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The idea of him in a more relaxed pose makes my cheeks heat. His hand is still on my arm, the slightly rougher feel of his palm making my skin sensitive and flushed.

“As you can imagine, this is one of the rooms I spend the most time in. It’s tucked in the back for privacy.”

“Of course,” I respond, sure he’s telling me that I should be in here as sparingly as possible. “How many staff members do you have here?”

“Grounds crew, guards, house staff,” he looks up at the ceiling like he’s calculating. “Close to fifty.”

I gasp. That’s a large number.

His response is to chuckle. “The Ducal estate that my oldest brother oversees has at least two hundred employees and the home I was raised in had a hundred. This house and staff are small by comparison.”

My lips part as I shake my head. Triston grew up as royalty. I can’t even imagine…

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” his voice drops, and I find myself leaning in, catching the masculine scent of his cologne which has notes of wood and leather.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“Having a house like this, hosting in a more personal space, it’s part of what makes a difference, makes people trust you more.”

That hardly seems like a secret, but the words have merit. Being here feels so much more personal than a hotel. “I’m surprised your brother didn’t marry here.”

He chuckles. “Family knows the truth. Most of the rooms in this house are an illusion. And as it’s my illusion, this might be one of the last places my brothers would wish to marry.”

I consider those words, not really understanding them. If my family had anything of value, I’d want to rejoice in it.

But I keep this thought to myself as we make our way up to the second floor. “Another set of stairs.”

Triston pushes me slightly ahead of him so that we’re making our way up single file on the narrower steps. “The one in the entry is for public use, the one by Mrs. Raith’s office for dailyuse of the staff, and this one is for my own private comings and goings. It leads right to the door of the main bedroom.”

I reach the top and step aside as I wait for Triston to show me whichever part of the house he wishes for me to see next.

His hand immediately settles on my elbow again. Not only do I find his touch pleasant, but I enjoy the wordless direction his hand provides. I’m more comfortable following someone else’s lead in nearly every situation, and I’m particularly nervous today.

But when he opens the door and we step into a bedroom, my feet stop as I suck in a breath, Veronica’s words echoing in my head. Why would he bring me here? What job am I really here to do?

He turns his head toward me, chuckling. “Even my bedroom needs to be dusted.”

“Dusted?”

“Yes. That’s the role we’ve decided to place you in.”

“Oh,” I give a small nervous laugh. “How foolish. I…” I can feel my cheeks getting hot. “Of course I would need to dust here. I thought I would be kitchen staff, that’s why...” My words die in my throat.

He draws in a long, slow breath, his eyes on the far wall as he pauses. “I’ve been trying to decide how best to utilize your skills and temperament, and after seeing you here, I have a different role in mind for you. Not only will your cleaning duties be lighter, I’d like you to act as a buffer between myself and the rest of the staff.”

I have no idea what kind of actual duties that might entail, but I nod anyway. As long as I’m gainfully employed, I’d scrub every inch of this house on my hands and knees if I had to.

He leads me toward another door, and we step into a massive bathroom that is so luxurious, it looks like it should be in a magazine. The shower is six feet long with several shower headsand a long narrow window that goes the full length, allowing sweeping views of the backyard.

“There is a cleaning crew that does the deep scrubbing, but besides them, only a very few staff members have access to these spaces. You will be one of them.”

I blink a few times. “Really?”

He smiles. “As I mentioned, you have a pleasing way about you, Honeyeh. Quiet. Conscientious.”

I dip my chin. “Thank you.”

“You’ll be an asset here. Now, let me show you the rest of the second floor. Then we can pass by the formal dining room before Mrs. Raith takes you again to finish your onboarding.”