“All this reminds me of the time I fell at Rawdon Manor,” Gillian said. “I was only twelve. Do you remember, Seger?”
He smiled kindly at Gillian. “Of course. I remember how you cried.”
Clara gazed down at Gillian’s face and saw a warm radiance in her eyes.
“What happened?” she asked.
Seger reminisced. “Gillian was running, that’s all I saw. I don’t know where she was running to, only that she fell. You went down very hard. Your nose scraped the rocks.”
She touched it. “I still have a small scar.”
“Barely noticeable,” he replied.
Gillian tried to sit up. “But you came to my rescue.”
“I merely carried you into the house.”
Clara watched the exchange and realized that Gillian was like a sister to Seger. She hoped Gillian would become like a sister to her, too.
Seger glanced toward the front hall. “Perhaps it’s time to leave the Hibberts to their day,” he said. “Will you be able to walk, Gillian?”
“I believe so.”
“I won’t have to carry you this time?” he said merrily.
Eyes flashing with delight, she giggled and shook her head. “No, Seger.”
“Good. I’ll summon the carriage, then. Are you ready, my dear?” he said to Clara.
She nodded and took his hand as he helped her to her feet.
Gillian chose her newest, most fetching gown when she dressed for dinner that evening. Quintina had convinced her that the color amber brought out the best in her complexion, especially in candlelight, and went well with her sand-colored hair. Quintina also chose a pearl-and-diamond choker from her own collection to go with the gown and lent it to Gillian.
Gillian watched herself in the mirror as her maid hooked the choker at the back of her neck. She wished she had been more daring with her appearance before now, when it was probably too late.
She supposed if things didn’t work out with Seger, at least she would have learned a thing or two from Clara about how to attract a man. She’d never experienced admiration from a man before—at least not a man worthy of her notice.
Gillian touched the pearls at her neck. Yes, if things didn’t work out here, she would put this new knowledge to good use and do even better than Seger. A duke, perhaps? That would be very satisfying. She would outrank Clara at social functions. Her blood quickened at the thought. Perhaps one day, she would have an opportunity to give her the cut direct.
Just then, a knock sounded at her door and Quintina walked in. She waved the maid away and moved to stand behind Gillian, who looked at her aunt in the mirror’s reflection. “Well?”
Quintina rested her hands upon Gillian’s shoulders. “You look stunning, my dear. He will be very surprised. We should have been dressing you like this all along.”
“I thought the very same thing a moment ago, Auntie. Why didn’t we?”
Quintina released a sigh. “I thought he would prefer someone demure for a wife. Someone like...well, you know.”
“Yes.”
Someone like Daphne. A merchant’s daughter who dressed like...like a merchant’s daughter.
Gillian bristled just thinking of her. Daphne hadn’t even been all that pretty. Seger’s affection for her had never made any sense to Gillian. She thought the girl was no better than a dairy maid. Surely, Seger would have realized that eventually. Even if Daphne had not gotten on that ship to America, he probably wouldn’t have married her in the end. He would have come to his senses.
Quintina fiddled with Gillian’s hairstyle in the back, folding locks into place. “It went well this morning, don’t you think? We got them out of bed at any rate.”
“Yes, and the Hibberts were very helpful.”
“Did you feel badly about lying to them?” Quintina asked.
