Page 111 of Among the Heather
Truly.
In the arsehole.
With a pen that had run out.
“Bloody hell.” I pushed off the bed, determined to find something to occupy my desert-dry, barren, ignominious excuse for a brain. Grabbing my room key off the side table, I strode to the door and yanked it open—
“Fuck!” I clasped a hand to my chest in fright at the sight of the woman standing on the threshold with her fist raised, as if to knock. “I almost defecated in my trousers, thank you very much.” I glared at her.
Then frowned because she was familiar.
It was the mousy housemaid. Sarah, wasn’t it?
Her pale cheeks had turned a mortifying shade of red as she lowered her hand and blinked at me like she’d never seen a human before.
“May I help you?” I snapped impatiently.
If possible, her cheeks darkened, and I almost felt a tiny bit guilty. Just a smidge.
But then she surprised me by throwing back her shoulders. “I—I’d like to speak with you, Mr. Cavendish.”
I searched her gaze, curious despite myself, and was shocked to discover she had stunning eyes. They were the clear and green like the jade waters of the Verzasca River in Switzerland.
She was always scuttling around the castle, trying to be invisible, that it was any wonder I hadn’t noticed.
At my perusal, she nibbled nervously on her lip.
“Well?” I grimaced. Shy women were not the most comfortable creatures to be around, and I had places to be, someone to find to fuck away the monotony of my colorless, toneless, creatively dry existence. “Sarah, is it?”
The housekeeper gaped. “Aye. Sarah McCulloch.”
I gestured for her to hurry up.
“Oh. Um… May I come in?”
Raising an eyebrow, I leaned against my door, arms crossed over my chest. “Wishing to follow in the boss’s footsteps, my love, and bag yourself a member?” I smiled darkly at my innuendo.
Sarah swallowed hard, a spark of something that might have been annoyance flaring in her eyes. “That’s not why I’m here.”
I pushed off the doorjamb. “Why are you here?”
She licked her lips again, looked me straight in the eye, and stated with more confidence than I’d expected, “We have business to discuss, Mr. Cavendish.”
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