Page 32 of A Marriage of Convenience with a Rake
“My lord?” a voice called outside the door, making him jump.
“Yes?” The butler was there with a trolley piled with plates and bowls. Sebastian’s stomach twisted with hunger.
“It’s midday, my lord. Shall I bring the luncheon in now?”
“Please do,” Sebastian said at once. “I will locate her ladyship.”
“Very good, my lord.”
Sebastian smiled to himself as he walked out of the drawingroom. It occurred to him, as he walked past a footman in the hallway, that Eleanor had learned the names of most of the household staff already. He felt a shiver of discomfort—he had some people on the staff for whom he’d barely memorized a surname. He had absolutely no idea of the first names of most of them, except for the butler and his valet. And Mrs. Teller, whose name was Betty.
He wandered up the hallway and paused in the upper west wing, where the guest suites were. He still did not know which of the rooms she was using. He let out a sigh. He really needed to find a way of speaking to her.
His mind drifted to the story she had told the previous day, and a grin lifted his lips. As he looked out of the window, he caught sight of her. She was walking in the garden, her dress—a white muslin gown—contrasting strongly with the green lawn. Her hair was simply styled, and his heart twisted, a strange ache forming in his chest as he watched her.
She is so beautiful.
He breathed out volubly. He longed to get to know her better, but even after how closely they had spoken in Father’s bedchamber, he had yet to manage a proper conversation with her. They had discussed Papa’s illness at some length during the last two days, but nothing much beyond it.
I need to follow Matthew’s advice.
He smiled to himself as he heard footsteps in the entrance-way, and, as he rounded the bend in the stairs, he saw her just coming up towards him. Her long hair was tumbling partly loose from its bun, its soft, brown waves framing her face. She looked startled.
“Sebastian!” she breathed.
He beamed, heat flooding through his body. It was hard to look away from her. He didn’t want her to feel awkward—he was sure he was staring—so he dragged his eyes away.
“Eleanor,” he greeted her warmly. “I was just sent to inform you that luncheon just arrived.”
“Oh!” Eleanor blushed, a delightful, flustered expression crossing her face. “I did not know it was midday already. Have I been outdoors so long?”
“You have,” he said simply, and smiled. “You seem to enjoy strolling outside?”
“I do.” she gave an enraptured sigh. “It’s so delightful out there—so warm, still, mid-morning. It seems like summertime out there.”
The way her eyes lit up when she talked, her lovely sigh when she discussed the warmer weather—it was all so beautiful. “We are having an unusually warm autumn,” Sebastian agreed. He swallowed hard, looking away and hoping she didn’t notice how tight his voice was, filled with longing.
“Most assuredly!” she declared. She walked up the stairs briskly and he followed at a slower pace.
They reached the drawing room. The butler had already arranged the dishes on the table and a delicious smell filled the air. He went to draw Eleanor’s seat out for her, and she sat down, her cheeks flushing as he gazed at her.
“You must have always enjoyed being outdoors?” he asked her, drawing out his own chair opposite her. The table in the drawing-room was much smaller than the long, formal one in the dining room, and that was another reason why it was so much more pleasant to dine there. In the dining room, the length of the table made any conversation impossible.
“I have,” she answered his inquiry. He lifted the lid off a bowl in the center of the table, letting out a delicious smell. The bowl was full of mushroom soup, steaming hot, and he ladled some out for her.
“Thank you,” she said with a blush.
He ladled some out into his own dish and sampled it,shutting his eyes for a moment. The creamy richness of the soup was delicious.
“So,” he commented after swallowing, “you have always had an interest in gardening?”
“Mm.” She nodded, swallowing before continuing. “I used to enjoy the gardens at Woodford. Mama and I did a great deal with them.”
“You used to garden at Woodford?” Sebastian blinked at her in surprise. It was not the fact that a lady would dirty her hands that bothered him—he'd already seen Eleanor with very dirty hands, and he found it charming. It was the fact that she seemed so interested. He would not have expected that. The women of his acquaintance either had little interest in anything outside fashion and gossip or had very strange interests altogether. Gardening seemed altogether too practical and straightforward.
“I did,” she agreed, flushing. “Just planning the flowerbeds and planting the flowers—the gardener weeded the beds and raked leaves. And cut the lawn.”
“I see,” Sebastian said, smiling. “You must know a great deal about plants.”
