“You may call me Anna.” The blush again, paired with downcast eyes. Sophia realized she would have to keep a close eye on the girl. Her disarming innocence could make her a great favorite among the menservants.
“In which case, I expect you to call me Wesley.”
Kenner fidgeted and pushed his spectacles up on his nose. “Cornelius.”
“Mr. Kenner, why don’t you take Anna on a brief tour of the house. Show her the writing desk in my parlor, where I expect we’ll take care of our more informal correspondence. At least, until we move a second desk in here.”
“Miss Cooper.” Kenner, a slave to formality, held his arm out for Anna to take and led her off, leaving Sophia alone with Mr. Grant.
“Now that leaves us to conduct our business. Perfect.”
“At your service, Lady Averford. As always.”
“I’m glad to hear it. So tell me, what important matters did you and my husband discuss without me this morning?”
After a moment’s hesitation, he held his hands up, palms to the air. “Not much, really. There was the business of my promotion.”
“To your proper title at last.” She walked around the desk and took her seat, gesturing to Mr. Grant that he should sit as well. With Gabriel out-of-doors, now was her chance. She didn’t mean to be quick with Grant. “The one I always meant for you to have. But surely, there was more than that.”
“Mr. Kenner’s position clarified, of course.”
“Of course. And?”
He kept his gaze down, as if suddenly fascinated by the pattern on the carpet. “This and that, going over accounts.”
“I realize it’s awkward for you to be between us just now, Mr. Grant, while you believe my husband and I are working against each other. Let me assure you that it’s not the case.”
“It’s not?” he blurted out before she supposed he could stop himself, his gaze darting to hers.
“No.” She folded her hands on the desk. “We both want what’s in the best interest of Thornbrook Park. You know my way of working, and I suppose you’ll get to know his. I don’t know his as well as I could, I confess, having allowed myself to be kept in the dark for so many years. But it’s a new day. The sun is shining. And I can guess what the earl might have in mind.”
Mr. Grant gave himself away with the slow upturn at the corner of his lips. He didn’t think she could guess the half of it, and perhaps he was right. But she wasn’t entirely naive, not anymore. “He has instructed you to cancel the guesthouse reservations, has he not?”
A flinch. Yes, she was on to something. Grant cleared his throat. “We discussed so many things.”
“And yet you said, ‘Not much, really,’ when I asked you.”
“I suppose I did. I’m useless without my notes, as you know.”
“I know no such thing. Don’t be reluctant with me, Grant. We’ve been friends for so long now. I need to know that I can rely on you. As a friend, if nothing more.”
His pride wounded by the suggestion that he hadn’t done his best at something, he looked up. “You can rely on me, Lady Averford. Please don’t doubt me.”
“I won’t. As long as you do your best not to cancel those reservations. At least, not in any hurry. You can cancel the next few, if you must, to alleviate my husband’s concerns. I realize that he wants to move his mother back to the Dower House, and I know he’s doing it for me. He simply doesn’t understand how my tolerance has grown. I’m much stronger than he knows.”
“He thinks very highly of you.”
“I should hope so. I am his wife. And I can certainly stand for his mother to be under our roof, at least for a little while. Until she gets bored here. She’s used to Italy and society. I don’t think she’ll last long at Thornbrook Park, even in the Dower House. We’re simply too dull for the worldly Dowager Countess.” At least, she planned to be. She would take a sudden loathing to entertainments of all kinds. No large dinners or grand affairs. “And by the time she leaves, Gabriel might realize how the income from running a guesthouse boosts our finances enough to make a difference.”
Mr. Grant nodded along. “It does bring in a tidy sum.”
“I knew you would agree with me. You helped me to see the sense of it in the first place, my dear man.”
Grant blushed. Flattery could get her everywhere. “This could work,” he said. “I’ll cancel these next two, and we’ll see what to do from there. No need for Lord Averford to be concerned.”
“No need at all. He doesn’t even need to know that you haven’t canceled them all. You might, in due time, but why rush into things?”
“Why indeed,” Grant agreed.
“It’s all I ask. Let’s just give the earl some time to get accustomed to being at home, and then see how things can change.” She got to her feet. “I’ll leave you now. No sense looking like conspirators caught hatching a plan. Perhaps you can catch up to Anna and Mr. Kenner. Make sure he’s teaching her all the right things. And then you can give the girl some time on her own to get settled. We don’t want her to be overwhelmed on her first day.”
“Right away, Lady Averford.” He reached across and snatched up the papers he’d been studying when she’d walked in on him, the stack she’d planned to go through to see what else Gabriel had put before him. “Until later.”
Before she could stop him, he turned on his heel and fled, increasing her suspicion that Gabriel was up to something. Something Grant continued to hide from her despite their warm little talk. She would find out. They could count on it. More the pity for them if they underestimated her.
