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“I am excessively pleased to hear that each of the Simkinses is improving. It surely would not be the case without your intervention.”

“True.” His mother had yet to look away. “But Cook and I would not have known of their lack if it weren’t for you and Caroline.”

Benedict had been on the receiving end of his mother’s knowing look all too often as a child. It never omened well. She saw far too much. Or else he gave away far too much.

Feeling like a ten-year-old boy caught tracking mud through the house, he willed himself not to squirm. “I am doubly glad that we were able to ascertain their need.” Credit for that sat securely at Caroline’s feet, but it seemed wise to limit his mention of their interactions that day. Instead, he asked a question. “Was Meg at the Simkinses’ house also?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

Benedict’s apprehension increased. “Is she unwell?”

“According to Caroline, she is fine.” She paused, her expression grave. “I gather she remains in quarantine because of having been at the farm.”

“What?” Benedict’s father drew his brows together. “A full explanation, if you please.”

Benedict ran his fingers through his hair. “Meg came to the farm to ride Ginger the day we learned that Mr. Rowe had smallpox. Caroline was very concerned that Mr. Rowe had interacted with those working in the stable and that they were now interacting with Meg.”

“Her reaction is understandable,” his mother said. “Caroline has good reason to be afraid of smallpox.”

“Yes, she has,” Benedict said.

“Has she not returned to the farm since?” she asked.

“No.”

“Benedict.” There was a change in the tone of her voice. “Look at me.”

When had he looked away? He could not answer the question. He must have done it unconsciously. If his mother saw the anguish that was surely in his eyes, she’d know far more than he wanted her to about his current feelings. He turned his head slightly so he could see her without giving her a full view of his face. “I am not a boy any longer, Mother.”

“Of that, I am fully aware,” she said. “But if you are as worried about Caroline and her young daughter as I sense you are, might I give you some motherly advice?”

Stifling a sigh, Benedict gave an acquiescent nod. She could say whatever she wished. Thankfully, he did not have to act upon it. “Very well.”

“Write to her.”

It was not the lecture Benedict had expected. “Write to her?”

“Absolutely. If you wish to know how she and Meg are faring, it stands to reason that she would also be glad to hear that you are well. Give her an update on Mr. Rowe’s condition along with the health of the stableboys. I would hazard a guess that given what she has experienced, she could use some reassurance.”

“Even if she seeks reassurance, I do not believe she would wish it to come from me.”

His mother stared at him. “Whyever not?”

“She no longer trusts my judgment.” Saying the words out loud was incredibly difficult, but it was marginally easier than admitting that Caroline believed him callous or that she saw no future with him.

“Good heavens. What did you do wrong?”

“Why would you assume that I did something wrong?” he asked, attempting to keep his voice even.

“Because I’ve known Caroline since she first learned to walk. She is loyal to a fault.”

Benedict folded his arms. “In case it has slipped your mind, you have known me since birth, and to the best of my knowledge, I have yet to be accused of being disloyal or untrustworthy.”

“That is true, and I am very glad of it.” His mother offered him an all-too-knowing look. “But as you regularly avoid speaking to young ladies at Society events and, therefore, have limited practice in the art, it stands to reason that the error likely lies with you.”

Irritation gnawed at him. “Conversing with numberless simpering young ladies and their hovering mothers in a loud ballroom is a very different proposition than engaging in a personal discussion with one remarkable young woman and Giles in a barn full of cows.”

His mother met his response with a moment of complete silence, but when she spoke again, her voice was gentle. “Caroline truly is remarkable, isn’t she?”