Thankful he was no longer worried about my death from brandy, I took a good look around the room. Dimly lit with gas lamps and the fire, it was impossible to pick out titles of the books that lined the shelves. I’d have to sneak a peek later. Just the idea of this many books in one home took my breath away. What would it be like to have access to them any time one wanted?
The fireplace was made from river rock in shades of gray. Portraits of two women hung on the wall, one fair-haired with a thin face and enormous green eyes, the other robust with the black hair and eyes like Lord Barnes. I guessed them to be of his late wife and his mother, respectively. If I were correct, Josephine looked very much like her mother.
The hardback chairs where Lord Barnes and I sat had cushions made of soft brown leather. After the hardness of the train seat, my bony bottom appreciated them even though they were too tall for me. I had to sit on the edge so that my feet could touch the floor. A large desk took up one corner of the room. Two couches, one of which had been my area of recuperation, faced each other over a coffee table. In all my life, I’d never been in a finer room.
“I brought the books from my home in England,” he said, as if I’d asked. “I collect more during my trips to Denver and Chicago.”
“What brought you here?” I blurted out.
“This will sound strange to you, no doubt. Although, as eldest son I was set to inherit my father’s title and estate, I knew from the time I was young that I would have to find my own way. I gave it all up to come to America. My younger brother happily took my place. He was better suited for the life. I wanted adventures. Jasper and I left for America, landing in New York, where we spent a few months exploring. While there, I read about a former mining town in the mountains that had burned to the ground. I decided to come out here and see about buying property for investment purposes. When we arrived, it was a summer day and the sky a brilliant blue against the white tips of the mountains.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “It was like falling in love. I had to have her. The land, that is. I decided to build a town for honest, hardworking families to have an opportunity to own businesses or farms. So I did.”
“But how? I don’t understand.”
“I put an advertisement in the Chicago and Denver papers, offering to build and lease buildings or far
mland for anyone willing to come here. Even with the train from Denver able to bring supplies, it behooved us to be self-sufficient. Therefore, farmers willing to raise cattle and fresh produce on my land in exchange for keeping the profits outweighed much of the risk.”
“And they came?”
“Not all who applied were accepted.” He shrugged. “It was a rather laborious process.”
“What about the people who were already here? The ones before the fire.”
“Many left before I could offer them work, but those who stayed were able to make enough to live better than they had before. You’d be surprised how many men it takes to build a town from nothing.”
I nodded, thinking about the construction I’d witnessed in Boston as I walked from the slums to the wealthier neighborhoods.
“Anyway, the men who came to open businesses brought families. Those children are why you’re here.”
I watched him, interested to know more—to know everything about him. The only thing I knew for sure was that the man sitting across from me was a soul made of complex layers. “What would make you want to do something like this? Build a town?”
“I wanted a community for my children. We are stronger as a team of people rather than acting entirely alone. Truth be told, I craved a village. I’m a pasty Englishman at heart.”
I laughed. “There’s nothing pasty about you, Lord Barnes.” The moment I said it, my cheeks burned. I could almost hear the gasp from my mother if she’d been here.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He smiled in a way that was closer to a smirk than a grin. My fingers twitched with a sudden need to touch that mouth, to feel the hardness of his lips.
I focused on my food, reminding myself that it was best when I kept quiet. When I was done, I set down my spoon. “Thank you for supper.”
“You’re welcome.” One of Lord Barnes’s eyebrows raised as he cocked his head to one side. I shuttered my eyes and looked away, shy. Something in his gaze gave me a prickly, raw feeling, as if I were naked. Not that I’d ever been undressed in front of a man. If I had, I imagined it to feel like this—exhilarating and terrifying.
Jasper swooped over to collect my tray. His silent, swift movements were disconcerting. Had he been in the room the entire time?
“Would you like anything else to eat or drink? More brandy?” Lord Barnes asked, deadpan.
“I would. However, I’m cutting back on the amount of poison I consume in one sitting.”
A low rumble of laughter came from deep in his chest. “As long as you’re sure.”
“Quite sure.” I lifted my chin and allowed myself to smile back at him. I’d eaten so much the bones of my corset were pressing into my ribs, making it hard to breathe. My head continued to ache. I grazed the bump with my fingertips. Yes, it was still the size of an egg.
“I’ll be forthright, Miss Cooper. I thought you were older.”
I pressed into the palm of my hand with my nails. Correspondence regarding my age and experience had been misleading. I’d done it purposely, hoping he would assume I was older, given my description of myself as a spinster. “Are you disappointed?” My mouth dried. I unhooked my hands to sip from the water glass Jasper had left for me.
“Not at all. However, it produces a problem.”
I pressed my nails harder into my hand, praying that he would not send me back. Going home now would be the end of every hope I had for the future.