breakfast, Clare, I thought I should ask if you’d had a chance to share your good news with him?” she wondered with a mischievous grin.
Clarinda fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead shook her head. Surely Daniel would not find the news of her pregnancy good . But she had no idea how the man would react once she told him. She would have to tell him before tomorrow afternoon, though, before the solicitor read David’s will. “No, my lady. Our entire conversation consisted of me trying to convince him that the sight of him was not repugnant, and that he didn’t smell bad, while he informed me the furrow between my brows was cute but no doubt permanent.”
Dorothea seemed to consider Clarinda’s words for several moments before her face suddenly brightened. “Oh, well now you two are getting somewhere,” she announced happily before she disappeared from the doorway, the retreating swish of her skirts suggesting she was on her way to the breakfast parlor.
Wondering if anyone would notice, Clarinda toyed with the idea of adding a dollop of brandy to her chocolate before she sighed and ate her breakfast alone, sans brandy. Penning a note to Adele, she mentioned she would be taking a walk in the park at eleven and wondered if Adele might want to join her. She almost tacked on the words, ‘Save me,’ along with a drawing of her neck-deep in water made up of the name ’Daniel’, but thought better of it. It would be eleven o’clock before she’d have the note ready for the footman. The footman hurried off with her note, leaving Clarinda to finish her second helping of coddled eggs and toast.
Chapter 9
Parlor Talk
Daniel stood in the parlor doorway, not quite sure if he should step over the threshold. Clarinda sat facing the fire, her profile suggesting she was deep in thought and hadn’t noticed his presence. He was surprised, then, when she took a deep breath and stood. Turning to face him, she afforded him a deep curtsy.“My lord. Forgive me for not properly welcoming you to Norwick House,” she said in what sounded like a truly repentant voice, her eyes downcast.
Unsure of how to respond, Daniel bowed and entered the room, stopping just in front of Clarinda so he could reach for her hand and lift it to his lips. Brushing them over the backs of her fingers, Daniel continued to hold onto her hand as he regarded her. “Thank you, my lady. I am ... sorry for your loss.”
Raising her eyes to meet his, Clarinda realized he meant the sentiment. “And I am sorry for yours, my lord,” she answered formally. God, he looks just like David!
Daniel nodded, his eyes closing briefly.
“Did you have a good trip from Sussex?” she asked then, wondering if now would be a good time to tell him the news of the baby she expected in five months, three weeks and one day.
Daniel shrugged, glancing toward one of the chairs. “As good as could be expected, I suppose,” he murmured. “May we sit?” he asked, one brow furrowing as if he thought she might deny him the hospitality.
Clarinda’s eyes widened. “Oh, of course,” she replied with a nod. “Please,” she motioned toward the chair David would normally take. Daniel eyed it with a frown and instead took an adjacent chair after Clarinda took her place on the settee. She was careful to sit up straight as possible, as if she was preparing for a verbal battle.
“As mistress of this house, I suspect you are best equipped to tell me what I need to know,” he stated, not waiting for her to comment on the weather or the funeral scheduled for the following day. “We should start with the staff. As a result of my brother’s untimely passing, has anyone resigned their post or given notice they intend to leave their employment?”
Clarinda stared at Daniel in surprise. “No,” she replied with a shake of her head, wondering why he would think they would. Most of the household staff had been with the house since before David moved in, and those who were
Clarinda fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead shook her head. Surely Daniel would not find the news of her pregnancy good . But she had no idea how the man would react once she told him. She would have to tell him before tomorrow afternoon, though, before the solicitor read David’s will. “No, my lady. Our entire conversation consisted of me trying to convince him that the sight of him was not repugnant, and that he didn’t smell bad, while he informed me the furrow between my brows was cute but no doubt permanent.”
Dorothea seemed to consider Clarinda’s words for several moments before her face suddenly brightened. “Oh, well now you two are getting somewhere,” she announced happily before she disappeared from the doorway, the retreating swish of her skirts suggesting she was on her way to the breakfast parlor.
Wondering if anyone would notice, Clarinda toyed with the idea of adding a dollop of brandy to her chocolate before she sighed and ate her breakfast alone, sans brandy. Penning a note to Adele, she mentioned she would be taking a walk in the park at eleven and wondered if Adele might want to join her. She almost tacked on the words, ‘Save me,’ along with a drawing of her neck-deep in water made up of the name ’Daniel’, but thought better of it. It would be eleven o’clock before she’d have the note ready for the footman. The footman hurried off with her note, leaving Clarinda to finish her second helping of coddled eggs and toast.
Chapter 9
Parlor Talk
Daniel stood in the parlor doorway, not quite sure if he should step over the threshold. Clarinda sat facing the fire, her profile suggesting she was deep in thought and hadn’t noticed his presence. He was surprised, then, when she took a deep breath and stood. Turning to face him, she afforded him a deep curtsy.“My lord. Forgive me for not properly welcoming you to Norwick House,” she said in what sounded like a truly repentant voice, her eyes downcast.
Unsure of how to respond, Daniel bowed and entered the room, stopping just in front of Clarinda so he could reach for her hand and lift it to his lips. Brushing them over the backs of her fingers, Daniel continued to hold onto her hand as he regarded her. “Thank you, my lady. I am ... sorry for your loss.”
Raising her eyes to meet his, Clarinda realized he meant the sentiment. “And I am sorry for yours, my lord,” she answered formally. God, he looks just like David!
Daniel nodded, his eyes closing briefly.
“Did you have a good trip from Sussex?” she asked then, wondering if now would be a good time to tell him the news of the baby she expected in five months, three weeks and one day.
Daniel shrugged, glancing toward one of the chairs. “As good as could be expected, I suppose,” he murmured. “May we sit?” he asked, one brow furrowing as if he thought she might deny him the hospitality.
Clarinda’s eyes widened. “Oh, of course,” she replied with a nod. “Please,” she motioned toward the chair David would normally take. Daniel eyed it with a frown and instead took an adjacent chair after Clarinda took her place on the settee. She was careful to sit up straight as possible, as if she was preparing for a verbal battle.
“As mistress of this house, I suspect you are best equipped to tell me what I need to know,” he stated, not waiting for her to comment on the weather or the funeral scheduled for the following day. “We should start with the staff. As a result of my brother’s untimely passing, has anyone resigned their post or given notice they intend to leave their employment?”
Clarinda stared at Daniel in surprise. “No,” she replied with a shake of her head, wondering why he would think they would. Most of the household staff had been with the house since before David moved in, and those who were
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