When Tate fetched the volume, she thanked him but took it without looking up. She waited for him to leave the room, but he stood there resolutely. After what felt like a long time, Cassandra glanced into his face. That he was now fighting laughter was more than obvious, and Cassandra’s smile went into full bloom.
“I wouldn’t have fallen,” she said when his arms came around her.
“You’re probably right, but I don’t think I’m willing to take the chance.”
“You have been better,” Cassandra encouraged him. “Not much like a hen at all.”
“A hen?” Tate looked flabbergasted at being described this way.
“Did I say hen?” Cassandra asked, trying to look innocent all over again.
Tate wanted to be outraged, but he was suddenly taken with her face. He studied her freckles and beautiful eyes, all the while remembering that she was the sweetest woman he’d ever known. It didn’t take long to completely forget that she’d been on the chair.
Cassandra, certain she was still in trouble, was more than happy to see her husband’s head lowering. When their lips met, Cassandra sighed. She would have to stay off of chairs in the days to come, but if Tate was going to kiss her for the crime, climbing onto any stool close enough was going to be a temptation.
Blackburn Manor
“Go, Niki,” Mary encouraged her. “The boys will be fine, and you need an evening out.”
Niki hesitated, looking down at the invitation again. Marianne and Jennings had invited her for an evening of cards, an adult evening, scheduled in two days’ time. Niki wanted to go, but in truth, unless she was traveling, she was with the boys. Thinking about leaving them in Denley’s care, much as she trusted him, felt odd.
Having gone through several moments of mental gymnastics, Niki looked up and saw that her Aunt Mary was waiting for an answer.
“Are you and Walker invited?”
“No, she’s asked us to have the children here. In fact, all but the baby will be spending the night. Your boys will love it.”
Niki nodded and forced herself to say, “I’ll go.”
“Good. You can send word anytime you like.”
Before she could change her mind, Niki sent word but then stood in the foyer for a long time after her aunt went on her way. She wanted to be near the boys almost constantly since hearing from Juliana but knew that she shouldn’t live in that kind of fear. She was finding that old habits died hard.
In fact, Niki’s next thoughts were for the boys. She had to force herself not to search for them. Denley had said he would keep track of them for a few hours, and Niki knew she could trust him.
She did wonder why she couldn’t relax if her trust of Denley was so great. Not wanting to give it much thought, she went to her room in order to write a letter to Juliana. Right now she was willing for anything that might take her mind from wanting to worry.
Denley had not planned on visiting the library, but word traveled swiftly at Blackburn Manor. He had only had the boys outside for a short time when word came to them that Edward Steele was in the library, studying maps and charts.
The twins begged Denley to go and see him, but that man only agreed to check with Mr Steele.
“If he wants to be left in quiet, we will not disturb him. Do I make myself clear, young masters?”
The boys nodded in agreement, but Denley wondered if, in their excitement, they’d really taken it in. They walked quietly enough into the library but ran for Edward the moment they spotted him. Denley came swiftly in their wake and waited for Edward to look at him.
“We do not wish to disturb you, Mr Steele, but the boys wanted to say hello.”
Edward thought, I was beginning to think they would never find me, but said, “I’m glad they did. Why don’t you leave them here with me, Denley? We’ll have a great time with this atlas and the maps.”
“Very well, sir. Shall I call for them after a time?”
“There’s no need. I’ll make sure you’re around before my brother is ready to leave,” Edward told him, watching Denley bow before leaving the room.
“What have you boys been doing today?” Edward asked when they were alone.
“We went on a walk outside, and then we saw you.”
“Is this a French or English day?” Edward asked, having caught a little of both.
The boys looked at each other.
“Mama didn’t tell us,” Christopher informed him.
“What did you speak yesterday?” Edward tried.
The boys both shrugged, and Edward laughed a little. He sat on one of the soft davenports, an atlas in his hand, and without need for an invitation, the boys sat on either side of him.
Edward opened the book, aware of their small bodies close to his and feeling things in his heart that had never been there before. It occurred to him for the first time that if Niki went away, she would take these boys with her. His pain over her departure would not be doubled, it would be trebled.
“What’s this?” Christopher asked, pointing to the map of Asia.
“That’s China. It’s many miles from here.”
“Has Mama been there?” Richard asked.
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”
“Have you?”
“I have not. I’ve been here,” Edward said, turning to the page that showed Africa.
The boys were very impressed by this, and in the next hour Edward took them on a finger-walking tour of his travels. He didn’t mention that he’d been to several of those places in an effort to keep their mother safe, but those days were surprisingly fresh in his mind.
James Walker had a fine globe, one that sat in a very large, ornate stand in the middle of the room. When the atlas had been exhausted, the three “travelers” went to the globe to crowd around it and find Edward’s travels all over again.
At one point Edward showed them some land on the top of the globe. Richard couldn’t see, so Edward lifted him into his arms. Perched on his right arm, Richard studied the globe for a time, but it wasn’t long before he tired a bit, and without giving it a moment’s thought, he laid his head on Edward’s shoulder.
