by Laura Beers
“That is probably true.” Sybil pointed at the peonies that grew a short distance from the footpath. “I love flowers. They are so bright and colorful.”
“That they are,” he agreed.
Sybil raced over to the pink peonies, crouched down, and took a deep breath. “They also smell delightful.”
Edmund stopped and watched his daughter as she started smelling all the different types of flowers.
Amelia spoke up from next to him. “She is quite the inquisitive child.”
“That she is.”
She glanced over at him. “Were you that way as a child?”
“I was,” he replied. “I was always asking questions, and that led me to discover my love of reading.”
Amelia lowered her voice and said, “Your daughter will eventually start asking questions about her mother. You will need to be prepared to answer those.”
He winced slightly. “I imagined as much.”
“Do you have any pleasant memories of Alice?”
“I do.”
Amelia bobbed her head. “That is good.”
“She was proficient at needlework.”
With a raised eyebrow, Amelia remarked, “I think you might need to try harder to think of a pleasant memory.”
“Alice was an excellent rider.”
“That is not good enough.”
He sighed. “It was hard to live with someone who was so fundamentally different from me.”
“You mentioned you got along before you two were wed.”
“That we did.”
“What attracted you to her?”
Edmund was silent for a moment as he pondered her question. “Alice was beautiful, and she had a smile that could light up any room,” he shared. “She also had the ability to make you feel special when she talked to you.”
Amelia smiled approvingly at him. “That is a very good start.”
“Is it?” he asked. “Because I can’t think of anything else.”
“Alice will always be Lady Sybil’s mother, and that should count for something,” Amelia asserted.
“Do I ever tell her the truth about her mother?” he asked. “About how she betrayed me?”
“That is entirely up to you, but I would shield her from the unpleasantries for as long as possible.”
Edmund glanced up at the white clouds in the sky. “I’m afraid I am not very good at hiding my feelings, especially my temper.”
“Then you will need to learn,” Amelia stated matter-of-factly.
“I’m going to try to do what’s right by her,” he said, bringing his gaze back down to his daughter.
“That is a good start.”
Sybil turned back towards them and asked, “May I pick some flowers for Grandmother? She still isn’t feeling very well.”
“You may,” he replied, “and that is very thoughtful of you.”
“I love Grandmother. She is nice to me,” Sybil shared as she started picking some peonies.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“She tries to read me books, but she is always complaining about how she can’t see the words.” Sybil giggled. “So, she tends to make up her own ending.”
“Is that so?” Edmund asked, frowning.
“Grandmother can be very silly.” Sybil hurried back over to them with a few flowers in her hand. “This should be enough.”
As they continued to walk along the footpath, Amelia pointed at the flowers in Sybil’s hand. “Your grandmother will appreciate those flowers.”
“Grandmother always says I pick out the best flowers in the garden,” Sybil announced proudly. “She says I have a knack for it.”
“That you do,” Edmund agreed.
Sybil glanced up at him. “Do you like flowers?”
“I do.”
“Perhaps I can pick some for you on our next walk,” Sybil suggested.
Edmund smiled down at her. “I would really like that.”
Amelia came to an abrupt stop on the path and announced, “Dandelions!”
“Where?” Sybil asked.
Just off the path, Amelia pointed at white fluffy dandelions protruding from the lawn. “Do you see them?”
Sybil nodded. “I do,” she replied, “but they aren’t very pretty.”
“They aren’t supposed to be pretty.”
Sybil scrunched her nose. “They aren’t?”
Amelia walked over and picked two dandelions. “You make a wish before you blow on them and watch as the little white seeds take flight.”
“You make a wish?” Sybil asked.
Amelia smiled as she approached them. “You have never made a wish on a dandelion before?”
Sybil shook her head vehemently. “I have not.”
“Then we need to correct that most horrendous error right now.” Amelia extended her a dandelion and Sybil accepted it. “Close your eyes, make a wish, and blow on the dandelion.”
Edmund watched as Sybil closed her eyes tightly and whispered something under her breath. Then, she blew on the dandelion and the white seeds started drifting in the wind.
Sybil opened her eyes and gasped in delight. “How wonderful! Can I do it again?”
Amelia laughed. “Perhaps we should let your father make a wish.” She extended him the dandelion. “Would you like to?”
He placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “I don’t need to make any wishes today. I have everything that I need right now.”
Amelia didn’t say anything, but her eyes spoke of her approval. She handed the dandelion to Sybil and said, “You are lucky that you are able to make two wishes in one day.”
Sybil closed her eyes tightly before she blew on the dandelion. As she opened her eyes and watched the white floaties in the air, she asked, “Do you want to know what I wished for?”
“You mustn’t tell us, or else it won’t come true,” Amelia shared.
“Oh,” Sybil muttered. “Can I tell Alice?”
Amelia smiled. “Yes, you can tell your doll. I would imagine that Alice does a really good job of keeping secrets.”
Sybil bobbed her head. “She does.”
