Page 16 of Snowdrops and Winterberry
“What else do we have at our disposal for decorating?” Robbie asked, eyeing the shrubs and trees and hedgerows they passed.
“Anything that grows wild and is blooming this time of year,” he said. “Brier Hill hasn’t a conservatory like some other fine houses have.”
“Have you ever worked in a fine house?” Robbie asked.
He shook his head. “I come from generations of builders. It’s all the Simpkins have ever done.”
“Build gardens?”
“No. That’s a twist I put on it myself.” He pulled the cart over to the side of the road and hopped out. He came around to her side and handed her down. “Have youalwaysworked in households?”
“Since I was ten years old.”
They walked a pace off the road and among a stand of evergreens. Mr. Simpkin eyed the trees, but she didn’t think he was ignoring her.
“I worked as a ’tween-stairs maid,” she continued, “and then a chambermaid. I was fortunate to be given a chance to work as a nursery maid when I was seventeen. I found I’d a talent for it. I like working with children more than with their parents.”
She glanced at him quickly, wondering if he would criticize her for that. Not everyone abided servants speaking ill of those they worked for. But he was occupied with examining branches and evergreen needles and didn’t seem the least disapproving of her admission.
“How long have you been a nursemaid to the little duke?” he asked.
“All his life. I was hired at the time of his mother’s confinement. I’ve been at Falstone Castle all the years since.”
He moved to the next tree. “And has he any brothers orsisters?”
“No, he doesn’t. As his father recently passed away, there’ll not be any others.”
Mr. Simpkin met her eye. In his expression she saw undeniable compassion. “Enduring that loss so young is a heavy thing. Poor child.”
“It’s not been an easy few months,” she said. “Lord and Lady Jonquil invited His Grace to bide here a few weeks. I suspect they felt the change of scenery would give him something of a respite from his grief.”
“And what happens when he goes back? Eventually, grief catches up to a person.”
“You speak as one who knows.”
He returned his gaze to the trees, but there was no hiding the pain written on his face. “My father died not quite a year ago. The sorrow of it still catches me unsuspecting now and then.”
Robbie’s thoughts instantly fled back years and over miles. She hadn’t seen or heard from her family in more than two decades. Her siblings were scattered all over the kingdom. She’d passed those years raising other people’s children and safeguarding other people’s families, yet she’d not even the smallest family connection to claim for herself.
“I suspect Lord Jonquil will be disappointed if we’re not able to find any mistletoe,” Mr. Simpkin said.
She didn’t know if the abrupt change of topic was for her sake, her pensiveness having been noticed, or was simply a happy coincidence, but she was grateful for it. “Why is it you think that?”
“The master and mistress of Brier Hill are rather nauseatingly in love.”
“I don’t find it nauseating at all.”
He sighed in a way that very nearly sounded like a growl. “Why is it you ruffle up at everything I say? I wasn’t insultingLord and Lady Jonquil or speaking ill of love. I was attempting to have a friendly conversation with you.”
Why was it he set her back up so easily? Likely because they’d begun on a bad footing. Their very first conversation had been him warning her not to let Adam get in his way.
“I’d wager Lord Jonquil will nae be bothered since he likely means to kiss his wife either way.” She attempted a conciliatory smile, hoping he recognized her attempt at a joke as the peace offering it was.
“And the little duke will likely be just as squeamish at the display whether the couple kisses of their own accord or at the behest of a plant,” Mr. Simpkin said.
Robbie couldn’t help a smile. How well she remembered many of her young charges over the years growing squirmy at just such a thing. She suspected they appreciated knowing their parents cared about each other, even if they’d no enjoyment for seeing a kiss between them.
She hadn’t the first idea how Adam would respond to such a thing. While she wouldn’t say his parents necessarily despised each other, they’d not been on friendly terms. That might be another benefit of this trip to Brier Hill: he’d see a happy marriage and experience a welcoming and peaceful home.
