“Right.” He could not stand the anger or the jealousy he felt toward a nameless stranger—a man who'd tasted Miss Clemens's delectable lips without valuing the pleasure of it. “You should know that the man was an idiot.”
A touch of humor seeped into her eyes. “Really?”
He met her gaze boldly. “All I know is if I had been the one to kiss you and court you, I would not have been able to walk away and forget you.”
Her eyes shimmered in the candlelight, and Caleb took a step forward. He had to reach her, touch her, hold her...
Miss Howard strode into the room with a steaming pot of vegetables. Lady Cassandra followed on her heels, carrying a dish with slices of meat neatly arranged next to a row of boiled potatoes.
Caleb flexed his fingers and forced his attention away from Miss Clemens, who was now calling for the children to come and eat their dinner. He went to the table and took his seat between Daphne and Miss Clemens, as he’d done every evening since his arrival. Without even thinking, he placed a slice of roast pork on Daphne’s plate along with one potato and a spoonful of vegetables. He then cut up the meat and potatoes for her and removed the steamed carrots from the mixture of vegetables because he knew she did not like them.
“Did you grow up in a large family, Mr. Crawford?”
It was Lady Cassandra who’d asked the question, and Caleb glanced in her direction. “I had three brothers and quite a few cousins who visited regularly.”
“Had?” Miss Howard asked.
Caleb strove for a casual demeanor and said, “My oldest brother passed away recently.”
“Oh.” Miss Clemens jerked in her seat and turned her body more fully toward him. “I am so sorry to hear that.”
“We all are,” Lady Cassandra said.
“Thank you.” He reached for the various dishes and proceeded to serve himself now that everyone else had filled their plates. “His death has made me reflect on some of the choices I’ve made. When I fell out with our father ten years ago and left England with every intention of putting as much distance between us as possible, I also lost touch with my brother. He wouldn’t have known where to find me if he’d wanted to, while I just couldn’t bring myself to write and explain what had happened. His relationship with our father was so very different from my own.”
“And your other brothers?” Miss Howard asked. “You said you had three in total?”
Caleb nodded and took a bite of meat. “I lost touch with them as well and have recently discovered that they left England shortly after I did for similar reasons. Because our father wanted to control our lives.”
“It would seem you’ve come to the right place then,” Lady Cassandra murmured. “The three of us are well acquainted with the pressure demanding parents can place on their children. When my parents discovered I’d conceived out of wedlock, they practically threw me at every available bachelor, desperate to get me married before it started to show. Miss Clemens and Miss Howard share similar experiences.”
“I was ignored throughout every Season,” Miss Howard said. “When my fate became clear, Papa produced a suitor forty years my senior and told me I’d lost the right to be picky.” She pushed her vegetables around on her plate while quietly adding, “I have never cried so much in my life, but then I heard about Lady Cassandra and what her brother had done to help her. When I sought her out for advice, she suggested I come and live with her here.”
“I wanted the company,” Lady Cassandra said with a smile. “And I have come to appreciate the friendship.”
“We’re both very grateful,” Miss Clemens said. “Had it not been for you, I would probably be living in Scotland right now.”
“Scotland?” Caleb stared at her in surprise.
“That is where my parents wanted to send me when they realized my reputation could not be salvaged. Out of sight, out of mind, as my father put it.” She stared down at her plate for a moment before stabbing at a potato with her fork. “He wanted to save my younger sisters from suffering the repercussions of my mistake. As a parent, it was the right decision, I suppose, even though it hurt to be cast aside not only by the man I’d thought I’d marry, but by my entire family too.”
“But you didn’t go to Scotland,” Caleb said.
“No. Lady Cassandra and I were friends before her sudden departure from London. We stayed in touch, so I knew she’d made a life for herself here. I asked if I could come and stay with her for a while and well…that turned into five years.”
“Will you stay here too, Mr. Crawford?” Daphne asked.
When Caleb dropped his gaze to her, he found her watching him expectantly. “I don’t think I can,” he said.
“Why not?” Peter asked, staring at him from across the table.
“Because I was hired to do a job,” Caleb explained. “Once that has been completed, I will have to leave.”
“I could write to my brother and suggest you take on a more permanent position as caretaker,” Lady Cassandra said. “The pay is reasonable, and I know we would benefit from your continued presence.”
“The children have taken to you,” Miss Clemens said. “And I…” She took another bite of her food, allowing her words to fade.
Caleb felt his heart ache. A bond had been forged between himself and these women, not to mention the children they cared for. He’d made a home here during the brief time he’d spent in their company. But it was temporary. Eventually he would have to return to London and resume his responsibilities there. His position as duke demanded it of him, and to be honest, he could not abandon his mother for too long. Not when she’d recently lost both her husband and her eldest son.
