do have a social life.’
The fact that she hadn’t done any of the above for quite some time now, because she’d been too busy working hard, worrying about finances and fretting about Noah’s welfare, was Georgia’s private business and not the kind of thing she would remotely want to discuss with people she’d just met…however curious.
Keir saw the slightly agitated rise and fall of her chest in the unremarkable pink dress and didn’t know why he was suddenly fishing for details about her private life. He was only aware of a disturbing tension deep inside him whenever his glance happened to settle on her beautiful face, which it seemed to be doing at a rather compelling rate. He should have quizzed Noah more about his sister. He should have somehow learned that she had the ability to mesmerise with her eyes, her smile, her voice…he should have learned that she blushed easily when discomfited or embarrassed, and that her smooth, silky skin glowed like satin in the flickering candlelight…If Keir had known these things before he’d gone ahead and hired her—then he might never have agreed to her coming to Glenteign at all. Georgia Cameron was too much of a disturbing distraction. Especially when there was so much that had to be done.
As much as he didn’t want to be back in the family home, now that Robbie was gone he had a responsibility to carry on in his stead. Besides that, there was also the livelihood of the staff to think of, as well as the local people in the surrounding villages who had lived and worked on this land since time immemorial and had certain expectations of their Laird.
Glenteign had been in Keir’s family for generations, and now there was no one left but him—and a distant ailing uncle in Cape Town, who was hardly interested or even desirous of coming back to Scotland after spending the majority of his life tending vineyards in South Africa. Keir had to be focused and committed to the task in hand if he was going to win the respect of people who looked up to him, and he needed to inspire the help and support that was necessary to help him do that. No…it wouldn’t help his case one bit to become too friendly with the bewitching Ms Cameron…
‘Let’s eat, shall we? Or the soup will get cold.’
Directing a final rueful glance Georgia’s way, Keir deliberately diverted his attention to his meal…
Rising early the next morning, Georgia pushed the memory of last night’s slightly strained atmosphere at dinner determinedly out of her head. Today was a new day, she told herself, and she and her new boss needed time to get to know each other’s ways before they both relaxed their guards a little around each other and felt more comfortable.
Although she didn’t think it was likely that someone with the responsibility of such a large country estate and the weight all that must place on his shoulders would ever really relax their guard around anyone.
Nevertheless, Georgia was even more determined this morning to make things work. She’d been given a great opportunity to get out of London for a while and live in the countryside, which had always been a longed-for dream, as well as earning the best salary she’d made in ages, and she wasn’t going to waste even a second filling her head with self-doubt about whether she’d done the right thing or not.
Allowing her lips to curve with pleasure at the thought of being able to explore her new surroundings at her leisure on her day off, she hurriedly washed and dressed. Throwing on jeans, trainers and an old sweatshirt of Noah’s that she had commandeered a long time ago, she headed off to the kitchen to collect Hamish for his walk.
The rest of the house was as silent as a church as she carefully undid the sturdy locks on the front door and stepped outside. It was a rare morning, as her dad would have said, and a fine mist clung like a draped silken cobweb over the mountain peaks that edged above the tall firs in the distance. For a disturbing moment Georgia knew a pang of longing so great that she stood stock still, with Hamish gazing expectantly up at her, her hazel eyes awash with tears.
‘You’d love it here, Dad,’ she whispered softly beneath her breath. ‘The air is so sweet you can almost taste it.’ Resolutely scrubbing away the moisture on her cheeks, she raised her chin and walked from the great house with a spring in her step. As she feasted her hungry gaze on a landscape that would stir emotion in even the stoniest of hearts, she thought how she could easily live here and never set foot in another city or town again.
Overjoyed at being outdoors, and released off his lead, Hamish bounded across the springy emerald grass and headed off towards the magnificent sentinel of trees that stood guard in front of the mountains up ahead. And as Georgia followed behind him, at a more leisurely rate, the tensions she’d experienced on her first evening at Glenteign faded away…
Back in the house an hour later, she declined the cooked breakfast that apparently Keir was enjoying in the smaller dining room, to share a pot of tea and a plate of hot buttered toast and marmalade with Moira Guthrie, in the expansive country kitchen.
As the two women sat companionably together at the family-sized pine table, the owner of Glenteign walked in.
‘Georgia…I’d like a word, if I may?’
She started to rise to her feet, caught off guard by his sudden appearance and almost too aware of the innate sense of authority he brought into the room with his presence. With his lean, yet muscular build, everything he wore looked tailor-made for him…not to mention expensive. Even away from this amazing house and its vast grounds there would be an air of exclusivity about Keir Strachan that would always make him stand out from the crowd.
Suddenly Georgia’s appetite disappeared, and she tucked a wayward chestnut curl behind her ear with less grace than she would have liked. ‘Yes, of course.’
‘When you’ve finished your breakfast will do. I’ll be in my study. Moira will show you where it is.’
He’d gone again before she’d even voiced a reply. Sitting back down in her chair, Georgia inadvertently released a sigh.
‘A word about the young Laird, my dear,’ Moira said, resting her elbows on the table. ‘He may come across as rather brusque at times, but he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Not only is he Laird here, but he also has a business to think of. No matter what you might think he does have kindness in him, so don’t judge him too quickly—will you, lassie?’
Georgia was still dwelling on what the housekeeper had told her when she stood outside Keir’s study door a short while later. To her surprise he answered her knock almost straight away, and ushered her inside. Experiencing a deep jolt at the definitely masculine ambience of the imposing room she found herself in, Georgia couldn’t help feeling she was somehow intruding.
Keir turned his deep blue gaze towards her.
‘I trust you slept well? I know it’s not always the case the first few nights in a strange house, but I’m sure you’ll quickly get used to things.’
Surprisingly, Georgia had slept well. No doubt the long day’s drive to get to Glenteign and her trepidation about what things would be like when she got there had contributed to her near exhaustion when her head had finally hit the pillow.
‘Yes, I slept very well, thank you.’
‘And your room is to your liking?’
‘It’s lovely.’
‘Moira takes care of all that sort of thing…always has. She’s been housekeeper here since my father’s time, so if you need anything at all or want to know where anything is she’s the person to ask.’
