“It will be taken care of, Your Grace,” she said, looking quite intently at the numbers swimming on the ledger.
“You are quite occupied this morning,” Gerald said.
“I have certain duties, Your Grace. I should hate to neglect them,” she answered without looking up to him.
“No, it wouldn’t sound like you, but you certainly found time to be more involved during breakfast.”
“Involved in what exactly, do you mean, Your Grace?”
“Mainly in conversation.”
“I believe I am carrying my part of the conversation quite well, Your Grace. Better than most.”
“I believe that was a pointed comment on my behavior.”
“If it pleases you to think so.”
“It really doesn’t, Your Grace,” he said with a sigh.
That earned him enough attention to stop pretending she was working on her ledgers and look up to him. Gerald was already watching her over the rim of his cup. He set it on the saucer, leaned closer.
“You are displeased with me, Arabella.”
“Again, if it pleases you to think so, Your Grace.”
“And again, it really doesn’t.”
“Is this some kind of perpetual conversation we are going to have for the rest of the morning? Because I do have matters to attend to.”
“Then all you have to do, Arabella,” he said solemnly, “is to admit that you are displeased with me and tell me the reason.”
“How audacious of you, Your Grace, to think that you can engage in meaningful conversation whenever it suits your fancy.” Arabella gave him a very polite smile.
“You are referring, of course, to my behavior last night.”
“It seems that His Grace remains sharp as ever,” Arabella gave him a fake smile.
“If His Grace was sharp as ever, he wouldn’t have behaved the way he did last night.”
Arabella dropped the smile and looked at him finally, with the honesty that the situation demanded. Coldly.
“I’m… I’m trying to apologize.”
She said nothing, merely raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to finish.
“I shouldn’t have dismissed you the way I did.”
“That is correct.”
“I was just trying to protect you from being aware of a situation that was out of your control.”
“So you decided for me what I could endure and what I couldn’t, and you found me lacking.”
Gerald looked as if he had been hit in the face. He hadn’t even considered how his dismissal and keeping her in the dark made her feel. She was happy to enlighten him that morning.
“That was not my intention.”
“Was it not? Because the effectiveness was quite spectacular, I assure you.”