Edward didn’t comment or do anything to dissuade the child. For several heartbeats he let himself enjoy the feel of Richard’s soft hair against his neck, his warm weight against him.
This is the way Niki found them a few minutes later. Having run into Denley in the hall and asked about her sons, she wasted no time gaining the library.
In some ways she was now sorry she’d come. Seeing Richard’s head on Edward’s shoulder did the strangest thing to her heart. She felt as though she wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time.
The boys were excited that she had joined them. Even Richard wanted out of Edward’s arms so he could show her the globe. In the midst of trying to find Bhutan, the boys remembered a map book that Walker had given them. They exited the library in a hurry and ran to their room to find it.
“They like you,” Niki said, feeling awkward all of a sudden but wanting to say the words anyway.
“I hope so. I like them.”
“I’m glad.”
Silence hung for a moment, but Edward couldn’t stand it.
“Does their mother like me?”
“You know I do,” Niki answered, tentatively allowing her eyes to meet his. Edward boldly returned her gaze, but Niki felt too vulnerable and exposed just then. She moved to the door and opened it.
“I thought they would be back by now.”
Edward didn’t comment. He knew she was afraid. He was a little fearful himself. But he was also excited. He found himself awash with emotions and euphoria every time he was near her. To know that she was feeling some of the same things only added to the sensation.
“Here they are,” Niki said with relief, glad that she hadn’t been forced to look at Edward or say anything more.
By this time Henry was nearly finished studying with Walker, so Edward, Niki, and the boys had very little time together, but it was enough
. Edward, leaving with his brother, and Niki, taking the boys off to play, both thought about each other for the rest of the day.
Thornton Hall
Niki told herself that it had not been planned. She told herself that Marianne wouldn’t do such a thing, but the truth of the matter was that she and Edward were the only singles at the party.
The Jenningses had also invited the Palmers, Westons, Hursts, Morlands, and Tates. Three tables had been set up to accommodate four players each, leaving two people free for a break or substitution.
It did not escape Niki that she and Edward were at the same table, but they were also with the Westons, a couple Niki found delightful.
“Nicola is the most beautiful name in the world,” Anne Weston told Niki in the midst of one game. “I think our Sarah might have been a Nicola, had I thought of it.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you spent much time in France?” Weston asked.
“Yes, I lived there for years.”
“Anywhere near Paris?”
“Just outside.”
“Do you miss it?”
“I wouldn’t mind visiting, but I actually prefer England.”
The game continued with random pieces of small talk, but Niki found Edward on the quiet side. He was watchful and played his cards to perfection, but for Edward, he was oddly quiet.
When there was a break, both Weston and Anne left the table for some refreshment. Niki waited only until they were out of earshot to speak.
“You’re very quiet tonight, Edward.”
“Am I?” he asked in a noncommital tone, his eyes on her.
Niki was growing exasperated and decided to say what she was thinking.
“Edward, what’s come over you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re behaving oddly. At no time in our travels did you look at me with such interest.”
“I should hope not,” he said with a grin. “You looked like a man.”
Niki stared back at him but didn’t comment.
“You don’t look like a man any longer,” Edward said quietly, his meaning more than clear.
“Stop staring at me, Edward,” Niki now whispered in return. “You’ll have me thinking about kissing you again.”
“Again? Did you say again?”
“No,” Niki lied without shame. “Of course I didn’t say that.”
Wishing the floor would swallow her whole, Niki became very absorbed with the score sheet on the table, refusing to look across at Edward. When she did, he was smiling at her. Niki felt it coming on but tried to ignore it. The blush, which always appeared just below her collarbone, was spreading quickly. Edward spotted it and his smile widened. Niki’s hand went to her throat.
“Too late,” Edward told her softly. “I can see that you’re blushing.”
Niki was opening her mouth to say something, but Anne and Weston were returning.
“Shall we change partners?”Weston asked when he neared the table, seeing his wife into a chair and taking his own.
“That might be fun,” Edward agreed. “Then again,” he added, “maybe we should stay as we are.”
“No, let’s change,” Anne piped up. “I want to partner with Niki.”
Niki didn’t care. Either way, Edward was too close. She was still horrified by what she’d admitted to him, and clearly he was not going to forget it.
“Is it my turn to play again?” Edward asked when the cards came around to him, putting the emphasis on that word in such a subtle way that Niki was certain she was the only one to notice.
When she was willing to look Edward’s way she found him at his most innocent until it was time to use that word. Niki found herself wanting to laugh at his audacity but knew she would have to explain herself if a giggle escaped.
“I’m sorry,” Niki said to Anne when they lost three hands in a row. “I must not be concentrating.”
“Not at all,” Weston spoke up good-naturedly. “I think anything wrong in your game, Niki, can be blamed on Edward.”
“What did I do?” Edward asked.
