“We like Miss Claywell and want her to stay. I will not allow you to ruin her, then send her away.”
“That is not my intention,” he ground out. “Further, that is not what happened with Miss Halton.”
Delia crossed her arms in front of her, tapping her foot as if she were his governess and he misbehaved. It was quite ridiculous.
“What are your intentions?” she demanded.
Preston weighed how much he should confide in his oldest niece. While she was more mature than many of the silly misses he’d met in London, Delia was still only fifteen.
However, she was also stubborn and opinionated and if he did not make her understand, she could make life miserable for him and possibly Miss Claywell.
Preston pushed his fingers through his hair and debated just how much he should confide in his niece and settled on an abbreviated version of the truth.
“I think it is time for a private discussion between just the two of us.”
“I agree.”
As Althea entered the house and returned to the parlor, she glanced about quickly and noted that there was not much left to do within. The girls were silent and watched her expectantly, but Althea decided to pretend as if nothing was amiss.
“I’ll set the dining room to rights if you’d like to begin on the library.”
“Yes, Miss Claywell,” they murmured obediently.
Were they now wondering about her intentions toward their uncle? Or his toward her?
Somehow, she must make matters right once again, but the only way that could happen was if they carried on as they had before without any more incidents of near kissing.
“What about me?” Winifred asked.
“I’ll carry you to the library so you can supervise your older sisters.”
“I like supervising.” Winifred grinned. “And I don’t like goblins.”
Althea crossed the room and picked Winifred up off the settee and carried her to the library where she settled the child again, tucking the blanket around her. “Now, make certain they don’t leave even the smallest sprig behind.”
“Will small goblins be found in them?” Winifred asked.
“I’m not certain, but it’s better not to risk it,” Althea answered in seriousness. “If anything is too high, please summon a footman so we have no more incidents of near falls.” With that she quit the room, leaving them behind as she made her way to the dining room, where she was blessedly alone. Though perhaps the distraction of the girls was better than being alone with her thoughts.
If they’d been in London and if it were the Season and had Melcombe wished to kiss her, Althea would have happily allowed him to do so. But those weren’t their current circumstances.
In London, she would have known his intentions. Here, she wasn’t certain.
With a sigh, she placed the drying greenery near the entry and weighed her options.
As much as she wanted to be in this home and enjoyed being a governess to the girls, it was probably best that she did leave when the month came to an end. As much as she longed to be near Lord Melcombe, and truly wanted him to kiss her, it could not be allowed. And the longer she was here, the more her desires were likely to deepen. Althea feared that in a moment of weakness, she’d give in to her deepest yearnings.
That could not happen under any circumstance.
Except, what was she to do when she was gone? Where would she go?
They were the same questions she’d pondered only yesterday and apparently her decisions changed frequently.
The only true certainty was that she could not return to London, nor did she want to return to her prior existence under Uncle Clarence’s care.
Chapter Fifteen
“Ifyouwouldn’thavebeen called home, it’s likely that you would have courted Miss Claywell,” Delia said as if to confirm what he’d just told her.
