Brookhouse leaned over to me and added under his breath, “And who would inform the neighbors?”
Mrs. Wickerton replaced her unnerving book and tapped my elbow. “Now, Captain Calder, please escort me into the house. I’d like to inform the general of my arrival.”
And so I did, my sliver of opportunity stolen by a petite woman with a fierce hold on my arm.
It was very clear when we stepped into the hall that Mrs. Wickerton had not in fact been expected at the house party. General and Mrs. Blackwell tried to hide their surprise behind pleasant smiles, but I caught the glances between them when she was announced.
The addition of Mrs. Wickerton meant a shuffling of seats at dinner, but I still ended up across from Harriet and beside Miss Blackwell. The whole of dinner felt off somehow, as if the rest of us had become quite comfortable with each other these past five days and our new addition wasn’t able to slide in unnoticed.
She sat on the same side of the table as Miss Blackwell and me, but closer to General Blackwell, and although she seemed to dominate much of the conversation there, we weren’t close enough to participate in it.
I leaned toward Miss Blackwell. Her dinner dress was a pale ivory silk with a wide neckline—wide enough to expose all of her brushstroke mark. I kept my eyes forward. That mark was probably another reason all those men Charlie had mentioned were fascinated by her. But I wasn’t a fool. I wouldn’t be beguiled by such things. “Is she a very good friend of the family?” I asked.
She brought her head closer to mine, her fingers toying with the tablecloth between us. “She is a good friend to everyone in Derbyshire.” She turned and I lost my resolve to keep looking forward. I met her gaze only inches from my own, her eyes sparked with a conspiratorial light. “At least according to her.”
It was easy to infer what she meant by that. “So you are to be inundated by another guest you despise?”
“I don’t despise Mrs. Wickerton. She is a decided busybody, as you will soon find out, but she is also in a position of need, having no permanent residence that I know of. Therefore, she requires kindness.”
“And I do not.”
Her eyes flashed to the scar on my eyebrow and then returned to mine. “Not since the day we met, Captain. But I don’t despise you either.”
I searched those gray eyes of hers. “I suppose even despising me would require too much effort on your part.”
“Apparently so.”
She turned back to her food and I to mine, but her admission rattled about in my brain. Had something changed? If it had, it was by no effort on my part. My eyes narrowed in on the food on my plate, still untouched. Was it possible Miss Blackwell knew of Harriet’s promise?
It would be a good thing, wouldn’t it, if she did?
It could mean several good things. Perhaps I would now get more time with Harriet. Perhaps Harriet was ready for all of the house party to know of our attachment. I glanced over at Brookhouse. Miss Blackwell was speaking to him, but his eyes were focused on Harriet across the table.
Harriet was deep in conversation with Davis, but her eyes glanced up for a moment, found Brookhouse’s and then glanced back down.
What was going on there?
Despite my progress with Miss Blackwell, I was broody when the women left. Davis didn’t help matters by telling Brookhouse how grateful Miss Pryor had been for his help when choosing ribbons in Peak Hollow that morning.
If Harriet was going to confide in someone about our entanglement, perhaps she should have told Brookhouse. He seemed far too interested in her.
There was nothing I could say, though. I had no official right, and so I drank my brandy and kept my mouth shut.
17
CAPTAIN JOHN CALDER
The next dayI rose early, left a note for General Blackwell, and rode to Applewood to check for mail. I had two letters, one from Arthur and one from May. Arthur’s letter was dated a week earlier than May's, which happened often with many letters waiting for the correct ship to take them overseas.
I held both letters to my chest. I’d never received two in one day before. Both were doing well. Arthur had just started university and was considering acquiring land out west when he finished. May spoke of wanting to visit London and experience a Season.
I immediately sat down and wrote return letters. By the time I spoke with my staff and checked on the stables, the sun was getting low in the sky.
I made it back in time to sit next to Miss Blackwell for dinner. Being away all day might have done me some good, for she didn’t seem displeased to see me.
That evening when the men entered the drawing room after dinner, we discovered Mrs. Wickerton had commandeered a corner of the room and gathered all the older women with her.
Harriet and Miss Blackwell sat at the same small table with three seats, and despite Miss Blackwell’s claim of not despisingme, I didn’t trust her to allow me that seat. I glanced at Brookhouse. Romantic rival or no, he was the most likely to follow my madcap plans. “Perhaps we should move the other table?”
