“Better than the alternative,” I offer.
“Yes, that’s true. I’m not ready to push up daisies yet.” He hooks his elbow out. “Care to allow an old man to steal you for a while?” He looks to Oliver. “I’ll have her back before the auction starts. Why don’t you go and spend some of that money of yours?”
“Subtlety isn’t your strong point, my lord.”
“Can’t take it with you,” I put in, my hand lifting unconsciously to my tiara. “But don’t buy anything for me.”
“My dear,” Mandy chastises, “that’s a gentleman’s prerogative. Indeed, some would say it’s the only thing he’s good for.”
“Oliver has his uses,” I demur, instantly aware of how that might be taken, and a blush creeps up my neck.
I slip my arm into Mandy’s as Oliver politely coughs.
We commence our grand tour—it’s not my first, but I don’t care. I could spend a year wandering the halls and still not know the place. We stroll through elegant drawing rooms filled with landscape art and portraits, a long saloon (with tapestries), an octagonal one (with ornate plaster and blue silk walls), an immense library, and parlors for every occasion. And everywhere we tread, Mandy has a wealth of information to share.
“This part of the house was modernized in the Palladian style in 1630 by Inigo Jones.”
“So modern.”
“And in the following century, the gardens were redesigned by the famed Capability Brown.”
“Mandy, are you making up people’s names just to impress me?”
“Silly girl.” This earns me a slap to the wrist and a chastisingtsk. “Of course you’re impressed.”
“The origins of the house go back farther than that, right?”
“Four centuries,” he confirms as we step out onto the terrace through a set of outsize French doors.
“I am so beyond impressed. Not everyone has a safari park in their backyard. Are those kangaroos in the distance?” I squint through the oncoming darkness.
“We do have them, wallabies, too, but no. The marsupials should be in their enclosure. Unless they’ve escaped. Though I hopenot. The bucks have a lethal kick, and I could do without being sued this evening.”
In the cooling air, we stand in silence for a beat before Mandy speaks.
“Not everyone would be suited to a safari park in their backyard, as you say, but I believe it would you.”
I smile his way. “Sadly, I don’t have the cash.”
“But you know someone who does,” he says softly.
Someone who has trouble sharing his space with a dog. Though Oliver objects mainly to sharing pillow space with Bo.Pillow-butt space?
“Someone who is very in love with you.”
I glance his way, wondering where he’s going with this. “You’re sure I can’t see the tigers?”
“Another day.” He pats my hand fondly. “Summer is at an end, and the evening is already too dark to be wandering about in a safari park. Unless you want to be dinner.”
“Eat dinner? Yes. Be dinner? Not so much.”
“My lord.” We both turn to the creak of a door and a man’s voice from inside. “I’m sorry to intrude, but could you spare a moment?”
“Would you excuse me, Eve?”
“Of course. But maybe you could show me the way back to the great hall? It’s that or send out a search party after I get lost.”
Mandy laughs. “You’ll get used to it.”Not sure I’ll need to, but okay.“The simplest way is to stay outside and to walk along the terrace here. That will lead you to the front of the house, and then the hall.”
