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Chapter 10
Lavinia received her summons to the afternoon tea with the ladies a few hours later. She had managed to take a bath, rest, and get dressed by that time, ready to take on the world. But the thought of meeting Caroline still didn’t sit well with her. She ran the possible conversations she’d have in her head over and over again and still hadn’t come up with anything good. She wasn’t even certain if she’d be able to genuinely smile in Caroline’s presence.
Oh, how truly sad she was.
There was a knock on the door, and Lavinia went to open it. Annalise stood on a threshold in a clean day gown, her hair swept up, her cheeks rosy. She looked relaxed after the hard journey and quite healthy.
“It seems I have no reason to be worrying about you,” Lavinia said with a smile.
“I told you, everything is well. You, on the other hand, look a bit… pale.”
Lavinia stepped outside the door and entwined her arm with Annalise’s. “I suppose I am awaiting our afternoon tea like I would the gallows.”
“Oh, Lavinia. Are you still upset with Caroline?”
Lavinia shook her head. “I am not certain upset is the right word, but you have to imagine that this is difficult for me.”
Annalise nodded and patted Lavinia’s hand. They started walking toward the main staircase in silence.
“I suppose I hoped that time would heal you. Besides, you have more pressing issues to worry about,” Annalise said.
“Yes, I know… finding a husband.”
“Oh! And as our luck would have it… Look!” Annalise pointed down.
Lavinia peeked over the railing. There in the hall stood Marcus, Lord Payne’s cousin. He was speaking animatedly to someone who was obscured by the column.
Lavinia turned toward Annalise, resolute. “Annalise, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Of course, anything.”
“I know you’re my chaperone, but… for the duration of the party, I need you to look away and give me a bit of freedom.”
“Lavinia, I don’t think that’s the best idea—”
“If I am to secure myself a husband and quickly, you shall have to indulge me with slight freedoms. I can’t go through the rigmarole of courtship. There just isn’t enough time.”
Annalise frowned, obviously confused. “What do you mean? What do you want me to do?”
“Well, for one thing, I want you to express my apology for not joining you for afternoon tea.”
Lavinia peeked down to where Marcus had stood just a moment ago. He seemed to have disappeared somewhere.
“And what areyougoing to do?” Annalise studied Lavinia’s face under her furrowed brows.
“Do not worry about me,” Lavinia said and disengaged herself from her friend. Then she added quietly to herself, “I shall do something I haven’t done before.”
* * *
Sebastian put away his hunting rifle in his study, took off his hat, and washed his face and hands in the small basin before venturing back out into the hall.
He’d never enjoyed hunting. A barbaric activity if he’d ever participated in one.
He was not a gentleman who loved the outdoors, and he had never been successful with guns. Now hand him a rapier, and he would challenge any deer to a duel and be certain to win. But hand him a rifle and he was completely lost.
There was a certain detachment to wielding a gun that Sebastian had never liked. He preferred to engage with his subject, whether he painted it, dissected and studied it, or healed it. Killing was never his first instinct.
But hunting was a common activity during house parties, and as a host, he couldn’t get out of it.
