To Pleasure a Lady (Courtship Wars 1)

“This is my home now, as well as yours.”

“But you needn’t redecorate so completely.”

“I think it time, since the furnishings are a century old.”

“Is that why you hired so many merchants?”

Marcus shook his head. “I’ve left the actual hiring to you. And you aren’t required to use them all. I only thought to give you a wider choice. You have full authority to decorate any way you wish.”

“But why would you allow me so much authority?” Arabella asked in bewilderment.

“Because you undoubtedly have better taste and experience than I, for one.”

“This is not simply a way to soften my resistance?”

His sensual smile lit the room. “Of course it is, darling. You know I mean to do everything in my power to persuade you to become my wife.”

Biting back amusement, Arabella gave him a measuring glance. “Throwing your wealth around will do little to persuade me.”

“But it won’t hurt, either. I am not entirely witless when it comes to understanding the female mind. You ladies like to be in charge of a household.”

“I am not in charge here, Marcus.”

“Of course you are. You are mistress here now, and that will continue when you are my countess.” When Arabella raised her gaze to the ceiling, he chuckled softly. “I thought you would be pleased by my gesture.”

“You have certainly made Mrs. Simpkin happy,” she said drolly. “It was clever of you to have increased the servant staff so generously, for there is no surer path to her heart.”

“What about the path to your heart?” When Arabella refused to answer, Marcus laughed. “Mrs. Simpkin and I have come to an understanding.”

“Which means you charmed her into doing your bidding.”

“That, and I told her I was courting you. She approves, by the way.”

A look of exasperation claimed Arabella’s features as she turned and silently exited the room. It didn’t surprise her that Marcus would use any means necessary to win the housekeeper’s support, for she herself had vowed to employ all her resources to prevail in their wager.

Yet Arabella had to admit she was pleased to see him putting Danvers Hall to rights. The manor was indeed beautiful, and the estate deserved to be worthy of an earl. She only wished Roslyn were here, since her sister had impeccable taste and had been better trained by their mother to fill the role of lady of the manor.

Arabella spent the entire morning with the merchants, appraising the formal rooms of the house and choosing fabrics and furnishings. The task occupied her so intensely that she paid no attention to the passing time.

She was trying to decide between a forest green velvet and blue brocade for the drawing room draperies when Simpkin appeared in the doorway. “Miss Blanchard has called to see you, Miss Arabella.”

Arabella raised her head in surprise. “Oh, my word. I completely forgot my class.”

It had slipped her mind entirely that she’d been expected to teach at the academy at eleven. Her closest friend and fellow teacher at the school, Tess Blanchard, had no doubt come to see why she had uncustomarily failed to appear.

“Where have you put Miss Blanchard, Simpkin?”

“She is waiting in the entrance hall, since I couldn’t find a parlor not covered with fabric and wallpaper swatches.”

Arabella was about to leave the drawing room when the butler cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Miss Arabella, but where do you wish me to place all the flowers?”

“Flowers?”

“The ones Lord Danvers had delivered from London. They have been unloaded in the entrance hall at his lordship’s request.”

Puzzled, Arabella hurried down the corridor, only to find the hall filled with masses of flowers in a breathtaking profusion of colors and scents. There were blossoms of all kinds-lilies and roses and daffodils in particular. Marcus must have raided every flower stall and shop in London, was Arabella’s first thought.

Her friend Tess was admiring an enormous vase of red roses but left off when she spied Arabella. “What on earth is going on, Arabella? I was concerned when you didn’t appear at school, so I came to investigate, only to find you have sprouted a garden.” She sounded half amused but a bit worried also.