Page 12 of A Sense of Misgiving
‘It’s to be expected—and if it’s any consolation she is a great deal improved since you took over her care.’
‘Thank you, but even so…’
‘I was in search of you anyway.’
‘Me?’
‘I know you usually have a few hours to yourself at this time of day, and I don’t want to intrude upon your leisure time.’
‘You are not.’ She smiled at him. ‘How can I help you?’
‘It’s Luke,’ he said, his tone both wary and sympathetic. ‘He would like to see you in his library.’
‘Oh dear!’ Flora’s heart lifted at the prospect of spending a few minutes with the gentleman who occupied so many of her thoughts, many of which were quite shockingly inappropriate. ‘What have I done to displease him this time?’
‘Nothing, to the best of my knowledge,’ Paul replied, as they descended the stairs together.
‘Yet you expect me to face him alone?’ Flora said playfully when they reached the hall and Paul turned in the direction of his own office. ‘That is not very kind.’
‘You are well able to hold your own.’ Paul and Flora had developed a friendship over the months, drawn together by their inclusion in a family to which they were not related. They were both paid employees who were not looked upon as servants. But there was none of Paul’s customary light-heartedness in his response today, which only added to Flora’s growing sense of misgiving.
She took a moment to compose herself, then tapped at the library door before she was observed by servants loitering outside it like a recalcitrant school girl called to the headmistress’s study to answer for her latest misdemeanour. Luke’s deep voice bade her enter. She paused to pat her hair and then rolled her eyes when she recalled the countess remarking upon its untidiness. There was nothing to be done about that now, and hopefully Luke wouldn’t notice. She straightened her shoulders and turned the handle.
He sat behind his desk in shirtsleeves, scowling over whatever he was studying, but put his quill aside and looked up as she walked in. His smile erased the worry lines around his eyes and gave him a boyish look. He stood, rounded his desk and indicated the arrangement of chairs in front of the fire.
‘Thank you for coming so promptly,’ he said, waiting until she had seated herself before taking the chair across from her. Romulus, the large black and white mongrel that Flora had rescued a few months previously and Luke had subsequently adopted, was stretched full length in front of the fire, dozing. At sound of Flora’s voice he jumped to his feet, wagging his tail, happy to see her.
‘He missed you,’ she said, ruffling his ears, ‘and attached himself to Paul or me in your absence.’
‘So I understand. The mutt’s loyalty is particularly intransigent.’
‘Anyway, here I am. A summons from the master of the house,’ she said, feigning fear in an attempt to lighten an atmosphere that felt as oppressive as the weather. ‘I would not dare to keep you waiting.’
Romulus flopped back down again, his large head on Flora’s feet.
‘Rest assured that no misdeeds on your part have been brought to my attention. Quite the contrary, in fact. Your service to my grandmother is exemplary.’
‘Then why do you look so grave? Ah, of course. The countess insists upon spending money on my wardrobe and you know I cannot repay you all at once. Well, you have no need to worry yourself on that score. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that very subject. You did not deduct the agreed amount from last quarter’s stipend, so I expect you to take twice as much next time.’ She straightened her already rigid spine. ‘I do not require all my new finery, but her ladyship refuses to be convinced. I will however pay for it. In fact I absolutely insist upon it.’
Luke waved her words aside with an elegant flip of his wrist. ‘I do not recall agreeing about repayment, and anyway that is not why I asked to see you.’
She liked the way that he pretended she’d had any choice about complying with his request. ‘Then why?’
Without saying a word, he stood and retrieved a letter from his desk. She recognised her father’s sloping hand the moment he passed it to her, and her insides quailed.
‘Ah!’
He raised a brow. ‘You expected something of this nature?’
‘I haven’t read it yet, but I assume he still wants me back in Salisbury and has reverted to underhand means.’
‘Your heightened perceptions.’
It wasn’t a question and she merely nodded, heartened that he hadn’t derided her gift. He had seen proof of what her abilities could achieve on two vital occasions, but had attributed both to either luck or coincidence. Even so, he must have allowed himself to wonder if there could be a third explanation that was beyond his understanding.
‘Read it,’ he said softly.
Flora did so quickly, frowning as she attempted to comprehend its meaning. And then again, more slowly.
