Page 5 of The Swindler’s Daughter

“I still feel bad for leaving my duties to you,” she said as she arranged biscuits in a napkin-lined basket, and set the still-warm pastries on a tray.

“They’re my duties too, and I can handle it.” I knew that it wasn’t the extra duties that truly bothered her. Emeline had never gotten over feeling bad that she and the lady of the house were on friendly terms. Not that Princess Marilee wasn’t friendly to everyone. She was, which was odd enough, but the oddness was compounded by the continued ritual of taking tea with her cook, housekeeper, and former lady’s maid. Emeline, Beatrice, and Cecily had all been with the princess since she’d married her first husband. Their bond made sense considering their history and what they’d been through together, but I also understood why Emeline felt conspicuous because of it. “Here,” I said, reaching for a plate covered in sugar-dusted goodness. “I’ll help you take these up.”

She acquiesced and we made our way out to the veranda, setting the baked goods on the side table. This was to be the princess’s last hurrah with her three good friends before she and Sir James left for nearly three months. Now that baby Gabriella was old enough to travel, Marilee was determined to have a good, long visit with her family in the neighboring Kingdom of Dalthia.

We would become a household without a master or mistress. It would be very odd, having the house full of no one but servants. There would surely be less work, more free time, and more freedom in general. I loved Her Highness and could truthfully say that I would miss her, but I was excited to experience such a reprieve.

I left Emeline to fuss over the arrangement of the pastries and made my way back through the house just as Princess Marilee was coming down the stairs with the nursemaid, Jane, trailing behind her. Jane carried Gabriella on one hip and held Seraphina’s hand on her other side.

“We’re going to Cecily’s cottage so I can play with Miles,” Seraphina chattered as she jumped from step to step.

“Yes, you are,” Marilee assured her. “And Charles will be there as well.”

“Gabby can play with him. They’re both little.”

“Too true,” I heard Marilee agree as I slipped down the hall and back into the kitchen.

Instead of finding the kitchen empty, I found my brother there, staring around at the pots and cutlery as if utterly confused. “Where is my wife?” Hunter asked the moment I came in the door.

I smiled. “You enjoy saying that, don’t you?”

“What? You mean referring to my wife?” A smile swept over his mouth as if he simply couldn’t hold it back. “It never gets old.”

“Well, your wife is having tea out on the veranda.”

“Ah. That explains it. There’s not much that pulls her away from this kitchen, and I knew she wasn’t training.” He looked me over. “I suppose you were doing your own training this morning?”

I nodded.

He reached out and tugged on one of my bright curls. “Soon all the women in my life will be able to beat me in a fight.”

I snorted a laugh. “I could likely only hit you if you held very still and gave me several tries.”

He picked up an apple and leaned back against the counter that sat beneath the window. “That may be the case now, but I’m sure it won’t be for long. You still enjoy it?” He bit into the crisp apple.

Now I was the one grinning. “Very much.”

“Good,” he said around a thoughtful mouthful. “Do you get along with that Lockley boy well enough?”

I smirked at him. “I’m fairly certain that Lockley boy is as much a man as you are,” I pointed out.

He smiled wide. “That’s not saying much.”

I snorted a laugh.

“Well,” he said, pushing off the counter, “I suppose I’ll be off. Tell Em I stopped by.” He opened the back door.

“I will.” I watched out the window as he walked toward the stables, happy that he was happy. He and Emeline had been married about six months. They were friends, confidants, lovers.

I envied them.

While Emeline was gone, I sank into the comfort of making bread, allowing the routine to relax me.

When Emeline returned with the tea tray in hand less than an hour later, I had moved on to dinner preparations.

“I’ll go get the rest,” I said, dusting off my palms before making my way out to the veranda where Princess Marilee and Cecily still sat. I did my best to be unobtrusive as I gathered the serving dishes from the side table.

“Why do you look so worried?” Cecily was asking Her Highness.