Mary took a deep breath. He was apologising to her, and that was something she did not expect from a man. She was not completely sure that she deserved so unreserved an apology, deep down. She had been angry at herself as well as him.
I do not deserve that you should grant me a second lesson, in view of my churlishness, but could you bear to do so? I cannot promise to be a better pupil in results, but I do promise that I shall be very attentive.
I remain, madam,
Yourobedientservant,
Rowland Kempsey168
She could not help but smile at the underlining. In the morning, she told herself, she would reply, and must sound not just gracious, but willing to admit her ‘governess-like’ manner must have been hard to bear. There was no logical reason why she should have put the note under her pillow, but she did, and slept better than she had anticipated.
Actually writing her response proved rather more difficult than she had thought when she sat at the little writing table in the morning room after breakfast, and it took her several attempts to find a form of words which she liked. Little did she know that Sir Rowland had himself cast aside three sheets of paper before setting his name to the fourth. She was frowning when Atlow knocked and then entered, announcing the man whose image was in her mind at that moment. She gave the slightest of starts.
‘I am sorry if I have interrupted you, Miss Lound,’ Sir Rowland made his bow, and had Mary not been dealing with her own emotions, she would have seen he looked a little tense.
Atlow withdrew, leaving the pair looking at each other. There was an awkward silence, then Sir Rowland opened his mouth to speak, only to find that they both began at the same moment.
‘I felt that I ought …’
‘I was in the process of writing …’
There could be times when a clash of speech might169result in slightly embarrassed laughter, but this was not one of them. Both parties coloured and said nothing for some moments. Then Sir Rowland cleared his throat.
‘I am not come with reference to … yesterday, ma’am. It would be intolerable for me to put any pressure upon you, and—’
‘As I tried to say, I was writing to you even as you were announced, and for my part, I too wished to apologise, sir, and to … begin again.’ She coloured.
‘I come with another request to lay before you, Miss Lound.’
‘You do?’ Mary’s surprise was patent, but he took courage from the absence of any indication that her answer was going to be negative.
‘Yes. You see, I was going to go about the estate today with Wilmslow, meet the tenants and so forth, but Wilmslow has sent me a note saying that he tripped over the cat yesterday evening, twisted his knee, and cannot walk or ride.’ He gave a slight smile. ‘It would seem unlikely that he will be able to get about for over a week and … you know your tenants and they know you. If introductions are to be made there is none better to make them. May I ask, if you are not otherwise engaged, if you would act as my guide? I am not suggesting that you are equated in my mind with my steward but …’ His voice trailed off.
‘I understand perfectly, Sir Rowland. I have no engagements,’ she smiled, ‘and it would take but fifteen minutes or so for me to tidy myself, change my dress170and send for my horse and Silas, our groom. However, I would wish to let my mama know of the plan, in case she has any errands that she was intending that I fulfil this morning.’
‘Of course.’
‘If you would be so good as to wait, sir.’ Mary rang the bell. ‘And if you would care to take a cup of coffee or …’
‘No, no. I am content to await you, Miss Lound.’
He would have been content to wait alone in the room, but a few minutes later Lady Damerham entered, having been advised of his presence by her daughter. Her ladyship considered his asking Mary to accompany him about the tenant farms as ‘a good sign’, but hoped her daughter would not appear as too efficient, for that was not, in her view, what gentlemen liked.
By the time that Mary returned, in her riding habit, Sir Rowland looked a little beleaguered, having had to perform feats of mental agility to follow Lady Damerham’s train of thought. His face had a slightly dazed look, which Mary had seen so very often. Having grown up with a mother who made not so much connections of adjacent subjects as leapt like a squirrel from tree to tree, she had learnt to follow without, as it were, thinking.
Miss Lound in a riding habit was a sight Sir Rowland found very pleasing. She suited the stark lines and solid, dark colour. Like her, it was practical and without fuss.171
‘Did you leave your own horse with Silas, or did you walk over, Sir Rowland?’
‘I rode over.’
‘Then we had as well go to the stable as wait for the horses to be brought round.’ It might also give her, thought Mary, the chance to explain … everything.
‘I truly appreciate your letter. It was very … unexpected.’
‘It was?’
‘Yes. Men do not like to apologise. They see it as a sign of weakness.’ She paused. ‘I do not like to do so either, but I will. I made a mull of it, the teaching bit. I can think of very little worse than being treated as if you were in short coats by a woman dressed like a scarecrow and …’
