Once an Heiress Read Online Free PDF Page B

standing there hit Lily with a stunning force. They were deep blue — the color of the restless sea after a storm, and their scrutinizing regard took in her face and then boldly roved down her length and back up again.
    Heat prickled the back of her neck. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t remember
how
to breathe.
    The man’s hair was cut very short. It was reddish-brown, and the top was tousled and stood up about two inches in short twists that would curl, given another inch. She realized with horror that her hand had begun to reach toward that hair and snatched it back.
    He wore a black suit, rather than livery.
He must be the butler
, she decided. The coat seemed reasonably well-tailored, but it was hard to tell for certain because it was rumpled to within an inch of its life, as though it had been slept in. She frowned and shook her head at the ludicrous thought.
    “Yes?” the butler said in a bland tone, seeming not to have noticed her wayward extremity. “What do you want?” His eyes flicked to Wickenworth, giving Lily opportunity to further study his face. His brows were long and heavy, but not oppressively so. Rather, they complemented the firm, straight line of his nose. Dark stubble shaded his strong jaw. She clutched her reticule tighter to keep from reaching for him again.
    “I’m Wickenworth,” the solicitor announced, “representing Mr. Bachman.” He gestured to Lily. “This is Miss Bachman.”
    The butler’s heavy-lidded gaze fell on her again. Lily’s stomach flipped.
    “We’ve an appointment to tour the property,” Wickenworth continued.
    The man stared blankly at the solicitor for a moment, then he shook his head as though clearing it. “Oh. Yes. Come in.”
    As Lily passed the handsome young butler, every nerve in her body stood on end.
    The door banged into the frame behind them. She startled.
    “Sorry,” the butler muttered.
    For a moment, the three of them stood in the dim entrance hall. The walls were bare. In one spot, a nail protruded from the plaster with a bit of hanging wire dangling from it. A layer of dust lay on the parquet floor. Next to the front door stood a ladderback chair. A gentleman’s hat hung on the top of one of the back posts, while a great coat had been draped across the seat.
    Something tugged at her attention. She turned to see the butler watching her with frank interest. Their gazes locked. Lily unconsciously bit her lower lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The man followed each minute movement with his fathomless eyes, a mocking smile twitching the corners of his lips. She swallowed, willing her nerves to calm.
    “May we look around?” she asked with more confidence than she felt.
    He nodded slightly, his gaze holding fast to hers.
    Lily turned away and closed her eyes; her heartbeat pounded in her ears. What on earth was wrong with her? She’d seen handsome men before — she’d even kissed one or two. This was only a man, and a servant besides. She scolded herself for acting like a ninny.
    She walked up the stairs, glad that Mr. Wickenworth had placed himself between her and the butler. From the landing, she crossed to a door and opened it. The room appeared to be a parlor. Carefully, she made her way through the gloom to the windows. When she pulled the drapes open, sunlight streamed through the glass and illuminated a cloud of dust stirred up by her movements. It was as though no one had touched the room in weeks.
    The parlor was bare, except for a decorative plate in a stand atop the mantel. The carpet was marked by the footprints of chairs that were no longer there.
    She wrinkled her nose as she dragged her finger across the windowsill. It looked for all the world as if the most recent occupant had long since moved away. Mr. Wickenworth must have been mistaken. Surely.
    “Does someone
actually
live here?” she asked, turning toward the door.
    The butler stood just inside the room, casually leaning with his shoulder propping up the