Something warm settled inside her chest. The words carried far more meaning than they should have. Amelia’s smile softened.
“Goodnight, Your Grace,” she said gently as she moved through the door.
Gabriel inclined his head. “Goodnight, Miss Shirley,” he replied.
Amelia left the kitchen with her heart beating far faster than it ought to have been. She climbed the staircase, smiling to herself despite every effort not to. Somehow, she suspected she would still not find sleep particularly easy that night.
Chapter Ten
The following morning, Amelia was determined to approach her duties with renewed enthusiasm. The previous evening’s conversation with Gabriel lingered stubbornly in her thoughts, and she found herself replaying certain moments far more often than was sensible. She ought to have been concentrating on David’s education, not on the color of a duke’s eyes or the sound of his voice in a dark kitchen. Unfortunately, her mind seemed unwilling to cooperate. Hoping that activity would distract her, she went in search of David. Mrs. Jacobs informed her that the boy was currently with his nurse, Katie, and directed her towards the nursery wing.
Amelia found the door slightly ajar and knocked gently before entering. Warm steam drifted through the room, carrying the scent of soap and lavender. David sat in a large copper bathing tub while Katie poured water over his dark hair.
“Good morning,” Amelia said with a smile as she stepped inside. David immediately brightened and splashed enough water to alarm the nurse.
“Miss Amelia,” he exclaimed, grinning broadly. “Grover tried to eat my shoe this morning.”
Katie sighed as she wiped the water off her.
Amelia laughed and moved closer. “Katie, may I ask you something about David’s lessons?” she said, clasping her hands together.
“Of course, miss,” the nurse replied as she helped David with his bath.
Amelia’s smile vanished. A pale scar stretched across David’s chest. It was old now, long healed, but impossible to miss. Amelia stared before she could stop herself. Her stomach tightened as questions flooded her mind. Children did not acquire scars like that from ordinary tumbles.
“Miss?” Katie asked gently, noticing her expression. Amelia looked away.
“My apologies,” Amelia said quickly as she backed towards the door. “I just remembered something that requires my attention.”
Katie looked confused but nodded politely. David was already distracted by a wooden boat floating in the bathwater. Amelia left before anyone could ask further questions. The moment the door closed behind her, she stopped in the corridor and pressed a hand against her chest.
The image refused to leave her mind. She walked slowly through the hallway while unease twisted inside her. Valerie’s coldness towards Gabriel suddenly seemed far more significant. The girl had repeatedly implied that something was wrong within this household. Amelia had dismissed much of it as resentment and grief. Now, she was no longer certain.
What if Valerie has been trying to tell me something all along?
Amelia frowned as she continued down the corridor. Gabriel could be overbearing, controlling, suspicious, and thoroughly impossible, yet she struggled to imagine him deliberately harming a child. Then again, she barely knew him. A handsome face and a few vulnerable moments in a kitchen did not make a man innocent.
By the time she reached the library, her thoughts were in complete disarray. Valerie sat beside the window, surrounded by books and sheets of paper. Sunlight streamed across her dark hair while she scribbled notes with determined concentration.
Amelia cleared her throat softly. Valerie looked up, then appeared disappointed to discover who had interrupted her.
“Miss Shirley,” she said flatly.
“Miss Warring,” Amelia replied, stepping further into the room.
Valerie set down her pen with visible reluctance. “If this concerns custard, I assure you David remains obsessed with it,” she said dryly.
Amelia almost smiled. “Actually, I hoped we might speak.”
Valerie groaned dramatically and leaned back in her chair. “You really must stop following me about the house,” Valerie informed her while folding her arms. “We made custard together once. We are not friends.”
Amelia blinked. “That was surprisingly direct.”
“I pride myself on efficiency,” Valerie replied. “Unlike certain people, I have a debut to prepare for and very little time remaining.”
Amelia walked further into the room and sat opposite her. “I only need a moment,” she said quietly.
Valerie eyed her suspiciously. “That is what people always say before asking intrusive questions.”
