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As the butler walked away, Daphne clasped her hands in front of her and asked, “Do you often boss others’ servants around?”
“I was doing no such thing,” he defended. “I just dreaded the thought of you having to walk all the way down to the kitchen for no reason.”
“I did have a reason,” she pressed.
Mr. Huxley smiled. “I did not come here to fight with you.”
“No?”
He shook his head. “I came to inform you that I spoke to my father, and he agreed to fix up the buildings for the workers.”
“He did?” Daphne asked in surprise.
“It took some convincing on my part, but I was able to sway him.”
A genuine smile came to her lips. “That is wonderful news!”
“I thought that might please you,” he said, taking a step closer to her. “The best part is that the work will begin next week.”
“I can’t thank you enough. This will mean so much to those workers.”
“That is not why I did it.”
“Then why did you do it?”
Mr. Huxley grinned. “I was hoping to put a smile on your face.”
“Well, you succeeded.”
“That I did,” he replied. “Would you care to take a walk around the gardens with me?”
“I suppose that is only fair.”
He approached her and put his arm out. “May I escort you?”
Daphne set her hand on his sleeve and allowed him to lead her towards the rear of the manor. Once they were outside, she removed her hand and said, “I can’t wait to see the looks on those workers’ faces when their buildings have been repaired.”
“My father thought I was mad when I first suggested the repairs, but I was able to show him that it wouldn’t cost us very much.”
“If cost is the issue, I would be happy to—” she started.
“Nonsense,” he said, speaking over her. “We shall use our own funds to pay for the repairs.”
Daphne’s eyes roamed over the gardens. “I wish those poor children could be in school rather than working in the pit.”
“I’m afraid that they are invaluable, due to the size of the narrow tunnels.”
“I know, but I’m hoping one day that will change.”
Mr. Huxley put his hand up. “I’m afraid I can’t work miracles,” he said. “I was barely able to convince my father to fix up the dilapidated buildings.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t dream for things to come.”
“You remind me so much of my sister, Diana,” he remarked. “She was a dreamer, much like you are. She was taken from us entirely too soon.”
“I remember when my grandmother told me she had succumbed to pneumonia, and I cried for hours.”
“It was a sad day for all of us,” Mr. Huxley said. “Before she died, she made me promise something.”