“I’m not exactly sure, but while Anne and I were away from the table, you had plenty to say to Niki. Now you’re very quiet, which can only mean that you’re teasing the life out of this poor girl.”
Edward looked so comically insulted that Niki and the Westons laughed. Niki enjoyed looking at Edward now, her expression rather smug. You’ve been figured out was clearly her intent, and Edward was forced to smile.
Sitting at the next table, the Hursts and Palmers took in some of this scene. They noticed the way Edward and Niki smiled at one another and wondered, as Niki had, whether Marianne Jennings had been matchmaking when she invited the two.
“Would Marianne do that?” Pastor Hurst asked in disbelief.
“I hope so,” Palmer surprised him by saying, shocking both Judith and his wife into hysterical laughter.
Blackburn Manor
Niki slipped in the front door at a late hour, finding the house quiet. Bertram was there with a lantern, and she made her way upstairs but didn’t go to her room.
Not able to help herself and not really trying, Niki headed for the boys’ room. She stood quietly over their bed, her heart breathing a little sigh of relief as she saw that they slept peacefully.
It was an awful trap to be in—never trusting, tormented by fear—but at the moment Niki didn’t know how to change. She finally sought her own bed and sleep, which came before she had any answers.
Newcomb Park
“You’re quiet this morning,” Henry commented to Edward at the breakfast table. The younger Steele had taken a seat and begun to eat with little more than a word.
“Don’t mind me, Henry,” Edward said, and then fell silent again.
Henry’s brows rose. It wasn’t often that his brother was out of things to say. Henry waited several minutes, enjoying his breakfast and thinking, but when Edward remained quiet, he began to guess.
“Have I done something you don’t like?”
“No.”
“One of the girls?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Henry finished his tea and poured more into his cup. At one time Henry would have been more than happy to leave Edward in his silence, but something was on his mind, and Henry wanted to know what it was and whether his brother was all right.
“Are you felling unwell?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Are you tired from your late night?”
“No, but thank you for checking.”
Henry paused but wasn’t long in continuing. “Have you finally figured out that you’re going to marry Mrs Bettencourt?”
Silence greeted this question, and Henry knew he had hit on the matter. He didn’t push Edward but waited for him to share.
“She was at Thornton Hall last night,” the younger Steele admitted.
“Were you able to speak to her?”
“Yes. I think she has feelings for me.”
“I can believe that. What are your feelings for her?”
“They’re very strong. They frighten me.”
“May I give you some advice, Edward?”
“Please do.”
“Go slowly. Your heart won’t wish to, but you must. Get to know her very well; take your time. If you love each other, you’ll be willing to wait until you’re both ready.”
“She has two sons,” Edward spoke as though Henry hadn’t. “I would become a father as well as a husband in one day.”
“You love those little boys, Edward. I’ve seen you with them. It’s a serious undertaking, but you already care enough to get the job done properly.”
Edward looked at his brother, realizing how valuable he was to his life. In just a few brief sentences Henry had set his mind at ease.
Go slowly. You already care.
Those simple lines took the confusion and muddle from his mind.
“Thank you, Henry,” was all Edward had left to say.
br /> Henry inclined his head modestly, poured another cup of tea, and reached for the newspaper.
Chapter Seventeen
Blackburn Manor
“All is quiet in town,” Denley reported to Niki on Monday.
“Good. How did you handle the situation?”
“I took the list you gave me and wandered about as if I hadn’t a clue.”
Niki smiled at him, unable to help herself.
“Did you remember to find the items on the list?” she asked with a good deal of amusement.
Denley actually looked affronted.
“Certainly, Mrs Bettencourt,” he intoned. “I even checked in for the post and was given a letter for Mr and Mrs Walker.”
“I’m sure they will appreciate that.”
Still looking a bit put out, Denley nodded and moved on his way. Niki looked after him, a small smile on her face. At times she thought him perfect; it was a small comfort to know he had feet of clay.
“We’ve heard from Elinore,” Mary told Niki later that day, referring to their oldest daughter. “Her husband is ill, and she’s asked us to come and visit with the children while she devotes time to him. They’re not babies anymore, but with their father ill, she thinks we’ll be a nice diversion.”
“When will you leave?” Niki asked.
“Well, that’s just it, Niki. We don’t know if we should go and leave you and the boys alone.”
“Why ever not?”
“Do you feel safe about staying here?”
“I can assure you, Aunt Mary, that we will be fine. You must go to Elinore’s. The sooner the better.”
“Are you certain, Niki? If you need us, you must tell me.”
Niki smiled and reached to hug her.
“You have been a lifeline for me, Aunt Mary, but you must go. The boys and I will be fine.”
“Only if you’re very sure—” Mary began but stopped when she heard Walker laugh.
“I’m afraid there will be no convincing her, Niki.”
Both women watched him approach. He stopped before Niki and looked her in the eye.
“Elinore’s needs are somewhat pressing, but nothing to yours. Mary is only trying to protect you.”