absence.”
“Did he?” Rhiannon murmured, her heart sinking. She really should have suspected as much. “Well, I’m asking you to please give me the chance to resolve any such issues before you bother Malcolm.” She eyed Paul. “I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request. My father would agree, were he in communication with us.”
Paul gazed at her blandly. It was hard to gauge reaction with their butler; he didn’t show much facial expression.
“Please, Paul. I’d like to take more of an active role in my life. Malcolm doesn’t live here, and he’s not likely to move back. Usually, he’s three hours away.”
“Indeed.” Paul gazed at her sympathetically. He’d been a silent witness to yesterday’s visit from Colin. He’d seen how important it was to her to represent herself well to him.
“I don’t mean to pry, miss, but is this realistic?” Paul asked.
She sat up straighter. It had to be realistic. She wasn’t turning back now. It had been an embarrassment to her that Colin witnessed her brother in charge of her life. She loved Malcolm, but that behavior would never have flown when the three of them were children.
“I am going to dinner with Colin and Jessie and Jamie tonight,” she said softly. “I promised Colin, and I will stand by my promise.”
Paul’s nose seemed to twitch. He obviously had something to say about it.
“Please speak freely with me,” she said.
“It isn’t my business.”
“I suppose we made it your business when we had our conversation in front of you on the stairs yesterday, don’t you think?”
Paul sighed. “Jessie called over last night, wondering if Colin was here at the castle. But while we were speaking, Colin called her mobile phone to tell her that his workout had gone late, and he was staying at a hotel for the night, but would return in the morning.”
And surely Jessie had been upset about that, though likely, she hadn’t shown it to Colin.
Rhiannon kept her gaze steadily on Paul. “Is this a problem for us?”
“Technically, no. It’s a minor event, true, but taking the worried phone call from the cottage on her estate is an issue that the lady would handle, if she were present.”
“I see.” Perhaps there was more to the role than Rhiannon had realized. “Is this something you’ve discussed with Malcolm?” she asked.
Paul was silent for a moment. “No, miss. I’ve mentioned the incident to no one but you.”
Though this was a small matter, it was another place to start. Besides, to her it was important. To Jessie, too.
“Would you like me to walk over with you to the picnic today?” Paul asked.
She smiled at him. “Thank you for offering. But no, I’ll take Molly with me. Her leg seems better, and she’s itching for the exercise.”
Paul nodded. He didn’t look entirely pleased.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him.
“Be careful, Rhiannon,” he said, an extremely rare warning on his part.
“I walk that part of the property every day. There’s no physical danger to me.”
But physical danger wasn’t what Paul was worried about. They both knew that.
* * *
“ I REALLY DO need you two to leave,” Colin said.
Mack and Bonnie lounged on the edge of the picnic table as if they’d known each other for a year instead of two days. Bonnie sifted through an old-style album of photos that Colin’s grandmother had insisted he cart over, while Mack picked sandwiches off the tray that Colin had prepared.
“We’re going,” Mack said, his mouth stuffed with cheese and chutney, one of Jessie’s culinary specialties. “Just give us a minute.”
That was what they’d been saying for the past hour, after Mack had dropped Colin off from their golfing expedition and Bonnie had shown up to surprise Mack. Colin had explained in his good-guy manner—without mentioning Rhiannon—that he needed to be alone with his grandparents. He’d done his best to be diplomatic, but apparently diplomacy wasn’t what this
“Did he?” Rhiannon murmured, her heart sinking. She really should have suspected as much. “Well, I’m asking you to please give me the chance to resolve any such issues before you bother Malcolm.” She eyed Paul. “I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request. My father would agree, were he in communication with us.”
Paul gazed at her blandly. It was hard to gauge reaction with their butler; he didn’t show much facial expression.
“Please, Paul. I’d like to take more of an active role in my life. Malcolm doesn’t live here, and he’s not likely to move back. Usually, he’s three hours away.”
“Indeed.” Paul gazed at her sympathetically. He’d been a silent witness to yesterday’s visit from Colin. He’d seen how important it was to her to represent herself well to him.
“I don’t mean to pry, miss, but is this realistic?” Paul asked.
She sat up straighter. It had to be realistic. She wasn’t turning back now. It had been an embarrassment to her that Colin witnessed her brother in charge of her life. She loved Malcolm, but that behavior would never have flown when the three of them were children.
“I am going to dinner with Colin and Jessie and Jamie tonight,” she said softly. “I promised Colin, and I will stand by my promise.”
Paul’s nose seemed to twitch. He obviously had something to say about it.
“Please speak freely with me,” she said.
“It isn’t my business.”
“I suppose we made it your business when we had our conversation in front of you on the stairs yesterday, don’t you think?”
Paul sighed. “Jessie called over last night, wondering if Colin was here at the castle. But while we were speaking, Colin called her mobile phone to tell her that his workout had gone late, and he was staying at a hotel for the night, but would return in the morning.”
And surely Jessie had been upset about that, though likely, she hadn’t shown it to Colin.
Rhiannon kept her gaze steadily on Paul. “Is this a problem for us?”
“Technically, no. It’s a minor event, true, but taking the worried phone call from the cottage on her estate is an issue that the lady would handle, if she were present.”
“I see.” Perhaps there was more to the role than Rhiannon had realized. “Is this something you’ve discussed with Malcolm?” she asked.
Paul was silent for a moment. “No, miss. I’ve mentioned the incident to no one but you.”
Though this was a small matter, it was another place to start. Besides, to her it was important. To Jessie, too.
“Would you like me to walk over with you to the picnic today?” Paul asked.
She smiled at him. “Thank you for offering. But no, I’ll take Molly with me. Her leg seems better, and she’s itching for the exercise.”
Paul nodded. He didn’t look entirely pleased.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him.
“Be careful, Rhiannon,” he said, an extremely rare warning on his part.
“I walk that part of the property every day. There’s no physical danger to me.”
But physical danger wasn’t what Paul was worried about. They both knew that.
* * *
“ I REALLY DO need you two to leave,” Colin said.
Mack and Bonnie lounged on the edge of the picnic table as if they’d known each other for a year instead of two days. Bonnie sifted through an old-style album of photos that Colin’s grandmother had insisted he cart over, while Mack picked sandwiches off the tray that Colin had prepared.
“We’re going,” Mack said, his mouth stuffed with cheese and chutney, one of Jessie’s culinary specialties. “Just give us a minute.”
That was what they’d been saying for the past hour, after Mack had dropped Colin off from their golfing expedition and Bonnie had shown up to surprise Mack. Colin had explained in his good-guy manner—without mentioning Rhiannon—that he needed to be alone with his grandparents. He’d done his best to be diplomatic, but apparently diplomacy wasn’t what this