Page 47 of Passion and Privilege

“Did you bring bags?”

“Excuse me?”

“I can take them to your room,” he said.

“My room?”

“Timothy said you were going to be staying with us. You can choose any room you would like, but I think I’ve picked the best one.”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t even told Timothy I was going to accept his offer.

I couldn’t help but smile. “He did, huh?”

“Catherine, I think you might have figured out by now Timothy is a man that gets what he wants.”

We both laughed. “Well, there is a room I have a particular fondness for,” I said.

“Out of the twenty available rooms, I think I know the one you speak of.”

“Oh?”

“I bet it has a book nook and large windows that allow natural light to flood in.”

I smiled. “How did you know?”

“Because Timothy told me to get it ready for you.”

It was uncanny how well the man knew me. The room wasn’t finished, but I didn’t care. It was an opportunity for me to work on it during my stay. I could stay up late working without ever leaving my room.

“Okay, I did bring a suitcase,” I confessed.

He winked. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

He walked out to get my suitcase while I took a look around to see what work needed to get started on right away. I didn’t want to lose the progress we were making.

Bennet brought my suitcase in and insisted on carrying it upstairs. I took a few minutes to unpack the meager belongings I brought with me. I had brought the diamonds Timothy had loaned me. I refused to keep them. The dress and everything else were more than enough. I couldn’t resist opening the box and taking one last look at them.

I ran my fingers over the cold gems, their substantial weight a testament to their worth. I remembered the moment he put them on me. How could I forget? A sigh escaped my lips as I gently closed the box and decided to return them to Timothy later.

I turned around to survey the room. The large windows offered a breathtaking view of the lush gardens outside. The landscapers had been working overtime to bring it back to life.

“I’m glad you decided to stay.”

I spun around and found Timothy standing in the doorway. “Yes. Thank you again.”

“Do you need anything?” he asked. “For your stay. I want you to be comfortable.”

“Uh, no, I’m good,” I said. “It’s perfect.”

“I knew you would say that, but I don’t know why. It’s one of the few rooms that isn’t finished. I knew you were going to want to be in this room.”

“Maybe it’s because I see the potential in it,” I suggested, looking around. “It’s just like this entire manor. And besides, this way I can work in my bedroom without anyone disturbing me.”

He chuckled, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Always thinking about work, aren’t you? But since you’re going to be here for a while, I hope you’ll take some time to enjoy yourself too.”

I felt a blush creep up my neck and I quickly turned away to hide my face. “Yeah, maybe,” I replied noncommittally.

“I’ll let you settle in then,” he said.