Victoria had been hired as temporary estate manager for the sprawling Harrington Mansion while the owners were abroad. The position came with an exceptionally high salary and one very specific instruction: follow Mr. Benedict’s every directive without question.
Mr. Benedict, the head butler, was impeccably dressed in a tailored black suit, crisp white shirt, and perfectly knotted tie. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp features, silver at his temples, and an aura of quiet, commanding authority that made her knees weak from their first meeting.
“Welcome, Miss Victoria,” he said smoothly on her first morning. “I shall provide you with extremely thorough… personal attention during your tenure here.”
The way he said it sent a shiver down her spine.
By the afternoon, the tension had
