Chapter Fourteen
Well?’ asked Edward as they walked away from the nursery. ‘What do you think of her speech?’
Kate was surprised he’d asked about that first; she’d have thought he’d want to talk about Ace and who the character might represent.
‘I think the understanding is there behind her words, but I was right to suspect that her speech is behind what one would expect from a child of her age. Perhaps it is because of the trauma of loss or the shock of the long voyage she undertook. I do not think there is anything to worry about, however. I should like to spend more time with her to develop her ability, if it is acceptable to you and your family.’
‘Of course, but do you think it is something that can be corrected?’ He stroked his chin with his forefinger.
‘Yes. I worked with a girl older than Charlotte who hadn’t been spoken to much at all.’ Chorley’s daughter. The young girl was mostly ignored by her parents, which was probably a blessing for the child in the long run. ‘I managed to catch her up in no time.It was mostly a case of gentle correction and responding with enthusiasm to her suggestions. Children are no different from adults really; they want attention and love, and for some reason this does not seem to be in abundance in noble households. Not,’ she added quickly, ‘that I am suggesting that is what has happened here. You all clearly adore Charlotte.’
They rounded a corner, stepping down a few steps, before continuing on. ‘You are right; she has us wrapped around her finger.’ His eyes crinkled in the corners. ‘You should have seen us in the beginning; we were a disaster.’
‘How bad was it?’
He scrubbed a hand over his face, stifling a groan. ‘I would like to hope we would have been better if Charlotte had been a boy; at least we would have had an idea of how things worked.’ The tips of his ears turned red and she bit back a giggle. ‘There were lots of toilet mishaps in those early days, let us put it that way. And when she cried…’ he pressed a hand to his chest theatrically ‘…I think we would all have preferred our own swift death than witness her tears.’
‘You are more dramatic than you appear at first.’
His eyes slanted towards her. ‘In all other instances, I am stoic and a fine specimen of a man.’
‘Of course.’
‘But in this one instance, I am milksop.’
Laughter burst out of her and his grin was quick and pleased. He liked catching her off guard, she realised. Never having seen him outside his home, she rather thought he might be one of those charming men her mother had warned her about. The sort of man who took your heart without you truly noticing, not by design or for his own cruel amusement but because of his charisma.
‘Do you want to talk about Ace?’ she asked, and his smile faded.
‘It seemed to me this Ace person was someone she knew,’ he said.
‘I thought that too. Do you have any idea who it might be?’
‘I do not.’
They began to make their way down the wide staircase that led to the main entranceway to the house and she marvelled over the difference a few weeks had made. The last time they had walked this way together, she’d thought he could not bear her presence in his house; now it was possible they were becoming friends.
‘My feeling is Ace is the person who travelled with her from America,’ she said.
‘I agree. The way Ace was giving directions was too pointed. It was like Charlotte was repeating words she had heard.’
‘Hmm.’ He was staring contemplatively ahead and she was sure he was not seeing his surroundings. ‘It only adds another layer of mystery,’ he said eventually.
‘Hopefully, my brother will be able to help you unravel more.’
‘Hopefully,’ he agreed as they reached the bottom.
Unsure of what to do next, she paused. He came to a slow stop too. ‘I have never apologised to you for the way I acted on the very first day you were here,’ he said unexpectedly. ‘No, there is no need for you to wave away my behaviour. I was rude and I am sorry for it.’
A small frown wrinkled his forehead as he peered down at her.
‘Why was that?’ she asked, shocking herself with the bold question. ‘I have wondered. It seems out of character now I know you better.’
‘Ah.’ He tugged at his neckline. ‘I was worried you were nervous about moving in here and instead of easing your discomfort, I made it worse by being a bore. If I were the type of man who got edgy when embarrassed, I would put it down to that.’ He flashed her one of his disarming grins. ‘But obviously, I am more sophisticated than that, so please put it down to rudeness. I should be grateful if you would accept my apology, however.’
‘Apology accepted.’
‘Excellent.’ His smile was wide and she responded with one of her own.
