She stopped in the center of the terrace and slowly looked around then turned back to the house before she looked up—directly at him, fear in her dark eyes.
Had she sensed that he was watching?
A moment later, she hurried across the terrace and entered her father’s home.
Why was she afraid?
*
While her fatherand William reviewed the reports and accountingfollowing their evening meal, Caroline prepared Livia for bed, tucked her under the coverlet and read to her from a favorite story. When her daughter finally drifted off, Caroline extinguished the lamp and returned downstairs, relieved to see that father and brother were still reading and made her way to her chamber, which had formerly been a small parlor at the side of the house. She used to sleep above-stairs in the room next to her daughter’s smaller sleeping chamber, but she had given it to William on his return, because it had formerly been his bedchamber. The one where Livia now slept had been Caroline’s and was too small for both of them. Therefore, Caroline had made a parlor into her chamber. Their family was not so large that they needed a sitting room and a parlor. There were no visitors and if documents needed to be prepared or there was accounting that could not be done in Wyndham’s home, they used the small office here or the dining table if a larger space was needed.
William had tried to insist that he be the one to sleep downstairs, but Caroline would not allow it. Besides, she was the one who was up the earliest and went to sleep the latest, and she liked the separation from her family. Further, she also had a door that led outside and made it easy for her to cross the terrace whenever Lady Wyndham might have need of her.
It was at that very door that she now stood, watched and waited for all lights to be extinguished on the ground floor, then waited for the chambers above to also darken. Once they were, she waited a little longer, then lit a lamp and quietly crossed the terrace and entered the main house through the back door before she made her way to the office. Once inside, she lit another lamp and then closed the door.
Settling behind the desk, she retrieved the ledger that she had been writing in earlier and finished the calculations for the quarter before she set to copying the figures on a separate ledger to take to her father. There were always two copies. One that was sent to Wyndham in England and one that remained at the estate, just as there was onequarterly report sent while a copy of said report remained here.
Once the ledgers were totaled, she completed the quarterly report with the correct amounts and began to make a copy so that they would be ready for Wyndham.
It was tedious but necessary work.
Caroline had just retrieved another piece of parchment, ready to copy the fifth and final page when there was a creak of the floorboards outside the office. Every part of her being stilled as she held her breath and waited as she strained to hear if there was someone in the corridor or if she was alarmed for no reason.
Chapter Five
When Sterling wokein the darkness, he lay in bed for a moment, rather disoriented as to where he was. Then he recalled that he was in his boyhood bedchamber and, if it was not for the moon’s reflection through the window, he’d be in complete darkness.
How late was it?
Sterling pushed the covers aside and sat up in bed before he turned and placed his feet on the floor, his toes and heels cushioned by a thick, plush rug that he remembered as being woven into various shades of blue.
The last thing he recalled was being overcome with exhaustion after he had bathed. He had crawled into bed with the intention of taking a short nap.
His stomach rumbled and tightened.
Had he missed dinner?
Sterling rose and padded across the room to the dresser where he had left his pocket watch then returned to the window so that he might note the time.
“Bloody hell!” It was just past one-thirty in the morning, which meant he had been asleep for…when had he come up here?
They had tea at three, because that was the hour his mother had always taken tea.
They had spoken for nearly an hour and then he had bathed.
Even if he hadn’t fallen asleep until six, he had still slumbered for seven and a half hours.
After his stomach grumbled again, Sterling pulled on some trousers, then his banyan, leaving it open because of the stifling warmth in his room. Besides, there was no reason to be properly dressed. First, he was in his own home and second, everyone was likely asleep.
Sterling lit a candle, slipped on the smoking shoes he’d left at the side of the bed, and exited his chamber with every intention of visiting the kitchens in hopes of finding something to eat, even if it was only some bread and jam, which would do until it was time to break his fast.
Except, once he reached the foot of the stairs and turned down the corridor, he stopped.
A very soft light brightened the floor beneath the door to his office.
Was Hallaway working in the middle of the night? Was there too much estate work for him to complete during the day? Or had he been neglectful of his duties and was hurrying to bring his records and accounting current before they met tomorrow?
Sterling lit the candle in the bronze wall sconce behind him and slowly walked toward the door, thankful that he was not in boots, but a softer sole so that he might surprise the person on the other side of the door, not giving them a chance to come up with an excuse to save a position. However, when the floorboard squeaked beneath his foot, Sterling paused and waited. He hoped that he had not been heard and in case he had, he waited to see if Hallaway would come to investigate.
