Percy looked up at Selina and smiled at her before patting the ground next to him.
Dominic watched uncertainly. “I am not sure if she wishes to get her dress dirty, Percy,” he said gently. “Perhaps she can watch you play while sitting next to me.” He just wanted an excuse to be close with her, and he felt a pang of guilt at the thought.
“I do not mind getting my dress dirty at all,” Selina said. Dominic tried to hide his disappointment.Since when did I become so selfish? She’s for Percy, so of course, she should play with him instead of sitting next to me.
Selina continued to speak. “Perhaps all of us can enjoy a picnic in the garden together? How does that sound?”
Percy grinned and nodded.
Dominic gave a small nod, trying to hide his discomfort at the idea. He had never done something as casual as a spontaneous picnic before, so he did not know what to do.
“Excellent!” Selina said. “This shall be fun.”
The nanny got to her feet and brushed off her dress. “I will prepare a picnic basket, Your Grace.” She curtsied to Selina and Dominic before rushing off to the manor.
Selina turned to her husband. “Have you ever been on a picnic before?”
He shook his head, not knowing what to say.
“It is quite fun,” she said. “My family and I used to have them all the time when I was a child. It is a lovely way to enjoy beautiful weather, after all.”
Dominic watched as Selina and Percy passed the ball back and forth until the nanny returned with a picnic basket and a blanket. Selina helped her spread the blanket out on the ground. “Thank you so much,” Selina told her. “If you wish, you can take the rest of the morning off. We will watch Percy.”
The nanny smiled and curtsied. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
As the woman walked back to the manor, Selina sat on the blanket, arranging her skirts neatly around her. Percy sat next to her.
She looked up at Dominic. “Come join us,” she said.
He nodded slowly and got off the bench. Carefully, he sat down cross-legged on the blanket. It felt uncomfortable, and he knew his suit was wrinkling as he did it.How can anyone find this fun?
Percy moved closer to him and leaned his head against his father’s shoulder. Dominic looked down at him and relaxed a little. He could put up with the discomfort if it made Percy happy.
Selina grinned at the scene for only a moment before she focused her attention on the picnic basket. She opened it up to reveal bread, cheese, and fruit, along with a glass jug of milk and some dishes for them to use. “This is delightful,” she said as she pulled out everything.
“This is truly something you did with your family?” Dominic sounded intrigued. “You all sat on the ground in your garden and ate simple fare?”
“Indeed,” she said as she poured a glass of cold milk for Percy. “Sometimes we would sing songs, or read stories aloud, but mostly we just enjoyed each other’s company.”
Percy pointed at her eagerly.
Selina smiled at him. “What do you want, darling? Some food?”
He shook his head. Frustration flickered on his face for a moment before he tapped his mouth with his hand.
Dominic was completely lost, but realization entered Selina’s eyes. “Do you want me to sing?”
The child smiled and nodded eagerly. Dominic felt a pang of envy that Selina seemed to understand Percy better than he did.I’ll never be able to do that with him, no matter how much I want to.
Selina bit her lip and glanced at Dominic for a moment before she smiled. “I can sing if you wish, but I am certainly no professional. This is a song that we sang at my finishing school.”
She cleared her throat for a moment before she sang. “Alas, my love, you do me wrong, to cast me off discourteously. For I have loved you well and long, delighting in your company.”
Despite her disclaimer about not being a professional, her voice was pleasant and sweet. It made Dominic think of sirens from old myths.
Selina continued to sing.
“Greensleeves was all my joy. Greensleeves was my delight. Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady Greensleeves.”
