Snowy Christmas Read Free Page A

for Ned, she'd be homeless, thanks to Vicente. Argh,
she still couldn't believe what a stupid idiot she'd been. How had
she ever believed he loved her, when he'd been nothing but a con
artist?
    "Actually, I'm…" What excuse could she give
for not accepting his offer? She wanted the ground to open up and
swallow her. She wanted to run away and not have to talk to anyone.
Then she wouldn't have to tell the embarrassing story.
    "Are you all right, Emily? You look
pale."
    The concern in Marcus's voice brought tears
to her eyes. Her emotions were balanced on a knife edge. Trying to
hide her predicament from Ned and pretend everything was fine was
so stressful.
    "I can't really afford a collar and leash
right now. I'm a bit short of money until I start work."
    He gave her a blank look of confusion. With
all he owned, he probably couldn't comprehend what it was like to
be completely broke.
    "I can give you an advance on your
wages."
    She wanted to accept. But if she started
spending her wages before she earned them, that was bound to cause
more trouble eventually. "Thanks, but I'll manage with the rope for
a few weeks."
    She stroked Snow White again, struggling to
hang on to her composure. She desperately wanted to keep this
little dog, but it seemed fate was against her. Ned hadn't been
very sympathetic when she turned up last night with a stray dog but
without his car, and things had quickly gone from bad to worse.
    "Emily, is something else wrong?"
    She sighed. "Ned's old collie doesn't get
along with Snow White. We had to shut the dogs in separate rooms. I
might have to ask Jennifer to take her after all." Why did
everything have to be so difficult?
    "You don't have to do that." Marcus came a
few strides closer and halted when Snow White huddled closer to
Emily's legs. "I have living accommodation for the housekeeper at
Rosemoor Hall. You're welcome to move in, if you like, and bring
your dog. That way you'll have your own private space so she isn't
stressed."
    "The job comes with an apartment in Rosemoor
Hall?" Emily wondered if she was hearing things.
    Marcus nodded. "It's normal for the
housekeeper to live in to manage the staff." He rubbed the back of
his neck. "Of course, we don't have any domestic staff to manage
these days. I've been using contract maids, and the admin staff in
the estate office liaise with them."
    Emily simply stared at Marcus, that weird
sense of unreality from last night back again. Maybe she was
finally having some good luck.

Chapter
Three
    Marcus held Emily's elbow and helped her down from
his vehicle outside Rosemoor Hall. She cuddled Snow White, aware
the poor little creature was probably nervous. Although it wasn't
ideal to keep moving her home, living in an apartment at Rosemoor
Hall would be much better for the nervous little dog than having to
cope with Ned's crotchety old collie.
    "Thank you for giving me a ride. You didn't
have to. Ned could have brought me over when he finished work."
    "It was no trouble, honestly." Marcus grabbed
two of her suitcases from the back of his car, and she followed him
across the gravel parking area to a door in the side. He set down a
suitcase to unlock the door and then headed along the shadowy
corridor inside.
    "This is what used to be the servants'
entrance," he said over his shoulder. "I use it more than the front
door now. My mother would probably turn over in her grave. Things
have changed so much since I was a boy."
    They certainly had. When Marcus was young, he
wouldn't even have spoken to Emily. In fact, he probably hadn't
even noticed her, even though she'd lived in the village.
    "The old kitchens are down here. This whole
corridor was food storage and prep rooms. They had a room for
everything back in the day. The housekeeper's rooms are at the end,
in the bowels of the house."
    The long corridor had a tile floor and a few
windows set in alcoves. It was lined with brown-painted wooden
doors.
    Marcus stopped at the end of the corridor and
unlocked a