Page 11 of Wit, Wiles and Courtship

“My sister is out walking, but I do not expect she will be much longer,” Camilla said. “You may bring the tray in.”

The maid went into the corridor, and the footman entered bearing a tray with the cups, saucers, and cake. In another minute, she returned carrying the hot water for tea.

“Set it here,” Camilla said, then went to retrieve the tea leaves from the cupboard. The servants left, and she measured tea leaves and poured them in the hot water to steep. This additional sign of comfort did nothing to mar Rowe’s contentment, and his eyes rested on her hands as she arranged the cups on saucers.

He let out a sigh. “I have given our past conversation some thought and am of a mind that it is perhaps time for me to contemplate marriage.”

Camilla had been staring into the teapot and now picked up a spoon without answering and stirred the leaves. She placed the lid on the pot and sat back, her posture rigid and proper, unlike his sprawl.

“Is that so?” she asked, with a small lift of her eyebrow which he perceived, though she did not turn to him. “What has persuaded you to it in the end?”

The sounds of Miles and Dorothea reentering the house reached his ears, and he gestured with his chin to the sleeping baby in his arms. “Well, this doesn’t hurt, I suppose.”

She smiled warmly at him. “On the contrary. A rather tempting inducement, I should say.”

The door opened and Dorothea entered, removing her bonnet as she walked directly to the baby.

“I told you she would be fine,” Miles said.

“Oh, I had every confidence in Pembroke and my sister.” She peered down at her daughter, and once satisfied, took a seat. “I had only to see for myself that she was truly sleeping and that it was not a lull in the storm.”

“No storm,” Camilla confirmed. “Shall I pour?”

Rowe allowed the conversation to swirl around him without contributing, refusing any tea for fear of spilling it on the baby. When Dorothea had finished hers, she insisted on taking Augusta from him so he could have some. His sense of contentment did not diminish, and he supposed it had to do with having made his decision about marriage. Miss Eubank was fair enough and would likely take to motherhood. She had not shown any signs of threatening to chew his ear off and would not likely cut up his peace. It would not be a bad thing to taste a bit more of this novelty, except with one of his own heirs, then continue to spend his evenings and holidays as he pleased. It might serve.

And if he made an offer, his mother would leave him alone on the subject at last.

Chapter 5

Camilla woke early and went for a walk in the rose garden before breakfast, enjoying the privacy of the morning. The light was soft, and sounds of nature sprang to life all around her. Some of the smaller rose bushes, and those climbing over the trellis, were having a second or third flush of blossoms to finish the season. Her favorite had large peach-colored blooms with hints of yellow and the most delicious scent.

Life was delicious, too. Although she could not say with any certainty that Pembroke felt enough for her to make an offer, she knew his esteem for her had grown. She felt it in their exchanges, which had deepened in intimacy during his visit, culminating with last night when he had declared he was finally ready to settle down at the very moment he was holding her niece. He wouldn’t say that if he did not mean with her, would he?

She had spent the last two years hardly daring to hope he would think of her at all, other than as Dorothea’s little sister. He had always been attentive to her and responded when she spoke, understood her humor before anyone else, and sought her out whenever he came into a room. But last night was different. He had given such obvious signs of attachment that surely even Sophia would encourage her to hope had she been there to witness it. But Camilla would not tell Sophia. Not yet. This she would keep to herself, she decided, as she returned to the house.

They were to go on their picnic at Hergest Ridge, and the day they had chosen for the outing was a fine one. The hot weather had ceded its place to autumn without yet growing chilly. A gentle sun shone, and the blue sky above set to advantage cotton-white clouds. Neither rain nor humidity would spoil their pleasure.

Although the party had been in advance with their preparations, they suffered various delays over forgotten items before finally setting off in a small train of curricle, gig, and horseback. Only Dorothea stayed behind with their mother and Lady Isabelle, neither wishing to leave the baby with Nurse nor thinking it wise to bring her.

It was decided that Miles would drive Camilla and Tilly in his curricle, with Felix borrowing an older gig to drive Sophia. Joanna insisted on riding beside the carriages on horseback, and was joined by Pembroke and Evo.

In the shade of the curricle, Camilla was content to look at the scenery and keep to her own thoughts. She resisted the urge to let her eyes drift toward Pembroke. There were many thoughts to contemplate, and hardly a one to distress her. In the carriage beside them, Sophia talked to her husband in a gentle stream of confidences, as they smiled with that first blush of love. Joanna rode beside Miles and entertained Tilly, squeezed in the middle, by pointing out things she thought might interest her.

In a half hour, they arrived at the base of the hill, and the horses pursued the easiest trail to the top. The journey going up was longer than the one to reach the base of the hill, and they stopped once to allow the horses to rest and drink from a stream. At last, they arrived at the flat summit where they did indeed have the promised unhindered view in all directions, giving them the sensation of being on top of the world. Camilla had come once before when visiting Miles and Dorothea after their marriage. On that particular day, however, the sky was too gray to see anything. Today was different.

They had come without servants, and as soon as Tilly leapt down from the curricle, she went to the boot and pulled out three rolled blankets. “It is a good thing we have come in September, considering there are no trees to give shade.”

“Yes, it is not recommended to come unless the weather is fair.” Miles finished unhitching the horses. “Here, allow me to carry the basket.”

Joanna and Evo continued on to the side of the ridge and let their horses walk along it a way, stopping to point at natural landmarks in the distance. It had been agreed upon by all that they would eat first before setting out to see the scenery. Camilla helped to set up the picnic, sparing a few glances at Pembroke, who had finished caring for his horse and now went to have a few words with Felix.

“Evo!” Miles waved him over, and Felix and Pembroke broke off and came over to the blankets where everything was laid out.

Camilla sat on her heels and handed a stack of plates to Tilly, refraining from showing any signs of being flustered when Pembroke sat beside her. Tilly placed sandwiches on each plate, and Camilla began to cut the pears she had added at the last minute, thinking they would taste well with the other picnic fare. There was no board to cut them on, so she sliced them in her hand, taking care not to cut herself.

“What can I do to help?” Pembroke asked.

“Pour the lemonade?” she suggested.