Nine
After settling his business of the morning with Grant and Kenner, Gabriel decided on a walk about the grounds. He still hadn’t looked it all over since coming home, and he’d been eager to see what had changed, and what had remained quite happily the same. By late in the afternoon, he’d made it all around the main yard, with stops in the garden to pick out some flowers to be sent in to adorn Sophia’s dressing table and a prolonged visit to the kennels, where he enlisted Chauncey, one of the younger fox terriers, to accompany him for the remainder of his amble. He hadn’t planned on stopping at his son’s grave, but somehow he ended up there. His feet just led that way before his mind caught up to where he was headed.
“Edward.” He addressed the stone, though he hadn’t expected anyone could hear him. “And Father. I hope you’re looking after our boy.”
They had buried the baby next to the earl, some distance from the chapel yard on a small stretch of green surrounded by wildflowers at the edge of the wood. The flowers had recently been cut back, necessary from time to time to keep them from taking over. Gabriel made it a point to only visit once a year, in the springtime, when he normally left a colorful kite. He hadn’t made it this year yet, and he hadn’t been planning to stop. He’d come without a kite. He supposed he would make two visits to make up for missing the last.
He had no idea what happened to the kites after he left them. He liked to think that the wind, or perhaps neighborhood children, carried them off. More likely, it was the groundskeeper. Perhaps a corner of the shed was filled with old kites that had never been flown, representing all those years he hadn’t been able to spend with his son.
“Next time, I’ll bring your kite, Edward. I promise.” And before he knew what had come over him, the Earl of Averford dissolved into tears. Big, heaving sobs. He dropped to his knees with the weight of the grief on his soul.
The dog had been running around chasing a squirrel across the grass, but suddenly he was at Gabriel’s side, as if sensing his emotional distress. Chauncey jumped up and sniffed at Gabriel’s shoulder, then hopped onto the earl’s knees and began licking his face. After a minute, Gabriel found his tears had turned to laughter. He rubbed the dog between the ears. “All right, Chauncey. Down, boy.”
Perhaps he would reward the dog with a stay at
the house. There was nothing like a dog to bring joy and lighten the mood. Plus, he could use the companionship should Sophia decide to stop speaking to him.
“Gabriel.” He startled at the sound of her voice behind him. Had she seen him crying?
“Sophia.” He stood and turned to find her looking as breathtaking as ever, even in her simple cotton frock. She’d changed clothes since morning, no more aquamarine. He hoped it wasn’t intended as a slight.
She carried a bouquet of forget-me-nots, indicating that her visit had been planned and not just a chance wandering. She always left forget-me-nots. He’d never accompanied her, not since that first visit when he’d showed her where he’d laid their son to rest while she’d been recovering from the birth. For a while, he didn’t think she would ever forgive him for keeping the news from her until the doctor declared her strong enough to bear it.
“I’m sorry. Have I come on your regular day? I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just—somehow I just ended up here.”
She shook her head and closed the distance between them. “You’re not interrupting. How would you even know I’d planned to come today? You’ve made a new friend.”
“Chauncey. I’m thinking of making him a house dog. What do you think?”
She tilted her head, considering. “He looks well-behaved. I suppose we could give it a try.”
As if aware he was under scrutiny, Chauncey perked his ears and sat straight up for a second—before taking off after a rabbit. “I’ll work with him. He might need some training, or at least a little focus on his attention span.”
“Will he be all right?”
Gabriel nodded. “He knows the grounds better than I do, maybe. He’ll make his way back to the kennel or the house, at least.”
“To be honest, I’m glad to see you. Many times, I’ve stood in this spot and longed for your company here. I think he would like to see us together.” She gestured toward their son’s grave.
“Do you think he sees us?” Gabriel slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“I don’t know. Aunt Agatha says that he’ll come back to us someday. I would like to believe it’s true. In the meantime, perhaps he’s all around us, keeping watch.”
He liked that she was thinking of a future for them. All three of them. “I hope Father isn’t filling his head with nonsense. ‘Stand up straight. Be a man.’”
She laughed. “Goodness. He was only a baby.”
“So was I at one time. It never stopped Father from saying such things.” He rubbed a strand of her hair, fallen from her chignon, between two fingers. “Our son. He would be old enough to go to school.”
“Not boarding school.” She brought a hand to her chest in alarm. “I couldn’t bear to send him away.”
“At some point, he would grow up and be ready. We would have to let go.”
She turned to face him, tears glimmering. “No letting go. Hold me, Gabriel.”
“Of course.” He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her.
She sobbed quietly against his shoulder while he patted her back, afraid to move and spoil the moment. But she looked up. “I’m sorry. I always cry a little when I come here.”
“It’s only natural.” He preferred it to her anger. The last time she was here with him, she wouldn’t even look at him. “I miss him too.”
“But after all these years? At some point, I should be able to face our loss with grace and dignity. Lord knows, I couldn’t manage it when we—well, when I first heard that we’d lost him. That you’d already buried him. I was so distraught.”
“You blamed me. I understood. I should have told you. I should have known that you could handle the worst. You’re strong, Sophia. Stronger than I’ve ever acknowledged.”
“I’m not strong. I’m determined. Throw a challenge my way and I’ll accept. But expect me to survive another loss like the one we’ve had to endure, and I’m not sure I would make it.”