They continued to stroll along the path, and Edmund found that he was in no rush to end the walk. He would always have a pile of work and correspondences that he needed to review, but he was just starting to get to know his daughter.
And what a remarkable girl she was.
12
Amelia lowered the letter in her hand. “My sisters are anxious for me to return home,” she shared.
“Is that so?” Leah asked as she pinned her hair back into a chignon.
“They say they are worried about me.”
“In what way?”
Amelia met her lady’s maid’s gaze in the mirror. “They agree with my sentiments that the duke may be an impossible case and that I am delaying the inevitable.”
“Do you believe that now?”
“I don’t rightly know,” Amelia replied honestly. “At times, I see a glimpse of a man who is vulnerable and raw, but then he hides it behind this gruff exterior.”
“Do you suppose he is manipulating you, as Mr. Rawlings suggested?” Leah questioned.
“For what purpose?” Amelia asked. “He thinks I am just his mother’s companion. I have nothing that he wants, so he has no reason to manipulate me.”
“That may be true, but I would encourage you to use some caution around him.”
“What does Bartlett say about the duke?”
A hint of a smile came to Leah’s face. “We don’t talk much about the duke, but it is evident that he respects him.”
“What do you talk about?” she teased.
“This and that,” Leah replied, her smile growing. “Nothing of great importance.”
Once her lady’s maid was finished with her hair, Amelia shifted in her chair to face her. “I am happy for you.”
“Thank you.” Leah walked over to the bed and reached for a green muslin gown. As she held up the gown, she asked, �
�Would you care to dress for dinner?”
Rising, Amelia replied, “I would.”
It wasn’t long before Amelia stepped out into the hall and walked the short distance to the duchess’s room. She knocked on the door and waited.
“Come in,” Ellen ordered.
Amelia opened the door and stepped inside. She saw that Ellen was sitting at the dressing table, wearing her wrapper and rubbing lotion on her hands.
“Are you not joining us for dinner again?” Amelia asked, growing concerned.
The duchess shook her head. “I am not.”
“Are you still feeling ill?”
“I am perfectly well.”
Amelia lifted her brows. “Then why aren’t you coming down for dinner?”
Ellen smiled. “Because I am giving you the perfect opportunity to discover more about my son.”
“I should have known that was your intent,” Amelia said with a shake of her head. “But I fear His Grace will either grow suspicious of your intentions or summon the doctor.”
“Just inform him that I am tired this evening.” The dowager duchess glanced at Amelia’s gown. “You are looking quite lovely tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Rising, Ellen walked over to the bed. “May I ask how the walk with Sybil went?” she asked.
“It went well,” Amelia replied. “The duke is making a wonderful effort to get acquainted with his daughter.”
“That pleases me immensely,” Ellen said, sitting down on the bed. “There is no greater joy than spending time with one’s own child.”
“I can only imagine.”
“I always knew that my son would bond with Sybil, but he always refused to even look at her.”
“The duke suffered greatly in his marriage,” she attempted.
“That he did.” The duchess grew reflective. “I am just thankful that you came along when you did.”
“I am only being a dutiful companion,” Amelia replied with a grin.
Ellen laughed. “You have exceeded my expectations as a companion,” she joked. “I fear any other companion I hire will pale in comparison to you.”
“Well, hopefully, we will be able to match the duke with a lovely young woman, and you both will get along splendidly,” Amelia said.
“I have a feeling that will be the case,” Ellen remarked.
Amelia’s eyes strayed towards the vase of flowers on the table next to the bed. “I see you received your flowers from Lady Sybil.”
“Wasn’t that sweet of her?” Ellen gushed. “She always brings me the loveliest flowers.”
“She did spend quite some time picking them out for you,” Amelia shared.
The duchess smiled. “Jane informed me that the duke escorted Sybil through the main door when you returned home from the walk.”
“That he did.”
“I am glad to hear that he is relaxing his stance on some of his rules. I always felt some of them were ridiculous.”
“That they were,” Amelia agreed.
The dinner bell rang from the main level. “Now, off with you,” Ellen said. “Go enjoy dinner with my son.”
“It would be much more enjoyable with you.”
Ellen gave her a look that she wasn’t able to decipher. “I doubt that very much.”
Amelia walked over to the door and placed a hand on the handle. “Would you like me to read to you after dinner?”
“I would like that.”
After Amelia departed from the room, she hurried down to the drawing room and saw Edmund was standing next to the mantel over the fireplace. He was dressed in a black jacket, white linens, and black trousers, and his black shoes were polished to a mirrorlike shine. She had to admit that he looked remarkably handsome this evening.
As she stepped into the room, he turned his expectant gaze towards her.
“Your mother will not be joining us this evening for dinner,” she informed him.
“No?” he asked. “Did she say why?”
“She said she is tired this evening.”
A concerned looked came to Edmund’s face. “Do you suppose we should send for the doctor?”
“Not yet,” she replied. “Perhaps we give her one more day to recover.”
