Page 28 of Sleepless in Saunton
It was at that moment when he noticed a gentleman approaching, with his little girl in tow. Mr. Ridley, spotting him under the tree, headed over hand in hand with Tatiana.
“Here is your papa.”
Tatiana pulled her hand away to cross her arms, belligerence etched in every line of her body as she took in Barclay’s proximity to Mrs. Gordon. “What are you doing?”
“I am enjoying a conversation with Mrs. Gordon. What are you doing?”
“I was playing with the children in the nursery when I came to find you. I thought you would be with Jane, but—” Tatiana turned her glare on Mrs. Gordon, who started, then giggled nervously.
Ridley raised his eyebrow as he observed the awkward interaction. He shot a sympathetic look to Barclay before bowing, with a tilt of his hat to the widow, and striding away to join Lord Trafford, who was the only other gentleman playing nine-pins.
“Mind your manners, little one.” Barclay firmed his jaw, shooting a look of remonstration. “Mrs. Gordon, may I present my daughter, Tatiana Thompson?”
Tatiana did not move.
“Please curtsy, Tatiana.”
With great resentment, she dropped into a slight curtsy as her grandmother had taught her. “Can we go play chess now?”
“I am not done playing nine-pins with Mrs. Gordon.” He spoke with a firm voice. It would not do to allow his daughter to control him, especially in front of an audience. He could not believe she was being so rude.
Damnation!Had he just defended nine-pins? Repressing a groan, Barclay accepted he was now committed to playing the game. Standing up, he held out an arm. Mrs. Gordon rose, and they fell in step back to where the players were assembled. Nine-pins, it was.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Tatiana racing past, back to the manor. Her face was scrunched, and he thought she might have been on the verge of tears, but he could not allow his child to dictate his actions. Guilt assailed him. She had spoken of wanting a new mother, and he was taking steps to fulfill the request. So why did he feel such a scoundrel now?
With a sense of resignation, he went to place their pins once more to resume play, wondering how long was an appropriate length to play to make his point that he was the adult in their family.
He wanted to chase after Tatiana and discover why she was so upset, why she had been rude to Mrs. Gordon, which was out of character, and restore their affinity, but first he needed to make this point. He could not allow his daughter to run rough-shod over him, especially not in front of veritable strangers. It was disrespectful.
Fortunately, the game passed by quickly, and it was less than an hour later that he accompanied Mrs. Gordon back to the manor where she joined the other guests on the terrace. He noticed Jane talking with the countess, quelled a surge of interest, and left quickly to search for Tatiana, whom he could find nowhere.
Sighing, he realized she was hiding. Hopefully she would reappear to eat her dinner.
He returned to his room with a book and took up a seat in the armchair to wait for his daughter to make an appearance, his door left ajar to welcome her in.
When he awoke, the sun was setting, pink and red light staining the sky. Barclay stretched his arms and yawned, realizing his lack of sleep had caught up with him and amazed to have dozed off. He certainly was becoming more at ease since he had arrived at Saunton Park, not usually being the type of person who could take a nap while the sun was up and there was an endless list of things to do.
As he gazed at the majesty of the Somerset sunset over the park, he heard the door creak open behind him and close as Tatiana made her way into his room.
“Papa?”
“Tatiana.”
“I am sorry I was rude.”
“I thank you for your apology. Will you come sit with me?”
She approached, the patter of her feet as light as the treading of angels. When she stopped by his side, he reached over and picked her up to plonk her onto his knee. She was getting heavier, growing before his eyes, but somehow, in his grief, he had failed to notice the changes in his young daughter. Tatiana leaned back to rest her head against his chest as they both contemplated the dramatic colors painted upon the firmament.
“Why were you so upset, little one?”
“I want Jane to be my new mother. I do not understand why she was with the Mr. Dunsford fellow and you were with that Mrs. Gordon.”
“Jane is too young to be your mother. I have to find a suitable woman to marry, and I am spending time with Mrs. Gordon so I can get to know her.”
“Mrs. Gordon is the wrong woman. You must court Jane.”
“You understand that I am the parent? I am the one who must decide about what is best for us. For you.”