He nodded. “I think we’ve had enough loss.”
“But we don’t get to decide. Fate does. God does. It isn’t up to us.”
“Then perhaps we should leave ourselves in the hands of fate and stop worrying so much that the worst will happen. As you say, it’s not up to us. We can only live our lives expecting the best will come our way. We are good together, Sophia. Let me show you.” He stroked her cheek and leaned in to kiss her.
“You’re asking me?” She smiled, forcing him to pause. “Just like the first time. Remember? In the Duke of Enderleigh’s garden? You asked if you could kiss me. I thought you were so delightfully old-fashioned and odd.”
His eyebrow shot up. “You found me odd?”
He had imagined that he made an impression, but in his mind it was tender, strong, considerate. Odd?
“No one else had ever asked my permission before you came along.”
“And a lot of men kissed you in the moonlight, did they?”
She shrugged. “A few. None of them as skilled as you. They kissed me, but quick pecks. You left me breathless. Only you.”
“Because you gave me permission to do so. Do you see? Odd? Old-fashioned? No. I was a man who knew what he wanted. And once I had your consent, I didn’t have to stop with a quick peck like the others, who were testing their limits. I knew you wanted me.”
“I don’t recall being that obvious.” She smiled, her full lips curving until the bottom lip bowed up just a little in the middle. He’d never seen anyone else with a bottom lip quite like Sophia’s, and he adored it. Her one imperfection, which of course only made him find her all the more perfect.
“All a man needs is a little encouragement, darling.”
“I thought I was offering encouragement.” Her tears were gone, but her eyes still sparkled as she looked up at him.
He wouldn’t wait for another invitation. Dipping his head, he brought his mouth down and gently brushed his lips to hers. She tasted sweet, like berries, and tart. He couldn’t fathom the tart. Lemonade? But he wanted more of her. His kiss became more insistent, until his tongue was tangling with hers and they seemed to share the same breath. She nipped at his lip when he started to back away, urging him to kiss her again and again, his hands smoothing over her curves.
“It’s rhubarb,” she said at last, breaking for air.
“I’m sorry?”
She laughed. “You looked like you were mulling something over. I might taste of rhubarb and strawberries. I stayed much longer than I expected at the farm. They had pie.”
“I suppose I would have outstayed my welcome too for some of Mrs. Cooper’s pie.”
“I stayed to wait for Anna to gather her things. She’s my new secretary.” Her voice held a hint of triumph. Is that why she’d forgiven him? She’d found her secretary and she meant to show him up somehow?
“Anna Cooper? She’s a child.” What on earth did she expect to accomplish with Anna Cooper’s assistance?
“She’s sixteen. And a fast learner. She was so excited to be offered the position. Yes, she’s young and will need instruction, but I knew I’d done the right thing by asking just as soon as I saw her face at the news. She’s dreadfully bored at the farm, and a girl her age needs the excitement of new opportunities.”
“She’ll be living with us at the house then?” Every time he saw a way to reduce the number of guests and have more chance to be alone with his wife, a new one came along. Would he ever be rid of distractions?
Sophia nodded. “The room just down from mine, across the hall.”
“Why not send her up to share with Mrs. Jenks? The two of them would get on fine. I’m sure Jenks could use a roommate.”
“A secretary should command more respect than a lady’s maid, don’t you think?”
“Where has Mr. Grant been staying?”
“I thought it best that Mr. Kenner remain in the cottage for as long as
he retained the title of estate agent,” she said. “I assigned Mr. Grant to a room in the east wing.”
“Near Lord Markham. But I suppose if Grant is to be my estate manager, I’ll need to move Mr. Kenner out of the cottage and back into the house so that Grant can have the cottage…”
“Quite a muddle I’ve created.” She didn’t seem at all displeased with herself, despite the admission.
He laced his fingers with hers. “We’ll work it all out in due time.”
“Let me leave my flowers. I’ll be a moment. Then we can head back to the house together.”
Gabriel nodded, released her, and stepped back. Considering the circumstances, it was probably wrong of him to notice how her skirt clung to her curves, emphasizing her lovely bottom when she knelt at their son’s grave. God help him, he was a man in need of the comforts that only his wife could provide.
* * *
The walk back gave Sophia a chance to cool down. Being alone with Gabriel made it too easy to forget that there had ever been any trouble between them. She felt carefree and spontaneous. But it wouldn’t do to get caught up in the romance and forget the substance they lacked to make their marriage a true success.
“I didn’t have the honor of seeing your mother this morning. I suppose she slept in.” She stole a glance at him walking beside her, his athletic form apparent in his thin, white shirt. The day had grown warm, and he carried the coat he must have set out in when it was cooler.
He laughed. “I would hope so. She was in rare form last night. I have to apologize again for the surprise. I honestly had no idea she would arrive so soon.”
“I wasn’t expecting Lord Markham without notice either. Of course, I issued an invitation of sorts, but I thought he would send word when he meant to take me up on it. I hope I can count on your brother and Eve to take him in for a few days once they return to the countryside.”
The Great Estate Page 10