“You and your romance.” Gilbert huffed with apparent annoyance as Arthur left the room. He looked at Mr. Mattingly and thumped the tip of his cane on the floor as if he were a dour lord of eighty instead of a man in his prime. “At least while you’re here, there is no danger of being matched to a troublesome woman who will break your heart and your trust.” Heavy bitterness clung to his voice.
“Gil, please!” Sophia glared at him. “Control your tongue in front of Hannah.” She didn’t need her daughter’s budding dreams spoiled by her uncle’s troubles.
“I apologize.” He returned his teacup to the table with such force she was surprised it didn’t break. “People always assume every man is after romance and wants a woman in his life.” When he looked at the ambassador, he lifted an eyebrow. “Are you in the market?”
Yes, are you?Sophia rested her gaze on him more intently than she should have.
“Not actively, but I suppose I wouldn’t say no if love and romance came calling.” He tossed a grin around the remaining company as if he were perfectly comfortable setting whatever group he was in at ease. “It would sure beat being alone.”
How interesting.
“Then you’re destined for misery and heartache.” Gilbert stood as he shook his head as he struggled to his feet. “I’ll see you again at dinner. Welcome to Ettesmere Park, Ambassador. Don’t let Sophia and Hannah put romantic rot into your brain.” He flicked his gaze to her. “Don’t try to match him. At least let him have his holiday in peace. Love has ruined more than a few good men.”
For long moments, Sophia stared at Mr. Mattingly while he looked back with confusion and amusement warring for dominance in his eyes.
“Please excuse my brothers. Arthur will be married soon, so he’s been at sixes and sevens with the planning, and quite distracted as of late. Gilbert’s marriage is rather a secret, but from the way he talks, I believe the union has hit some difficulties, but he refuses to talk about it.” She shrugged. “They are both stubborn in their own ways.”
Hannah snickered. “My uncles are always so dramatic.”
“Men are dramatic, darling.” Sophia waved a hand. “Why don’t you go down to the kitchens and ask Cook for some lemonade. Hopefully, the contretemps are over now, and she’ll spoil you with those pastries you like.”
“Are you certain?” Hannah glanced between her and Mr. Mattingly. “I wanted to talk to the ambassador a bit more. He is an interesting fellow, and clever too.”
Never say the girl was smitten. Trying to tamp her amusement, Sophia smiled. “There will be plenty of time for that. While you’re in the kitchens, tell the housekeeper to have a room readied for him. I think we can all agree, Mr. Mattingly will be staying on for a bit.”
That brought her daughter out of her chair. “Of course, Mama.” Then, with a wave at the ambassador, Hannah skipped from the room with her braid swinging behind her.
“It seems you have made quite the impression on the girl in a short time.”
Her guest shrugged. “She’s extremely congenial. It’s easy to talk to her. And she is quite intelligent in her own right.”
“That makes me glad to hear. I always wonder if she’s being raised correctly.” Sophia grabbed the teapot and silently refilled the ambassador’s cup. “You must think the family has escaped from Bedlam. According to my mother, we are all a willful bunch.”
When he flashed that grin again, another round of butterflies awoke in her belly. “I’ll admit, being on my own for so long has certainly made my world much quieter, but in the silence, I begin to miss life and the noise of it. It’s why I adore living in London. There is always something going on. Seeing your large family and interacting with them is interesting for me.”
“Then I’m glad. I worried my brothers would make it difficult for you to stay.”
“Not at all.” He took a drink from his cup as if he hadn’t had liquid in days, and when he stole a biscuit from the tea tray, he ate it with apparent relish. “I enjoy the banter, and I look forward to knowing your family better. In my line of work, everything thrives on connections.”
“What did you and Hannah talk about before you arrived here?”
“Oh, this and that.” He shrugged and popped a tiny seed cake into his mouth. “Mmm! That is tasty.” With a wink, he washed down his mouthful with another swig of tea. “She wanted to know if I was married. Then told me you were a widow. Mostly, we talked of death and grief.”
Dear God.
She hadn’t known Hannah thought about any of that let alone wished to speak about it. And she wasn’t aware of the secret Sophia held back from her, the one that would leave her an orphan. Her hands shook so badly that she hid them in her skirts. “I’m afraid she’s known more than her share of death in her young life.”
And it wasn’t over.
“So I gathered, but I told her of my experience with grieving so she wouldn’t feel so alone.” He ate another seed cake. “It speaks to your rearing of her that she’s got such an old soul. Your daughter is quite wise, and her intelligence will only grow. That will serve her well in the future.”
Sophia eyed him with suspicion. “Did she ask you to catch frogs and toads with her?”
“No, but that would be an interesting way to pass the time.” A look of surprise crossed his face that one could assume was plain at first sight. “She did speak of her love of flowers and her wish to further study them as well as plants.”
“She must get that from her father, for just the thought of frogs makes me shiver.” She offered him a smile. “However, it’s true I’m a widow.”
“Hannah said the anniversary of that date is upcoming.” One of his dark eyebrows rose in question.