The men departed and the door closed behind them. Caroline turned to Leonora. "So what exactly happened between you and Mr. Dalton on the way here?"
Leonora, who'd just been taking another sip of tea, sputtered. "What do you mean?"
Caroline raised her eyebrows. "You kept on sneaking glances at each other." She crossed her arms. "It was almost as if you were playing some strange game of trying to catch the other one out."
"It is nothing. Mr. Dalton is a perfect gentleman. We merely had a misunderstanding."
"What sort of misunderstanding?"
"The sort where I believed him to be horrid and treated him accordingly."
"Oh dear."
Leonora patted her sister's hand. "You needn't worry. We resolved it all in the end." And then, because this was her sister and they'd always shared all their secrets with each other, she added, "After informing our fellow passengers that we were married."
Caroline's eyes widened with obvious dismay. She opened her mouth as if to comment, but when no words emerged, Leonora took it as her cue to explain. Which she proceeded to do for the next half hour.
"I fell in love with Lockwood at first sight as well," Caroline said when Leonora had finished.
"No you did not. It took at least a week, and just so we are clear, I am not in love with Mr. Dalton."
"You're wrong on both counts, dear sister." Caroline smiled the sort of secretive smile that suggested she knew something no one else did. "The way you speak of him says it all. Your eyes light up and your cheeks turn pink. Even your voice has a softer edge to it." She nodded as if this was undeniable proof of her suppositions. "You love Mr. Dalton."
"Don't be absurd, Caroline. We've only just met."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Absolutely everything. You cannot love someone you do not know." Leonora stood, intent on getting herself off to bed before Caroline decided she needed to start preparing for an engagement party. She ought to have known confiding in her sister would lead to this. She'd always been a romantic.
"From what you just described, you know him well already." Following Leonora from the room, she counted off on her fingers. "He's a gentleman, he's honorable, charming by your own account, not to mention wealthy and available."
He'd also shared some difficult information about himself – personal information that Leonora believed he refrained from telling most people.
“He also runs a business,” Caroline continued, “so you have that in common. Which reminds me. I’ve completely neglected to ask how your shop is doing.”
“I haven’t made a success of it yet, but I’ll get there. Eventually,” Leonora replied. In spite of Philip’s advice, she would not taint this holiday with her troubles, nor would she ask her sister to come to her aide. Her problems were her own to deal with. She firmly believed that if her shop was to thrive, she would have to stand on her own two feet. Especially since her father had already given her five hundred pounds.
“Of course you will. No one is more passionate about plants than you, Leonora, and with the holidays rapidly approaching, I’m sure your sales will increase.”
Leonora certainly hoped so. She still didn’t feel right about leaving Kathy alone to manage everything. It was too much like running away and abandoning ship, which was something she’d never done in her life. Leonora Compton faced problems and did her best to solve them, but it was lovely seeing Caroline again and...
“Is Lucy awake by any chance?” she asked as they reached the top of the stairs.
“I’m afraid not, but you’ll be able to make her acquaintance in the morning. She usually rises early.”
Turning right, they made their way along a hallway until they reached the room where Leonora would be staying. She turned to face her sister. “You look well, as if motherhood agrees with you.”
Caroline beamed. “I love my daughter more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone. She is the brightness in our lives – a true gift unlike any other. We cherish our moments with her, and in some ways, I think she has strengthened my bond with Lockwood.”
“That sounds...wonderful.”
“It is.” Caroline opened the bedchamber door so Leonora could enter. “I know marriage isn’t a priority for you.”
“I don’t possess the qualities of a Society wife the way you do, Caro.” Leonora smiled. “And yes, I am far more interested in managing a business than I am in running a home.”
“Could you not do both?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I suppose. But first I would have to find the right gentleman and...” She met Caroline’s amused gaze. “No. Do not start on this again. Mr. Dalton and I had a lark, that is all.”
