Diantha gulped. Ahead of what appeared to be at least a regiment, if not a small army of servants, an imposing woman in gray stood waiting on the steps of the courtyard as the coach swept in.
Their two days of traveling fell onto her shoulders like a heavy weight. Surreptitiously, she straightened her hat and moistened her lips as Kieran stepped down from the carriage and turned to assist her. As she placed her hand in his, he squeezed it gently.
“You can do this.” His soft murmur barely reached her ears. She straightened her back and stepped out.
“How lovely!” She forgot her nerves as soon as she looked around her.
They stood in a courtyard bordered by the house on three sides. The silvery granite rose smoothly from the ground to the roof three stories above, ornamented by pilasters carved of the same stone and pediments above each window. A carved balustrade interspersed with statuary ran along the roofline, giving the house an elegant finish.
“The other sides of the house have more interesting features.” Despite his deprecation, Kieran looked about with glowing eyes and a tender smile. Giving her his arm, he led her forward.
“Allow me to present my aunt, Lady William Upton. On the death of her husband, she was good enough to return to her childhood home and look after us.” He bowed over the older woman’s hand. “Aunt Iona, my wife.”
“Lady Rossburn.” Kieran’s aunt possessed a strong family resemblance in her nearly black hair and wide-set eyes. She did not have her nephew’s easy smile, though, as she sketched a curtsey. “I am pleased to welcome you to Duncarie.”
Her voice warmed slightly as she turned to him. “I’m sure you’re relieved to be back, Kieran, especially under these circumstances.”
Diantha’s teeth set. The cool tone suggested that he deserved pity for his marriage, as did the contemptuous glance in her direction. It would serve no purpose to start a quarrel with one of Kieran’sclose relatives, however. She acknowledged the curtsey with one of her own.
“Thank you, Lady William. You are most kind and it is a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to exploring my new home.” She gave a small smile as the dark eyes narrowed slightly. “And please, you must call me Diantha.”
“You should not curtsey to one of lesser rank. And that gown is far too showy for the country.” Turning to her nephew, she took his arm. “I shall see that she understands proper etiquette before we present her to company.”
After an apologetic look over his shoulder, Kieran merely asked his aunt how the estate had fared in his absence. Taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to throw her reticule at the back of his head, she trailed along behind them, feeling more out of place than she had since her marriage.
Chapter 9
Meeting the servants did not tax her ingenuity, although she chose to ignore Lady William’s gimlet stare as she strolled down the line. The woman’s pursed mouth radiated disapproval as Diantha paused to exchange a few words not just with the butler and housekeeper, but with each member of the staff. She had no doubt whatsoever that the woman longed to give her a set down, except that ahead of her Kieran had a smile or greeting for everyone.
At last they finished speaking to the last two servant girls, a pair of scullery maids.
Lady William dismissed everyone, and the line disintegrated into knots of people returning to their duties. “We shall take tea in the drawing room.” Her tone of voice might have offered Diantha a bowl of hemlock.
Taking her place beside her husband, she followed his aunt through the wide doorway into the entry hall. A fanlight above the door allowed the westering sun to shine on the sky blue-tinted wallsand whitewashed paneling. Columns separated the front third of the hall from the rest and alcoves on either side held handsome porcelain urns.
She wished she could explore the room closely, but they immediately headed toward a stairway on the right, their footsteps echoing on the pale gray flagstone floor. Passing a round table and several upholstered chairs along the wall, she followed the Rossburns up to a long hallway paneled and floored with oak. Although floor to ceiling windows admitted natural light at one end, compared to the airy entry hall, it struck her as closed-in and dark.
“The gallery. When dining privately, the family gathers here before going down to dinner.” Continuing to the far end of the narrow room, Lady William opened a door. “We serve tea in the drawing room, and naturally when entertaining for dinner, we meet beforehand in here.”
“Naturally.” Diantha all but rolled her eyes, earning her a stern look from her husband. Entering the drawing room, though, she exclaimed in delight. Situated on a corner of the house, light poured in through windows on two sides to illuminate a large room of graceful proportions. The pale blue of the entry hall repeated itself here in the wall coverings, drapes, and carpet, accented with touches of gilt and cream. Even Kieran’s aunt thawed slightly at her unfeigned admiration.
Chippendale and Georgian furniture blended harmoniously in several arrangements suitable for intimate conversation. A low table in the center of one such grouping already held tiered plates of delicacies, and a footman brought in the silver teaservice before Lady William had time to tug on the tapestry bellpull.
“Allow me to serve this afternoon, Lady Rossburn.” Seating herself on a sofa, she invited Kieran to sit on a chair at her right hand and Diantha to take one on her left. “I’m sure you will grasp the intricacies of properly serving tea in no time. Do you know how you wish me to prepare it?”
Familiar with formal teas since childhood, she bit her tongue. Irked nearly beyond measure by the woman’s condescension, she concentrated on removing her gloves until she could speak with a civil tone of voice.
Kieran spoke up opposite her. “Diantha takes her tea with lemon and sugar.” She supposed she should be thankful to him for stepping into the breach, but his slowness only added to her annoyance.
“No milk?” Her aunt by marriage conveyed the impression that she had committed some grave solecism.
“No, thank you.” Forcing a friendly note into her voice, she accepted the cup and saucer the older woman handed her. “It is odd in that I do enjoy cream in my coffee, but I prefer tea without it.”
As soon as Kieran received his cup, he changed the subject. “I didn’t want to ask in front of the servants, but how is my mother?” His eyes betrayed grave concern.
“No worse, but no better. Dear Doctor Andrews consults with her weekly, but she continues in great pain.”
He sighed. “I suppose she is resting? I had hoped to introduce Diantha to her this evening.”
