He frowned. “Are you tomy lordme allsummer?”
“Are you going tobe hereall summer?” Surely, he had someplace more important to be. London, perhaps.
“You could at least attempt to hide your displeasure.” He laughed lightly.
“I can call you by another name if that is your desire. Although I do believe you will findmylordto be the most agreeable.”
His lips twitched. “It seems I have some work to do in repairing my reputation.”
“Please don’t waste your effort.” I stepped around him and began ascending the stairs, but my legs were heavy and my muscles weak.
Damon swiftly caught up.
I sighed. If only Ollie were here. I looked down the drive, hoping to glimpse him, but the road was empty; the carriage had been removed, and the servants had scattered. Where was he? He would never have missed my arrival without a reason. “I rather thought Ollie would be here to greet Papa and me.” I glanced at Damon, hoping he’d offer some explanation, but he said nothing. “Do you know where he is?” I tried again, forsaking subtlety for plainness.
“I am not my brother’s keeper, Miss Kent.”
Anger coursed through me. Damon knew full well where Ollie was, and he refused to tell me. My stomach roiled, and my chest and throat burned. I clenched my teeth. I needed to sit. Immediately. I pushed past Damon.
“But perhaps his absence is for the best,” he called after me. “My brother is much changed.”
My steps slowed. How dare he speak ill of his brother? Ollie was all that was good in this world. I pressed my lips together to keep unpleasantries from escaping, but there was nothing for it; my need to defend Ollie was greater than my need to sit. I spun around to face Damon. Now standing higher than he, I looked down where he stood a few stairs below. “Even changed, Ollie is twice the gentleman you could ever hope to be,my lord.”
I turned swiftly to retreat, the quick motion causing the world to spin, and my nausea returned full force. I swayed.
Damon was at my side in a flash, grasping my arm. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” I pulled my arm from his grip. But in truth, my body was too hot, my face too cold, and my bonnet . . . Why had I tied it so tightly? I yanked at the ribbons, untying the bow.
“You are ill, Miss Kent. Take my arm, I insist.”
“No, thank you. I am fine.” No sooner than I’d said the words, my stomach spasmed and then emptied on Damon’s boots.
Mortified, I looked up at Damon.
He silently pulled a handkerchief from his coat’s breast pocket and handed it to me.
Hand trembling, I took the fresh linen square and pressed it to my mouth.
“Will you now allow me to escort you inside?”
Though my pride begged me to refuse, my body demanded otherwise. “Yes. Thank you.”
With a slight nod, he removed his soiled boots, taking care only to touch the clean portion at the very top, then extended his arm to me.
I threaded my arm through his, and together, we ascended the stairs.
Chapter Three
From my bedchamber window, Iwatched the lavender stalks dance in the breeze. The night before traveling to Summerhaven, I had worried at the possibility that the plants would not survive all this rain, but the bushes were as big and beautiful as ever. Perhaps even more so this year because everything else in the world seemed to be gray.
“It’s time to dress for dinner, miss.”
I startled at the sound of Nora’s voice and let the curtain fall back into place. “I must have lost track of time.” I’d been resting in this window seat, watching and waiting for Ollie to come home ever since the housekeeper had shown me to my room earlier this afternoon—right after the unfortunate incident with Damon’s boots.
I rose, my legs stiff and my back sore. I glanced around the room. Nora had emptied my traveling trunk, and candles now lit the room. My nausea had vanished, and hunger had taken its place.
“Will this do?” Nora laid a green silk evening dress on the bed.
