Nathan walked me upstairs to show me our bedroom. It was masculine in design, but as over the top luxurious as the rest of the house. There was an oversized, four-poster bed, antique dresser and chest, and a private sitting area.

Orchids and ferns dotted the space, creating an overall pleasing effect. Despite the age of the house, I found two huge walk-in closets lined with fragrant cedar. Nathan explained that a smaller bedroom had been taken in by the master bedroom. The extra space was redesigned into a master bath and closets.

I was ready for another shower and maybe even a quick nap. Between getting up early, the emotional stress of arriving at a new home, and the crazy good sex, I was exhausted. One look at the claw foot tub in our bathroom made me decide a bath was just what I needed.

Nathan took the time to run the water for me and even helped me undress and get in the steamy, fragrant tub. He lit a few scented candles before he headed back to work, and his attention touched my heart.

By the time I had a good, long soak, and then slept for a while, I was recharged, hungry, and ready to try again with Nathan's mother. I made my way down to the formal dining room and ran into my husband.

"Ah, there you are, Darby. I checked on you a few minutes ago, and you were sleeping hard." He drew me close for a hug. "We usually eat breakfast and lunch in the morning room and dinner here in the dining room. Ready to eat?"

"I'm starved. How is work going?” I grabbed his hand as we walked. “Are you working on anything in particular?"

We continued chatting as we made our way into the morning room. Mother was there, and I was pleased to see Maxwell seated at the table, as well.

"We eat lunch at twelve every day, Miss Turner." She picked up her napkin as she spoke.

No need for air conditioning on this hot day. Mother's voice was chilling.

"Oh, stop it, Mother." Nathan laughed. "We eat when we are ready to eat."

He pulled out my chair and then seated himself next to me.

The food arrived, brought in by a solemn-faced attendant in uniform. Plenty of hot soup, which I thought was an odd choice on a sweltering day. I tasted it with some skepticism, but it was salty and delicious. Fancy finger sandwiches and a platter of fruit followed the first course, and iced sweet tea sat next to our Waterford crystal water glasses. A lace tablecloth covered the table, and the silverware was genuine silver, heavy and lustrous.

Nathan, Maxwell, and I conversed like old friends throughout the meal, but Mother was mostly silent. I noted that while Maxwell was an employee of the estate, he and Nathan were obvious friends. Maxwell seemed welcomed to the table as a friend. I liked that.

“Darby, tell me about your wild college days. Your husband works me like a dog, and I never get to have any fun. Let me live through you.” Maxwell smirked at me as he was talking, and Nathan snorted with mock indignation.

“You are the perfectionist when it comes to this estate, and you know it.” I could tell from their banter that this was a running joke between the two of them.

“I don’t know about wild college days. Mostly I studied, and I worked in the university library three afternoons a week. If shelving dusty books gives you a thrill, well, there you go.” The men laughed with me, but I caught Mother rolling her eyes.

“At least tell us you snuck alcohol and boys into the stacks with you. Lie to us if you must.” Maxwell grinned at me.

“Stop it right now!” Nathan was laughing almost as much as I was at Maxwell’s silliness. “I don’t want to hear about my wife having wild adventures with college boys, thank you very much.”

Nathan knew very well I remained a virgin throughout college, but I still wanted to reassure him. “I promise you, there were no boys and no alcohol during my work shifts. I was a hard worker. I needed that job!”

“During your work shifts? Does that mean after hours was a different story?” Maxwell wasn’t giving up, and Mother looked furious.

We ignored her, and continued our light conversation, bantering back and forth.

All too soon, Nathan had to return to work, leaning down to kiss me with great ceremony before he left. I looked up from his kiss, pink-cheeked and smiling, and saw Mother glaring at me. My smile faded quickly, but I found my courage to speak.

"I really love your son, more than I could ever find the words to express to you. It would be great if we could find a way to be friends. I'm sure it would mean a lot to Nathan, as well." I drained the last of my sweet tea, and tried to look calm. I was frustrated and unsure of what to do next to build my relationship with this woman.

"I don't have anything against you, Miss Turner. You are simply too young to be mistress of Peacock Alley. I am disappointed my son did not take the time to find someone more suitable to take as his wife. You are certainly nothing like Savannah."

Ouch.

But she wasn't finished.

"Savannah was perfection personified. She knew what to say, what to wear." Mother scoffed at my attire. Her eyes trailed over my yoga pants before continuing. "This estate and all that it entails is a huge responsibility. You simply will not do, Miss Turner. Time will show Nathan the truth."

She stood as regal as a queen, folded her lace napkin neatly, and glided like a spooky and malevolent ghost out of the room.

I sat stunned for a moment. What was so wrong with me that she couldn’t even pretend to like me? Then I laughed. Although this wasn't the start of my relationship with my new mother in law that I would have wanted, I had definitely never before been told off in such a dignified, formal way. "Mistress of Peacock Alley?" Who talked like that?

Lost in my thoughts, I jumped when Maxwell spoke. I had forgotten he was still there.

"Give her some time, Miss Darby. She will come around. She just doesn't handle change very well, and you were certainly a surprise to us all." His eyes twinkled at me as he made his exit, letting me know he thought I was a happy surprise.

Determined not to let Mother dampen my good spirits, I spent the rest of the day in a lazy exploration of the house. I spotted a formal hedge maze through one window and made note to explore it later. It was just too hot to leave the house right now. My time in the courtyard earlier had proven that to me. Instead, I gazed at the impressive stained glass windows and looked at all the beautiful art on display as I made my way from room to room.

I was particularly interested in the rooms on the eastern side of the house, as I was looking for a potential art studio. I needed an area with lots of good light. However, I didn't want to remove furniture that might have been in the same spot for almost 200 years. Tapping my toes as I thought it over, I decided to consult Nathan about it later.

Suddenly the back of my neck tingled as if someone had entered the room and was standing behind me. Whoever had come in, they had brought with them a faint scent of jasmine and lily perfume.

Turning swiftly, I searched the room and saw that no one was there. I frowned in confusion. I guess this old house had my imagination running wild after all.