Beatrice laughed and led the duchess away, allowing Ella a moment to speak to Dietrich first.
She was a good friend.
Dietrich moved closer to Ella. She glared at him, and he let out a chuckle.
“I deserve that, I know. Will you forgive me?” he asked.
“I’m inclined not to,” she said. “You seem to make a habit of doing things you think are good for me.”
He grinned. “I should apologize,” he said, “but I think you’ll find that I did a good thing with this one, and I am not inclined to apologize for that.”
“You should apologize anyway, instead of asking if I will forgive you without actually apologizing, which seems rather backward.”
Dietrich grinned. “Ella, I am sorry for inviting you on a picnic under false pretenses. Will you accept my apology and forgive me?”
Ella sighed. “If I must,” she said.
“May I help you down?” he asked.
“I don’t suppose I have another choice,” she said, though if the choice was between Dietrich and the men standing near the carriage, she would always choose Dietrich.
There was a twinkle in his eyes as he closed the distance between them. Did he realize that she was stuck on the horse?
“I promise I won’t let you fall,” Dietrich said. He reached up, placed his hands on her hips, and helped her slide down. As he lowered her to the ground, holding her firmly, her heart pounded in her chest from the close proximity. He didn’t let go, keeping her steady, even after her feet were firmly planted on the ground.
“Wouldn’t want you to lose your balance,” he said, his voice husky.
“I don’t think there’s any danger of that,” Ella said, her voice catching.
“Just to be on the safe side,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips.
Ella fought the sudden urge to press up on her tiptoes and kiss him. She shook herself and stepped back before she gave in to the impulse. Kissing Dietrich was not something she should be doing.
“Come and meet the young ladies,” Dietrich said, stepping back and applying gentle pressure to her lower back as he ushered her forward, catching her horse’s reins in his free hand as they walked.
Ella took a deep breath, her steps slow and halting. Her heart had been pounding earlier from her nearness to Dietrich, but now it raced for an entirely different reason. What if her sisters didn’t like her? What if her new stepmother was just as bad as the old one? What if, instead of finding a family who loved her, she found more ridicule and hatred? The thought was almost unbearable.
She froze only a few feet away from them.
“This is my friend, Ella,” Beatrice said, raising a hand to urge her forward.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Duchess Vaughn said with a warm smile.
“The pleasure is mine, Your Grace,” Ella said, dipping into a curtsy. Beatrice had taught her how, and she no longer stumbled or fell over attempting it—an improvement over two days ago.
“I did not realize you would be joining us,” the duchess said, looking between Beatrice and Ella with a gentle laugh. “When my husband told me the girls were going for a picnic to enjoy the sunshine, I thought it sounded so lovely, I couldn’t let them go without me. So here I am. But how pleasant to make new friends, too.”
Her laughter was musical—completely different from Tabitha’s calculating cackle. For the first time, Ella felt hope stir in her chest. Was it possible this family could be better than the only one she’d known until now? It seemed hard to believe there were truly kind people in the world, but someone whose laughter sounded like that couldn’t possibly be cruel.
“I’m very excited to make new friends here in the Northlands, and I hope you’ll count me among yours,” the duchess continued.
It took everything Ella had not to burst into tears. Dietrich must have sensed her emotions because he stepped forward.
“Let’s see what deliciousness the cook sent, shall we?” he said, ushering Ella gently forward with slight pressure on her lower back.
At first, his touch had felt like he was pushing her toward something she didn’t want, but now it felt comforting. Perhaps he had been right to arrange this after all. All her reasons for waiting paled now that she had met Duchess Vaughn.
As they rounded the carriage, Ella spotted a picnic blanket spread out on the grass. Two young girls sat on it, chattering excitedly.
