Chapter 9 #2
She giggled before crawling over to lay her head on his shoulder.
“I’m glad you find humor in my inevitable demise.”
She laughed again. Hearing that would be worth any beating he might have to endure.
“You don't have anything to worry about, Trent. You’ve been nothing but a perfect gentleman.”
“Would a perfect gentleman be lying alone with you in a hayloft?”
“A perfect gentleman is lying alone with me in a hayloft.”
He squeezed her shoulders. “I hope that’s true. I don’t ever want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
She sat up and looked him in the eye. “You’ve never done anything to make me feel uncomfortable.”
He pushed himself up and unwrapped the cloth from his hands. “Not even when I shouted at you to leave? I saw you flinch.”
“I wasn’t afraid of you. That was just”—she shrugged—“old habits, I suppose.”
He took her hand in his. “I’m sorry. But thank you for staying with me.”
The blue-grey color of her eyes drew him in and he couldn’t pull his gaze away as her pupils dilated, just a bit.
“Trent Gibson, are you going to kiss me?”
He sucked in a breath and shook himself, pulling his hand away. “No. I am going to climb down that ladder now so I can help you to the bottom. That ankle hasn’t finished healing yet and you shouldn’t have climbed up here.”
Not giving himself another moment to change his mind, he threw his legs over the side and got to the ground as quickly as possible.
She smiled down at him. “A perfect gentleman.” He helped her down, and when she turned to face him, she giggled. “A perfect gentleman who blushes.”
With a shake of his head, he walked away from her before he did kiss her. What in God’s name was happening? How was it that the one woman who was absolutely off-limits to him, was also the one he wanted more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life?
Oh God. His jacket, just draped there in plain sight.
“I need to go find Brennan. I hope to see you at dinner.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she called after him.
Trent gave himself a bollocking the whole way to the western fence. He was a bloody fool and a coward and he’d put Samantha’s reputation at risk, even if she didn’t think that was possible.
But when he reached his destination, he could only stare. Brennan was working alongside Theo and Stanley, and they’d already completed the repairs on almost the entire fence. Another project that would have taken him a week.
Brennan brushed dirt off his hands as he walked toward Trent, a smile growing on his lips. “I told you they were good workers.”
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Having other people take care of the labor allows you to see to whatever else requires your attention.” He didn’t accuse Trent of anything, but his raised brow confirmed that he knew.
“Will you ride back to the stables with me? We need to talk.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Brennan mounted his horse and pulled in close. Trent kept their pace slow so that as soon as he plucked up the courage, they could have a conversation.
“It isn’t what you think,” he said, eventually.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
Trent rolled his eyes. “You do know what I’m referring to. I know you saw my jacket in the barn.”
Brennan nodded. “And there may have also been bits of hay floating down from the loft as if someone had just landed up there.”
Trent sighed. “I’m a bloody fool, but I promise it wasn’t what it looked like. The truth is, I was crying, and I didn’t want you to see me that way.”
Brennan stopped and Trent followed suit. “I wouldn’t have thought any less of you for crying, kid.”
“You say that but end the sentence with kid?”
“It wasn’t meant to be an insult. You’ve only been shaving for a year, and yet you’ve taken on so much.”
Defensiveness crawled up Trent’s neck. “I’m nearly twenty-one. I’m not a child.”
“Easy, Trent. I’m not mocking you. It’s a compliment.
Not yet twenty-one, and managing this entire estate.
” He gestured at all the land that surrounded them.
“Raising a young child. Not to mention whatever else Ash asks of you on a whim. And you do it all with grace and humility, in spite of the hardships you’ve had to overcome.
” Brennan patted his shoulder. “Crying doesn’t make you a child. Sometimes, it makes you a man.”
Trent looked down at the reins in his hands. “Does that mean you cry?”
Brennan chuckled. “Not often, but when I do, I blubber like a baby.”
Trent laughed. It was hard to imagine that of a man his size. “Thank you, Brennan.”
“Let’s get back, shall we?”
Brennan kicked his horse into motion and Trent followed. How did Ash find these people? Every person in his circle was kind and carried themselves with integrity. At least all the ones Trent had met.
As they approached the stables, shouting sounded from the other side of the long building. Brennan didn’t hesitate. Throwing the reins to a waiting groom, he jumped out the saddle at a run and disappeared.
