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Albina’s heart flooded with sympathy, and she was half out of her chair before she realized what she was doing.
Sit down, Albina.
It was too late. Lord Addenbrook lifted his head to look at her and Albina, now standing in front of him, tried to smile.
“I – I should take my leave now, my Lord.” She did not want him to know that her instinct had been to reach out to him, to take his hand and to press it gently by way of encouragement. “Pray excuse me.”
A paleness was in his cheeks which had not been there before.
“My brother is something of a gambler, Miss Trean. I have begged him many a time to stop doing such a thing, aware that his fortune was dwindling, but he struggled to do so. I am afraid now that his debts will have become so great that he dared not speak of them to me and thus,thatis why he is gone from my company.”
Albina’s shoulders dropped. She could not leave now, not when he spoke with such openness. Silently, she wondered if Lord Addenbrook had spoken of such a thing to anyone else, or if that was such a private matter – and such a shameful one – that it would be kept from as many of thetonas possible.
“You think that he has been taken by those who demanded he repay his debts?”
Perching on a smaller chair which was a little closer to Lord Addenbrook, she waited for him to reply. Either he would do so without hesitation, or he would shake his head and bring the conversation to a close.
Lord Addenbrook groaned aloud, dropped his head, and ran both hands through his hair.
“Miss Trean, you will not be surprised, I think, when I tell you that I have a great deal of wealth.” His voice was muffled, hidden by his arms as his head lowered further still. “I am much inclined towards pride. I do not hide from that. It brings me a great deal of satisfaction to show such wealth to those around me, whether they approve of my doing so or not.” His head lifted and his eyes shot straight to hers, pinning her in place. “Did my brother choose not to speak to me about his debts because of my arrogance?”
It was a question that Albina could not answer. Pressing her lips tight together, she hesitated as she considered, wondering what it was that she might say. This was not a situation she had ever found herself in before for, as Lady Albina, she had never had deep conversations with any gentleman. It had always been simple, uninvolved discussion whereas now, in her role as governess, she was being drawn into a situation that she did not understand and could not speak into.
“Do you believe that your brother has been taken by those he owes money to, my Lord?”
It was the second time she had asked such a question, but Lord Addenbrook, as yet, had not answered it. Grimacing, he shook his head tightly.
“I cannot tell, Miss Trean.” There was a thickness to his voice now, one which hid what he truly felt at that moment. “It may be that my brother has given me Henry to care for whilst he attempts to find a way to pay for his debts.” Running one hand across his forehead, Albina heard his long, prolonged sigh of frustration. “If I could only beg of him to tell me of his present circumstances, then –”
“Could you not find out from his man of business what debts your brother might owe?” Albina had not meant to interrupt him, but the idea had flung itself into her mind and needed to be spoken just as soon as was possible. “That way, you would have the names of those concerned and could, if you wished, pay the debts owed. That way, your brother would no longer have to worry about his debts, at least.”
Lord Addenbrook blinked. His eyes rounded as he stared back at her and then, after a few moments, he began to laugh.
Albina flushed with embarrassment and dropped her head. Clearly, she had made some sort of mistake.
“No, Miss Trean, do not look so!”
Before she could react or respond, Lord Addenbrook was out of his chair and had taken her hand, pressing it tightly.
“I do not laugh at your suggestion, but rather that I, who have been thinking on this matter for some time, have never eventhoughtof such a thing.” He pressed her hand again. “It is not that I mock you, Miss Trean, but rather that I find myself to be a little ridiculous in my lack of wisdom.”
She lifted her head and looked up into his face. Lord Addenbrook’s expression was sincere, for his eyes were searching her face and his lips curved into a soft smile.
Her heart quickened. His hand was warm on hers and for the first time, a great swell of sympathy crashed over her.
“Thank you.”
Her voice was a little wobbly, which only made Albina’s embarrassment grow all the more, but Lord Addenbrook did not appear to notice.
“That is a very wise thought, Miss Trean, and one I ought to have thought of myself. I shall write to my brother’s man of business at once and mayhap I shall have some news to tell Lord Kingston when he arrives!”
Albina stilled. Ice was filling her, running from her toes to the top of her head at the sound of Lord Kingston’s name. She could not move. Lord Addenbrook was still speaking but she heard none of it. The same words ran through her mind over and over again, screaming at her until she shuddered.
Lord Kingston was coming.
Chapter Seven
“And what a very pleasant aspect one has approaching your exceptional manor house, Lord Addenbrook.”
