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“That’s enough, thank you.” Robert stood from his chair. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll change before supper.”
“I don’t mind at all.” The duchess stood slowly and fluidly.
“I’ll escort you to see Mary at a quarter to seven.” With a curt nod, Robert exited the room.
* * *
They entered Mary’s room just as she settled at her table. Mary shot up from her chair as soon as she spotted them and dashed toward Robert, overturning her chair in the process. She raced into his arms and hugged him tightly. Robert saw the dowager’s features strain and finally give up the fight, showing some measure of the shock she must have been feeling.
“Mary, this is the Dowager Duchess of Rutland,” Robert announced when the girl lifted her head up to look at him. “Your grandmother.” He smiled slyly in the duchess’s direction and saw her stiffen like a rod. The dowager did not appreciate the moniker, he knew it. And technically, Mary was not her granddaughter. Curiously, she did not protest this time. Perhaps, she was too shocked to say anything at all.
“Grandmother,” Mary whispered the word as if testing the taste of it on her tongue. Then she made a hasty step toward her, then another, until she was hugging the dowager’s hips. Her Grace’s eyes widened, and she turned to Robert as if asking for help. Robert just smiled at his grandmother’s obvious discomfort.
“You eat here?” Mary asked as she let go of the dowager’s skirts and looked at Robert.
“No,” he said shortly, putting his hands in his pockets. “We just came to say hello. You are eating supper here with Alice as always, remember?”
Mary nodded with a pout. Robert noticed the dowager was openly staring at Mary. The girl was obviously not what she expected.
“How old are you, child?” she finally asked.
Mary wrinkled her brows and started bending her fingers as if counting. “Eleven,” she announced happily after a while. “I think,” she amended thoughtfully.
“These clothes are not fit for her station.” The dowager turned to Robert.
“I know.” Robert nodded. “But since she just arrived, we had nothing suitable for her. Alice and the other maids are sewing what they can, but I expect you to buy her a suitable wardrobe once we move to London.”
“London!” Mary’s eyes widened dreamily before she frowned. “Father went to London. Never took me,” she finished quietly.
“Well, we’ll go to London soon,” Robert said gently. “Would you like that?”
Mary brightened instantly. Her mood changes were like flashes of lightning, sudden and drastic. Robert was still surprised that she had stayed angry at Julie for so long. The hurt must have been profound for her to keep ignoring her sister like that.
“Now, go on and eat, or your food will get cold.” Robert winked at her, turned her by the shoulders, and gave her a nudge toward the dinner table. He turned to see the dowager looking at him curiously.
“You like the girl,” she repeated her previous sentiment when they exited the room.
Robert shrugged. “She’s my responsibility now; it doesn’t hurt to show her a little affection. I expect the same from you.”
“We are not an affectionate family, Clydesdale. We are one step from royalty,” the dowager answered as she sailed past him and preceded him toward the stairs.
Yes,Robert thought glumly, I remember.
* * *
They came down to an empty parlor room. Robert consulted his watch to see it was five minutes past supper time. The dowager smirked his way as if she were not surprised at all. A few minutes later Julie rushed into the room and curtsied hastily.
She wore a violet-blue day gown that accentuated her blue eyes and milky white skin. Her hair was carefully tucked into a simple chignon. The gown had a modest cut, buttoned up to the chin with tiny white pearls. Ever since they got married, she went out of her way to dress as casually and simply as possible, and somehow Robert still found her enticing. For a moment, he even forgot that she was, yet again, late.
The dowager had no such affliction. “Lesson number one,” she said crisply. “The hostess is always the first to attend supper.”
“Apologies, there was a mishap in the kitchen—”
“No need to delay us more with boring details.” The dowager sniffed, and Robert saw Julie’s eyes widen slightly.
“Shall we?” Robert offered each woman an arm in an effort to dispel the tension, and they all entered the dining room.
“I will assume the hostess’s place tonight,” the dowager said as they’ve reached the table. “I have a feeling I’ll need to observe Lady Clydesdale’s behavior further.”
