Bath Belles Read Online Free Page B

his entire body, for it was of ideal proportions. The carving of the face was particularly fine, from the high cheekbones and strong jaw to the slightly sensuous lips. It was his liveliness and a pair of dancing dark eyes that removed the look of a Grecian statue. Those bold eyes, that mobile expression, had nothing to do with cold marble. A flirtatious smile began and then subsided as his glance flitted from Esther to me to Mama.
    The vision opened its lips, and a deep, melodious voice spoke. “Good morning, ladies. I hope I haven’t dropped in at an inconvenient hour. When will it be best for me to return and tour the house?’’
    “Now!”I said swiftly, “You may as well look now, Mr. Desmond. We plan to go out this afternoon,”I explained , but in a voice suffering from discomposure, that we had just arrived without servants and that the place wanted a good cleaning.
    “That suits me.”He removed his outer coat, revealing a blue jacket exquisitely molded to broad shoulders. Sparkling linen and a discreetly patterned waistcoat were also displayed.
    Something about this elegant Adonis robbed me of my wits. Instead of taking his coat and getting down to business, I just went on looking and smiling back at him, for his flickering gaze had finally settled on me. Only Mama proved immune to the man’s charm. She said, “The house is small.”
    “Yes, I can see that,”he agreed, looking about at the little toy saloon.
    “It would not do for a large family,”she added. She has the country habit of wanting to know all about any stranger met by chance. I found myself listening with keen interest for his reply. I also found myself wondering about the mischievous sparkle that suddenly invaded his eyes.
    “It is not wanted for a family,”he said blandly.
    This speech quite stymied me for about thirty seconds. Within half a minute, though, I realized what had brought this fashionable buck to my door. He was searching out a love nest for his mistress! My first reaction was revulsion that the house Graham had bought for us should be put to such a base use. He recognized the accusation in my stare and tried to smile it away.
    “Who is the tour mistress?”he asked. I felt it was more than coincidence that he had chosen the word “ mistress.” There was a certain playful quality in the way he said it. I was tempted to turn him out the door, but reason prevailed. What did it matter now? If he had the money and wanted the house, that was all that concerned me.
    “Belle?”Mama said, calling me to my duty.
    “I’ll conduct the tour,”I said briskly.
    Mama and Esther remained seated, which meant I was to be allowed to accompany Mr. Desmond alone. I was glad they were there within shouting distance all the same.
    “This is the saloon,”I began. “A rather nice marble fireplace.”
    “Not Adams, though,”he pointed out.
    “Perhaps not. Pretty leaded windows,”I continued, nodding at them. He gazed with mild interest at these treats.
    “The room is rather small. Do you happen to know the dimensions?”he asked.
    “No.”
    “You could pace it out,”Mama said, “A tall man’s stride is about a yard.”
    “That would be rather difficult ...”I objected. The difficulty arose from the fact that furniture occupied both ends of the room: sofas at one end, a heavy highboy at the other.
    Undeterred, Mr. Desmond wedged himself in at the end of the sofa and paced the room, squeezing his long leg in between the highboy and a bookcase when he got to the far end. “I make it about six yards,”he announced. “And roughly five wide. Does the place come furnished?”
    “If you like. Or I can sell the furniture separately—either way,”I said.
    “I’d like to keep that highboy, Belle,”Mama said. “It would look fine in our own saloon at Bath. So much nicer than the great ugly cupboard we have there.”
    “Ah, you’re from Bath!”Mr. Desmond exclaimed. “That would explain your beautiful complexions. I spent a