Page 21 of Lady in Ruby
“I will not forget it,” he said, the words quiet but searing. “But I promise that I didn’t intend to do it. It was damned foolish of me, especially because…” He trailed off.
“Because I’m the daughter of your host?” she suggested. Or because you may have stolen secret documents and the kiss was a distraction?
“Because you deserve to be treated with respect,” he said bluntly.
“I….oh.” Caroline felt more affected by that than nearly anything else he might have said. If only she hadn’t seen him take something from her parents’ room! “My lord—” she began to say.
“Yes?”
“The notes from my father’s lab.”
He went still, his manner suddenly wary. “What about them?”
“Did you have anything to do with it?”
Snowdon inhaled. He looked at her directly, his eyes narrowed. “You think me the thief?”
“I wish I didn’t.”
“I also wish that, Miss Garland. I think it best that I not bother you any longer.” He seemed to be having difficulty controlling his expression as he bowed slightly and walked away.
Caroline watched him go toward another clutch of gaily dressed, happily chattering guests.
She barely knew him. She certainly didn’t care for him. So why did it feel as though her heart had been pierced?
Chapter 9
The next day, the festivities continued, though the spirit at Hollydell wasn’t exactly joyful. But the skating party had been planned, and canceling it was not an option. Several young people from the neighboring homes and the village were coming to the house, and then the whole group would walk through the snowy woods to a pond about a mile away.
The issue of the missing documents had little effect on the guests who meant to enjoy their holiday, most of whom weren’t even present when the loss was revealed. Only Caroline felt uneasy about leaving the house to go gallivanting in the winter woods. Estelle seemed confident that the whole situation was an accident and the notes would soon be found in some odd location. According to her, the previous evening Mr Stockan had admitted he was troubled by the fact that they were missing, but added, “After all, Mr Garland has all the information in his head, and he can re-create the notes if need be.”
Caroline was reassured by this fact, so she tried to put the matter aside for the day. She dressed warmly for the party. She wore a gown of bright red wool over her white cotton shift, with sturdy stockings to keep her legs warm while out in the snowy woods. Her black leather boots were quite waterproof, thanks to beeswax. She’d tie on her metal skate blades when she reached the pond.
Estelle knocked and came in. She was also dressed snugly in a brown-and-white-striped wool, with her evergreen cloak over the top, and a mink fur hat (which had once belonged to Caroline). “Are you ready?” Estelle asked.
“Almost.” On impulse, she reached for the rubies and put them on.
“Caroline!” Estelle whispered, sounding shocked. “Are you wearing the necklace? To go skating?”
“I know it’s silly,” she admitted. “No one will even see them, not with my scarf and the cloak over my outfit. But, Estelle, it feels so grand to wear them! To have this weight of gold and ruby and to know they’re mine…I’m sure I’ll grow used to them and I’ll be proper about it. But I’ve just got them, and it means I’m…” She paused, trying to put the emotion into words. “It’s means I’m a woman. Not a child, not a little girl playing at being grown up. I’m really grown up now, and I can do what I like!”
“A grown up woman would leave such jewels under lock and key when she wasn’t putting them on for an evening,” Estelle pointed out.
“You’re no fun,” Caroline said with a false pout. “Tell you what. You will wear them tomorrow for dinner.”
Estelle looked appalled at the thought. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”
“You should dream of it. Dream tonight! And tomorrow you’ll know the reality of it, and we can compare notes. Oh, I don’t mean to be shallow, but honestly jewels are great fun!”
Estelle just shook her head. “Come along. We should meet the others or we’ll be late.”
They went down, and Caroline encountered Lord Snowdon in the foyer. He was wearing the same pale blue jacket as from the first day he arrived, over a snowy white linen shirt—however, he was not wearing anything for the out of doors.
“My lord, you are not coming to the skating party?” she asked, hoping that a simple conversation would not prove utterly awkward…considering she’d all but accused him of robbery the evening before.
“I have something to attend to,” he said coldly.
“Oh.” Caroline didn’t know why his dismissal should hurt her so, but it stung.
