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Chapter 23
Evie lay sprawled on the bed, inspecting the ceiling with her gaze the next day. The dinner at Clydesdales’ had been a trial. She wondered how she’d found it enjoyable to be around people before. Now every noise aggravated her nerves, and she found it difficult to smile.
Now that she’d appeased her cousin and was back in her hideout shelter, she never wanted to crawl out of it again.
There was a mild scratching at the door.Blast. Evie sat up in bed. “Yes?”
The butler entered the room and bowed. “Your Grace, you have a visitor,” he said as he straightened and stood, waiting for instructions.
Evie heaved a sigh. She wasn’t ready for visitors yet. Her heart was broken into a million bits, and one fortnight wasn’t nearly enough to piece it together. Why couldn’t people realize that and just leave her alone? But the manners she’d groomed in herself for her entire life demanded that she receive the caller.
“Please, let them in. I shall be down shortly. Thank you.”
She rang the bell, and her maid came rushing in.
“Apparently, there’s a visitor downstairs for me,” Evie said with a strained smile. “I need to look presentable.”
Her maid looked at Evie’s robe and disheveled hair in wide-eyed horror then nodded.
Thirty minutes later, Evie was dressed in a beautiful day gown, her hair was pinned in a neat coiffure, and an artificial smile was plastered on her lips. She was once again the haughty and highly revered member of theton. She entered the drawing room and froze.
Gabriel turned toward her. “I thought you were never coming down.” A light frown marred his face as his gaze ran over her in concern.
“Good morning.” Evie curtsied.
“It’s evening, my dear.” Gabriel bowed.
Evie looked out the window. It was gray and gloomy, like most of the time. She heaved a sigh.
“You didn’t need to send the butler to fetch me. You are not a visitor here. As my husband, you are entitled to access this property without permission.”
“I know, but since you thought me a guest, you got dressed for me in no time. Not that I mind you undressed, I just don’t think you’d be in a mood for any kind of… pleasurable activities.”
“I am actually too busy for any kind of pleasurable activities.”
“Truly? Busy doing what?”
Evie chewed on her lip in thought. “Going through the ledgers. Now that I’ve come into my inheritance, I have lots of responsibilities.” It wasn’t a lie; she did have lots of responsibilities. The ones she’d been ignoring for the past fortnight.
“Hm. Well, let’s get to it, shall we?”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t want to get in the way, but perhaps I can help. Or at least learn, after all, I am going to inherit an earldom sooner or later, and I’d rather not make a muck of it.”
“You want to go through the ledgers and my estate matters?”
“Why not?”
Evie scratched her brow in thought, but she couldn’t come up with a reason to refuse him. “All right. Let’s proceed to my study.”
They walked side by side in silence, the warmth of his body next to hers chasing away the chills. Perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing Gabriel had come to visit her. She’d at least get some work done.
Evie settled in the chair behind the desk once they entered the study. Gabriel rang the servants’ bell and sat across from her.
“You can’t truly work on an empty stomach, can you?” He smiled at her questioning expression.
Evie didn’t reply. She took out several ledgers and laid them on the desk in preparation for the day’s work. Most of the ledgers had burned in the fire in Peacehaven, but some of the records were still in the townhouse. She’d have to work hard with her solicitors and stewards to get back the information that was lost in the fire. She knew that this was what she was supposed to be doing, but lately, she felt drained of energy and emotion.
