“Thank you,” she returned.
Oh, she hated that the servants might need to lie about how the estate was managed, but they also feared that if the knowledge became known to Wyndham that he might sack her father and hire a new estate manager which would alter the security of their positions.
“I am off to make certain that everything is put to rights in the office.” She had left so quickly that she feared that something ofimportance may have been overlooked despite how careful she had been.
As she started to leave the kitchen, Caroline glanced at a corner table and stopped. Her daughter was not at her usual place for this time of day, which was having a small repast following her lessons. “Where is Livia?”
A maid blinked. “She was just here. I did not see her leave.”
Caroline’s heart pounded. If Livia needed her, she would have gone directly to the office and she must warn her daughter that she could not go there any longer, at least not until Lord Wyndham had sailed back to England. In fact, her daughter needed to refrain from wandering anywhere in the house even though Lady Wyndham always welcomed her to do so because she enjoyed having a child around.
“Livia, where have you gone?” Caroline quietly called as she hurried past the sitting room that Lady Wyndham enjoyed and headed toward the office near the front of the house.
“I am in here, Mama,” she called, her voice coming from behind.
Oh dear. If she was with Lady Wyndham, did that mean that the earl was somewhere else?
Caroline hurried back to the lavender sitting room but was brought up short at the sight of the Earl of Wyndham.
Goodness, he was handsome and tall. Blond hair streaked by the sun, deep-blue eyes, and bronzed skin likely from being at sea and in the sun for hours at a time. More handsome than he had been when she had spied him across a ballroom seven years ago during her one and only Season.
“Lord Wyndham,” she greeted as she bobbed a curtsey.
“I take it that you are Mrs. Sutcliffe,” he returned.
“Yes. I am. My father should be with you shortly,” she offered. “I rode to the vineyard to alert him of your arrival.” William’s presence would be explained when the two arrived.
One golden eyebrow rose over his left eye. “I had wondered who the hoyden was who rode past the window not long ago.”
Her face burned. It had not been her best moment given that she had difficulty adjusting her skirt and therefore her legs were not properly covered, something that would have been shocking in London, but not here. “I apologize if you were scandalized, Lord Wyndham, but I thought it more crucial that my father be alerted to your arrival.”
“Should not a stableboy or other servant been given that task?”
Oh, dear, he was correct, but Caroline had a habit of doing things herself. “I did not want to disturb them when it was something that I could easily accomplish.”
He nodded to indicate he accepted her explanation, though his tight expression spoke of disapproval that did not aid in putting her at ease.
“It is not necessary for Mr. Hallaway to rush on the account of my son being here,” Lady Wyndham announced. “After tea, Sterling will be getting settled into his chamber, hopefully bathe, and then we shall dine.”
He stiffened at the order or perhaps he’d been insulted, but Caroline was not close enough to him to know if a bath was necessary or if he simply resented Lady Wyndham ordering him about.
“I am certain that it is not necessary for your father to meet with him before tomorrow morning,” Lady Wyndham concluded.
“If he will see me now…” Lord Wyndham began but his mother held up one finger, her thumb closed over the others as she pointed at her son.
“I understand that you have not been here in nearly seventeen years, but it is our summer and Mr. Hallaway has been in the fields most of the day, in the heat and under the bright sun. Days such as these, especially this time of year, leave everyone exhausted. It is bad enough that you have disrupted his schedule, but your demands canwait until tomorrow.”
“He has already returned from the fields. Mrs. Sutcliffe said as much,” Wyndham argued.
“He will need to wash, change into proper clothes then prepare the documents to discuss Wyndview Farm,” she responded. “He may be your employee but certainly, Sterling, you must also be cognizant. Your demands are rather burdensome when there is nothing urgent about your request, unless you intend to board a ship and leave tomorrow morning.”
Caroline blinked and backed away, shocked at how Lady Wyndham had talked to her son.
“Very well, Mother,” her son bit out, obviously irritated.
“George,” Lady Wyndham called.
“Yes, Your Ladyship,” George responded almost immediately, which meant he must have been just outside the door, eavesdropping. Caroline hoped he continued to do so and report to her anything he learned about the Earl of Wyndham and why he was here.
