Page 8 of Brushed By Moonlight

I shot Henrik a pointed look that said,especially you.If he tried to sate his bloodlust with anyone in the village, he would be out of heretout de suite.

Unless, of course, that someone was me. Then I would be the one who was gone — permanently.

Making a mental note to stock up on cloves of garlic and wooden stakes, I led them toward the west wing.

“Now, if you’ll follow me…”

Chapter Three

MINA

Herding catsdefinitely fit the process of moving the men to the west wing. Marius stalked ahead, while Henrik lagged behind, inspecting every vase and painting in the hallway. Roux started out beside me, but his long, businesslike strides quickly put him several paces ahead. Then he would glance back, annoyed, pause for me to catch up, and repeat the process, like a tall, musclebound yo-yo — or a caged tiger.

Bene ambled along, peeking into each of the rooms on the left. “What’s that? And that?”

I pointed. “Music room, smoking room, card room.”

He whistled. “A whole room for playing cards, huh?”

“Off-limits,” I growled, picturing his dirty boots on the tables and cushions. “All of them.”

“I guess the roof leaks, huh?” he asked, noticing the buckets I’d done my best to hide.

I made a face. “A little, but I got an estimate, and the roof tops my repair list.”

Bene chuckled. “Literally.”

I wasn’t so cheerful, because that list was about as long as the driveway. Part of me yearned to be setting up a classroom back in Maine instead. It was September, and twelve years of teaching was telling me it was time to migrate back to the classroom.

On the other hand, I had been starting to get into a rut at home. Teaching could be incredibly rewarding, but I couldn’t help thinking the next thirty years of my life ought to hold more than the same predictable cycle of school days, weekends, and summers. Something more exciting. More adventurous, even.

Fixing a château might not be adventurous and exciting, but it was unpredictable, for sure. Especially with my new houseguests.

Bene indicated the one, long room on the right. “And that is…?”

“The library.”

“Let me guess. Also off-limits?”

I nodded firmly.

My attention was only half with him, however. The rest was focused on the wide shoulders already disappearing down the far end of the hallway. Marius. The man moved like a thundercloud, both fascinating and frightening. When he turned the corner, out of sight, I felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment.

Relief, I told myself firmly.

I put thedisappointmentpart down to his bad-boy aura. His type had a way of reeling women in. Foolish women, that is. Certainly not me.

I did my best to puzzle out the others. Bene was curious. Henrik, appraising. Roux was a bundle of pent-up energy. Energy that had to be harnessed and directed to a constructive purpose.

I hurried to catch up to him and lowered my voice. “Gordon said I could trust you to keep these guys in line.”

Gordon had said no such thing, but I wasn’t above stroking egos when I had to.

Roux’s chest inflated another quarter inch, and he nodded briskly.Of course I can.

“Good.” I kept my voice to a secretive whisper. “I think they’ll need it.”

“Believe me, I’m on it,” he rumbled. “We’ll get our training area set up before lunch.”