AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Seven
Gracie wanted to shake her head at herself but, of course, she kept perfectly still. She shouldn’t have stepped into the conversation Adelina was having with Lord Sterling. But the poor man had looked so nonplussed to be stared at in such a way. Grace made a mental note to tell the child she ought not do such a thing. She doubted Felicity would think of it.
It was amusing to note just how very different the two sisters were from one another. Not in looks, of course. Neither of them could really hide their heritage as Shertons. It was rather shocking that the usually very observant duke hadn’t recognized Felicity when she joined his household as companion to his daughter. But when it came to temperament, they were such opposites, it was a wonder they got along so very well.
Lady Adelina’s conversation with Lord Sterling was a perfect example. It hadn’t seemed to strike Felicity as odd that Adelina questioned Lord Sterling in such a way. Nor that she stared at the man with such reckless abandon. Surely Felicity, even if she didn’t wish to conform to Society’s expectations, was sufficiently knowledgeable to steer her stepdaughter appropriately. Gracie didn’t look forward to the conversation, but she was going to have to address the issue with her sister.
Thus resolved, she allowed her mind to drift back to what the earl had said in answer to Adelina’s question about his Tour. It didn’t sound as though he were as much of a gadabout as another one of their brothers-in-law, Ashford Northcott, but his lordship had obviously enjoyed what he had seen in his travels. If Grace wasn’t quite so determined to remain firmly ensconced in the country, she would like to see the places he had mentioned, just from his description.
Perhaps, not Paris. If it were even more sophisticated than London, she was sure to feel out of place. But the villages of the Rhine sounded intriguing. That is, if onehada desire to see somewhere else, she might find them intriguing. Which she didn’t. Glendale suited her just fine. Only, if shedidhave a desire to travel . . .
Grace gave her head a small shake. She was thinking herself in ridiculous circles.
“When did you arrive at Rathnelly?”
Grace almost started at the question, so wrapped up in her own thoughts was she. But she managed to hold onto her outward serenity as she turned to face Lord Sterling.
“I’ve been here for two days, my lord.”
“You didn’t mention your plans when last we met.”
Grace wondered why he sounded as though he were complaining. Did he think she had followed him? The thought filled her with mortification, but she rallied.
“Neither did you, in fact, my lord.”
“I did mention I wished to speak with Rathnelly.”
“True, but I didn’t expect it would involve you immediately removing to take up camp upon his doorstep.”
Perhaps, she was becoming a trifle defensive, but she didn’t appreciate what his lordship might be insinuating. She had certainlynotfollowed him there. But now, she felt badly that she had made them both uncomfortable. And she could see that the children were watching them with avid curiosity. If Felicity wasn’t going to teach them proper manners, Grace needed to set an even better example than usual. She pasted a smile upon her face.
“How did you find your estate when you arrived, my lord? Will you be staying long in the area?”
She would have thought them perfectly innocent questions, so Grace was surprised when Lord Sterling cast her another dubious expression.
“There is work to be done on the estate, so I haven’t yet decided how long I’ll be in residence.” His tone was far less friendly than usual, making Grace wish to frown at him, but instead she turned to Wickham.
“Are you looking forward to returning to school when the time comes? I know you were undecided how you felt about remaining at Rathnelly when last we spoke.”
The boy’s smile was thin, making Grace wonder if she had entirely lost her ability to converse. Was she going to make everyone within her vicinity uncomfortable that evening?
“I’m still of two minds about it, my lady,” he answered with a scowl directed at his plate. Grace realized the problem. He wants to stay home but he considers such a wish to be childish. She supposed she could relate to his difficulty.
“I can understand that completely, so you aren’t alone.”
That brought both the boy’s gaze as well as Lord Sterling’s to focus on her face. Grace chose to ignore the other man and kept her attention firmly on her step-nephew.
“I struggle with the wish to never leave Glendale. Even when the duchess invited me to come, even though I longed to see her and all of you, I didn’t want to leave home. But Mother made me. And I don’t regret coming,” she hastened to add. “But part of me wishes I was still at home. So, I can imagine you must feel a little bit like that about school, right? I am fairly certain I understood from previous conversations that you enjoy school, but you don’t necessarily want to leave here, either.”
The boy nodded vigorously. Grace put her hand out to cover his elbow.
“At least you have the comforting knowledge that this is your place. You will always be welcome here.” Grace said the last with the intention of making him feel better, but she was uncomfortably aware of Lord Sterling’s gaze filling with sympathy. She tried her best to ignore it. “And school doesn’t last forever. That might add to your conflicted feelings, I’m afraid, since you do enjoy it, but it might also be a comfort if you don’t feel like you want to leave home.”
“Thanks, Aunt Grace. That does help a little bit.”
Grace’s heart swelled at the boy’s words. She was still new to being an aunt, but she was loving every minute of it. It was the best thing about Felicity’s marriage. While it was true that she had other nephews and nieces, they were all newborns or barely toddling around. To be the aunt of a youngster she could converse with and get to know was the greatest joy. She couldn’t wait until the others grew old enough to be interesting.
While in such a heightened state of emotions, Gracie knew it was a mistake to look at the visiting earl, but it seemed her eyes had a mind of their own. When her gaze met his, her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest. The look of empathy etched across his face made her want to find a wardrobe to hide in until he had grown bored with whatever had brought him to Rathnelly and she needn’t ever risk seeing him again. The warmth that glowed in her midsection over his kind expression surely couldn’t be healthy.
