Chapter Twenty
E leanor stood in the middle of what had, at some point, been the grand hall of Brewster Manor, and which was now an active construction zone.
Sawdust hung in the air, mixing with the scent of old wood dust and fresh paint.
She was trying very hard to focus on varnish options, but her mind was completely elsewhere.
More specifically, her mind was on Danni. Ultra-specifically, her mind was on that kiss.
She’d spent most of last night, and the entirety of this morning, trying to convince herself that it had all been a mistake.
Something to do with twilight and fresh air and horse-riding and…
general witchiness, perhaps. A fleeting moment of weakness brought on by the intimacy of their conversation, the weight of the night air, the way Danni had looked at her.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t having great success in persuading herself that it had all been in the heat of the moment, that it had all been a terrible misjudgment. Particularly when Danni had so obviously kissed her back.
“Lady Brewster?” One of the workmen called, pulling Eleanor out of her thoughts.
“Yes?” she said, hoping that her face wasn’t as flushed as it felt.
“Did you want us to keep the archway as it is, or follow the original design from the blueprint?”
She blinked at him, thinking, her brain remembering everything she’d ever heard and read about the house. “Keep it as is,” she said. “The third Lord had the design changed, but the blueprints were never updated to reflect that fact.”
He nodded and went back to work, leaving Eleanor to stare at the exposed beams of the ceiling and contemplate her growing problem.
It was one thing to remind herself that the marriage was supposed to be a business arrangement, which it was. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore just how much… She took a breath. Just how much she wanted Danni.
There, the words were out there, even if she was just thinking them.
And why shouldn’t she think them? She was a grown adult.
They were both grown adults, come to that. A little affair wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, would it? They were married, for heaven’s sake. And it wasn’t as if she’d never been with a woman before. Though, her body reminded her, it had been some time.
Danni was interested too, this wasn’t one sided.
Yes, there was business involved, but they seemed to be doing just fine on that front.
And yes, Danni was younger than she was. And freer. And more care-free. But then, it wasn’t that many years. She was hardly a crone now. She was a healthy woman with a healthy sexual appetite that just happened to have been buried for a wee while. And now, well, now it…
“Eleanor!”
She looked up in surprise to see Elizabeth stepping over a pile of discarded wooden beams and looking deeply unimpressed.
“I have been trying to reach you for hours,” Elizabeth said, stepping over a paint tin and holding up her phone.
Eleanor patted her pockets, suddenly realizing that she had absolutely no idea where her phone was. “I must have left it somewhere,” she said. “The damn thing’s under a dust-sheet or something.”
Elizabeth sighed and slid her phone into her pocket. “We have a problem.”
“Just the one?” Eleanor asked.
“What?”
“Nothing,” said Eleanor. “Do go on.”
“The investor made another move.”
Eleanor straightened up, her mind very much focused now. “What kind of move?”
“The kind where he tries to bribe me.”
“What?” She felt frozen.
Elizabeth pulled a letter out of her bag and handed it over.
Eleanor scanned the words quickly, her temper rising with each line.
The investor’s solicitor was offering a generous ‘consulting fee’ if Elizabeth would advise Eleanor to reconsider selling the house.
She seethed. This was underhanded, infuriating, and insulting.
“Absolutely not,” she snapped, handing the letter back to Elizabeth. “And this is crossing the line.”
“I’d like to agree,” Elizabeth said, pocketing the letter. “However, legally, it stops just short of crossing the line. Unfortunately. There’s no direct bribe offered, even though both you and I know that’s exactly what this is.”
“I don’t care who this person is, they’re not getting my home.”
Elizabeth nodded, but her expression remained grim. “You do realize this means that they’re getting desperate. And desperate people don’t stop.”
“I don’t see what we can do without knowing who this person is,” Eleanor said. “Other than continually saying no.”
“You should step up security on the house,” Elizabeth said. “Make sure there’s someone around here at night, just in case anyone decides to do anything untoward.”
“I’ll talk to Samson about it,” said Elizabeth. “Whoever this is, they’re not going to win.”
BY THE TIME Eleanor got back to the farm, the sun was already beginning to set. She found Danni at the kitchen table, going through bills methodically and paying each one on her laptop before moving on.
“Decided to come back, have you?” Danni said, eyes on her computer screen.
Eleanor ignored that. “Ah, the romance of farming,” she said instead.
