“Are you… staying? For Christmas? For the Twelfth Night ceremony?”
He allowed a shrug. “I doubt I could leave any sooner, given the snow.”
She allowed a wan smile. “So... that means you will be at dinner this evening?” she asked, hoping her query sounded like an invitation.
He nodded. “I will. And you?”
For a moment, she felt panicked. “I will be there, of course. I asked that dinner be served at six o’clock.” Her gaze darted to the window. The gray snow clouds hid any evidence of thesun, and darkness was already descending over the countryside. “I like it earlier out here in the country, especially when it grows dark so soon this time of the year. Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “Six o’clock is fine.” He paused, his manner uncertain. “In fact, I’ll… I’ll escort you down,” he offered.
Ivy nodded. “Very well. Until then… I’ll be in here, seeing to my clothes.”
He frowned as he glanced around the bedchamber. “You didn’t bring your lady’s maid with you?”
Having pensioned the woman a day before leaving London, Ivy hesitated to respond. She had intended to write him a note explaining the situation during her time at Ritchfield Park, and although right now might have been the time to discuss it with him, she thought better of it. “I didn’t bring Watkins. She has family in London, so I left her behind.”
He continued to frown. “What will you do without her?” he asked, sounding alarmed.
She chuckled. “Oh, Ritchfield, I can dress myself,” she said before pausing. “Mostly. But one of the housemaids here does a decent job with my hair, so it all works out.” She paused a moment. “Did you bring your valet?”
He shook his head. “I did not. I, uh, I might regret it, but?—”
“Well, if you need help shaving…” She allowed a shrug. “I recall a time I did a decent job of it,” she murmured. “At least, I don’t remember there being any bloodshed.”
Chuckling softly, Robert rubbed a hand over the side of his face, deciding he would do it himself before dinner. “Perhaps in the morning,” he replied, moving to the door. “Have a good afternoon, Ivy.”
“You as well,” she replied.
Ivy watched him depart and let out an audible sigh of relief when she no longer heard his footsteps in the corridor.
This next fortnight would be a long one, it seemed, but at least she would have a project to do on the morrow with seeing to the decorating for Christmas.
As for the rest of the time, well, she had planned to spend some of it writing correspondence and the rest reading in the library. Other than at meals, she probably wouldn’t see her husband.
Which was probably just as well.
