Carla Kelly by Miss Chartley's Guided Tour

for the correct word to express her sentiment, she turned on
her heel and stalked from the room.
    Omega glanced at
Twinings and was quick to catch the gleam of appreciation in his
eyes. “You, sir,” she said. “Can you delegate the parlormaid and
footman to perform a miracle in that front hall?”
    “ I
can,” he said. “Come, Tildy, Michael, you have work to do. And
bring a broom and dustpan.”
    The cook rose
next. If Omega had had any doubt that it was the cook, he began to
speak in rapid French, gesturing wildly, grandly, pouring out his
woes to the ceiling. When he stopped for a breath, Angela plunged
into the conversation, her French as rapid-fire as his. Omega’s
eyes opened wide. Angela turned to her at last, a note of
undisguised triumph in her voice.
    “ He
will stay for two rabbits and a trout.”
    “ A
trout? Oh, Angela, however will you produce a trout?”
    “ Omega, she probably has a line and hook in her bag,” Jamie
said.
    “ You
peeked!” accused Angela.
    Jamie just
grinned and started for the stairs. Angela hurried after him. She
said a few more hurried words to the cook, who smiled and kissed
his hand at her. Humming to himself, the cook pulled the scullery
maid and the potboy to their feet and headed in the direction of
the kitchen.
    “ Omega, we need you upstairs,” Jamie called.
    Omega hurried
upstairs. Hugh stood before her, immaculate in Matthew Bering’s
clothes. She walked around him. “Well, the coat is large,” she
said, “but have you not been in hospital for over a
month?”
    “ I did
lose weight in hospital, Omega,” Hugh agreed.
    Matthew had
removed his bloody shirt and was wrapped in his dressing gown. He
straightened the sling of black silk. “You’ll do,” he said, handing
Hugh a letter. “This should give you the introduction you need.
Bring them back here after the judging, and we’ll see if my Banbury
tale is convincing enough.”
    Hugh saluted
smartly and took the hat from Leonard and left. Matthew shook his
head. “This is very odd,” he said to no one in particular. His eyes
lighted on Omega next; he appeared to be seriously regarding her
for the first time.
    “ Tildy,” he called over his shoulder. “I want you.”
    The maid handed
the broom to Michael, the footman, and curtsied in front of the
viscount.
    “ Take
Miss Chartley upstairs and find her a dress.” Without another word,
he went up the stairs, shaking off Leonard, who tried to help
him.
    “ Follow me, Miss Chartley,” said Tildy, and started up the
stairs. Omega stayed where she was until she heard the door
upstairs close, and then she followed the maid.
    “ Is
Lord Byford married?” she asked finally.
    “ Oh,
no, ma’am,” said the maid.
    They were passing
the viscount’s room. “Then how is it that he has dresses?” Omega
whispered.
    “ That
I do not understand, ma’am,” whispered Tildy in turn as she opened
a door beyond and stood back for Omega to enter.
    Omega went to the
window immediately, opened the draperies, and let in the sunlight.
The room was stuffy; she opened the window, flinging it wide, and
then leaned out to appreciate the gracious flower garden below the
window.
    “ I do
recall that my lord specifically required flowers to be planted
there. My brother did it,” said Tildy. ‘Just broadcast the seed,’
his lordship told my brother. ‘Let it be like a meadow.’ It is beautiful, isn’t it, Miss Chartley?”
    “ And
so is the room, Tildy,” said Omega. The ceiling was low, but this
troubled her not at all. There was a coziness that made Omega smile
for the first time since she had crossed the threshold of Matthew
Bering’s house. What a pleasant room this would be in the winter.
When the day was gray and rainy outside, this place would be a
sanctuary, a place to sew, and read, and just think about things.
Omega thought briefly of her damp room in Plymouth that looked over
the sound, and then dismissed it forever from her
memory.
    Again there was
that