Enid remained quiet, knowing nothing that she said would appease her father.
“Good day,” her father said in his usual gruff voice before he departed from the room.
What an odd thing, she realized. She didn’t usually sit in the nursery during Marigold’s nap, making her wonder if her father visiting was a normal occurrence. She hoped so. How could he not love his granddaughter?
Enid placed the book down and quietly departed the room. As she passed by the nursemaid, she asked, “Does my father come to visit Marigold?”
Marie lowered her gaze. “I cannot say, my lady. He swore me to secrecy.”
“I understand,” Enid said, having no desire to make Marie uncomfortable.
She exited the nursery and headed down the corridor towards the stairs. She had just started to descend them when a knock came at the door.
The butler crossed the entry hall and opened the door, revealing Greydon. He stepped inside and his eyes met hers, causing a fluttering in her stomach. Or was that just her imagination? He had shown no sign that he held her in high regard. Which was fine by her. She couldn’t- no, she wouldn’t- give her heart away again.
So why did Greydon have such an effect on her?
Greydon bowed. “Lady Enid,” he said cordially.
She dropped into a curtsy. “Lord Rushcliffe.”
“May I speak to you privately for a moment?” he asked.
Enid nodded. “We can speak in the gardens,” she replied.
Greydon approached her and held out his arm. “It would be my honor to escort you, my lady,” he said.
After she placed her hand on his sleeve, he escorted her towards the rear of the townhouse. A footman opened the door and followed them out onto the veranda.
They stepped down onto the path that led through the center of the gardens. Enid removed her hand, clasping it in front of her, and glanced over at Greydon. “Did you speak to your father?”
“I did, and I informed him that I would not end my friendship with you,” Greydon replied.
“Did he take issue with that?”
Greydon chuckled dryly. “He takes issue with everything that I do. This is not the first time that my father and I disagreed on something.”
“I am sorry that I am the source of the contention.”
“My father and I stopped seeing eye to eye a long time ago, I’m afraid,” Greydon admitted. “He took issue with me becoming a Bow Street Runner. He even threatened to disown me.”
“Did he?”
“No, because that would cause a scandal and my father would never do anything that would cause our family’s legacy to be tarnished.”
Enid could hear the hardness in Greydon’s voice and it concerned her. “I think your father has hurt you more than you have let on.”
“No more than what your father did to you.”
“Perhaps, but I did bring shame to my family.”
“You made a mistake,” Greydon said.
Enid huffed. “I wish it was as simple as that,” she said. “I hadn’t even considered what would happen to my family as a result of my elopement. I was entirely self-absorbed.”
“But you aren’t anymore.”
“I can’t be because I have Marigold to tend to,” Enid said. “I won’t let her down.”
