Her son frowned. “Mrs. Nel was to have retired six months ago. The notification was provided to me in the last quarterly report received before I sailed. I had instructed Hallaway to hire a replacement immediately so that one could be trained before Mrs. Nel left. Did he not do so?”
“He was too preoccupied with the estate,” his mother answered with little concern.
“That is one of his duties—to see that the estate is fully staffed.” Wyndham’s voice rose in irritation. “Since I have arrived, I have discovered that there is no gardener employed, when there should be if one has gardens and now, I am told that there is no housekeeper.”
“You are making too much of the situation,” Lady Wyndham dismissed his concern, much like Caroline’s father dismissed matters that did not involve grapes and she well understood Wyndham’s frustration with his mother.
“I interviewed candidates and did not like them so Caroline has agreed to fill the position until such time as we can once again begin interviewing.” Her answer was so pleasant, a problem easily resolved, that Lady Wyndham likely believed that her son would simply accept her explanation while Caroline knew that it would not be so easy.
Wyndham stared at her, his blue eyes dark with lingering irritation. “Besides being your father’s secretary, sometimes gardener, and my mother’s companion, you are also the housekeeper?”
His voice was tight with disapproval.
“I am simply being of assistance and my father assured me that he would see to hiring a new housekeeper as soon as the harvest is complete.” If he remembered, or maybe she would need to see to that duty, but Lord Wyndham did not need to know the extent of the difficulties they faced. “Besides, it is not a burden and I already know the servants and everyone who works at Wyndview Farm, and howthe household is run so it is easier for me than for your mother or my father to train someone new.”
“Then you will be compensated for the positions you now fill.”
“No,” Caroline insisted. “I am grateful for a home with my father for me and my daughter. This is a way for me to repay the kindness of allowing him to take me in when it might have been prohibited. Therefore, compensation is not necessary.”
“You seem to be of the opinion that you have a choice,” Wyndham returned.
Oh dear!
Where had the kind gentleman she enjoyed speaking with the evening before gone? Did Wyndham leave him behind at the ball? It was the only explanation because he was behaving very much as he had when he first arrived and she did not like this version nearly as well.
Chapter Seventeen
When Sterling hadfirst awakened, his mood had been odd in that he was conflicted as to why he had been bothered by other gentlemen and military men showing Caroline attention. Why did he hate the idea of anyone calling on her? His time was limited at Wyndview Farm and soon he would be sailing to Madeira and then back to England, and Caroline would remain here with her family. Once he left, it was likely he would never see her again so why was he so bothered by potential suitors?
He tried to convince himself that it was because he did not want his mother forcing a match that Caroline did not want, but that was only part of the truth. The other was that he wanted her for himself. To what extent, he did not yet know, but he wanted to come to know her the best that any man could know a woman outside of a marriage before he did leave.
Sterling had never experienced such emotions when it came to any woman he did not know or what to make of them, nor how to respond.
Nor did he not have time to court her, to come to know her any more than he did any of the women he had met the evening before, except, he was able to visit with her far more frequently without having to leave the estate…but to what purpose? His life was in England and hers was here. There was no future.
“Do you miss it?”That was the question he had asked her last evening.
“England?”
“Yes.”
“At times.” She smiled.
“If given the choice, where would you choose to live?”
That question was just as important now as it had been last evening.
“If it meant that I would not need to be at sea half of the year going between the two, I think I would live in both places and never suffer another cold winter.” She chuckled. “I honestly do not think that I could choose between the two because they are both different and wonderful.”
“Does that mean you would be content to live in one place so long as you could visit the other occasionally?”
“I do believe I would,” she answered. “I want to return to England one day. I want my daughter to experience England when she is older but I do not think that I could leave here knowing that I would never return, nor do I believe that I could be content here if I knew that I would never see England again.” Then she laughed. “Of course, this is a silly conversation because I truly do not know when or if I will ever go back. It all depends on the whims of fate, though I do hope that I am given the opportunity.”
There truly was no reason why he could not occasionally visit Wyndview Farm. Yes, it could be a three-month journey by ship to his home in Southampton, but little over two months from his home to Cape Town because of currents and prevailing winds. Yes, it might as well be half a year of sailing, but it could be done every few years, especially if the estate in Southampton was properly cared for while he was away. He had already been gone nearly a year and there had been no catastrophes, which was a reasonable belief since at each port he came in contact with captains of other Trade Wynd ships, the last being at Gibraltar before he sailed here and was assured all had been well a month earlier. Of course anything could have happened since that time, but it was doubtful.
Sterling shook his head as he approached the house from the fields. He had known Caroline not even a full four days, which was certainlynot enough time to consider how she might fit into his future.
Perhaps he would revisit the question later, after he had spent more time with her, but it was far too soon to do so now.
