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“What?” Aidan asked with a frown.
“Once you start something with Petal, you are taking her out of her place in this house. If anything goes wrong between you, it will be impossible for her to return below stairs. Just think about that, that’s all I am saying. I am not suggesting for a second that anything is going to go wrong if you do decide to start up a relationship with her. But, you have to consider her side of things. If you are not entirely confident about a connection with her being a happy one, then you are best to leave her below stairs where she belongs and forget all about her. That does mean you will have to find another way of dealing with the dowager and Edwards, but I will help you where I can.”
Aidan nodded. He had to concede that Jerry was right. This wasn’t all about him. He had to consider Petal’s position in the household, and just how difficult it would make life for her if things went wr
ong. At the moment, there was nothing more than a memory of an incredibly steamy kiss or two, and an invisible connection that left him always thinking about her. Nothing had happened as yet that couldn’t be corrected. However, he knew it wouldn’t take much for matters to escalate. In spite of their different positions in life, desire shimmered between them; he would be a fool to deny it. But was it enough?
With that in mind, he had to maintain his good standing as much as he could. He didn’t want to earn a reputation for sullying and corrupting maids, or using servants for his personal pleasure in the bedroom. He just wasn’t that kind of employer.
“While she is an employee in this house, I just cannot touch her,” Aidan sighed regretfully. “It just doesn’t sit well with me. She is my servant.”
“Then let her go.”
Aidan’s scowl deepened as he considered whether it was already too late for that.
CHAPTER TEN
One week later
Petal was miserable. She was tired. She felt sick, mainly because she had eaten very little. Food didn’t hold any appeal to her anymore, which was unusual because she normally had a very healthy appetite. She picked at what was put before her but didn’t enjoy it.
She knew exactly what was wrong, though. She missed him.
The urge to creep upstairs when the house was quiet and make sure he was alright was tangible. Because she didn’t, she often tossed and turned throughout the night. It had become so bad that Aggy had threatened to make her sleep on the floor if she didn’t lie still.
She swept the hearth out and absently lit the fire in the study, lost in her thoughts of the man she knew she should forget.
The last week had been the longest in her entire life. While she knew it was best to put some distance between them, she hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. There was a physical ache somewhere in the middle of her chest that refused to go away.
Was this what it felt like to be in love?
But you cannot love your boss, she thought morosely.
If she did, it was the most foolish thing she could ever do in her life. Although there was only one floor of the house between them, it might very well be an entire continent. They were worlds apart in every way. Their backgrounds were not only vastly different, but he was master of all he surveyed, and that included her. She was the lowly servant, nothing more. The fact that she had a yen for the boss was a secret she must keep to herself.
She had no idea how she had grown to love him so quickly. They barely knew each other. Alright, he was handsome, but she had seen handsome men before and they had never affected her in this way. He was nice, but there were a lot of people of her acquaintance who were nice.
She couldn’t explain it to anybody, even if she wanted to. Aidan had been nothing but the composite gentleman toward her. Well, except for some rather risqué kisses he barely remembered. There had been certainly no sultry looks, suggestive comments, or unwarranted touching. He had done nothing to encourage her affections. They had grown entirely of their own accord.
The only positive thing that had come out of the last week was that Edwards had stopped sneering at her. She had taken to looking at her with an air of supreme smugness instead. But Petal refused to even acknowledge the woman’s superiority complex. She knew Edwards’ machinations would become clear to everyone in time. Now that Petal was downstairs, Edwards had taken to spending even more time in Aidan’s bedchamber. Although she had vociferously protested at Rollo carrying the trays of food up to the room, the butler had ignored her protests and continued to guard the master’s meals with all the ferocity of a dog.
As far as Petal could tell, there had been no further incidents of the master being drugged nonsensically.
“Petal? Rollo wants to see you,” one of the footmen announced from the library doorway.
Petal put her cloth away and hurried into the kitchens to find Rollo and Mrs Kempton seated at the kitchen table.
“Take a seat,” Rollo said quietly, but didn’t wait for her to take a seat before he began. “Have you heard?”
Petal’s stomach dropped to her toes. She slumped into the chair and waited; her heart in her throat. Immediately, her thoughts turned to Edwards and the master, and she closed her eyes while she waited for Rollo to break the news.
“Aggy is not well.”
Her eyes popped open. “Pardon?”
“She started being sick this morning and has gone to her room for a lie-down. I am going to get Maisie to take over the work downstairs. She is the only one who knows what to do. I need you to go back upstairs. You are the only one who knows what is required up there.”
“I can’t.” Petal’s protest was instinctive.
