expecting to see a ghost standing behind the butler.
“The new vicar is a cousin of my father’s, ma’am. He arrived yesterday.”
“Oh, yes. I’d forgotten there was a relationship. No doubt he wants to talk about the wedding, but what a horridly inconvenient time to call… Put him in the small morning room, Greeley. I’ll be there in a moment. Goodness knows where Lady Daphne is.”
“She went up to change her dress after our walk, I believe. Would you like me to ask her to come down?” Kate’s offer was halfhearted; she could imagine how Daphne would react to being hurried along for the vicar’s convenience.
“Yes, please,” the duchess said briskly. “And perhaps on your way, you’ll show Lady Townsend to the blue suite at the top of the stairs so she can rest and refresh herself. Mrs. Greeley seems to have gone missing.”
Penny got to her feet with obvious relief, and Kate led her out. For a moment, she had forgotten the vicar entirely, but as they left the drawing room, Kate saw that though the butler was attempting to show Mr. Blakely into the morning room, the vicar was taking his time and admiring the grandeur of Halstead.
“What a remarkable staircase,” he said. “The way it branches and hangs in midair without visible support! And the colors of the room.”
I wonder if he’s warming up his voice for the duchess , Kate thought. He sounded as if he thought his throat were a musical instrument and he was testing his range.
“Her Grace is to be complimented on her taste— Miss Blakely? ”
Now Kate knew he’d practiced his slow, sonorous voice, for when he was startled, his tone skated upward into a nasal-sounding tenor.
“What are you doing here?” He sounded scandalized. “A young woman in mourning, visiting a house full of wedding festivities! I am shocked —”
Before Kate could defend herself, the duchess spoke from behind her. “Mr. Blakely!” Her voice held the crack of a whip. “Your cousin has graciously put aside her personal loss to assist me during this busy time, and I don’t know what I would do without her. Surely her willingness to give service to others in their time of need is an expression not of frivolity but of true Christian charity!”
The vicar’s Adam’s apple pumped as he swallowed hard. Kate could see him reassessing his position with this potentially valuable patron.
“Of course, Your Grace. I spoke in haste, thinking only of what others—those of less pure mind—might think to see her here. But if you approve—well, no one could object.”
Over his bowed head, the duchess winked at Kate, who gave a quick tug to Penny and started up the stairs.
The vicar went on, “I admire my cousin for her most virtuous of motives. I am happy to confide in you, Your Grace, that I plan to quickly make her my wife.”
Penny’s eyes went wide. Kate smothered a groan as she looked back over her shoulder to see how the duchess might react to the pronouncement.
And saw Andrew Carlisle lounging in the shadow of the front door.
Well, what of it? she asked herself crossly. What Kate chose to do with her life was nothing at all to him. And Andrew Carlisle was nothing at all to her.
***
Kate’s groan pulled Penelope back to the moment. During the entire time that she’d sat in the drawing room—which could have been no more than a quarter hour, though it had felt like an age—Penelope had been in a sort of fog, afraid she might fling herself at the duchess’s feet and beg for her help. Exactly what sort of help, Penelope wasn’t certain.
But the vicar’s pronouncement —that she could deal with. “You don’t sound very happy about it, Kate. Are you going to marry him?”
Kate didn’t answer directly. “I don’t suppose you want to hire a companion, Penny? You and I have always gotten along well. I could wind skeins of needlepoint yarn for you or keep you company on long walks.”
“Then you’re not betrothed? I must own I’m glad, as he
“The new vicar is a cousin of my father’s, ma’am. He arrived yesterday.”
“Oh, yes. I’d forgotten there was a relationship. No doubt he wants to talk about the wedding, but what a horridly inconvenient time to call… Put him in the small morning room, Greeley. I’ll be there in a moment. Goodness knows where Lady Daphne is.”
“She went up to change her dress after our walk, I believe. Would you like me to ask her to come down?” Kate’s offer was halfhearted; she could imagine how Daphne would react to being hurried along for the vicar’s convenience.
“Yes, please,” the duchess said briskly. “And perhaps on your way, you’ll show Lady Townsend to the blue suite at the top of the stairs so she can rest and refresh herself. Mrs. Greeley seems to have gone missing.”
Penny got to her feet with obvious relief, and Kate led her out. For a moment, she had forgotten the vicar entirely, but as they left the drawing room, Kate saw that though the butler was attempting to show Mr. Blakely into the morning room, the vicar was taking his time and admiring the grandeur of Halstead.
“What a remarkable staircase,” he said. “The way it branches and hangs in midair without visible support! And the colors of the room.”
I wonder if he’s warming up his voice for the duchess , Kate thought. He sounded as if he thought his throat were a musical instrument and he was testing his range.
“Her Grace is to be complimented on her taste— Miss Blakely? ”
Now Kate knew he’d practiced his slow, sonorous voice, for when he was startled, his tone skated upward into a nasal-sounding tenor.
“What are you doing here?” He sounded scandalized. “A young woman in mourning, visiting a house full of wedding festivities! I am shocked —”
Before Kate could defend herself, the duchess spoke from behind her. “Mr. Blakely!” Her voice held the crack of a whip. “Your cousin has graciously put aside her personal loss to assist me during this busy time, and I don’t know what I would do without her. Surely her willingness to give service to others in their time of need is an expression not of frivolity but of true Christian charity!”
The vicar’s Adam’s apple pumped as he swallowed hard. Kate could see him reassessing his position with this potentially valuable patron.
“Of course, Your Grace. I spoke in haste, thinking only of what others—those of less pure mind—might think to see her here. But if you approve—well, no one could object.”
Over his bowed head, the duchess winked at Kate, who gave a quick tug to Penny and started up the stairs.
The vicar went on, “I admire my cousin for her most virtuous of motives. I am happy to confide in you, Your Grace, that I plan to quickly make her my wife.”
Penny’s eyes went wide. Kate smothered a groan as she looked back over her shoulder to see how the duchess might react to the pronouncement.
And saw Andrew Carlisle lounging in the shadow of the front door.
Well, what of it? she asked herself crossly. What Kate chose to do with her life was nothing at all to him. And Andrew Carlisle was nothing at all to her.
***
Kate’s groan pulled Penelope back to the moment. During the entire time that she’d sat in the drawing room—which could have been no more than a quarter hour, though it had felt like an age—Penelope had been in a sort of fog, afraid she might fling herself at the duchess’s feet and beg for her help. Exactly what sort of help, Penelope wasn’t certain.
But the vicar’s pronouncement —that she could deal with. “You don’t sound very happy about it, Kate. Are you going to marry him?”
Kate didn’t answer directly. “I don’t suppose you want to hire a companion, Penny? You and I have always gotten along well. I could wind skeins of needlepoint yarn for you or keep you company on long walks.”
“Then you’re not betrothed? I must own I’m glad, as he
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