Page 27 of The Hidden Heart

“I see,” Lady Westhampton responded, though it was clear from the tone of her voice that she did not. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Maitland. I’m sorry. I am a little startled, I confess. Cleybourne had not told me that he had a ward.”

“Thank you. I am honored to meet you, as well. His Grace speaks very highly of you. And Miss Carstairs, my charge, just recently became his ward.”

“Then that is why he came to the castle—to meet his ward.” Rachel looked faintly relieved. “He sent me a note saying where he was going, but he did not tell me why.”

“He was not expecting us,” Jessica explained. “The duke and Gabriela’s father were friends, and her father died.”

“Oh! You mean the child is Roddy Carstairs’ daughter?”

“Yes.”

“But Roddy died some years ago.”

“Yes. When Gabriela’s parents died, her father named Gabriela’s great-uncle, General Streathern, as her guardian, with the Duke of Cleybourne as guardian if her great-uncle could not serve as such.”

“I see.”

“I have been Gabriela’s governess for the past six years, all the while she has been living with General Streathern. Unfortunately, the General himself passed on a few days ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Rachel walked over and sat down beside Jessica on the couch, her face sympathetic. “That poor child.”

“Yes.” Jessica nodded, thinking that she liked Lady Westhampton. “It has been a very sad time for her. Her great-uncle was more like a grandfather to her.” She went on to explain the General’s designation in his will of the Duke of Cleybourne as Gabriela’s guardian and his instructions to Jessica to bring the girl immediately to Castle Cleybourne.

“Then Richard is to be her guardian?” Rachel looked pleased. “How nice. I mean, well, that will be good all around.”

“I hope so,” Jessica answered equivocally.

The other woman caught her tone and frowned a little. She started to say something, then stopped, glancing from Jessica to the Veseys. “Then…the four of you traveled here together?”

Leona let out an unladylike snort. “No, of course not. We came in our own carriage.”

“Got lost and wound up here, you see,” Vesey explained.

“It was a great coincidence,” Jessica added.

“Yes. I imagine it was.”

Jessica went on. “Lady Vesey fell and injured her ankle this morning.”

“So of course we had to stay here,” Vesey told her. “Couldn’t make poor Leona travel with her ankle in bad shape.”

“Of course not.” Rachel looked somewhat skeptically at Leona’s propped-up ankle.

Irritably Leona twitched her dress down to cover her ankle. “I am in a great deal of pain,” she announced. “Vesey, ring for the footmen. I think I must go upstairs and rest again.”

“Of course, my dear.” Vesey rose quickly to do as she bade.

Jessica felt sure that since Gabriela was no longer here, Vesey had as little desire to linger in the room as Leona did to stay there without the duke. Lady Westhampton and Jessica watched with a mixture of amusement and annoyance as the grand production of removing Lady Vesey from the room played out before them. It required two footmen, a maid to carry Lady Vesey’s pillow and smelling salts, and Lord Vesey to direct the entourage, and it went on for several minutes, ending on a final note of silliness with the maid scurrying back into the room to retrieve the shawl Leona had left behind.

When at last they were gone, Rachel turned to Jessica. “I am very glad to meet you, Miss Maitland. It pleases me terribly to hear that Cleybourne has a ward. It will enliven his life, I think, give him a…a…”

“A reason to live?” Jessica said, without stopping to think.

Lady Westhampton’s eyes widened, and she drew a sharp breath. “What do you mean?” She reached out and wrapped her hand around Jessica’s arm. “Has something happened? Is Richard—”

“I’m sorry,” Jessica said quickly, mentally cursing her unbridled tongue. “I should not have said anything. I didn’t think. I don’t want to alarm you.”

“I would rather be alarmed than unknowing. Please tell me why you said that.”