[i]Of all the nerve![/i] It was Verity’s turn to be taken aback. Was the man accusing her of trespassing? If he was, he certainly didn’t look upset—no, those wide, soft eyes were full of surprise. How a man could have no qualms with a drake pawing at his head but stare at a maid like she was a ghost was well beyond her.

“My name is Verity Lund. I was hired this morning to ‘Look after our tenacious and very troublesome master.’ You can go and speak to the housekeeper if you don’t believe me. While I haven’t visited the Burke estate before, my family has a steading some thirteen leagues or so away.” There was some bitterness in her tone, as if she resented the fact that the Burke family rarely seemed to even look at the people they taxed on a monthly basis.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I need to fix this mess you’ve so graciously made.” Verity all-too-happily turned her back to the man and began sweeping up the flour on the floor. They’d just have to go without scones tonight, so the cupcakes that Lettie had come up with would just have to do. Thankfully, the frosted pastries were still untouched on one of the tables, each with a decadent cherry on top.