that, but she needed to be frightened. That way she would be careful. “Don’t
forget to write your father, immediately.”
Thomas was sputtering when we left the bedchamber.
“Don’t mind Thomas,” his brother said, his voice hard with irony. “He wants to
be the center of Amelia’s existence. He doesn’t want anything to detract from
her complete attention to him and him alone.”
We were nearly to the stables when I said, “I forgot George. I forgot my riding
clothes.”
“I’ll wait for you at the stables,” he said. He raised his hand a moment, then
looked off toward the home wood. He turned and left me.
In the end I didn’t ride with John. Swanson, unable to bear the yelling of two
newborn babes, took his own mother over to see to his new little boys, and
brought himself to Devbridge Manor, to escape in the intricacies of estate
management.
John was requested to join his uncle and Swanson.
George and I had a marvelous time. We didn’t ride far because I didn’t want to
get lost. Small Bess suited me very well.
I was even singing at the top of my lungs at one point. We’d pulled up beside a
small stream that bisected east to west near the Manor. George was drinking, and
I was just looking around at the soft late afternoon light sifting through the
willow trees that bordered the stream.
A beautiful place, I thought, a perfect place. I would be happy here. Once
Amelia’s father arrived to rid us of that strange spirit, then all would be well
again.
But what about the bars? I would ask my husband about them. It would be nothing,
I was sure of it.
I carried George back to the Manor in my arms. I was whistling.
Chapter Thirteen
Upon my return, George insisted on running up the staircase beside me, his
little legs stretched and lunging. His tongue was lolling, and he was breathing
hard by the time we reached the first landing. I slowed my step. We passed three
servants?one footman and two maids. I stopped, nodded to both of them, and asked
their names. I introduced them to George and asked that if they ever saw him
alone to make certain he wasn’t lost.
Belinda was in my bedchamber, smoothing out a lovely dinner gown of the palest
green silk with small capped sleeves and a darker green velvet band beneath the
breasts. There was the same darker green edging at the neckline and the hem. It
was one of my favorite gowns?one I hadn’t worn, of course, since Grandfather’s
death. I’d instructed Belinda to leave all my black gowns folded away in a big
box in the dressing room. Grandfather had hated black, and I’d worn it only
three months. It was enough. Lawrence had agreed when I had asked him what he’d
thought. I remembered he’d said, “Your grandfather was a passionate man,
overflowing with life and endless purpose. Somehow black seems indecent for such
a man. Put the black gowns and veils away.” And so I had, grateful for his
belief.
“Ah, there you are, my lady,” Belinda said. “I just finished doing for Miss
Crislock?a lovely lady and ever so nice she is?and she’s all fit and proper now,
her hair all curled up in the most clever way. All the family is to be in the
drawing room in thirty minutes. His lordship likes the family to meet there for
an hour before dinner is served. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t be
back in time.”
“I’m here,” I said. As I walked near her, she sniffed. “Oh, dear, I’ll order up
water for a bath. We must hurry. This time I will allow a footman to bring the
water.”
With Belinda’s help, I was walking to the drawing room door a half hour later,
George at my side. She had even found time to twist and wind pale green ribbons
through the braids atop my head. I looked quite fine, she’d told me.
As for my best friend, Brantley had sent Jasper, that very nice young footman
whom George liked. George wasn’t stupid, and he knew a besotted human when he