Creighton Manor (10 page)

“Uncle Zachary was Violet real angry when you said you wouldn’t see her anymore? ‘Cause I think she rather fancied you.”

Gillian again supplied the answer. “Oh, she took the news quite well. Matter of fact, she congratulated us this afternoon.
Didn’t she, honey?” Gillian smiled and batted her eyes innocently.

“Hmm, yes.” Zachary cleared his throat. “Why don’t we head back inside and find out what Dora has made for dinner.”

Dora Chandler was an older woman, thick with age and hair nearly a solid gray. She had worked for the Creighton
family
since Zachary was a child. She cooked, cleaned and helped take care of Tyler when Zachary left on his gambling adventures. She was genuinely thrilled to find out Zachary had settled down and married. It didn’t matter to her in the least that she’d never seen Gillian before today.

For dinner, Dora cooked lamb chops, vegetables and sweetbread. For dessert, she served them a fruit cup and coffee. Everything tasted wonderful. Gillian couldn’t remember eating so well. She usually popped her meals in the microwave. There had to be something said for a homemade meal.

Afterwards the three settled in the library. Tyler entertained them with his stories. Gillian sat back sipping her coffee and listene
d
. Zachary transformed into a
good humored and
easygoing man, another characteristic of her complex husband. She could learn to like this side of him.

“Aunt Gillian, do you know any card games?”

“I know a few.”

“Will you show me?”

“Sure.” Gillian showed him how to play concentration and they played for quite a while before Dora came looking for Tyler.

“Tyler, I think it is high time we get you settled for bed,” Dora announced bustling over to him.

“Do I have to? I’m not even tired
.”
He yawned.

Gillian smiled.

“It has been a long day,” Dora told him firmly. “You best get some sleep. Come along now
.”

“Okay.” He stood with reluctance. “I’m glad you came to live with us, Aunt Gillian. You make Uncle Zachary smile. Good night. I
’ll
see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Tyler.” She stood and put the cards on the desk. Tyler thought she made Zachary smile. The boy obviously missed the scowls. Where did Zachary go anyway?

As if her thought conjured him, he appeared in the doorway with a half-cocked grin, making her fantasize how those lips felt pressed to hers. She looked away trying to temper her thoughts. No matter how disturbingly attracted she found him, she would have to keep her hands off. She didn’t belong here.

“I have a surprise for you.” His voice sounded strange, huskier.

She looked at him again her eyes wide and questioning.

“It is something I believe, you might enjoy. Will you come with me?”

She hesitated but then curiosity won out. She nodded and walked over to him. He took her hand as he led her toward the kitchen. “Close your eyes.”

“Zachary, I don’t—”

“Trust me
.”
His gaze held hers, blue eyes pleading with her.

“Lead on then.” She closed her eyes.

He draped his arm around her, leading her forward. His hands lying heavily upon her shoulders, his mouth close to her ear, he whispered, “You may open your eyes now
.”

Her eyes fluttered open and her breath caught in her throat. “Oh Zachary
.”
Next to the stove there stood a tub filled with water. “A bath.” She sighed as she looked at him.

“Have I pleased you?”  Zachary’s masculine lips twitched at one end.

“Pleased me? I love it! Zachary Creighton, I could kiss you for this
.”

His deep chuckle strummed down her spine. “I would humbly accept such an offer,” he teased, but instead of pursuing the matter, he moved deliberately away. He walked over to the table. When he returned, he took her hand and placed the soap and washcloth securely within her grasp. “The soap is handmade and guaranteed to please a lady. I took the libe
rty of having your nightclothes washed.”
He n
odded toward her sweat suit
.
“
There have been strict orders for you not to be disturbed. If you need anything, all you have to do is holler.” He turned to leave, but Gillian gently placed her hand on his arm to stop him. His gaze lingered on where her fingers brushed his skin before he looked up at her.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I take back all the rotten things I have been thinking about you.”

Humor lit his eyes. “Should I even ask?”

“No. You might take this luxury away.”

He chuckled with a shake of his head. He left the room shutting the door behind him
.

***

Zachary didn’t miss how relaxed Gillian had been in Tyler’s company. He liked it when she smiled. The way her lips curved and her laughter rang sweet like a bell. He couldn’t help joining in. He wished he could bring out her carefree disposition as easily as Tyler seemed to do.

He marveled that only yesterday morning he had been a free man with no intentions of changing the status. Now he was married to a woman he knew nothing about, and yet he felt he belonged with her. There were moments he felt he had done this all before with her. Her touch, a smile directed at him, they were familiar, but yet he knew they couldn’t be. He had to admit, Gillian stoked a fire in his soul. Maybe his grandmother was right. He should settle down and forget his pursuit of Creighton Manor. Isn’t that why he had invoked the plan to seduce Gillian? He glanced at the closed door and
knew she was soaking in the tub…
naked and wet. He cleared his throat.

Zachary wished he could take her in his arms and have his way with her. He leaned heavily against the door and closed his eyes. Her appeal overwhelmed him until he could not see reason and yet he didn’t understand why when she proved unwilling to b
e
with him.

Violet had been relentless with her pursuit. She was beautiful. No one would deny the fact, but the woman pried on his nerves. She’d hover until he felt smothered.

Gillian got under his skin but for entirely different reasons. Hmm, perhaps she proved a challenge and this was her allure. A challenge, yes, this had to be the answer. Gillian didn’t want anything to do with him, romantic or otherwise. God knew he loved it when the odds were stacked against him. Then when he won the hand, victory tasted so much better.

