The door to the room opened and a maid entered. She bobbed out a nod and then said, “Mrs. Barnaby has ham and eggs if that suits.”
“Perfect,” Arabella said with a kind smile. “How is Regina today?”
“She had the baby around four, Miss Comerford,” the maid said. “A boy she named Thomas. They’re resting now and she’s doing very well.”
“Wonderful,” Arabella said. “I’ll come check in on them later today. I’m sure the staff is taking good care of them.”
“The very best.” The maid left then.
“Your nature is to take care of others,” Silas said, and sipped his tea.
She glanced at him, the little edge of her guard coming up. “I suppose so. Old habits.”
“I think there’s sweetness under all that wild,” he said.
She arched a brow. “If you spread that rumor, Silas Windham, I will never forgive you.”
He laughed but he refused to discount the merit of the statement. Not to her or to himself. Seeing her like this, at ease in her surroundings, put him to mind of when he’d found her in her hair cloths weeks ago. There was something so genuine to it all, a piece of her she only shared with those close to her.
If he fit that description in any way, he knew that made him a very lucky man.
They ate for a while, he kept the conversation light. She seemed to need it after they’d gone so deep the night before. They were just finishing up with their food, when Barnaby returned to the breakfast room, his lips turned down and a letter on a tray.
“This just arrived, Miss Comerford.”
She looked up and her cheeks paled a little at her butler’s expression. She took the letter and read the address. Then her own lips pursed and she set it face down beside her plate.
“Is anything wrong?” Silas asked.
She looked at him, there was a brief hesitation, then she shook her head. “Nothing at all.”
He wanted to push, because it was clear the letter troubled her. He thought of what she’d said about her father writing notes of threat and vitriol and wondered if this was one of those. But he could feel her pulling away, putting up walls and distance between them again.
And he found he didn’t want that.
“Why don’t you come to supper at my house tonight?” he said. Then he cleared his throat and added, “I’m expecting my brothers. You could meet Charlie.”
She sucked in a short breath. “Silas, no. That cannot end any better than the last time I met with Lord Reginald.”
“I see you with your family,” he said, covering her hand with his. “You are…you. Truly yourself. I do want that with my brothers. And I want what I saw when Phoebe met you. She saw me for who I truly was through your eyes. I want to ask them to do the same. And accept that version of me at last.”
She shut her eyes. “They cannot want a person like me around, Silas.”
“Then I’ll tell them to go to hell. Again.” He squeezed her hand and she looked at him. “Please.”
She looked almost stricken at the request for a moment, but then she nodded slowly. “Very well. If that’s your request, I couldn’t turn you down.”
He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Thank you.” Then he got up. “I must go make some preparations for the night. Will you come at seven?”
She got up and led him to the foyer. “Yes. Seven. I’ll be there.”
He kissed her again and then smiled as Barnaby opened the door just as his horse was brought around. As if the man had anticipated his need. What a concept in comparison to the servant who despised him back at his own place.
Still, none of that could trouble him now. Not after last night. Not after her.
So he rode off with a spring to his spirit and a hope in his heart for that night. One he couldn’t deny was all about the woman who was waving to him from her front step as he rode away from her.
CHAPTER20
