Suddenly Royal(87)

“You need to go?” I sat up straighter in my seat. I had been slouching forward, laughing at Chadwick.

“I’m afraid so.” Alex bowed his head. “Duty calls.”

“Thank you for coming with us today.” I stood up and everyone else did as well. I moved to the door and Alex followed closely behind. Once we were in the hallway, Ned moved ahead of us and out the front door.

“I enjoyed it.” He turned to look at me just inside the door. “I’m sorry I have to leave.”

“Me too.” I bit my lip and stepped forward to press a kiss to his cheek. I leaned back just enough to look up into his eyes.

He looked down at me, searching for something. His fingers touched mine briefly before he pulled away and left. I watched out the window for a moment before turning back and looking at my new house. I could hear the laughter from the dining room and something about it struck me as familiar. I was standing there enjoying the sound when it hit me. It sounded like home.

I made my way back to the dining room and threw myself into the conversation. Stanley and Margie were easy to talk to, offering up information about the house and the staff. The two of them lived in a small house just off the side of the main driveway. Jeanette had a small flat above their apartments.

“Where will poor Chadwick live?” I winked at my assistant. “And Becca. Will she be staying here as well?”

“Just clear out the barn.” Chadwick laughed.

“No, no. There is a small house behind the manor home. A very short walk and it has plenty of room,” Stanley said. “We already put your bags in there. And Becca has a room attached to this house in the back. It is completely self-sufficient but closer for security reasons.”

“Though if you’d prefer the barn, I could clear out a stall.” Margie winked at Chadwick.

“I think I’ll be glad of the house.” Chadwick shook his head. “Looks like your milk will be safe, Samantha.”

“As will my eyes.” I laughed when Margie and Stanley exchanged a confused look. “It’s a long story.”

“How have you found Lilaria so far?” Margie cut a piece of the cake and put it on a plate for me. “You’ve been in the papers every day. I imagine you haven’t had a chance to see much.”

“It’s a beautiful country, but I’m looking forward to things settling down.” I took a bite of the cake. “I’m also looking forward to having my father here. I think he’ll enjoy the area.”

“When you have had time to settle in, we can talk about what type of changes you’d like to make in the home.” Margie smiled. “There are a lot of excellent local artisans.”

“I can’t imagine what I would want to change right now. The house is beautiful.” I finished up the cake and stretched. “I do want to see more of the town and the area.”

“I’d be happy to take you around,” Stanley offered. “I imagine that you’ll only have a few days before the locals start making requests of your time.”

“You’re probably right, and thank you—that would be nice.” I picked up my plate to take it to the kitchen, but Margie tsked at me and took it out of my hands. “Margie, I’m happy to clean up behind myself.”#p#分页标题#e#

“No, ma’am. I’m happy to do it. Especially today!” She smiled. “Imagine, we finally have a Rousseau back in the house. This is a wonderful day.”

“It must feel weird. You’ve been here your whole lives and I just show up and it’s mine.” Chadwick choked on his drink, but I wanted to get that out in the open. “I hope there won’t be any hard feelings. I’m going to need your help.”

“You have it.” Stanley stood up and grabbed some of the dishes. “I assure you there is no resentment. Taking care of the Rousseau Manor and its holdings is a job passed down through the generations of my family. It’s something that we take very seriously.”

“Thank you.” I picked up some of the other dishes since Margie’s hands were too full for her to take them.

“Have you thought of what you’d like to do tonight?” Margie asked. “For dinner, I mean. We weren’t sure if you’d want to eat here or go out.”

“I’d like to unpack and relax a little.” I looked over at Chadwick to make sure he didn’t have any other ideas. He nodded his head and I felt relief wash over me. “In fact, I’d like nothing more than a big sandwich for dinner and to spend some time getting to know the house.”