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‘I would never insult my sister.’ Sebastian held his hands up in a placatory gesture. ‘I just need to be sure that she got married of her own free will and that she was happy about it. I’d hate to think of her being forced into anything because I wasn’t here to help her in a difficult situation.’
‘Mmm.’ She sat down again, her expression softening slightly as she tucked her chair back under the table. ‘Well, in that case, you can put your mind at ease. Anna’s marriage was a love match. She married the Earl despite his rank, not because of it.’
‘That’s a relief. Still, a countess...’ He shook his head. ‘You have to admit, it sounds pretty unbelievable and not just about Anna, but my mother, too. How is it possible that after twenty-five years of being disowned by her family, she’s gone to live with her mother, my so-called grandmother? A dowager duchess, of all people?’
‘I don’t know, but she has, at your uncle’s house, Feversham Hall in Yorkshire. Anna says they’re all very happy together. As is she.’
‘Well, damn it all.’ He winced. ‘Pardon me, Miss Gardiner.’
‘That’s all right.’ She gave him an arch look. ‘It’s really nothing compared to the things you said earlier.’
‘Ah...you mean when the door hit me? Sorry about that, although, to be honest, I’ve forgotten what it was exactly. Nothing too shocking, I hope?’
‘That would probably depend on how easily a person is shocked, but I’ve chosen to regard it as educational. I never realised that my vocabulary was so lacking before.’ One corner of her mouth curved upwards, revealing a dimple in her left cheek. ‘But you’re forgiven. All of this must have come as quite a shock.’
‘That’s an understatement.’ He tipped his chair on to its back legs. ‘You know, as pleasant as tea is, I believe that the situation might call for something stronger.’
‘You mean to drink?’ The dimple disappeared as two spots of colour blazed across her cheekbones. ‘I’m afraid we don’t have anything like that.’
‘Not even some port? There always used to be a bottle tucked away on the top shelf in the pantry.’
‘Ye-es.’ Her gaze flickered to one side. ‘There was a bottle, only I took it down a few months ago. I believe I might have poured it away.’
‘You poured it away?’ He dropped his chair back to the floor in surprise. She was looking curiously guilty, too, although, considering her healthy complexion, he found it difficult to believe that she was a hardened port-drinker or anything-drinker. Probably the opposite was true and she disapproved of alcohol entirely, which given his current desire for a drink was more than a little unfortunate. Still, since it couldn’t be helped... ‘Never mind. I can see that you’ve made quite a few changes.’
‘Yes. Anna said that I could do whatever I liked and I thought that the dresser—’
‘It wasn’t a criticism, Miss Gardiner,’ he interrupted as her spine stiffened defensively. ‘Just an observation. Now that I look at it, I wonder why my mother never thought to put the dresser over there herself. It makes the whole kitchen look bigger.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ She looked pleased, the vivid red of her cheeks fading to a dusky and extremely fetching shade of pink. ‘And with the table here, we can see through to the shop when we’re baking.’
‘We? You have an assistant, I presume.’
‘Nancy, yes. She was a kitchen maid, but the Earl’s grandmother sent her to help with the baking for a while and she liked the work so much that she stayed. Now she lives here, too.’
‘She’s a deep sleeper, I take it?’
‘Very.’ The dimple made a fresh appearance. ‘And she hates to be disturbed. That’s why I didn’t wake her tonight. I thought perhaps I was just imagining noises down here.’
‘I’m relieved that you didn’t wake her.’ He lifted a finger to his nose and pushed it tentatively from side to side. ‘You’re quite ferocious enough on your own.’
‘Oh, dear. Do you really think that it’s broken?’
‘Probably.’ He felt a twinge of guilt at her contrite expression. ‘But not to worry. It’s not the first time and I doubt it will be the last. I actually forget how my face looked originally. For all we know, this might be an improvement.’
She gave a low, throaty laugh and then leaned across the table suddenly, her eyes alight with curiosity. ‘Did you break it before in the navy? Anna said that you were a lieutenant.’
‘Only acting lieutenant, I’m afraid. I was promoted by my captain, not the Admiralty, and I never got an opportunity to sit any exams. Now, thanks to Trafalgar, the navy has a surplus of officers so I’ve been discharged from duty. Not that I’m complaining about our victory, but it might have been easier to swallow if I’d actually been there instead of...’ He bit his tongue. ‘In any case, I’m back.’
‘So you’re not going back to sea?’
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. It was a good question. He’d finally come home to help Anna run Belles, but apparently that ship had sailed, too. He wasn’t needed here any more than he was in the navy. Which was ironic considering how guilty he’d felt about being away over the past few years. Now it appeared he was a completely free man. Free from family obligations, naval orders and commitments. It was a strange, somewhat exuberant feeling. He could do anything he wanted, go anywhere he wanted. He was still only in his early twenties, young enough to find another career. He could...
‘Mr Fortini?’
He started. ‘Forgive me, I was just thinking. To be honest, I’ve no idea what I’ll do yet. Maybe I’ll just enjoy my freedom for a while.’
‘Anna and your mother will be thrilled to see you again. They’ve been so worried. The Earl even went to the Admiralty to ask about your ship.’
