This is what you agreed to, what you planned, the voice said in her head. But she had expected longer to come to terms with it. It had only been a couple of weeks. She thought she had months.
She descended the stairs slowly, reluctantly. She had to pull herself together by the time she reached the dining room. The door was open. She could see the candles burning on the table.
As she walked into the room, she saw Ernest standing by one of the windows, looking out onto the courtyard. For a moment, he didn’t know she had entered, and she had time to look at him in amazement. He looked positively trim in his breeches, vest, and dress coat. All his excess weight was melting away. His hair was neat and well-trimmed. He was, as always, exceptionally well-dressed, but she imagined one of the maids must be occupied full-time taking his clothes in as he rapidly slimmed. He turned then from the window and saw her.
“My dear, there you are,” he said with a wide smile. Then he raised his arms out to either side of him and said, “Look, I am up. I made it down the stairs, even if it did take a while.”
“You look very well, Your Grace,” she said in reply, hoping her voice did not betray her dismay at this fact and berating herself for being so uncharitable.
“It’s early days, but hopefully going in the right direction. That is why I asked you to dine with me. We have taken enough meals with me in my pajamas.” He smiled, and she forced a smile too.
“To celebrate the occasion, I asked Mr. Browning to join us too.”
CHAPTERTWENTY
Rose stared at Ernest.
“You did?”
“Good evening, Your Grace.”
Rose spun.
She cried out, “Will!” But just before the words left her mouth, she managed to transform them into “Mr. Browning.”
He had been standing behind the door as she entered, and now he was right in front of her. He reached for her hand, but she did not offer it. She couldn’t. She couldn’t let him touch her in front of Ernest. She took a step back and saw him smile. She hoped Ernest had not witnessed the exchange since she had her back to him.
“What a surprise,” she managed. “Did you really ride all this way for dinner?”
Her heart was clattering in her chest. Her mouth felt dry. For a moment, she felt quite dizzy and faint, so she put out a hand to steady herself on a dining chair.
“He has been here all day,” Ernest said then. “We have been mapping out a new joint venture from my sick bed. I thought it only right to ask him to stay.”
“Well, of course, how lovely.”
Rose’s conversation was happening automatically, while inside her head, her sentences were now raging.You didn’t think to let me know you were coming? Or even that you had arrived? You spend all day in my home and don’t say so.
He was staring at her so intently she wondered if he could hear that inner voice too. He was wearing breeches of the most stunning buttercream hue, with a dress coat to match, and he looked even more tanned than usual, highlighted by his white collar and the cravat at his throat. He looked like a picture from a magazine.
Her fingers closed more tightly around the chair.
“Well, you must enlighten me as to your plans while we dine,” she suggested and letting go of the chair, she deliberately moved closer to Ernest so that he would not suspect the riot of emotion that was coursing through her at Will’s presence.
Each took their seat. Ernest was at the head of the table, and Will and Rose sat on either side of him, facing each other. It was not ideal as far as she was concerned since she could not avoid his gaze. She would rather that he had sat at the other end of the table and she somewhere in the middle, but Ernest had insisted.
“We will not stand on ceremony this evening. I would rather we can talk easily than have to shout at each other down the table’s length.”
Will had pulled the chair out for Ernest to gingerly sit down, and Rose saw him wince.
“Are you sure you should not be in bed, Your Grace? Are you sure it is not too early to be about?”
Ernest reached out his hand and placed it over her small slim one. She was shocked at the gesture but did not pull away. Rose cast a furtive glance at Will and found him staring at their joined hands.
“You must not fuss about me, my dear.” He waggled her hand. Then to Will, he said, “She has been keeping my spirits up these past weeks.” Rose watched the look of confusion in Will’s eyes. “She is quite the card player, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” Will said, and Rose’s eyes flashed to his in alarm.
“You do?” Ernest was surprised.