Gayle Buck by The Hidden Heart

ease—his posture relaxed, his lips touched by a smile—within he was taut as a bowstring. Steadily, and without a sound escaping from between his teeth, he cursed.
     
     

Chapter Eleven
     
    For several days a state of suspended hostilities existed between Lady Caroline and Mrs. Burlington. They avoided one another’s company as nearly as possible, Lady Caroline doing so by the simple expedient of closeting herself in the study or the library for lengthy periods of estate work or reading.
    Soon after the heated clash between the ladies, the first vestiges of winter had made its appearance in the form of icy rain and sleet. The sullen weather discouraged either lady from visiting with their neighbors still in residence; nor could they look forward to the unfriendly atmosphere of Berwicke being alleviated overmuch by callers of their own.
    Lady Caroline, made restive by the enforced inactivity and the tension between herself and her aunt, would have been particularly delighted to have received Lord Trilby. The earl had a trick of making her laugh, which she felt in sore need of these days. In addition, her curiosity had been engaged by his plight, and several times since his visit she had wondered what had happened. But there was no word from Lord Trilby and she could only surmise that his lordship’s situation was not as desperate as he had made it out to be.
    As the dismal days dragged by, there was but one caller, and that was Lord Hathaway. Lady Caroline was not informed until much later of his lordship’s visit, since Lord Hathaway had, strangely enough, specifically requested to see only Mrs. Burlington. Simpson informed Lady Caroline that the two had been closeted together for a little better than three hours.
    Lady Caroline had put up her brows in surprise. A speculative expression had entered her fine eyes. “Indeed! I wonder whatever it was all about?”
    “That I could not tell you, my lady,” Simpson said regretfully.
    Lady Caroline had shrugged and put it out of her head. It was of little consequence, after all. If Lord Hathaway chose to seek out her aunt, perhaps even to complain of how his overtures to herself had been received, it was certainly better to let the matter be brought to her attention. She was not so curious that she wanted to deliberately seek out Mrs. Burlington.
    When Lady Caroline had almost despaired of ever seeing the sky again, it finally dawned a pale sun. The clear, albeit still gray, winter sky heralded more than the end of a week’s bad weather, however, as she was to learn.
    Lady Caroline was embroidering in the drawing room, having first checked to see that Mrs. Burlington was not already in residence. Outside in the entry hall she heard a bluff voice raised in good-natured question, and even as she quickly looked up and set aside her embroidery, the door opened to reveal her brother’s familiar lanky figure.
    Lady Caroline rose from the settee at once, her eyes lighting up with genuine affection. She went toward him with outstretched hands. “Ned! I am glad to see you home,” she exclaimed, her spirits lighter than they had been for days.
    Lord Eddington laughed. He brushed past Lady Caroline’s hands to slip his arms about her trim waist and pulled her close for a quick brotherly buss on the cheek. “Dear Caroline! Have you preserved my inheritance for me in my absence?”
    “Of course, and to the very letter of your instructions, I might add,” Lady Caroline said with a smile and mock salute.
    Lord Eddington laughed again. “As though I don’t know that compared to my man of business in London and you, I would make a very poor steward indeed.” He spied his wife paused in the open doorway. “No need to stand on ceremony, my dearest. It is only Caroline, as you see.”
    Lady Eddington advanced then into the drawing room. She was pulling off her gloves, and as she freed one hand, she offered it to Lady Caroline. “Dear Lady Caroline. How nice that you are here to