The Burlington Manor Affair

“I’ve checked out the stairs. Frankly, it’s a miracle you aren’t more hurt than you are. One of the banisters had been tampered with, and several of the carpet tacks had been removed.”

“Tampered with? You can’t be serious.” His expression assured her he was. “I know the house needs work, but surely, that’s all it was.”

“Either way, it’s not safe. I want to get you out of Burlington Manor, preferably tonight.”

Carmen’s jaw dropped.

“I know we set ground rules about our time together,” he continued, “but given the circumstances, I want to take you back to London, to my place or yours, whichever you prefer. We could even go to a hotel.” He ruffled his fingers through his hair. “That might be better, somewhere anonymous.”

“No way.” This was some sort of trick on his behalf, a ruse. He was trying to use this accident to unnerve her in order to get her out of the house. She must have been right when she said he’d engaged with the house again. He’d found out that he was fond of the place.

“We are still inside our month, and you promised to be with me,” he said, and he looked positively ruthless. “What difference does it make whether it’s here or somewhere else?” He stood up and gestured dramatically with his hands, as if laying down law.

“It makes all the difference in the world. And anyway, we need to discuss the details of the property transfer this weekend. You’ve been busy playing your games but you haven’t hoodwinked me, Rex Carruthers. I haven’t forgotten the deal.”

“The deal will be done. I’m not hanging around here to do it, though, not if you’re in danger.” He paced up and down the room as he spoke.

The change in him was unbelievable. Yet at the very same time she found herself overwhelmed by his presence and his powerful will. It affected her so profoundly that she wondered if she would ever be able to deny him anything, no matter how ludicrous. That frustrated and angered her. She had to keep her head when it came to this man and the supposed deal between them. “Stop talking nonsense, you’re overreacting.”

There was no way she was going to let him push her out of the house now. Besides, she only had her emotions under control because the situation was limited to a time and a place that would eventually end. If they continued to see each other outside of that, in other places, it would be more like dating and she couldn’t risk falling more deeply than she already was.

Is that even possible?

Rex stared at her. “You’ve let me take charge in this situation, and that suits me fine. You will do as I say, even if I have to tie you up and throw you in the back of my car. I’d much rather you agreed and sat in the passenger seat.”

Carmen stared at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you being like this?”

Her comments seemed to take a bit of the fire out of him and he returned to her side and shook his head. “Promise me you’ll come back to London and spend the weekend with me there, if I explain.”

Carmen frowned. “This better be good.”

“Promise me.”

She sighed with frustration. “I promise I’ll travel back to London with you. I’m not sure I can spend time with you there, though.”

Rex clasped one hand over the arm of her chair. He was looking at her as if she was mad. “Why the hell not?”

“Because...we agreed.” She couldn’t confess the real reason why—her fear of falling deeper if they spent too much time together. She’d already taken stupid risks that week, meeting him for lunch and entertaining him on the phone. He was beginning to seep into her everyday world, and she couldn’t afford to let that happen.

“But that situation has changed.” His eyes were wild.

“Has it? I need to protect myself.” She glared at him, because he was confusing her and he was making her feel vulnerable and unable to keep emotions in check.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, protect you.” He cupped her jaw and then ran his fingers into her hair. “If anything happened to you here, I’d never forgive myself.”

Carmen tried to make sense of it all. Could it be true, that someone had tampered with the stairs? She felt dizzy, confused and desperately vulnerable with him acting so tenderly toward her.

“Look—” he took a deep breath “—I need to figure out what is going on, but until I do I just want to get you the hell out of here and somewhere safe.” He spoke in a low voice and then glanced back at the open doorway as if checking that they weren’t being overheard by anyone.

“Okay, now you’re scaring me.” Suddenly she did want to leave. He’d rattled her. Maybe that was his goal, to get her out of the house. Had he pounced on this silly sprained ankle of hers to use it to gain the upper hand with her? He was such a charmer, such a smooth talker, that for a minute there he’d almost had her convinced that her safety was uppermost in his mind, but surely moving her out of the house was unwarranted. She would have put up with him forcing her to have dinner in her room while he fluffed her pillows. That might have been entertaining. But using it as an excuse to get her out of the house?

Mrs. Amery appeared with a carved wooden stand filled with walking sticks. She deposited the stand in the middle of the room and then began to look among them. “Some of these aren’t very practical. The doctor said the handle should be at hip height.” She pulled some sticks out of the pot, started measuring them against herself, then brought them over.

Carmen scarcely heard what she was saying, fixated as she was on Rex.

“One of these should do the trick, but I’ll leave them all so you can have a look at them.”

Rex took the selection of canes from the housekeeper. “Thank you, Mrs. Amery. I understand dinner has been prepared.”