Courtship of the Recluse

He nodded. "It's an heirloom of sorts; a big old house - too much for me to take care of and work the ranch as well." He paused, watching her expectantly. "I don't know what kind of wages you draw here, but I'd be willing to pay you a hundred a week plus room and board."

Slowly the facts were beginning to seep through the layer of shock. He was offering her a job as a live-in maid. The wages weren't all that great, but deducting rent, utilities and groceries from her present salary, it wound up being a good deal more. Basically she would be saving $400 a month instead of $10. Was it merely coincidence that her lease would be up next Friday and the landlord was raising the rent? She gnawed at her lower lip. But staying out there alone with a man?

"Are there neighbors near you?"

He shook his head. "I have over three thousand acres. It's isolated and lonely and I'm gone most of every day. In the winter the landscape is bleak and the house is drafty. The house sits more than a mile off the snow plow route, so sometimes I'm snowed in for a week or so."

She wrinkled her nose. "You make it sound so attractive. How could I refuse?"

He stared at her for a moment. "Are you accepting the job?"

It was hard to tell whether the sarcasm had gone over his head or he simply wasn't amused. She sighed.

"Not yet. What would my duties entail?"

His expression was bland - his voice unemotional, as if he were discussing the weather. "Laundry, dishes - general housekeeping - cooking my meals. I eat breakfast at six in the morning and supper at six in the evening. Sometimes I come in for lunch and sometimes I'd expect you to pack me a lunch. The rest of the time you're free to do as you please. I have some horses you can ride and there are several creeks, ponds and even a small lake on the land."

She rested her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands, staring out into the night. The last sentence was the clincher. Riding horses was one of her favorite pastimes, and the country out that way was gorgeous - winter or summer. Best of all, she could save a substantial amount of money for a down payment on her own place. It all seemed to be tailor made to her preferences - all but the part about staying alone in the house with him. Of course, Mr. Cade hardly seemed the seductive type and she certainly wasn't going to encourage it. Finally she met his patient gaze.