Grace’s eyes were soft as she gazed at him. “Very well. We shall try it.”
Bolton disappeared back into the dressing room, and he took Grace in his arms. “Wewillmake it work. Even if I have to have a bell-pull installed at the door so that Thorton can be awakened in the middle of the night.”
Her eyes danced with merriment. “Poor Thorton.”
Matt’s stomach growled. “We must have our breakfast if we’re not to be late for the meeting with Mr. Rollins.”
They’d almost finished eating when Patience and Louisa entered the breakfast room.
His stepmother looked as if she was expecting bad news. “Well, how were they?”
“They were fine,” Grace said reassuringly. “Everyone settled in, and we had no trouble at all. Not even any bad dreams. The children should be down soon. Louisa, why don’t you go up and see what’s keeping Charlotte?”
After Louisa left, Patience let out a sigh of relief. “I cannot express how pleased I am. The only thing concerning me about the wedding was the children. But it seems they have taken it upon themselves to behave.”
Grace glanced at her with raised brows. “It has all been remarkably trouble-free. Almost too easy.”
He covered her hand with his. “Let’s not go looking for trouble.”
“No, you’re absolutely correct.” She poured Patience a cup of tea. “I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.”
The sound of stampeding elephants echoed from the stairs. And he’d thought his sisters were loud. “I believe they’ll be here shortly.”
He wondered what Grace had done to keep the ceilings from seeming as if they were falling in.
“My lord,” Royston said from the door. “A message has come that Mr. Rollins has arrived at Worthington House.”
“Thank you, Royston. I’ll go immediately.”
Matt rose, kissed Grace on her cheek, and braced himself for the comments that usually accompanied his displays of his affection for her, but no one said a word, though Philip shuddered and Madeline sighed. “You finish eating, my love. I’ll take him up. Do you want me to take the plans for this house with me?”
“No, it’s not necessary. Tell him I want essentially the same design. I have made some other notes as well.” She pulled several sheets of paper from her pocket. “Here, take these. I’ll be over shortly.”
Matt took her scribblings and left. It might behoove him to look at all the changes Grace was proposing to his house.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Grace, what are you and Matt doing?” Augusta asked.
“We are remodeling Worthington House so that the school-room floor will be almost the same as the one here.”
Alice and Eleanor glanced at each other. “But we all decided to live here.”
Looking around the table, all eyes were on her. “We shall for this Season. The next time we come to Town, we’ll live at Worthington House. By the time everything is ready, I promise you will like it.”
Patience pulled a face. “I’m afraid it will take a great deal to accomplish.”
It certainly would. Yet Grace wouldn’t blame Patience, who’d never been encouraged to do anything with the house. “I agree.” The children still appeared skeptical. “How would you like to have a hand in decorating your chambers?”
“Can my room be pink?” Mary asked.
“It can be any color you wish, sweetie.”
Her announcement was the impetus for a great deal of talk among the girls.
Patience grinned and said, “Grace, if you want to join Worthington and the architect, I shall watch the children.”
She looked at her empty plate and debated eating another helping. For some reason, she’d been so hungry lately. “I’ll leave in a few minutes. I want Matt to meet with the architect alone first. It is his house after all, and he must be comfortable with Rollins.”
