Silas smiled as they both glanced at Gen, who was managing to finish her plate, but clearly flagging.
“Perhaps, after your young protégée is settled, you might care to join me for an after-dinner brandy?”
Dorothea used her mouthful of food as an excuse not to answer immediately. His offer had, for some obscure reason, made her heart jump a little, which was absurd, of course.
And it would be considered quite outré by her family, and probably most everyone in Renslow House, not to mention the rest of the elegant neighbourhood. Those realisations tipped the scales in his favour.
“I would be delighted, Mr Gray,” she nodded at last, keeping her voice level. “I believe that would be an ideal end to a very long and adventurous day.”
The conversation turned ordinary, food was served and consumed, and Gen managed half of her pudding between yawns.
“Which you both have certainly had,” smiled Silas, shooting a quick glance at the tired child.
“Gen, if you’re done, I think we might tuck you into bed now?” Dorothea suddenly realised how natural that felt, and yet she’d had little experience with children as young as Gen.
Was it the girl? She was a delight and had brought a new breath of air into Dorothea’s existence. Or was it perhaps something that had been there all the time and yet had never had the opportunity to develop? Hard to tell.
“I’m done, Miss Thea.” Gen scrambled down off her chair and walked to Silas. “Thank you for my food, Mr Gray. It was wonderful.” And then she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
Dorothea didn’t know who was more surprised. Herself or Silas.
He certainly looked stunned, but then smiled widely and opened his arms to hug Gen. “Good night, little one. Sleep tight. And I’ll see you in the morning.”
“When Mama comes,” she nodded.
“When your Mama comes,” he echoed firmly.
Dorothea stood and took Gen’s hand. “I won’t be long,” she said quietly.
“I’ll be here,” he answered.
Yes, I know. And I find that knowledge a lot more stimulating than I should...
*~~*~~*
With Gen tucked snugly on one side of the large bed, and Thim settling on the floor next to her, Dorothea felt more comfortable about leaving them for a little while. They’d certainly taken to each other, without a doubt. While many argued that a tickerkin had no emotions, she’d never been one of them. And Thim was proving her point.
Battered, clearly misused, and having experienced a hard life, it was still working and showing a good deal of intelligence. Not to mention surprising affection for a little human girl. Yes, its eyes weren’t aligned as well as they should be, and there was a bit of a lopsided rattle when it moved, but sometimes one had to judge what lay in the heart, not on the surface.
Glancing in the mirror, she winced and did her best to restore some order to her hair. The day’s adventures had taken their toll on her appearance, leaving her with some loose curls and smudges on the hem of her skirt and petticoat. She sighed. Such was the price one paid for escaping Arcvale. And it was unlikely that Mr Gray would notice.
With that not-very-comforting thought, she straightened, turned the knob near the door to reduce the lighting to a soft glow, and quietly left the room.
It seemed as if the whole house had settled itself for the evening. The lights in the hallway were also a little less bright, but Nelson appeared in front of her. “If you’d follow me, Ma’am.”
“Of course. Thank you. I would have been quite lost on my own, I’m sure.”
“Neither Mr Gray nor I would ever allow that to happen,” replied Nelson, his tone rather dry in nature. “However, there are more than a few rooms on this level, so I can comprehend your confusion.”
His words were uttered in a somewhat supercilious tone, so she merely followed him down a passageway that led past where they’d eaten and further into the house.
Stopping in front of a door, he glanced at her. “Mr Gray awaits, Ma’am.”
The words almost sounded like an incantation, and Dorothea scolded herself for the absurdity. “Ah. Well then. Thank you, Nelson.” She walked past him with a nod and went inside.
A fire burned brightly in a large fireplace, and the thick rugs silenced her footsteps as she walked across them to the man rising from his chair.
“No, please don’t get up.” She held up her hand. “This looks so comfortable. And warm, too.”