Gillian claimed she loved another. Right now, the man Gillian fancied held all the right cards. “Not for long my friend, not for long.” He wanted to win Gillian’s hand. It was as simple as that. She was his wife, which was a definite advantage over this gent.

He would woo her. He chuckled. “Woo her?”
A day ago, he believed he’d be forever a bachelor.
However, now that marriage had been thrust upon him he wanted to make a go of it. “This feels right.” He ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t know how he could be so certain, but there was truth to the words. She belonged with him. All he had to do
was
convince her.

***

With the door closed now, Gillian quickly removed her clothing. The corset proved a little more difficult, but finally she managed. “As soon as I can find a way, you’re toast.” She shook the corset and threw it to the side. She took care in stripping the bandages from her feet. They had been screaming to be released from their confinement all day. Testing the water and finding it the way she liked it, she lowered herself into the tub and issued a sigh of pure satisfaction.

She lathered the soap that smelled slightly of lilac. She decided to wash her hair too, since she wasn’t sure when she would have another chance. When she had finished cleansing herself, she rested her head against the rim of the tub and closed her eyes. She savored the moment, giving her an opportunity to collect her thoughts and maybe comprehend how she ended up here. “It has to be the dog,” she mumbled.

Molly had appeared to her four times, each time urging her to follow. Since she had been led directly into Zachary’s life, she could only assume she was to help him in some way. Then maybe she would be led back to her time. Of course, she had no idea if her assumption was right, but she had to start somewhere. It was in her nature to work out problems and being stranded in the nineteenth century proved to be a dilemma. She would stay close to Zachary. “Hmm, might be difficult.” She knew he was attracted to her. His advances proved that well enough, but she couldn’t quite count out her emotions either, not when her heart danced with excitement when he glanced her
way.

She went over his qualities: Arresting good looks,
charming, generous and the way his nephew looked up to him, she knew he was a good father to the boy. However, it was imperative that she kept a clear mind, so she didn’t miss what she had been sent here to do. She didn’t even know if she was supposed to do anything. However, starting a relationship with Zachary didn’t seem appropriate. He belonged in the nineteenth century and she, the twenty-first. Talk about a generation gap. Still, he was a man, an attractive man and she was a woman. What was she trying to say? Somehow, her thoughts had wandered, her eyelids felt heavy. She felt relaxed as she let the warm water melt away her worries. She would close her eyes for a moment and rest. A smile touched her lips as she recalled her father’s words when she caught him dosing:
I’m not sleeping. I’m just resting my eyes.

The next thing she knew the door crashed open, and the urgency in Zachary’s voice startled her. She gasped, sitting up straight not realizing
at first
she was still in the tub.

Zachary
’s breath caught in his throat and his blue eyes turned
a shade darker as he stared
at her
.

Then she realized why and quickly
immersed herself lower in the tub.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are doing in here? I thought I was to have some privacy.”

“I’m sorry, but you have been in here for quite some time and I became worried. When I knocked on the door, you didn’t answer. I thought
…
well, I thought
…
” He cleared his throat
and pulled at the collar of his shirt
. “I can see you’re all right,” he said as he backed himself into the wall. H
e fumbled for the door handle and
clumsily made his exit, slamming
the door behind him.

How long had she been in here? The water had become chilled and one look at her prune-like fingers, she knew it had been more than a few minutes.

She
stepped
out of the tub and quickly dried off. She slipped on her own clothes. It felt wonderful to be back in something familiar. She decided against putting on her shoes though. She folded her towel and took her dress, her Nikes and the dreadful corset up to her room. Then she went to look for Zachary. He was in the library. He had opened the jib windows, obviously in hopes to promote some circulation in this heat.

Zachary had changed his stiff collar shirt into something a little more comfortable. He sat on the sofa with his legs outstretched as he nursed a glass of wine. He came to his feet the moment he noticed her standing in the doorway. She could see his eyes smolder with passion and she questioned her sanity for coming in here dressed in clothes of her century, showing her calves and
a
little skin at her waist.

Zachary’s gaze drank her up. He gulped down his wine then placed the glass down. “Your hair is still wet. I don’t want you catching your death.” She almost laughed because it was still quite warm though the sun had set hours ago. Without saying a word, she let him lead her into the room. She sat down with her feet curled up close to her body and her arms wrapped around her knees. He took one of the blankets draped across the sofa and began drying her hair with it. He stood close, too close, but she didn’t move as his hands worked their magic. He patted and rubbed as he dried her hair.

“How are the blisters on your feet?” he asked.

“Much better, thank you.”

“Let me take a look
.”
She tried to object, but he wouldn’t let her. He moved to sit next to her and took each foot, inspecting them for himself, while she leaned back against the arm of the sofa. His hands were
gentle and tender as he examine
d
them
. He had no idea what turmoil he caused with her emotions. She chewed on her lower lip as a shudder of pleasure slid over her. He glanced up to meet her gaze. “Are you cold?” 

He thought she shivered because she was cold, and she wasn’t about to correct him. She had a mission here. She had to remain focused and not let his tantalizing touch get to her. She refused to have a meaningless fling and unfortunately, that is all this would ever be.

Not trusting her voice, she only nodded. He stood up and had her scoot in front of him allowing her body to lean against his as he wrapped his arms around her like a warm blanket. A voice in the back of her mind told her she should get up, run to her room and lock the door. She wasn’t safe with him.