Page 29 of An Affair at Stonecliffe

With her tone already cold, Carlisle wished he could think of anything other than his original query. But his mind was suddenly blank. And he couldn’t just turn on his heel and leave. “I, er... I haven’t given you any pin money.”

“Pin money?” Noelle repeated blankly.

“Yes. I realized that I hadn’t provided you with any sort of personal allowance.”

Noelle stiffened. “After all you said to me, you have the audacity to offer me money? I can see how very sincere your apology was. You still believe that I can be bought.”

“No. That’s not it at all. It has nothing to do with—” Carlisle sighed. Was every interaction they had going to end in an argument? “I’m not trying to buy you. I’m talking about living expenses.”

“What living expenses? Gil and I will have a place to live and food to eat. You’re already going to get an absurdly large bill for the clothes Lady Drewsbury bought for me—which I will repay.”

Carlisle set his jaw. Perhaps she wasn’t as immoral as he thought, but she was certainly as irritating. “That’s absurd. I don’t want reimbursement. And how, I’d like to know, do you think you would get the money to do so? Do you plan to sell hats out of Stonecliffe?”

“I don’t know how I will.” Noelle clenched her fists. “But I shall. I repaid you the first time, didn’t I?”

“The money you stole from me? Yes, you were quick enough to toss that back in my face. And I must say, it was a remarkably foolish thing to give up that money just to jab at me.”

“I didn’t do it to ‘jab’ at you. I did it because I’m not a thief!”

“Oh, for pity’s sake.” He swung away, then back. “You are the most stiff-necked, unreasonable woman I have ever had the misfortune to meet. This is a senseless argument. First, I don’t give a damn about the money. Second, it’s not mine. The expenses for this house, your clothes, all of it, come from your son’s estate, which I believe Lady Drewsbury already pointed out to you. And third, I’m not talking about food or rent, just personal money for you to spend as you wish. On ribbons or trinkets or whatever you want. Here.” Thorne grabbed her wrist and, pulling a small pouch from an inner pocket of his jacket, he shoved it into her palm. “Take it. And do not give this one back to me.” Letting go of her wrist, he turned and strode out the door.

THEY SET OUT for Stonecliffe the following afternoon. Gil bounced from one side of the carriage to the other, trying to take in everything at once. The countess was happy to answer Gil’s endless questions, and Thorne had chosen to ride his horse instead of sitting in the carriage with them. He said he did so because he wanted another person besides the groom and driver to guard the carriage. Noelle suspected that he simply didn’t want to have to be polite to Noelle for the length of the trip.

Which suited her. The less she saw of him, the better—not, of course, that she didn’t see him. She couldn’t help but look at him as he rode on her side of the carriage. She had to admit he cut a fine figure on horseback. Boots and the trim cut of riding clothes suited him. He was very powerful and very male astride the large gray stallion, controlling it easily with his thighs. Something stirred deep within her, a tickle long since dead.

Carlisle glanced over, and Noelle turned her head away, embarrassed that he had caught her studying him. At least he couldn’t know about the wayward sensation that had darted through her, that sudden awareness of him as a man rather than an enemy. He probably assumed she was plotting against him.

She glanced back out the window and found that he was now watching her. Raising her eyebrows, she met his stare, and after a moment, it was he who looked away. He put his heels to his mount and rode forward.

“Carlisle will take care of everything.” Adeline nodded toward Thorne, following Noelle’s eyes. “You and Gil won’t be in any danger. Once Carlisle sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping him. He’ll find out who it is and put an end to it, I’m sure.”

It must be nice to feel so secure, so certain of another person that one could just turn her troubles over to him and know it would be resolved. Unlike the countess, Noelle was well aware that the only person she could trust to take care of her and Gil was herself. “I know Mr. Thorne will do his best to protect Gil.”

“He’s always been like that,” the countess went on. “From the moment he came to us.”

Curious, Noelle said, “How did he, um, ‘come to you’?”

“It was after his father died. His father, Horace, was good friends with my husband, Thomas. Horace died young, and he had named Thomas as Carlisle’s guardian. Carlisle must have been ten. Adam was only three, younger than the age Gilbert is now.”

“His mother was—she’d passed on, as well?”

“No. Belinda is still alive. But she...well, mothering is not her foremost skill. Mind you, I’m not saying anything against Belinda; I’m sure she loves Carlisle. But she is interested in politics and the government and that sort of thing.” Adeline waved a hand vaguely. “But when she married Mr. Halder, who is of like mind, the earl suggested that Carlisle might like to live with us for a while.”

“His mother gave him up?” Noelle’s eyes widened. Thorne’s belief that Noelle would simply hand Gilbert over to him made more sense now.

“Yes. One has to give her credit. She could have kept Carlisle with her—after all, they had servants and Carlisle had a tutor to look after him, and giving him to us lowered her in some people’s eyes. But she knew Carlisle was lonely, and would be much happier here with us. I don’t think it was an easy decision for her. She did come to see Carlisle, and he went to visit her now and then, but...” Her voice trailed off doubtfully.

“I see. It’s no wonder that Mr. Thorne is so fond of you.”

Adeline smiled. “He loved Thomas, as well. Thomas was a good man.” She leaned closer, gazing earnestly into Noelle’s eyes. “I realize Thomas may have seemed...unkind to Adam.”

Noelle could think of a few other things to call the earl, but she said nothing. It was clear that the countess wanted her to think well of everyone.

“Thomas was very unhappy over the separation,” the countess went on. “He missed Adam, but he was just so stubborn that he wouldn’t give in. Adam was the same; well, you know that, I’m sure.”

Noelle smiled faintly. “Yes, I seem to recall that.”

“They had harsh words and said things they should not have, but neither of them would be the one to capitulate. It was an awful time. Thank heavens Carlisle sent Adam that monthly stipend. I was going to, you see, but my pin money wouldn’t have been enough to live on.”