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Gallatin Manor was set arass and ancient oaks A long, winding drive led up to the house, which wasdusk, Analisa could see that the Manor was of a much sunnier disposition than Blackbriar Hall

The coach cah opened the door and handed her out Analisa stretched her arlanced around It was by far theprettiest place she had ever seen, with the house sitting like a ruby in a field of jade

Lifting her skirts, she hurried up the stairs to the beautifully carved front door, opened it, and stepped inside

The entryasn&039;t nearly as large or as dark as that at Blackbriar Analisa hung her bonnet on a hook, ran a hand through her hair, and e, square rooht oak A sofa covered in a dark blue print stood in front of a red brick fireplace There was a collection of colored bottles on the mantel A pair of overstuffed chairs covered in the same fabric as the sofa were placed on either side of a square table Several lamps were placed around the rooe seascape coround floor, there were a s room, and a library whose walls were lined with shelves filled with books There was also a breakfast rooethat looked out on the side lawn, as well as a conservatory filled with greenery and flowers, and a servants&039; hall where the staff ate together She was surprised by the size of the pantry It was a large, crealass-fronted cabinets It was here that the butler (if they&039;d had one) would keep the plate and fine china and give directions to the otherthe dishes, a rack for drying A large, square table ringed by several high stools was in the center of the rooe clock hung on one wall, a picture of Queen Victoria on another

There was also a room for the housekeeper, where she could make preserves, keep the household accounts, and look after the affairs of the house the curved staircase when she heard Mrs Thornfield&039;s voice There would be no rest for the servants, Analisaorders to Cook and Sally, saying that theymust be washed, the rooms aired

There were five bedrooest chaed to Alesandro Like his roos here were of heavy dark wood; the covering on the bed was a deep blue that was al out the sunlight

Cli the stairs to the second floor, she found a nursery and a schoolroom

The third floor held the servants&039; quarters, which also had a separate set of stairs at the rear for the servants to use

Gallatin Manor seemed to be a much newer house than Blackbriar Hall

She was about to return to the nizing Sally&039;s voice At first, she thought Sally was looking for her, but then she heard another, deeper voice

"How long will you be staying, love?"

"I don&039;t know," Sally replied "Lord Avallone didn&039;t say"

"Then we must make every moment count, estive

Tiptoeing toward the sound of the voices, Analisa peeked around a corner of the hallway, stifled a gasp when she saw Sally fall into the ar the way they clung to each other, the way the man&039;s hands moved over Sally&039;s back and buttocks, his touch familiar, possessive It had to be Robert, she mused No wonder Sally was so sh not as handsolanced at the , felt her heart flutter when she saw that the sun was going down

Turning away fro man, Analisa hurried down the stairs Alesandro would be here soon She needed to wash up, brush her hair, and change out of her traveling suit

She found her belongings in the room next to the master&039;s chamber It was a nice room, decorated in deep s as she re Someone, Mrs Thornfield, no doubt, since Sally was otherwise occupied, had laid a fire in the fireplace and left a basin of hot water on the commode She washed quickly, dried off, slipped into a dress ofher hair, she tied it back with aribbon, stepped into a pair of low-heeled slippers, took a last look at herself in the mirror, and went downstairs

The lamps in the parlor were lit, a fire burned in the hearth Too restless to sit, she walked around the roo on the wall, the colored bottles on the mantel

Where was he?

She went into the study A la the master&039;s arrival There was a fire in the hearth The furniture in this rooe desk, a comfortable chair, a small sofa, and a bookcase that took up all of one wall fro Every shelf was filled with books

Rounding the desk, she sat down in the chair, i that she could smell Alesandro&039;s scent in the rich dark leather

She was tempted to open the desk drawers, curious to see if she could learn more about the mysterious man she had fallen in love with, but she stayed her hand, afraid he would know so

Where was he? He had said he wouldhappened to detain hi ith all sorts of horrible possibilities when suddenly he was standing before her Just looking at hih her He was tall and dark and broad-shouldered, and power e from the hearth, invisible but undeniable She felt sth

"Analisa"