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She stood as the small group applauded, Rangeley rising next to her. “You were amazing.”
“I nearly tripped, musically speaking, while playing ‘Fur Elise.’”
“Nearly making mistakes isn’t the same as making them. Trust me, I know.” He gave her a sympathetic glance. “You’re very hard on yourself.”
Was she?
“I’m not hard on myself I just…” She looked at her siblings. “My brother is a marquess and my sister is a genius.”
“And you are slated to be an incomparable.”
“Potential as yet unrealized,” she murmured, but in her heart, she wondered if she’d ever be what they wanted her to be. And what did she wish to be?
No one asked her and her own thoughts were so vague. More like Tillie. Confident. Self-assured.
But those were feelings.
“I’ve every confidence you can be whatever you wish.” His deep voice held a note of soothing that made her ache.
She wanted to believe him. What was more, she appreciated the words very much. “Confidence is the issue, I think. Tillie is so certain as is my brother.”
“Ah,” he said, his brows rising. “I see.”
“Do you?”
He nodded. “I think so. Though you’re free to tell me more. Goodness knows, I shared a fair bit with you this morning.”
That made her smile. “I liked it. You weren’t at all what I expected, and I found your pursuits to be of the highest quality. I admire your commitment.”
“His pursuits?” Tillie asked coming up to them.
Rangeley cleared his throat. “My attempts to make my land profitable again.”
“What attempts have you made?” her brother asked, joining them too.
In quick words, Rangeley rattled off some of the work he’d put in, fields he’d re-opened, and his increased yield, thanks to the rest the land he had gained when he’d opened it for farming again after it had been closed from lack of use.
Even to Millie’s untrained ear, she knew that he understood the topic in detail.
Tillie was staring again. “Millie got all of that out of you this morning?”
“Not all of it,” Millie said with a slightly embarrassed laugh.
But Tillie shook her head. “You always do know how to make people comfortable.”
Did she? She never really considered it. “To be fair, Tillie came up in our conversation as well. Something about beetles and advice you gave.”
“Oh yes.” Tillie nodded, beginning to repeat what she knew of the insect. Which was a great deal. And then, Tillie looked from their brother and back at Rangeley again. “Ben, you mentioned having some trouble with the wheat. Perhaps Lord Rangeley could help you.”
Their brother nodded. “That would be capital. I’ve been struggling to make that field produce.”
“I’d be happy to take a look,” Rangeley said.
Tillie’s voice dropped. “And if he has some valuable advice, surely we could make it worth his while. He’s trying to expand his farming operation…”
What was Tillie attempting to do? Millie furrowed her brow as she assessed her sister but Ben didn’t seem to notice. “Tomorrow, would you mind riding out to the south fields with me?”
Rangeley nodded and Tillie beamed. Then Millie watched as Tillie gave Rangeley a definite wink.
When had her sister ever winked at anyone? A fresh wave of guilt rose up in Millie as she watched the two of them silently communicate.
She wondered again what Tillie had planned. But those thoughts were quickly swept aside by her own emotions. She’d have to redouble her efforts to be immune to the handsome earl.
