Free No Greater Love by Katherine Kingsley Page A

thing that he understood was that he was a fool.
    “Oh, God!” He gritted his teeth and buried his head in the pillow, trying not to think of soft arms and round breasts and embracing thighs. He tried hard to think of nothing at all, but that didn’t work either. He finally jumped out of bed, threw on his clothes, and went out for a long, brisk, very cold walk.

4
    Georgia found Nicholas in the dining room the next morning, his dark head bent over papers that were spread out everywhere. She studied him for a moment before she entered, feeling a rush of gratitude.
    She was safe, and she had this man to thank for it. She owed him a great debt. He had taken her from an untenable situation, given her his name, a roof over her head—well, part of a roof, anyway—and had asked nothing more of her. She vowed to do everything she could to see that he didn’t regret his generosity.
    He glanced up and saw her standing there. “Why, Georgia—good morning. Did you sleep well?”
    “Very well, and far too late, I fear,” she said. “My room was exceedingly comfortable. If Binkley hadn’t been thoughtful enough to bring me chocolate, I might well have slept the rest of the day away.’’
    She had no idea that the morning light was streaming in through the window, backlighting her golden hair like a halo and highlighting her slim figure through her thin, worn dress, leaving little to the imagination. She only knew that Nicholas was gazing at her in a somewhat pained fashion.
    “I … I hope you don’t mind that I overslept,” she said uncertainly. “It is not usually my habit.”
    “I think you must have needed the sleep badly. You had dark circles under your eyes yesterday. And it is no matter to me what time you rise. Sleep as late as you wish. Now, sit down here, for I wish to speak with you.” He cleared away some of the papers to make a place for her. “I’ve been thinking: you need a maid. Binkley might be a marvel, but we cannot expect him to help you with dressing and bathing and all the other necessaries.”
    Georgia looked at him with alarm. “Nicholas, that is most thoughtful of you, but I have never been dressed or bathed or looked after in my entire life, save by my mother when I was a child.”
    “Haven’t you?” he said, unconcerned. “Well, then it’s time that you should be. Furthermore, when I next go up to London, I’m buying you a proper wardrobe.”
    “Certainly not! What a terrible waste of money!”
    “Georgia, my dear, I do believe it is up to me to decide how I will spend my money. You need decent clothes. Decently warm clothes, I mean. And in any case—”
    “No,” she said firmly, holding up a hand. “I can understand that you would like to have a wife who is properly turned out, but I am a seamstress. If you must, then you may buy me material, but I shall make my own clothes. But I do thank you for the thought. I am quickly discovering that you are a very thoughtful man.”
    “Oh, is that what you think?” he replied scratching his cheek and giving her a long, unreadable look. “I don’t know about that. It is entirely possible that I am a complete imbecile. But very well, you shall have material, if that is what you wish. However, you will also have a maid. It is only proper. And I am not prepared to argue the point.”
    Georgia was prepared to argue the point, for Nicholas was being foolish, but then a thought struck her and she smiled. She had absolutely no need for a Bella, but she did know someone who was in need of a job, with younger brothers and sisters to feed, and she knew just where to find her.
    “If you insist, Nicholas. If you will be so kind as to lend me your carriage, then I shall go immediately to hire the maid you require. I have the perfect person in mind. She was in employ at Ravenswalk in the kitchen. And Binkley will need someone to help him in the kitchen, won’t he? It will kill two birds with one stone and save money as well.”
    Nicholas was silent