“Yes, they have been a blessing.” She smiled. “Well, I have kept you from your work long enough. I’ll let you get back to it.”
“You don’t need to worry. Ensuring this place runs smoothly is my job.”
Still the pair parted ways, Veronica returning to her sitting room.
Daisy was still inside, waiting for her when she returned.
“How did it go,” the maid asked.
“It went well,” she sighed, falling onto her sofa. “I just hope the visit goes well.”
“It will. You don’t need to worry.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Why not?”
“You haven’t met my family.”
“No, but I will soon. How many of them are coming?”
“It sounds like all of them, so that would be my parents and two sisters, Rose and Milly.”
“That sounds incredible. We’re going to have a full house!”
“Hardly. It’s only a few people.”
“Still, it's more company than I have ever seen in Ashton Castle in all the time I have worked here.”
Veronica’s face fell. “Sorry. I forgot just how remote this place can be.”
“It’s alright. You get used to it. I don’t know if I would know what to do with a house filled to the brim with guests.”
“I wouldn’t know how to host anything either.”
“I think you would do better than you expect.”
“Perhaps, but I doubt we’ll be getting a chance to find out any time soon.”
Chapter Twelve
Christopher was out in the garden, alone. In truth, he’d been alone for years, but somehow now it hurt. It wasn’t like he could escape Veronica’s presence in so many ways. It always felt like he would see her just around the next corner. It was all the worse because it seemed like things were finally going well, like they were finally on the same page.
Now, she couldn’t seem to stand being in the same room as him for more than was strictly necessary.
Her rejection stung more than he would like to admit.
Though, to be fair, it wasn’t entirely Veronica’s fault. He had been avoiding her as much as she was avoiding him.
But still, when he had tried to avoid her in the past, she had sought him out to try and talk to him anyway.
He spent most of his day in his study where no one could find him. When he wasn’t there he was in the garden.
One day, as he was making his way from the garden, Mrs. Carter approached him.
“Has Duchess Ashton given you any news?” she asked carefully.
“News about what?” he said, not wanting to admit that he hadn’t seen her since they returned with the dogs.
