Catriona had come to understand the young girl during her time here and the look on Dorothea’s face was an obvious indication of such. Obvious to her at least. Dorothea was far too well-mannered to show too much excitement in front of company, and so she sat with her back ramrod straight and her hands folded in her lap, but she wore a smile so bright, it was hard to look away.
Catriona managed somehow, glancing only at Joseph, wondering if he was seeing what she saw—if he was witnessing Dorothea’s true colors blossom before them like the carnation she said was her favorite flower today.
His eyes were fixed on his daughter, his face unreadable. She couldn’t begin to guess what he was thinking, but the mere fact that he had pulled her out of lessons to have breakfast with them must account for something.
Though, there was very little breakfast being eaten. Joseph was the only one attempting to eat, and Catriona was too focused on him to pay attention to her own meal. He did look far better than he had yesterday, but she could see the weakness in his movements, as if the cold was lingering. Even though the fever had broken, and he did not seem as fatigued as before, Catriona knew better than to let her guard down.
“Did I hear someone say encore?” Ava asked as she swiveled around on the stool in front of the pianoforte, bearing a broad grin.
“No,” Maisie clipped without looking up from her book at the same time that Dorothea said, “Yes, please.”
“The lady has spoken,” Ava declared, and Maisie sighed, eyes still glued to her book. Catriona hadn’t even noticed that she’d brought it with her though she shouldn’t have been surprised. “I shall not complain then since it’s Dorothea’s wish.”
Dorothea’s smile widened as she eagerly awaited Ava to resume her playing.
The sound of Mozart filled the breakfast room, slightly sped up to match Ava’s specialized playing. Catriona couldn’t quite tell if she was doing it to annoy Maisie, who much preferred when the original, or to entertain Dorothea, who seemed to be enjoying it immensely.
“Catriona.”
Her heart stalled in her chest. Catriona took a sip of her ginger tea to calm herself before she looked back at Joseph. Thankfully, his attention was on the others in the room. “Yes?”
“Are they always like this?”
She followed his gaze, lips twitching when she noticed that Ava had begun to rock back and forth and had sped up her playing. Catriona doubted Maisie could focus enough to read, but Frederic didn’t seem to have much of an issue.
“Always,” she said. “For as long as I can remember.”
“Hm.”
Catriona chanced another look at him and was both relieved and disappointed that he wasn’t looking at her. “Quite noisy, aren’t they?”
“Noisy is an understatement.”
“Say the word, and I shall ask them to leave.”
He waved a hand. “I suppose it is fine.”
Catriona raised her brow at him. “Are you certain? I imagine how new this must all be for you.”
“Though that may be the case, there is also nothing I cannot handle.”
She hid her smile behind the rim of her teacup. “I see.”
At last, Joseph looked her way, brows dipping. “Do I sense disbelief in your voice?”
“Do you?” she sang.
His frown deepened. “There is. You doubt me.”
“Well, surely you cannot blame me. It is hard to believe that there is truly nothing you cannot handle.”
“That is exactly what I expect you to believe,” he grunted. “I have been through far too much and have come too far to falter any longer.”
She set her cup down, inclining her head to the side as she regarded him. Even though he was still in recovery, he was still so devastatingly handsome that he stole her breath each time she looked at him. But with the table between them and his eyes now trained on his meal, she felt like she could handle asking her next question without her heart stuttering in her chest and her words failing her.
“What was she like, Joseph?” Catriona asked softly.
He looked sharply at her. She didn’t move, didn’t break eye contact, didn’t let that small niggle of fear worm its way through her bravado.