By the time Trent found him, he was gripping the collars of two young men, like puppies held up by the scruff of their neck. One of them was Anthony and he was still shouting and sputtering. Trent waited for Brennan to deal with them, but he shook his head and held them out toward him.
“This is your purview. I just do the labor.”
Brennan let them go and nudged them toward Trent.
“What did I say about causing grief, Anthony?”
“I didn’t!” he argued. “I didn’t start it, at least.”
Trent shook his head. “Do you see that post all the way at the end there?” The boy nodded. “Walk down there, place your hand on top of it, and don’t move from that spot. Do you understand?”
“But I didn’t do any—”
“Would you rather I let your mother deal with you?”
Closing his mouth, he plodded down to place his hand on top of the post.
“What happened, Lucas?”
“He attacked me for no reason. I was just defending myself.”
“And when I walk down there and ask for his side of the story, will he tell me the same thing?”
“Probably not. He won’t want to get into trouble.”
“And what about when I ask Gareth? What will he tell me?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.
“Stay here, and I’ll go find out. But if you’re lying, today will be your last day here.”
“Wait.” He huffed frustratedly. “He attacked me because I talked to two maids when they walked past.”
“What, exactly, did you say to the maids?”
He shrugged. “I just told them how pretty they were.”
Trent turned and strode toward the stables, but Lucas ran in front and stopped him. “I might have suggested that their legs are probably pretty too, and perhaps they should raise their skirts so I could see.”
Trent shook his head. “That sort of thing might have been tolerated by Mr. Warwick, but not by me, and not by Lord Ashdown. Would you prefer to find employment elsewhere so that you may harass women?”
“No, sir. I’m sorry. I won’t do that again.”
“I want written apologies sent up to the house for those maids.”
“I don’t write very well.”
“Do you know how?”
“Yes, sir. But it’s not very neat.”
Trent shrugged. “Do your best. If you want to continue to work here, Lucas, you’re going to have to change that attitude. Women will be respected on this estate. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Come with me.”
Gareth was right around the corner. “Whatever it was you had Anthony doing today, Lucas will be doing that every day for the next month.”
“Yes, sir,” Gareth responded with a nod. “I’ll see to it.”
Lucas groaned.
“If he gives you any trouble, or if he shows any disrespect for the women around here again, I want to know about it immediately. This is his final warning.”
Anthony was waiting for him, his hand on top of the post, just as he’d been told, but still fuming. Trent shook his head. He wasn’t sure what to do with the boy. His heart had definitely been in the right place. What would Ash do?
Trent pulled a coin out of his pocket and held it up. “For all your hard work today.”
“Really?” His eyes were wide. He held out his left hand, still keeping his right on top of the post. A wide grin grew on his face as Trent placed the coin in his palm.
“From now on, if someone you’re working with here is disrespectful, I want you to come to me with it. Don’t try to handle it yourself.”
“Does that mean I have to come back again tomorrow?”
“No. You did good work today, and although I don’t like that you got into a fight, your heart was in the right place. I want to offer you paid work. There are plenty of odd jobs that need to be done around here, and I know I can trust you to be respectful to the women in the house. Right?”
“Yes, sir!” He nodded excitedly.
“Good lad. Now go home and see if your mother needs any help.”
An hour later, Trent stood in the doorway of the dining room, simply watching.
Samantha and Maggie were already seated at the table, and Maggie was eating…
without him. He should be pleased by that.
He was pleased. But there was a selfish little piece of him that hated the idea that she might grow out of needing him.
“Good evening, ladies.”
Both of their faces brightened as they looked up at him.
“Trent!” Maggie’s mouth was full, and she clapped a hand over it to keep her food from falling out.
“I’m glad to see you’re eating your dinner, Little Mouse.”
She swallowed before speaking this time. “I tried to wait for you, but Mantha said I shouldn’t let it grow cold.”
“Well, she was right.”
“I missed you at breakfast,” she said with a pout.
“I’m sorry. I promise I’ll be here to eat with you tomorrow.”
Samantha’s eyes never left him. She was a whole other problem. He was in danger of crossing boundaries he shouldn’t with her.
What in God’s name was he going to do about it?