“Good morning, Lord Darlington,” she murmured, her own cheeks coloring.
“You, ah…you look prettythis morning.”
Dear God. Gideon cringed as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but even as he fumbled to correct his gaffe, Isabella said matter-of-factly, “Miss Cecilia looks pretty every day.”
“She does, yes.” Gideon’s gaze held Cecilia’s. She was dressed much as she was every day, in a plain gray gown with a white apron over it, her dark hair pulled severely back from her face, but he could no more tear his gaze from her than he could a miracle unfolding before his eyes.
Gideon cleared his throat. “What will the two ofyou do today?”
“A long walk in the kitchen garden, I think.” Cecilia glanced at the window, tapping her finger against her bottom lip. “I’m certain it’s going to snow, and I’d like for Isabella to have some fresh air before it does.”
Gideon didn’t like to order Cecilia to stay indoors, but both he and Haslemere would be gone from the castle until dark tonight. Duncan and Fraser were here, but he didn’t like Cecilia and Isabella wandering the grounds while he was gone, all the same.
But he wouldn’t say so in front of Isabella. “Go on and finish your breakfast, Isabella.” Gideon set her back on her feet. “I need to have a word withMiss Cecilia.”
“All right.” Isabella dashed back to her half-eaten plate of tartlets.
Cecilia’s cheeks flushed a deeper pink when Gideon took her arm, but she followed him through the connecting door and into his bedchamber. “Lord Haslemere and I ride to Surrey today. I’d rather you and Isabella remain inside the castle until we return.”
“Surrey? But why?”
Gideon hesitated. He and Haslemere weren’t getting anywhere searching the castle grounds by themselves. It was too much for two men to cover alone, so they were going to fetch a half-dozen of Haslemere’s burliest footmen and bring them back to Darlington Castle.
They’d been chasing a phantom long enough. Gideon wanted this thing done, but he didn’t want to discuss the White Lady with Cecilia. Not yet. For now, the less Cecilia knew about her, the better. “Lord Haslemere’s sister, the Duchess of Kenilworth, and her son arrived at Haslemere House yesterday. They sent word to Lord Haslemere last night, and naturally he wants to see them.”
It wasn’t a lie, exactly. Her Grace had made frequent and unexpected visits to her brother’s estate this winter. Haslemere was uncharacteristically closemouthed about the reasons why, but Gideon had begun to wonder if it had something to dowith the duke.
Cecilia searched his face, her dark eyes intent. “Is there some reason it would be unsafe for us to venture outside thecastle walls?”
Yes. Something wicked was gliding through the darkness. Not a ghost, but something more sinister. Gideon didn’t say so, however. He said only, “It’s cold, and threatening to snow. I’d rather you remainindoors today.”
Her face fell, and her eyes droppedaway. “I see.”
It wasn’t the answer she’d hoped for. Gideon closed the distance between them and took her hand. Just her hand. He wouldn’t risk touching any other part of her while his bed was mere steps away from where they stood. “It’s just for today, Cecilia, while Haslemere and I are gone. I’ll take you and Isabella for a walk in the kitchen gardens myself tomorrow.”
Cecilia nodded. “I suppose we can find some other way to amuse ourselves.”
“Thank you.” Gideon couldn’t resist raising her hand to his lips. Her eyes darkened as his mouth brushed her knuckles, and he had to bite back a moan. “We can spend all of tomorrow afternoon in the kitchen gardens, if you like.I promise it.”
“Tomorrow, then.” Cecilia’s gaze dropped to their entwined fingers, then she gently drewher hand away.
* * * *
All day long, Cecilia had to remind herself she was relieved Gideon was away from Darlington Castle for the day. Each time she recalled he was gone her heart sank in her chest, and she’d have to scold herself back into equanimity again.
It was a long, frustrating day. Instead of the snow she’d expected, the sun struggled through the clouds for the first time in days. Its feeble rays touched the frosted grounds, transforming them into a sparkling garden of diamonds, mocking Cecilia with their beauty.
Isabella soon grew bored and restless, and teased with a child’s mercilessness for a visit to the garden. Cecilia was as tempted to venture outdoors as Isabella was, and it wouldn’t have been the first time she’d disregarded Gideon’s wishes. But she remained firm in her refusal, as it turned out to be much easier to ignore a command from the arrogant Marquess of Darlington than it was a request from Gideon, softly spoken, his blueeyes pleading.
By the time Isabella’s bedtime arrived, the poor child had succumbed to a storm of frustrated tears. After she’d cried herself into an exhausted sleep at last Cecilia, who’d forgone her dinner to soothe her fetched Amy, then ventured down to the kitchens to see what tidbit shemight forage.
She found Mrs. Briggs at the table, having a nip of sherry. “You look worn to the bones, you do.” Mrs. Briggs fetched another glass, poured a measure for Cecilia, and put a plate of bread and cold ham before her. “Isabella was in a bit of a state today. She missed Lord Darlington, I daresay,the poor lamb.”
We both did.
Cecilia raised the sherry glass to her lips, considering Mrs. Briggs as she sipped at it. All of Gideon’s servants were tight-lipped about the doings at Darlington Castle, particularly anything to do with Lady Cassandra’s death.
Mrs. Briggs was the most tight-lipped of the lot, perhaps because of all the servants, she knew the most. She’d known Nathanial and Lady Leanora, had rejoiced in Isabella’s birth, and celebrated Lady Cassandra’s and Gideon’s marriage. She’d mourned Nathanial’s tragic death along with the rest of the family, and she’d been here when Cassandra drew her final breath, and she and her stillborn infant were placed in the cold ground.
