This came out as something of a wail and Albina quickly wrapped him in her arms, holding him tightly.
“Thank you for telling me, Henry.” She waited, wondering if he was going to start sobbing but his small frame did not begin to shake although he rubbed at his eyes with one hand. “You need not worry any longer. I know that you should not have been listening but what you have told me might be very helpful.” She smiled down into Henry’s face as he tipped his chin up and frowned as if he didn’t quite believe her. “If you remember anything else, will you please tell me?” Henry nodded, his gaze falling away. “Thank you. Now, we must make certain that you are ready for dinner. Your hair will need to be brushed!”
Ignoring his protests, Albina rose from her rocking chair and taking the reluctant child by the hand, led him from the nursery and back into his bedchamber.
She had a good deal to tell Lord Addenbrook.
* * *
“Come in.”
Albina took in a deep breath and then pushed open the door. It was already beginning to grow dark and many candles were lit. Lord Addenbrook was bent over his study desk, writing something at great speed, his quill scratching the paper. He did not say another word to her but gestured for her to come closer. Albina, who had been growing steadily more anxious for the last hour, did as she was bade and then waited, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.
“Miss Trean.” Lord Addenbrook set down the quill with a sigh of relief and then sanded his letter before folding and sealing it. “I have something to speak to you about. I should have, mayhap, done so a little earlier but I did not.” He shrugged as though that particular oversight did not matter. “Please, do be seated.”
Albina tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, but she did not quite manage to remove it entirely. There was something rather intimidating about being in Lord Addenbrook’s presence – whether it came from the fact that he could remove her from her position here and, unwittingly, send her back to her parents and Lord Kingston, she could not say, but there was something about the way he looked at her that had her all of a tremble.
Lord Addenbrook rose from his desk and, much to Albina’s shock, began to untie his cravat. He flung it haphazardly on his desk and came towards her, one button now completely undone at the top of his shirt.
Fear began to curl within her stomach. Was he about to attempt to take advantage of her? Had this all been a ruse? With a sudden rush of awareness at just how very alone and vulnerable she was at present, Albina’s hands clenched tightly into fists.
But then, Lord Addenbrook fell back into a chair opposite her and let out a heavy sigh. Clearly, he wasnotabout to harm her, but was merely disinclined towards keeping his formal dress in front of a mere governess. A small, flickering heat began to burn in her chest and Albina’s cheeks colored a gentle pink.
“I am to have a house party, Miss Trean.”
Albina blinked.
This is all he wished to tell me?
“I should like you to make certain that Henry has no part in this endeavor. There will be a number of guests – one only just added to the party, in fact – and should not be particularly pleased if he were to disrupt it in any way.” Pushing himself up in his chair, he lifted one shoulder. “I do not want my guests to know that I have a nephew currently residing in my house, Miss Trean. You may think poorly of me for that if you wish, but that is what I desire.”
The tension which had run through her only a few seconds ago lingered still, and it took her a few moments to reply.
“I understand, my Lord. When do they arrive?”
Grimacing, Lord Addenbrook’s eyes darkened as they swept over her.
“In two days’ time, in the late afternoon.” A small sigh fell from his lips. “Alas, I fear that youdothink poorly of me.”
Albina took in a deep breath.
“I do not know why my opinion should matter, my Lord,” she answered, speaking with more boldness than any other governess might. “I will do as you ask and make certain that Henry is not seen by any of the guests.”
“I should not like you to be forced to hide in the schoolroom and nursery for these four days, however.” Lord Addenbrook spoke quickly as if he wanted to make amends for the demands which he had just placed on her. “The guests will not rise early. In fact, I should not imagine that any would rise before luncheon!” A small smile tugged at his mouth and Albina could not help but smile, knowing full well that this was often the case with those in theton. “If you wished to take your walk with Henry during the morning hours, then that would be acceptable.”
It would mean a change to her current plan with Henry, but Albina did not mind. She had not realized it at first, but now slowly began to think of what it would have been like should Lord Addenbrook have demanded thatshecome to present Henry to the guests when they arrived. She did not know who it was that he had invited but what if one of them had recognized her? Then all would have failed, and she would have been forced to return home and into whatever circumstance was waiting for her. Relief coursed through her, and she made to rise from her chair, glad now that she would have cause to stay away from Lord Addenbrook’s guests. Lord Addenbrook had, without realizing it, saved her from what could have been a very difficult situation indeed.
“Oh, I quite forgot.” Seeing Lord Addenbrook’s lifted brow, Albina flushed gently but remained in her chair. “Henry spoke of his father.”
In an instant, Lord Addenbrook’s expression changed. He pushed himself forward, no longer reclining back in his chair, and put his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His eyes swirled with gold and green, his mouth pulling into a flat line.
“What did he say?”
Quickly, Albina related what Henry had told her, seeing Lord Addenbrook close his eyes once she had reached the end.
“This was my very great concern,” he breathed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Itoldhim that I….”
Dropping his head forward, he pushed one hand through his hair but remained in that position for a few seconds.