mr. Camden. “This is very kind of you, but I…I can’t accept it.”
“Of course, you can.” Mr. Camden rushed forward. “It’s just a book. You saved Victoria’s life.”
Just a book? He had no idea. No one had ever given me anything as precious as this. “I appreciate your kindness, but my station won’t allow it.” I smoothed a hand over the book’s cover and then held it out to Victoria. “Mrs. Vanderbilt would frown—”
“Sadie.” Mrs. Edith Vanderbilt’s tall, lean figure filled the doorframe in a lovely royal blue
