Page 16 of To Heal a Broken Earl (The Rakes of Mayhem #7)

She laughed. “What good is a lock if it’s not locked?” Leaning back, she looked over at the far side of the attic, where Katie and Finn were merrily trying on hats, totally lost in the moment.

“Exactly,” he said, pocketing the lock and key. “I don’t think we should leave any locks up here that have keys with them. I don’t want the curious Katie to get any ideas. She might accidentally lock herself or Finn in one of the trunks.”

She glanced again at Katie and Finn, noticing that the girl was busy tying the ribbons to a bonnet on Finn’s head, which made both Emma and Michael chuckle.

“Oh! That would be unthinkable. You are right to be concerned. I’ll be setting some rules for her regarding the attic,” she said, standing and walking over to the larger trunk.

Michael took the cloth Emma had brought with her and placed it on the floor to keep her from getting dust on her clothing.

“Do you think we’ll find anything useful in here?” she asked.

“I’m as curious to see as you. I didn’t know this part of my family very well, and I don’t recall ever meeting my grandmother or any aunts.

My mother’s sister, although she was considerably younger than my mother, had married and moved away by the time my sister, Lizzie, and I began to visit with my mother.

And we didn’t visit all that often. I barely remember what this estate looked like before I inherited the property.

In any case, it was one of the minor properties—I think a summer estate, and not the main seat. ”

“So, was your inheritance of the title and estate a surprise?” she asked.

“Yes, it was—and there’s been little explanation on my Uncle Robert’s demise, except to say he had a coaching accident.

From the little I’ve learned, he had planned to marry the young woman betrothed to him since childhood, but he had not and therefore had no heirs.

He was buried long before I was notified that I’d inherited an earldom. ”

“That must have been a daunting conversation with the late earl’s solicitor,” Emma remarked, pushing open the lid.

Inside the trunk, she discovered exactly what she was looking for.

“Look, Michael! There are bolts of fabric, all wrapped in tissue paper. And here are drawings of rooms, even with the placement of furnishings. And here—”

“Are drawings of the grounds, when they were in their heyday,” he said, unrolling a scrolled bundle of parchment she’d handed him.

“This is excellent. It shows the rock wall when it was first built. This will certainly help in my quest to rebuild the damaged areas. And this section looks like a plan for large stables. The existing stables are much smaller than what is depicted in this drawing.”

Emma noticed something shining wedged between two packages.

She reached for and pulled out a small brass-and-wood-handled penknife, just like the one she had often seen Martin use to open packages delivered to the house.

Michael might appreciate that for his desk, she thought.

Maybe I can find a way to clean it up for him.

Glancing in his direction, she noticed he seemed to be still absorbed in the drawings of the property, so she tucked the penknife into her pocket, planning to clean it properly later.

She looked at him as he stood next to her, combing through the packages of fabrics and the scrolls of drawings. It made her feel warm all over when he was near—something she’d only begun to experience after she met him and found herself in his company.

Hoping to distract herself, she examined a bolt of blue damask. “Do you favor blue? I imagine this cloth was intended for covering chairs.” She looked around and spotted some chairs in the corner, covered with cloth to shield them from the dust.

“I rather like the color. It’s calming. I could easily be happy with blues throughout the manse,” he said, leaning down closer and bringing his face next to hers.

She was very aware of his presence, as a blush heated her face.

With his face this close to hers, she wondered what it would be like if he kissed her.

She gave herself a mental shake and blurted, “My room at Evie’s was in blues and white.

I loved the colors. And you’re right, they did feel calming. ”

As he helped her up, she tripped on the cloth on the floor. When he caught her by the waist, they stood mere inches apart.

“Eek! A bat!” Katie’s scream sliced through the stillness of the room, shattering the fragile moment.

It was followed by a loud yip and a crash, with the chaotic sound of her tiny feet mingled with those of the dog in full gallop racing in their direction.

“Aunt Emma, where are you?” Katie cried out, her voice filled with panic.

“I’m right here, darling,” Emma said, her voice strained.

“Are you all right?” Michael asked. “Your face has gone ashen.”

“I’m quite terrified of bats,” she admitted, clutching the damask she had been examining while scanning the ceiling.

“They won’t bother you,” Michael said. “But I don’t want to think of them occupying the attic. I’ll send some footmen to come up here and catch them; they can release them far from the house. Otherwise, we’ll have an abundance of bat droppings to contend with, and it could ruin the furnishings.”

~*~