AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I like the way the columns form those arches in the ceiling,” she added.
“It’s a large space, but the columns and arches pull it together visually to add a sense of coziness,” he told her. “We needed a big enough area to host affairs of state, but I wanted the family to feel comfortable in here, too. I’m trying to find an artist who can add a tint of color to the columns and paint something beautiful at the peak of the arch in the ceiling.”
He felt a little foolish for going on about the decor. He was supposed to be leading the world, not worrying about whether his house was comfortable.
“That’s a great idea,” Yasmine said excitedly. “Soft colors that accentuate the view of all that greenery would be beautiful.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” he told her, feeling more pleased than he probably should.
As they continued walking through the house, he found himself casually pointing out the kitchens, the sunroom, and even his own study.
Yasmine was enthusiastic about everything, and she noticed the small details that most people overlooked. That was a good quality in a nanny.
He was secretly gratified to see her light on some of the things he had chosen himself - like the indigo tiles in the butler’s pantry and the small stone-bottomed reflecting pools in each of the sitting rooms.
He almost felt bad about showing off. After all, on her home world, there weren’t many luxuries, from what he understood.
But Ba’sh had been shown the house by so many designers and contractors, that it was a pleasure to finally show it to someone else. It was hard to articulate, but showing it to Yasmine made it feel more like this was his home. Something about the sharing made it feel complete.
“The children’s rooms are upstairs,” he told her, gesturing to the stairs.
She headed up obediently, not struggling even a little in spite of her burdens.
It was impossible not to notice how gracefully she moved, but he forced himself to keep his eyes on the back of her head and not let them drift down.
The east wing of the second-floor corridor was arched all the way down, with paintings of Ulfgardian wildlife set between the columns. He liked the way she paused almost imperceptibly to take in each one, as if she couldn’t resist a sip of beauty.
The corridor widened and opened into a huge landing furnished with fluffy sofas, two floating desks and a wall of bookshelves on each of the side walls. Everything was set up to face a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the grounds, currently bathed in warm afternoon light.
“Wow,” she breathed, stopping in her tracks.
“This is the children’s sitting room,” he told her. “It’s quieter up here. They can relax and do homework in their pajamas if they want.”
“That sounds so nice,” Yasmine breathed, nodding approvingly.
“Pia’s room is right here,” he told her, gesturing toward the first open door on the corridor after the landing.
Yasmine peeked in and smiled.
Ba’sh was proud of his daughter’s room. Pia had chosen the colors and the builders had included a wall of built-in shelves for her toys and puzzles.
“Jax’s room is here,” he said, pointing to the room across the corridor.
They both looked at the sparsely decorated space and he resisted the impulse to try to explain to her that Jax seemed to be in that odd space between childhood and adolescence, lost to himself and to his father.
If she’s good, she’ll figure it out on her own, he told himself. I won’t influence her first impression.
“Your rooms are up ahead, on the right,” he told her. “Mine are at the end of the hall.”
He cursed himself inwardly for telling her where he slept, as if he thought she wanted to know.
“May I?” she asked, indicating her own closed door.
“Of course,” he told her. “You can settle in for now. Jax is still at school and Pia is having her music lesson. If you come down in about an hour, you can meet everyone.”
“Thank you,” she said.
He knew he should head downstairs and catch up on a few comms, but his feet wouldn’t move for some reason.
