Page 34 of An Affair at Stonecliffe

NOELLE STARED AT Adeline blankly. Surely she had heard that wrong. Carlisle, however, seemed to find nothing odd in the countess’s statement. He merely let out a soft oath and reached out to take the older woman’s arm and turn her toward a chair. “When is Lady Lockwood arriving?”

“That’s the most awful part,” Adeline responded. “This afternoon!” She brandished the piece of paper in her hand. “Her letter says she’s leaving this morning.” Her voice was almost a wail as she dropped down into the seat Carlisle offered. “What am I to do? Why couldn’t she have at least given me a little notice? Waited a day or two for me to receive her letter? But then she wouldn’t be as likely to catch something I’ve left undone.”

“Or give you a chance to flee,” Carlisle added. “Perhaps she won’t reach the house today. You know how she stops every few miles.”

Adeline gave him a skeptical look. “Don’t try to give me false hope; not even my mother could take more than a day to get here from London.”

“At least you’ll get to see Annabeth—I assume Lady Lockwood is dragging her along, too.”

“Of course she is,” the countess said darkly. “She has to have someone to abuse on the trip. And since my sister married and moved out, poor Annabeth is her only victim. Thankfully, Nathan is escorting them. Perhaps he can sweeten Mother’s disposition.” Her tone was doubtful.

“Is she bringing her dog?” Carlisle asked, his voice switching from calm reason to a note of alarm.

“You know she is. She never goes anywhere without that little smushed-faced beast. He will chew on the legs of my Chippendale chest and soil every rug in the house.”

“Not to mention bite my ankles,” Carlisle added.

“And screech like a flock of distressed geese every time a servant enters the room. Bennett will probably offer his resignation.”

She heaved a sigh and turned toward Noelle. “I’m sorry. You must think me a terrible wretch to bewail my mother’s visit.”

“I could never think that of you, ma’am. I am sorry that you are in such anxiety.”

“Lady Lockwood is...” Carlisle cleared his throat. “Well, she is, um, a force.”

“You needn’t be polite, dear,” Adeline told him. “Noelle will find out soon enough what Mother is like.” She sighed and rose to her feet. “Well, I mustn’t sit about indulging in nerves. I have to do what I can to get the house in order before she arrives.”

Since the house was always in perfect order, Noelle wasn’t sure what had to be done, but she said, “Please allow me to help you.”

“You’re a jewel, dear.” Adeline smiled. “I will be most happy for your help.”

THERE WAS A flurry of activity all over the house, with maids scurrying about making up Lady Lockwood’s preferred suite of rooms, wiping away any possible dust in the rest of the already pristine house.

Noelle donned a cap and apron and joined in the cleaning. The maids were shocked, but Noelle didn’t mind the work. At least it gave her body something to do as her mind circled endlessly around that moment in the library when Carlisle had tenderly touched her hair—and how she had wanted him to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her.

It seemed unfathomable that the stiff and formal man would have done such an impulsive thing as kiss her, but she could not stop herself from daydreaming that he might have if it hadn’t been for the countess’s untimely entrance. Even if he hadn’t been about to kiss her, he had most certainly been flirting with her. Noelle was not that far removed from her courting years; she recognized the undercurrents, the tones, the smiles and bright glances.

While Noelle dusted everything in sight in the entryway and drawing room, the countess spent much of her time arranging the multitude of flowers she ordered brought in by the gardeners. Adeline stepped back, surveying her work critically. “Do you think it’s grand enough? Mother does love a show of flowers.”

“It looks grand enough for Buckingham Palace,” Noelle assured her. “I hate to see you so nervous. Surely your mother is coming to see you, not a vase of flowers.”

Adeline gave her a pitying glance. “You don’t know my mother. She’s not coming to see me. She’s coming to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, of course.” Adeline’s voice lowered as she went on earnestly, “Please, don’t let anything she might say upset you. She can be, well... I would say she doesn’t mean to be rude, but I fear that isn’t always true. She’s old-fashioned and a bit high in the instep. She was once introduced to the queen of France.”

“Marie Antoinette?” Noelle’s eyebrows shot up.

“The same. Mother’s very proud of that, and she has a sense of...of...” The countess frowned, clearly searching for words.

“You’re saying that she will be haughty. That she will treat me as an inferior.” When Adeline nodded, looking troubled, Noelle gave her a reassuring smile. Clearly a good part of Adeline’s anxiety about her mother’s arrival was because she feared Lady Lockwood would insult Noelle. “I promise I shall not take anything she says to heart. I am well acquainted with people who hold themselves superior to me.”

Adeline gave her a wry smile. “To be fair, she holds herself superior to everyone.”

“I’ve never met a queen, but I am accustomed to dealing with aristocrats. I not only withstood their arrogance, but I usually wound up selling them a hat.”

Only an hour later, a carriage pulled up in front of the house, and Adeline, along with Noelle and Carlisle, went out to greet the arriving guests.