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‘My father died eighteen months ago, which was when I inherited the title. Before that, I was living in Paris as a humble earl.’
‘I can’t imagine you being a humble anything.’
‘Should I take that as a compliment?’ He saw the look on her face and gave a sardonic smile. ‘No, I didn’t think so.’
‘And is your mother still alive?’
‘She is,’ he answered. ‘She lives in Scotland now.’
‘Oh? Why not here?’
He cut the engine even though they were still some distance away from the house, but he knew that the moment he approached one or more of the servants would appear to greet him. ‘Because my mother divorced my father many years ago,’ he said. ‘When she discovered that he’d been having a long affair with the woman who was later to become my stepmother.’
Roxy registered the contempt in his voice as he said the word stepmother and suddenly his behaviour became a little more understandable. Did his father’s extra-marital affair explain why he’d been so quick to condemn her when he thought she’d been seeing Martin Murray?
‘And your stepmother still lives here, does she?’ she questioned, wondering what on earth the atmosphere was going to be like if he said yes.
‘She does not. She moved on to pastures new when my father became infirm. Fortunately, I was able to persuade him to dissolve the marriage before he died.’ His tone became cold and steely. ‘So although he was cuckolded and made a fool of—at least she wasn’t able to make some outrageous claim on the estate.’
The ruthlessness which had hardened his voice didn’t surprise her—because hadn’t she encountered it herself? What a difficult man he could be. But he was also a very charismatic man, with an allure she was finding it almost impossible to ignore. And that was crazy. She was sensitive enough to realise that, while he might fancy her, he certainly didn’t like her. And she’d be wise to put any romantic thoughts right out of her head and get this relationship on a more formal footing.
So start taking control right now!
‘I feel I ought to thank you,’ she said stiffly. ‘For rescuing me from that awful hostel and giving me a job.’
He shrugged. ‘Let’s just call it cause and effect, shall we? It was my fault that you were in the hostel in the first place.’
Roxy shook her head. It might make her feel better to blame him for everything that had happened to her, but it wasn’t very fair. ‘Not really. I’d been feeling ropey for days. I should have gone to see a doctor myself.’
That was generous of her, he conceded—watching as she twisted her long hair into a single plait and tied it with a scrunchy. Watching as it tumbled over the luscious swell of her breasts. With an effort, he redirected his attention to the towering splendour of his ancestral home.
‘Look,’ he said softly as he brought the Bentley to a halt in the vast forecourt of Valeo Hall.
The breath caught in Roxy’s throat as she looked up at the enormous golden building. ‘Oh … wow!’
‘Like it?’ he questioned, with silky pride.
‘Like it?’ There was a pause as she allowed herself to drink in the beauty of the place. ‘Oh, Titus—it’s amazing!’
Two bronze lions stood guard, their jaws locked in silent roar as they stared down from two enormous plinths. Giant pillars lined the wide steps leading up to the main door, where an attractive woman in her thirties was standing waiting for them. Her dark hair was woven neatly on top of her head and she was wearing an elegant grey dress, which was clearly some kind of uniform.
‘Come and meet Vanessa,’ said Titus.
Shrugging on her warm jacket, Roxy got out of the car—hanging back a little as Titus walked towards the steps.
‘How lovely to see you, Your Grace!’ said the woman, in a soft voice. ‘Did you have a good journey?’
‘Very g
ood thanks, Vanessa,’ Titus answered. ‘The roads were surprisingly quiet.’
Roxy blinked. Your Grace? Surely people didn’t still say that kind of thing? But Titus was gesturing towards her—looking a bit like a man who was trying to pass off a secondhand car as roadworthy.
‘This is Roxanne,’ he was saying to the housekeeper. ‘You remember me telling you about her on the phone? She’s a qualified cleaner, but don’t forget she’s been ill—so do break her in gently, won’t you?’
‘Of course I will,’ said Vanessa, giving Roxy a cautious smile. ‘Welcome to Valeo, Roxanne. We’re all pretty busy with the arrangements for His Grace’s party—so I can certainly find plenty for you to do here!’
Roxy nodded, unable to shake off a sudden feeling of deflation. She was going to miss the company of Titus, she realised—even though he’d just described her as a ‘qualified cleaner’. Her time of being alone with him had come to an end and now she was going to have to blend in and get on with it, just like everyone else. She forced an answering smile. ‘Thank you. I’m … I’m really looking forward to working here.’