Amelia watched as Edmund’s eyes perused the length of her, and in them she saw approval. In spite of herself, she felt a rush of pleasure at that thought. Enough of that, she chided herself.
“You are looking lovely tonight,” Edmund said.
“That is kind of you to say,” she replied, feeling an unwelcome blush creep onto her cheeks.
Edmund’s expression was solemn as he took a step closer to her. “I don’t believe I have thanked you properly for everything that you have done for me.”
“You are more than welcome.”
“I would like to do something for you to show my appreciation.”
With a slight shake of her head, she replied, “That is not necessary.”
“But I want to,” he asserted. “You have given me so much.”
Feeling bold, she said, “All I want is for you to love your daughter.”
For a long moment, Edmund didn’t answer. His eyes searched her face as if attempting to discern her sincerity.
“How is it that you ask nothing for yourself in return?” he questioned softly.
“I don’t need anything,” she replied honestly.
“Everyone needs something.”
Amelia smiled playfully. “I should note that your mother did purchase me a new riding hat,” she said. “So you see, I have already been properly compensated.”
She was pleased to see Edmund return her smile. “You are a perplexing woman.”
“That is better than being vexing, I suppose.”
He chuckled. “That it is.”
Amelia stared at him in astonishment. “You laughed.”
“I did.”
“It suits you.”
Edmund took a step closer to her, and she had to tilt her head up to look at him. “I suppose you have given me a reason to laugh again.”
“I am happy to hear that.”
He watched her for a moment. “I have come to realize that I know very little about you,” he said.
“What do you wish to know?”
Edmund cocked his head. “Where are you from?”
“I grew up in a coastal village in Suffolk,” she replied, attempting to keep her answers vague.
“It is evident you grew up in privilege.”
Amelia nodded. “I did.”
“Were you able to have a Season before your parents died?”
“Sadly, no.”
Edmund offered her a sad smile. “Have you not had a Season then?”
“I have had many,” she replied. “My sisters insist that I attend all the balls, soirées and social gatherings with them.”
Edmund eyed her intently, as if trying to sort out a complex puzzle. “How is that possible?”
Deciding to take some pity on him, she explained, “You seem to believe that I am destitute, but that is not the case. I chose to be your mother’s companion because she asked me to.”
“You willingly left the Season to be a companion?” His voice was skeptical.
She nodded. “I left gladly. I prefer the countryside over stuffy ballrooms.”
“As do I.”
“I know,” she said with laughter in her voice. “You have made that abundantly clear.”
“I believe I may have vastly underestimated you, Amelia.”
She smirked. “Most people do.”
He did not smile again, as she hoped he would. Instead, he said, “I won’t be making that mistake again, I assure you.”
Before Amelia could reply, Morton stepped into the room and announced dinner was ready to be served.
Edmund offered his arm to her. “May I escort you into the dining room?”
“You may.”
As they entered the dining room, Amelia couldn’t help but admit that she was grow
ing increasingly comfortable in the duke’s presence. Something that she found disconcerting. She should be wary of him, but instead, she was enjoying the time they spent together. Immensely.
What is wrong with me, she thought. She had never been a lady who could be swayed by a handsome face before. So why start now?
With the morning sun streaming in the windows, Edmund attempted to review his ledgers, but his thoughts kept returning to the lovely Amelia. And she was most definitely lovely. But it wasn’t just her beauty that drew him in; it was her cleverness and quick wit. Traits that he had found vexing before, he now found endearing. She was unlike any other woman he had ever known.
What is happening to me, he wondered.
He shouldn’t even be thinking about Amelia. After all, she was his mother’s companion and beneath his notice. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself. She was a walking contradiction. She came from privilege, but she gave up her place in Society to be a companion. Why would she do that?
Edmund knew he owed so much to Amelia, and he hated feeling so indebted to her. But she refused to accept any type of compensation. He found that fascinating and confusing at the same time. What could he possibly offer her that she couldn’t refuse?
Morton stepped into the room and announced, “Mr. Ridout is here to call on you, Your Grace.”
“Very good. Send him in.” As his butler turned to leave, Edmund asked, “Has Miss Blackmore left to go riding?”
“No, she has not.”
“Excellent. I would like to join her for her morning ride,” he said. “Will you ensure that my horse is saddled and waiting out front?”
Morton tipped his head. “As you wish.”
Edmund found himself growing increasingly eager to see Amelia this morning. He shook his head. This would not end well for him, he decided. Forming an attachment to Amelia was a bad idea, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
Mr. Ridout stepped into the room with a ledger and map in his hand. “Good morning, Your Grace.”
Edmund sat back in his chair. “Good morning,” he greeted.
His steward stopped in front of the desk and held up the map in his hand. “I brought a map with me that highlights all of your newly acquired land. Would you care to see it?”
“I would.”
Mr. Ridout unrolled the map and placed it on the desk. “As you can see, you own the majority of the land in the surrounding areas, but there still is one owner who refuses to sell.”