“How long do you intend to remain?” he asked.
“I do not know.” He shrugged. “It was not until after dinner, after the guests had departed, that Mother fully explained why she warned me not to mention you and your ship until they were gone.”
Sterling frowned. “What guests?”
“Mr. Hallaway and his son and Caroline, who is quite beautiful even though she was downhearted. Her brown eyes were puffy as if she had been crying,” Elliot commented looking him in the eye.
“What exactly did Mother explain?” Sterling ground out.
“It was a tale of love and betrayal, secrets, lies, broken hearts, and an earl who was too quick to judge and not tolerant enough to listen.”
Sterling snorted. His mother had clearly sided with Caroline, though he was not surprised since she had been in on the duplicity.
“After I heard the whole of it, I went looking for you. Since you weren’t on the ship, I visited practically every tavern near the docks before I found you deep in your cups and barely able to stand, so I got you back to your ship where I left you to sleep it off.”
Sterling groaned. “Did I say anything?” Did he want to know?
“Only that you loved Caroline and that she lies.”
“Yes, well, she did.”
“And that is the end of the matter?” Elliot asked.
“I cannot trust her,” Sterling reminded Elliot or maybe he was trying to convince himself.
“Mother said that you arrived behaving just like father, but then relaxed, laughed and remembered what it was like to be happy, just like father before moving to England, and with one deception, youreverted to our father, where nobody was allowed a mistake and excuses were not to be tolerated.”
That was exactly what he had done and Sterling hated himself for that. But it was too late now and even if Caroline forgave him, Sterling wasn’t certain that she could ever be trusted.
*
“Why must wehire a housekeeper?” Lady Wyndham asked for what must have been the tenth time.
“Because I should no longer be in that position. It was never my place.”
“If it is wages you want, we can arrange for them,” she promised.
“It is not the wages.” Though, perhaps she shouldn’t disregard the option so quickly. She may not need funds now, but the day may come when she must make and home for herself and Livia somewhere else, if she didn’t marry for convenience. “I will think on the manner,” she finally said.
“Of course, you will and then you will accept and I will not be forced to endure interviews,” Lady Wyndham decided, as if the matter was settled. “And I will also see that you are paid wages for being my companion.”
“That is not necessary, Lady Wyndham. I enjoy visiting with you.”
“Yes, and while I appreciate your words, I did take advantage of you.”
“You did not,” Caroline insisted. “My father was paid fully for duties he neglected. I did those duties and the wages went to the correct household.”
Caroline placed her teacup in the saucer on the table then settled back against the settee. “Truthfully, I am happy that I no longer need to fear the truth being learned and soon William will be responsible for everything.”
“Then we will put our attention to inviting bachelors to tea.” She smiled as if Caroline still wasn’t suffering from heartache.
Then again, she had no way of knowing what she and Sterling had shared. It wasn’t as if they courted. There may have been whispers when they worked closely during the harvest, but there was no proof that they were anything other than close friends, and he always came to her after everyone had retired, so of course, Lady Wyndham would see no reason why Caroline would object to inviting bachelors to tea.
“In time,” she said.
“Is it because my son broke your heart?”
Caroline blinked at her. “No…of course not…how…why would you assume such.”
