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He had sent an urgent note to his solicitor to swiftly arrange compensation for those who’d lost their belongings or homes in the flood.
This incident made him question the way he ran his estates. He had estate managers, yes. But they did not care for the lands and the tenants the way Rhys did. He needed to pay closer attention to his lands other than the Vane estate. And now that he’d had Lady Isabel to look after the manor, perhaps he could afford to leave on longer journeys and spend more time out of his family seat.
Still, he was agitated and nervous when he finally returned home a few days later.
He wanted to see Millicent before she fell asleep. He’d missed her dearly. He galloped all the way, although he was extremely tired, and still made it home quite late at night. He was also dirty, winded, and smudged with mud. But he needed to see his daughter and make sure everything was well.
He threw the reins into his groom’s hands and rushed inside.
The hall was eerily dark. The ominous silence in the house heightened his anxiety.It happened again,his mind whispered to him with every beating of his heart.
It happened again.
The butler stepped toward him, his arms outstretched.
Anxiety rose in the form of bile up to his throat.
He swallowed. “Monroe. Where is Millie?”
“In her room, my lord. She just went to bed.”
Rhys took off his gloves and hat and handed it to the butler. A part of his anxiousness abated, but he still dreaded asking the next question. “And Lady Isabel?”
“She also went to bed, my lord.”
Rhys expelled a breath of relief. “I shall go and wish Millie goodnight. Please, tell my valet to bring me some clean clothes and a towel. I shall go and wash up at the stream. No need to bother maids with heating a bath at such a late hour.”
Monroe nodded, and Rhys hurried up the steps to his daughter’s room.
He knocked on the door and entered without waiting for her reply, as was his habit. Millie lay in her bed, and Edith sat by her side, singing. Millie looked at him under her furrowed brows as soon as he entered, her disapproval evident.
Rhys’s heart swelled. He had missed her disapproving mien. How had he managed to spend so many days without seeing her?
“And how was your day, my darling?” he asked as he walked further into the room.
“Why were you away for so long?” Millie crossed her tiny arms over her chest.
“I had things to do, Millie. Important things.”
Edith stood quietly, curtsied, and left the room.
Rhys walked up to Millie’s bed and crouched in front of her. “I am a marquess, remember? I have a lot of people depending on me.”
She pointedly looked away from him.
Rhys heaved a sigh. “You are the most important person in my life, darling girl. You know that. And I missed you dearly. But I cannot neglect my lands. ”
She didn’t answer.
“Was Lady Isabel fair to you while I was away?”
Still silence.
Rhys frowned, the fear in his heart growing. “What did she do?” he asked sharply.
Millie turned toward him, still frowning. “Nothing. We went for a ride every day, and then we played and slung rocks.”
Rhys blinked. “Did you, now? How scandalous.”