Danni looked at her and then grinned. “It’s not all muck and mud, you know. Paperwork’s the bane of my existence. Although at least there’s money in the accounts for the bills, thanks to you.”
Eleanor pulled out a chair and sat down. “And I have a house, thanks to you. So we’re even on that front. Speaking of the house, the investor contacted my solicitor today.”
“Elizabeth?” Danni said. “About what?”
Quickly, Eleanor explained what had happened, telling Danni exactly what was in the letter. With every word, Danni’s expression darkened. By the time Eleanor had finished, she was practically scowling and had a face like thunder.
“He tried to bribe Elizabeth?” Danni repeated. “Come on, that has to be illegal, right? Can’t we get him arrested or something?”
“You’re assuming it’s a man.” Eleanor said.
“I bet it is. Only men are this stupid and this… covetous.”
“Nice word,” said Eleanor. “And if only it were so simple. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens in business all the time. Elizabeth says that the letter stops short of actual bribery, it was written by a solicitor, after all. There’s really nothing we can do.”
Danni scoffed. “Business is stupid.”
Eleanor let out a short laugh, surprising herself. “Agreed. I’ll drink to that.” She looked around the kitchen, spotting a bottle of wine on the shelf by the stove. “Shall we have a glass?”
“It’s probably vinegar,” Danni said. “Hector gave it to me when I bought the farm.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Eleanor said, getting up and getting the bottle. “Corkscrew?”
Danni was one step ahead of her, opening a drawer and pulling out a corkscrew. “You let me know if this guy shows up in person at the house. I’ll come and throw him into the nearest cow pat.”
“Chivalrous,” Eleanor said, screwing the metal spring into the wine cork.
“I try,” said Danni.
Eleanor attempted to pull the cork out of the bottle and failed. Danni took a step toward her, reaching for the bottle so that their hands touched and Eleanor’s pulse raced. For a second, they stood there, then Danni slipped the bottle from Eleanor’s grasp.
“Chivalrous, remember?” she said, sliding the cork from the bottle with a satisfying pop.
“Right,” said Eleanor, mouth suddenly dry. She felt warmth creeping up her neck. She needed a change of subject, immediately.
Danni poured the wine into two coffee mugs before Eleanor could stop her, and passed one to Eleanor. “Here’s to wankers with money,” she said.
Eleanor raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry,” Danni said. “I forgot that you probably know plenty of people like that. I meant more the wankers with money that want to steal our land.”
“I can drink to that,” Eleanor said, tapping her mug against Danni’s. She took a mouthful of the wine, which proved to be tart and good, better than she’d expected even.
“Eugh, it always tastes like bad grape juice, doesn’t it?” Danni complained, sticking her tongue out.
But Eleanor was rescued from having to start a lecture about wine tasting by her phone ringing. She’d found it that afternoon under a pile of papers on the kitchen table at the house. Now she answered it.
“You are coming to the Hunt Ball, aren’t you?” Isabella’s voice was crisp and clear over the line.
“Good evening, grandmama,” Eleanor said.
“You’re coming, yes? Only you forgot to RSVP.”
“The invitation is probably somewhere at the house,” Eleanor said. Her stomach was dropping. She’d forgotten about the damn thing.
“Oh, good, well then I’ll RSVP in your stead,” Isabella said airily. “You won’t want to miss it. And you’ll be bringing your wife, of course.”
Eleanor’s stomach dropped even further. Not only had she forgotten about the ball, she hadn’t even considered the fact that she might be expected to show up with her new wife in tow. “About that..” she began.
“Perfect,” purred Isabella. “I’ll RSVP for the both of you, then. This will be an excellent opportunity to show Danni off.”
Eleanor barely had time to process all of this before Isabella was bidding her goodnight and hanging up. She sighed and rubbed her temples before turning back to Danni.
“What was all that about?” Danni asked, her lips looked red and sticky from the wine. Inviting, was the first word that popped into Eleanor’s head.
“The Hunt Ball,” Eleanor said flatly. “It’s this weekend.” She cleared her throat. “We’re invited.”
Danni perked up. “A ball? Like in Bridgerton? Nice.”
Eleanor blinked. This was not the reaction she’d anticipated. “You do realize that you’ll have to dress appropriately?”
Danni grinned. “Relax, Princess. I’ve got this covered. I clean up pretty nicely, don’t you worry.”
Eleanor wasn’t entirely convinced. But as she watched Danni, casual and confident, she couldn’t help but wonder just what she’d gotten herself into this time.