who looked,
frankly, elated by the thought that Maude would remain at the house. “Perhaps,
Maude and I should go to the kitchen now to see what we can make for a meal.”
“An excellent suggestion,” said Colin.
Rose smiled at them. “Letty, can you please show
them where everything is?”
“Are we really going to have a cook again?” asked an
excited Letty. “Not that your meals aren’t good,” she quickly added.
“It looks like we shall have a cook at last, thanks
to Maude,” replied Rose. “And I shan’t be that disappointed to relinquish the
task.”
As Letty led the two servants to the back of the
house, Ava spoke. “I should leave you two alone. Perhaps I can be of
assistance in the kitchen, as well.”
“No, please stay,” said Colin, as he put his hand on
her arm to keep her from leaving. He knew the coming conversation with Rose would
be difficult. But somehow it would help to have Ava by his side.
Rosemary didn’t miss the gesture. She looked from
one to the other, then said “Please stay, Miss Conway. I wish I could offer
you tea, but despite Letty’s kind words, I am not even good at boiling water.
But let us retire to the sitting room. At least we shall be comfortable as we
discuss what has happened.”
Once they were situated, Colin briefly summarized
the events of the past few days – leaving out the more scandalous details,
though he had a feeling Rose knew she wasn’t getting the full story. His
sister had always been bright and he suspected the adult responsibilities she’d
taken on had only made her more so. “Now tell me, Rose, how you came to live
here.”
“There is not much to tell and it all happened so
quickly. The bills were mounting and the servants were becoming more and more
impatient for their back wages – and I could hardly blame them. It was also
becoming more difficult to obtain credit in town.”
“Why did you not come to me? You spoke of none of
this in your letters.”
“I knew you were doing your best to help us and I
did not want to worry you unnecessarily.”
“Unnecessarily? As the head of this family, it is
my responsibility to take care of such matters.”
“Dear brother, do you not realize I am well aware of
just what you have been doing for us? What you’re willing to sacrifice? I
thought it was time for me to help the family in my own way. After all, I am
quite capable, do you not agree?”
Of course his sister was capable. That wasn’t the
point. Colin was about to say as much when he once again felt Ava’s light
touch on his arm.
“My lord, Lady Rosemary has done an admirable job of
looking after your sister, has she not?”
He was still being managed. But perhaps he did need
some assistance. “Yes, Miss Conway. Rose has done quite well.”
His sister beamed and he was thankful he’d followed
Ava’s lead. “Pray continue your story, Rose. I shan’t interrupt again.”
Once again, Ava’s light touch was on his arm. This
time it was accompanied by a grin. “My lord, perhaps you should not make a
promise I am almost certain you cannot keep.”
Rose laughed. “Oh, Miss Conway, I believe you and I
will get along famously. As I was saying, when the servants complained of the
back wages not being paid and we lost our line of credit in town, our solicitor
Mr. Stevenson came to me with a plan. He’d heard there was an American family
looking to rent a manor house for Christmas and the winter. A six month lease
would allow us to pay the servants their back wages as well as get our credit
restored in town. They were looking at houses in the county and Mr. Stevenson
was hoping we might be amenable to the possibility of leasing it.”
Colin grunted. “I have no great affection for that
house, as you well know. But it is odd to think of someone else living there.”
“I feel the same way. I wanted to consult you, of
course, but there was no time to send word to you in London, since the Babcocks
were just passing through the
frankly, elated by the thought that Maude would remain at the house. “Perhaps,
Maude and I should go to the kitchen now to see what we can make for a meal.”
“An excellent suggestion,” said Colin.
Rose smiled at them. “Letty, can you please show
them where everything is?”
“Are we really going to have a cook again?” asked an
excited Letty. “Not that your meals aren’t good,” she quickly added.
“It looks like we shall have a cook at last, thanks
to Maude,” replied Rose. “And I shan’t be that disappointed to relinquish the
task.”
As Letty led the two servants to the back of the
house, Ava spoke. “I should leave you two alone. Perhaps I can be of
assistance in the kitchen, as well.”
“No, please stay,” said Colin, as he put his hand on
her arm to keep her from leaving. He knew the coming conversation with Rose would
be difficult. But somehow it would help to have Ava by his side.
Rosemary didn’t miss the gesture. She looked from
one to the other, then said “Please stay, Miss Conway. I wish I could offer
you tea, but despite Letty’s kind words, I am not even good at boiling water.
But let us retire to the sitting room. At least we shall be comfortable as we
discuss what has happened.”
Once they were situated, Colin briefly summarized
the events of the past few days – leaving out the more scandalous details,
though he had a feeling Rose knew she wasn’t getting the full story. His
sister had always been bright and he suspected the adult responsibilities she’d
taken on had only made her more so. “Now tell me, Rose, how you came to live
here.”
“There is not much to tell and it all happened so
quickly. The bills were mounting and the servants were becoming more and more
impatient for their back wages – and I could hardly blame them. It was also
becoming more difficult to obtain credit in town.”
“Why did you not come to me? You spoke of none of
this in your letters.”
“I knew you were doing your best to help us and I
did not want to worry you unnecessarily.”
“Unnecessarily? As the head of this family, it is
my responsibility to take care of such matters.”
“Dear brother, do you not realize I am well aware of
just what you have been doing for us? What you’re willing to sacrifice? I
thought it was time for me to help the family in my own way. After all, I am
quite capable, do you not agree?”
Of course his sister was capable. That wasn’t the
point. Colin was about to say as much when he once again felt Ava’s light
touch on his arm.
“My lord, Lady Rosemary has done an admirable job of
looking after your sister, has she not?”
He was still being managed. But perhaps he did need
some assistance. “Yes, Miss Conway. Rose has done quite well.”
His sister beamed and he was thankful he’d followed
Ava’s lead. “Pray continue your story, Rose. I shan’t interrupt again.”
Once again, Ava’s light touch was on his arm. This
time it was accompanied by a grin. “My lord, perhaps you should not make a
promise I am almost certain you cannot keep.”
Rose laughed. “Oh, Miss Conway, I believe you and I
will get along famously. As I was saying, when the servants complained of the
back wages not being paid and we lost our line of credit in town, our solicitor
Mr. Stevenson came to me with a plan. He’d heard there was an American family
looking to rent a manor house for Christmas and the winter. A six month lease
would allow us to pay the servants their back wages as well as get our credit
restored in town. They were looking at houses in the county and Mr. Stevenson
was hoping we might be amenable to the possibility of leasing it.”
Colin grunted. “I have no great affection for that
house, as you well know. But it is odd to think of someone else living there.”
“I feel the same way. I wanted to consult you, of
course, but there was no time to send word to you in London, since the Babcocks
were just passing through the
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