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Chapter 10
The prospect of staying alone with the dowager while Robert went to London didn’t sit well with Julie. Nor did his eagerness to leave her. She knew sophisticated gentlemen often kept their mistresses in London and couldn’t help but think that this was the primary reason for Robert’s willingness to leave them behind. The thought plagued Julie all evening and well into the next day. The idea of another woman in Robert’s arms bothered her more than she was willing to admit to herself.
Julie ordered the servants to fill the carriage with baskets of food, medicine, and other necessary household items in preparation for their outing. Clydesdale was already waiting for them when she reached the hall. He was impeccably dressed in fawn-colored riding breeches, a warm chestnut brown coat and matching leather gloves, riding boots, and a winter hat. He looked as forbidding as he always did.
Julie couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever feel comfortable around him. She had never imagined she’d be married to a stranger. She’d always imagined herself with John. The thought of seeing his face every day was soothing. She knew him so well; she could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. Julie smiled inwardly in reminiscence. Life with John seemed so easy, while the life she had now with Robert was nothing if not complicated.
Julie was grateful for everything he’d done for her and Mary. She admired him; perhaps she even liked him. She didn’t want other women to warm his bed, but would she ever be eager to become that woman herself? Maybe if he wasn’t so severe and reserved all the time.
Mary made her way downstairs at that moment, and Robert’s demeanor immediately changed. He turned to Mary with unconcealed affection in his eyes, and a smile appeared on his face. It made his eyes light up, and a small dimple appear at the corner of his mouth, making him look young and carefree. Julie couldn’t quite take her eyes off his smile. It made her wish irrationally that he’d smile the same way toward her.
“Shall we?” He interrupted her thoughts as he offered them each his arm, and they set off toward the waiting carriage.
The day was bright, and the sun was at its zenith, bathing the land in a warm, bright light. As soon as the carriage started, Robert began talking about the estate, describing every patch of land they traversed, as if he were showing his lands off for tourists, highlighting all the natural resources, talking about the number of animals in the pastures, relating the numbers of corn and other crop yields for the year.
Julie looked at him in awe. This was the most she had heard him speak and realized this was what he must be like with Mary. At her side, Mary listened to him with her mouth agape. Julie doubted Mary understood half the things he was saying, but her little sister was riveted, nonetheless. Transfixed, even. If Julie didn’t know any better, she’d think Mary was in love. Which she probably was in her own girlish way.
Robert, on the other hand, acted like a devoted father. A father neither Mary nor Julie had ever had. Julie couldn’t help but feel immensely grateful for that. Mary needed a steady male presence in her life. And oddly, Julie was glad that it was Robert.
They reached the tenants’ housing a few minutes later. Robert went on to talk to farmers and workers, while Julie and Mary were left behind to speak to the women, distribute baskets and inquire about the health of older villagers. To Julie’s surprise, Mary protested only a little when Robert left them behind. Then she approached the neighbors unafraid and entered their homes as if they were lifelong friends.
There were no sideways glances pointed her way, and everyone seemed genuinely delighted to see her. This attitude surprised Julie. In Norfolk, people avoided any association with Mary, and in London, Julie was shunned just for the mention of her. Here, people were warier of Julie. Even though she understood their uneasiness very well. She had been the new mistress of the estate for several days, after all, and she was gracing them with her presence only now.
But what surprised her most was their open affection directed at her sister. Was it a reflection of Clydesdale’s demeanor? Perhaps the villagers were looking to him on how to treat Mary, as the people of Norfolk looked to her father. Whatever the case might have been, Julie was glad for the outcome.
While she discussed the tenants’ needs and their overall well-being, Mary rested, ate, and drank tea in their houses. Julie watched Mary all the while. She acted different—relaxed and content. She was not the scared girl who came from the asylum a few days ago; she wasn’t the sheltered girl who’d lived on the Norfolk estates either. She was visibly healing and blooming into a confident young lady.
They’d been going around the village for a couple of hours, and Mary was already extremely tired when Robert finally came back to pick them up.
“How was your day?” he asked as they climbed back into the carriage.
“Educational,” Julie replied with a tranquil smile.
“And Mary?”
Mary placed her head on Robert’s shoulder and yawned loudly.
Julie let out a small chuckle.“I am guessing, exhausting,” she said, still studying her sister’s relaxed profile.
Suddenly Mary jerked from Robert’s side and plastered her face to the carriage window, shouting something and pointing somewhere outside.
“It’s a pond,” Robert said in an even tone.
Julie followed the direction of Mary’s gaze and saw what had her so interested. The pond was frozen, and there were people, mostly children, skating on it.
“There are people,” Mary said with a voice full of wonder.
“Have you never skated before?” Robert asked Mary, and she just shook her head, her gaze glued to the people moving on the pond.
Robert lifted his eyes to Julie’s. “Don’t tell me you’ve never skated before either?” he raised a brow to her.
“I did,” Julie said tightly, remembering her first attempts at skating as John held her hand, his tender gaze as he did so. She had to clear her throat before she continued. “Our neighbor taught me. But we couldn’t quite make Mary cooperate.”
“Perhaps she is ready to reconsider.” Robert nodded thoughtfully. “I think I have some blades in the attic. We will go skating tomorrow.”
Julie opened her mouth to protest, but Mary fairly jumped in her seat and turned to Robert in her excitement.
“We will? I want to skate!” She kept jumping excitedly in her seat, and Robert laughed.
