Page 9 of The Widow’s Christmas Surprise

“It hasn’t been in use since the old earl’s mother died, my lady, in 1795 so I’ve been told,” Mr. Granger said, closing the carriage door. “The house should have been kept up better, perhaps, but his lordship never married, so there was no expectation of its being used for many years. He only asked for a yearly inspection and cleaning, which has been carried out meticulously under my supervision.” He led them up the stairs and unlocked the door. “However, when I reported to Lord Kersey that the curtains needed replacing, or the floor in the library was sagging, he always waved it away. So while there are not significant repairs or replacements required, there are many small ones.” Opening the door, Mr. Granger waited for them to enter. “Welcome to Francis House, ladies.”

The narrow entry hall gave onto a staircase at the far end leading to the first floor. To the right a drawing room yawned, empty save for a large shape under a dust sheet that might be a sofa. Maria poked her head inside. A good-sized room that could become quite cozy with more furniture and a good fire. They continued down the corridor, past the library, music room, and the breakfast room, all mostly empty and a little dusty, but still quite charming. “How many bedrooms are there, Mr. Granger?”

“Six, although two are larger than the others. The dowager’s chamber is this way.” He led them up the curving staircase to a largish apartment that included a dressing room and bathing chamber. The prospect from the chamber was fine as well, overlooking the gardens and a pond beyond.

“What must the last dowager have had in mind when she installed such an extravagant space in her chamber just for bathing?” Maria could see little of the windowless room, part of the dressing room that had been walled off. To have set aside that much of her apartments to ensure she could bathe in private was luxury indeed.

“Perhaps something to do with creature comforts, my dear.” Jane cut her eyes from Maria to Mr. Granger, then smothered a smile. “There is so much that can be done for one in a private bath that one cannot have done in a more public area.”

“It holds a central tub and has heated racks for warming the towels.” Mr. Granger nodded toward the chamber, but he glanced at Jane then backed away and into the bedroom. “Next time you come I’ll bring a light so you can view it properly. If you approve of the property, that is.”

Turning toward the window, Maria clasped her hands together. “Oh, who would dislike this charming prospect? Or the wonderful conveniences, such as this bathing chamber? Do you truly think I might be able to live here, Jane?”

Her cousin shrugged. “I see no reason why not. If you settle in before the heir takes residence, such deference in giving way to his position may go far toward him allowing you and little Jane to remain here permanently.” Her gaze fixed on the steward. “Don’t you think so, Mr. Granger?”

“Quite right, my lady.” The man stood, suddenly unsteady on his pins. “If his lordship sees that you are amenable to living here, leaving the main hall for him and his family without any fuss, he may wish to appear magnanimous by allowing you to reside here.” Mr. Granger suddenly dispelled the serious nature of his comments, with a boyish grin. “At least that is what many gentlemen prefer to persuade themselves they are doing, rather than turning his distant relations out into the road and being gossiped about afterwards.”

“Do you think he will turn us out, Mr. Granger?” Panic shot a lump into Maria’s throat until she could scarcely breathe. That would mean utter disaster for her and her child. “What would Lord Kersey have done?”

The young man’s brows furrowed. “Do you mean your husband, my lady? You would know how he would handle such a problem better than I.”

“No, no, the old Lord Kersey.” She glared at Mr. Granger. “I know only too well what arrangements my husband would have made for a widow over whom he held the slightest advantage.”

Jane’s strangled expression as she hastily moved to the window made Maria want to hide herself in the darkened bathing chamber, but she refused to do that. What she’d said about Alan, although not fit for mixed company, was nevertheless the truth as she had come to know it. She must pray nightly that the next Lord Kersey would not have such evil proclivities.

Mr. Granger had taken the opportunity to stare intently out the window toward the pond in the distance. “Just so, my lady. I did know his lordship, your husband’s uncle, very well indeed. And I can assure you, he would have thought it his duty to the family to make a home for the widow of his relative, whether or not he knew them.” Turning to face her, Mr. Granger smiled encouragingly. “I sincerely hope that trait has been passed down to the next Lord Kersey, my lady.”

“Th-thank you, Mr. Granger.” His kind blue eyes, vivid as crystal gemstones, and the sympathetic words made Maria’s heart beat faster. Try as she might, she couldn’t look away from the brilliant color that reminded her of the earrings she’d inherited from her grandmother. Blue topaz. The most beautiful color in the world.

“I think we should perhaps return to the house, my dear.” Jane’s firm hand grasped Maria’s arm and compelled her out of the bedchamber. “The sun will be setting all too soon and there are always dangers lurking . . . after dark.”

Her cousin’s pointed remark snapped Maria out of her reverie. Dear lord, how long had she been gazing at Mr. Granger like a moonstruck schoolgirl? Fire blazed in her cheeks so that the chilly air was a welcome relief when they reached the outdoors. The coachman opened the door and Jane all but shoved her into the carriage, then followed her in and plumped down on the seat beside her.

Neither of them spoke, Maria silent in the hope Jane would say nothing about her very forward and revealing behavior at the dower house.

“Well, if a lady wished to be obvious about a flirtation, she had best come take lessons from you, my dear.” Jane spoke nonchalantly, although her meaning was clear enough.

“I don’t know what came over me, Jane.” She truly didn’t. One moment she’d been thinking that perhaps she might be all right if Lord Kersey was as generous as the previous earl, and the next she couldn’t drag her gaze away from Mr. Granger’s enthralling eyes. “Do you think he noticed?”

With a snort, Jane sat back in the seat. “The man would have had to have been blind not to. But then”—her cousin’s eyes narrowed—“he seemed just as fascinated with staring into your face as you did with him.”

“Oh!” Maria resisted the urge to cover her blazing hot cheeks once more. “Did he really?”

Sighing, Jane shook her head. “Babes in the woods, both of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will grant you Mr. Granger is a very handsome gentleman, with a great deal of good sense and kindness. However”—Jane stared straight into Maria’s face, unblinking, until Maria began to squirm on the seat—“you cannot begin to think warmly about someone of such unremarkable prospects.”

Maria blinked. She’d been certain Jane was going to scold her for having “warm” thoughts about anyone while in half mourning. “How do you know what his means are?”

“He is a steward, my dear. If his prospects were better, he would be tending to his family estate, not someone else’s.” Jane sighed. “That is a shame, I’ll grant you. He runs the estate efficiently, seems very knowledgeable about all aspects of the business end of things, yet he’s got lovely manners and is, I must say, very handsome indeed. But he’s likely a second or third son of a noble family, or from the upper gentry, with no expectation of any sort of substantial inheritance. Which makes him ineligible for you.”

“I have not said I was setting my cap for him, Jane.” Maria smoothed out her pelisse, avoiding her cousin’s eyes.

“You might as well have done so publicly just now. It was written plainly on your face. Thank goodness I was the only one there to see it.” Her cousin gave a little shudder. “So you must snip any incipient feelings you are fostering for Mr. Granger before they can grow. Prune them now, before they can bloom and land you in yet another unwise marriage.”

Opening her mouth to defend her feelings—even if she didn’t quite know what those feelings were—Maria drew in a breath, then shut her mouth, her words unspoken. Perhaps Jane was right. She hadn’t known Alan at all when she’d allowed him to seduce her and worm his way into her bed. Neither did she know very much about Mr. Granger, although at her innermost core she was certain he was not the cad Alan had been. Still, it would be prudent to wait, to learn more about Mr. Granger, both from him and from others, before allowing herself to even consider any sort of alliance.