Nine
Colin shookhis head in wonder as the intrepid Miss Halliday marched his nieces past his study door to spend another afternoon in the company of sheep. They were two weeks into her employment, and she appeared no closer to resigning her post than she had been on her first day. Her unflappability was admirable, but it didn’t bode well for meeting Danby’s timeline, and Colin was failing miserably with the duke, too.
Thrice, he had written to Danby suggesting a renegotiation of their terms, and three times, he’d been rejected. The duke’s latest reply, which had arrived moments earlier, left no doubt in Colin’s mind that his neighbor was a stubborn old goat.
I expect Miss Halliday to tender her resignation before Lord Lovell arrives in Yorkshire. The sooner she realizes it is in her best interests to marry well, the better off everyone will be.I trust you will employ whatever means necessary to drive her from Blackwood Castle. Do not give me cause to regret placing my faith in you.
Aside from tossing Miss Halliday over his shoulder and toting her back to Danby Castle, he hadn’t a clue as to how to return her to the duke, since no one at Blackwood had been able to discourage her yet. Colin took secret pleasure in her mettle, but the duke need not know it.
There was much to admire in Miss Halliday. She arrived each day brimming with enthusiasm, and it was contagious. Joining her and his nieces for their daily excursions to the pasture reminded him of how much he loved his ancestral land. His determination to see the estate recover and flourish was renewed each time he looked over the moors.
Of equal importance, he wanted the residents of Blackwood Castle to thrive, which required more than food and shelter. Often these days, his nieces’ laughter filled the castle. Even he and Audrey had reached a tenuous truce, and Miss Halliday was responsible. She was helping to mend what had become broken at Blackwood. The prospect of letting her go was no longer an option, but neither did it feel right to consider her an employee. She was so much more to him.
This evening he would be dining with his banker to discuss financing options to feed the flock through the winter. Perhaps he could find an investor or sell a pair of his father’s cuff links. If the duke wouldn’t cooperate, Colin would find another way to improve his lot and offer Miss Halliday something more permanent. Her wishes would dictate exactly what that might be.
“Do you still wish to join us, my lord?” The governess’s inquiry jolted his attention away from the duke’s letter. “I don’t know how much longer I can convince your nieces to wait. They are eager to see the pups.”
Her smile was a scintillating ray of sunshine that heated him through. She stood in the doorway, twisting slightly side-to-side. Her powder blue skirts flared to reveal the tips of her sensible boots. She always seemed on the verge of dancing away.
Colin crumpled the missive, grabbed his hat, and followed her before she left him, tossing the duke’s letter in the bin on the way. “What are we learning about today?”
Miss Halliday arched an eyebrow; a teasing smile played about her lips. “I thoughtyouwere in charge when it came to the sheep.”
“Quite right,” he said with a chuckle. “I was simply testing you.”
Colin had a tendency to get carried away and take control whenever the lessons involved the flock, but it wasn’t due to Miss Halliday failing to do her reading. She had acquired an impressive amount of knowledge on sheep farming over the last couple of weeks. Sometimes he forgot all of this was new to her.
When they joined his nieces in the castle yard, Colin’s brother was there with the lamb he’d taken to carrying around the castle in a bid to frighten Miss Halliday into quitting. It was proving to be a futile endeavor.
James doffed his hat, offering everyone a view of his untidy hair, and greeted Colin and Miss Halliday. “I am sure you remember my dearest friend, Lady Harriet Lambkins,” he said. “We are on our way to take refreshment this afternoon.”
The girls giggled and looked expectantly toward their teacher, awaiting her reaction. Miss Halliday dropped into a perfect curtsey. “Good afternoon, your ladyship. It is lovely to see you again.”
Colin’s nieces burst into laughter with Iris holding her belly and doubling over as if the entire affair was unbearably funny. James met Colin’s gaze and shrugged while struggling to suppress a grin.
Colin canted his head. “I trust you will enjoy the rest of your afternoon, my lady.”
This set off another round of laughter. James hugged Lady Lambkins and made a show of reassuring her that no one was laughing at her as he pretended to stomp away in a huff.
Miss Halliday turned to watch him go. “Your brother is very fond of that lamb.”
“It is but a passing fancy, I think.”
She chuckled and linked arms when Colin offered his escort to the barn. He appreciated that she tolerated his brother’s antics with good humor, although Colin was almost certain she thought he might be an escaped Bedlamite. If he didn’t know James was putting on a show, he might believe it, too. In addition to toting the lamb around the castle every day, Colin’s brother had been known to burst into the classroom several times over the last couple of weeks with his hair tousled and clothing askew to ask which little girl had eaten the carrots he kept in his pocket. Colin was sure it was quite disruptive, but Miss Halliday never complained.
She had even politely choked down a biscuit from the plate James delivered to the drawing room the other day when she was teaching the older girls how to pour tea. Emily and Iris had been less tactful, and very dramatic when they had dashed outside to spit the offending biscuit in the dirt. Their longtime cook had been furious with James when she realized he’d ruined her recipe by switching the sugar and salt. And Cook wasn’t inclined to forgive Colin any time soon either.
You should keepthe rogue on a shorter lead.Your father wouldn’t have abided your brother’s foolishness.
Colin knew Cook was right, and since it would no longer be necessary to scare away Miss Halliday if the meeting with his banker was successful, he would order James to stop said foolishness.
The sun was hot at their backs as he and Miss Halliday strolled along the dirt path arm in arm. They had formed an easy camaraderie over the last couple of weeks that he didn’t share with many, aside from his brothers. Colin wasn’t bashful, per se. He simply didn’t enjoy idle chitchat, which seemed to be the only conversation many members of the upper class were capable of having. While he could be playful with Miss Halliday, he could also discuss his concerns for his nieces’ wellbeing without feeling like he was talking to a potted plant.
Her unique perspective on family, teaching, and life in general resonated with him and encouraged him to take stock of what he wanted for his future. For the first time, he was entertaining thoughts of marriage and filling his own nursery. It was a heady notion.
“Where is Mrs. Browning today?” he asked as his youngest nieces skipped ahead.
“She is cleaning the nursery. I told her that I could manage alone.”
