Because We Belong (Because You Are Mine #3)(41)
“That’s what family is for,” James replied for everyone.
She stood, taking her cup to the sideboard. She hadn’t meant to say those things; she really needed to get ahold of herself. No one deserved her bitterness, save Ian.
Save herself.
“I hope you all have a good time at the movies,” she said with a smile, picking up her coat, hat, and the fingerless gloves she wore for outdoor sketching in the winter. “I think I’ll get started on some rough sketches before the canvas arrives. I could use a little work.”
“She’s right,” Gerard said. He stood to retrieve her sketchpad and pencils while she put on her gloves. “Work always sets things on track, I always say. And I’m not going to the movies, so I’ll take Francesca to the gardener’s cottage. That’s where you two were saying you wanted her to set up base while she draws, isn’t that right?” he asked James and Anne.
“Gardener’s cottage?” Francesca asked, hearing of this for the first time.
“Well, it’s not really a gardener’s cottage anymore,” James explained. “It hasn’t been anyone’s cottage but an occasional guest’s for the past twenty years. But it’d be a good post for you. It’s right at the edge of the woods, and it’s got an excellent straight-on view of Belford through a picture window. It won’t do for the details, of course, but we figured that since it’s so chilly out, it might save you a few days from the cold while you get the panoramic sketches. I had Mr. Sayers turn on the cottage furnace just yesterday, so it should be warm enough by now. If you think that’d be useful?”
“Very useful,” Francesca assured. “Thank you for thinking of it. It’ll save me having to go in and out to thaw out my fingers, for a few days, at least.
“I’ll take her to it,” Ian said, standing. Gerard shared Francesca’s nonplussed expression.
“I said I’d show her to it. You should go and relax with the others,” Gerard said.
“We’ll both show her then,” Ian said quietly, but his eyes flashed dangerously at Gerard before he picked up his coffee cup.
“It’s not really necessary for you to come,” Gerard prevaricated as Ian set his cup and saucer on the tray on the sideboard.
“It is, actually,” Ian said. James shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the hard edge to Ian’s tone. Ian’s stare at Gerard was one that Francesca could only describe as a silent, simmering challenge. Concern mingled with her annoyance. His calm exterior was far more brittle than she’d ever seen it before. “Because the gardener is off today, and I have the only other set of keys to the cottage.”
Gerard flushed. Clearly, Ian had preempted Gerard’s actions and asked his grandfather for the keys in advance. There was something subtly, but distinctly proprietary underlying Ian’s statement, as if he was reminding Gerard who the future master of Belford was. Or who the master of Francesca was. Resentment bubbled up into her chest. She noticed Elise giving Lucien an uncomfortable glance in the prickly silence that followed, and Anne and James did the same. Ian was acting like a caveman. It was all extremely awkward. She shot a fulminating look at Ian, which he didn’t notice as he studied his cousin.
“Come on, Gerard,” she said with false brightness. “I’ll enjoy your company.”
Gerard seemed a little angry, not to mention embarrassed, which made her even more irritated at Ian. At first, she thought he was going to stand down, but then he gave her a smile and nodded toward the door as if to say, Let’s proceed then. With everyone watching them in the uncomfortable silence that followed, she felt she had no choice but to follow Ian out of the room, Gerard falling in step behind her.
Chapter Five
She, Ian, and Gerard walked to the cottage at the edge of the woods, their boots crunching on the frosty path leading through the gardens, the cold winter air seemingly doing nothing to cool either her irritation at Ian or the charged atmosphere swirling among the three of them.
The cottage itself was nice, she decided once Ian had unlocked the door and they’d entered, but chilly despite the furnace being activated. The interior was modest in comparison to the luxury of Belford itself. In fact, the little house looked like it hadn’t been redecorated for several decades. She found the shabby elegance of it cozy.
“Stay here. Both of you,” Ian said after he’d closed the front door. She gave Gerard a questioning glance, but Gerard was watching his cousin dubiously as well.
“What is with him?” Gerard mumbled for her ears only.
Francesca just shrugged, too irritated to reply.
They stood next to the cold hearth of the fireplace as Ian stepped into the kitchen and looked around, and then stalked down the hallway, his dark head just two feet away from the low ceiling. At first, she’d thought he was inspecting the place like someone might a rarely used property in order to make sure there were no leaks or property damage. By the time he returned to the small living room where she stood, however, another suspicion had struck her.
“Ian, you’re not checking out this place for . . . I don’t know, bad guys or something, are you?”
“What’s this?” Gerard asked, both amused and confused.
“Just making sure everything is in order for you to work here today,” Ian said evenly, stepping closer, blue eyes pinning her. His size struck her suddenly, his presence. He was really too large for these cramped quarters. She stepped back reflexively, and then felt foolish when he only knelt and started to build a fire.