Page 18 of An Earl's Bet
“Ghost?”
“Well, he’s not here, is he?But you still look for him, ergo he’s a ghost haunting you.”
“It could be argued that this entire house is him.”
Earnest raised his eyebrows.“What a fanciful thought.”
“He had the house extensively remodelled after he married my mother.There is barely a trace of the original homestead left.”
“Why did he face it the wrong way?”
“Excuse me?”
“This room, your chosen office, has the best light.He’s arranged the house with the service rooms facing the best of the day’s sun.Perfect for drying laundry, but not so great for guests who want to enjoy a warm room in winter, or gaze across the gardens in the summer.Instead, the drawing room looks out on the entrance and the neighbour’s property.”
“Good point.”
“If you burn it down, you’ll be able to rebuild with a more natural design that takes advantage of the best of Doncaster’s weather, maybe up on the hill, overlooking your estate, rather than tucked down here near the entrance where passing traffic can watch you.”
Hugo smiled slowly.“My father wanted a property that showed everyone who he was.”
“He’s certainly done that.Do you enjoy people gawking at you?”He didn’t imagine so.
“No.I’ve just never imagined I could change it.”
“Why not?Your father did.”Earnest couldn’t imagine having enough money to give real consideration to this whim of a plan, and yet, he wanted Hugo to feel freed from the bonds of his father’s treatment of him.Burning down an Earl’s mansion would be the most extraordinary fun!He almost jogged on the spot with glee at the concept.
“I need to remove some of the important papers first.”Hugo’s eyes glittered with a fierce light, and fuck, it was so incredibly attractive.Earnest kissed him because words, his favourite thing, weren’t enough to convey the depth of how he felt.He’d done it again; fallen in love and now he was doomed to force himself to leave before Hugo threw him away.Again.
Chapter 8
Hugo remembered howsmall he’d felt when he’d stood in his father’s office and watched him burn his letters; letters he’d spent hours every week composing to inform his father that his grand tour was going splendidly and he was learning as much as he could.Seeing flames flicker through the papers, and the ink turn the flames into shards of yellow and red and blue and green, had broken something inside Hugo that all the beatings and cruel words hadn’t been able to break.He’d never be good enough, no matter how much he tried.
“Come with me.”He wanted to act before he lost his nerve.But with every step closer to his father’s office, the memories came flooding back.He almost never walked along this part of the hallway.
“Hugo.Lord Horden.You don’t have to do this.”Earnest laid his hand on Hugo’s sleeve.