Chapter 14
Three days later, Isla was a blustery mess as she went to open the door. She knew it and so did her family.
As did the parade of new servants that had come to tend the home at the behest of her betrothed.
It had been unsettling to have strangers appearing on her doorstep, saying they were already being paid to provide their services.
She didn’t have to worry about accounting, just ensuring they knew where to begin and how she liked her morning tea.
I don’t like my morning tea and I don’t like not understanding what is going on. If that is another servant, I very well might scream.
“Thank the lord,” she groaned after throwing the door open.
The duke raised an eyebrow. “I am glad to see I am so welcome. Good afternoon, my lady.”
“You have a lot to answer for, Your Grace.”
That sent his eyebrows furrowing together like a caterpillar over his eyes that were dark beneath his hat brim. “I haven’t had time to wrong you if I haven’t been here, have I?”
All the words she meant to say ever since a lady’s maid had arrived and sent her a look of dismay came bubbling out.
“You canna do something like that, will-he-nill-he! How ridiculous it was having these strangers arrive. We didn’t know who they were or what they were doing.
What were you thinking? Sending servants here and there without a by-your-leave. ”
“Then you didn’t like the surprise.”
“Oh, it was a surprise all right.”
“I can let them go, if you like. Is that what you wish for? You don’t want them?”
She stared at him. “I didn’t say that!”
“Is everything all right? Hello, Your Grace!” Her mother must have heard her raised voice and was heard in the background, that soft but definitive warning tone.
“Yes, Mama.” Isla forced herself to inhale deeply.
She put her hands over her ribs as they expanded and then slowly shrunk back down.
All the tension that had been bubbling inside of her for the past couple of days––hardly helped with the sudden busyness of training and preparing several servants––finally was ebbing away. “All is well.”
Ronan glanced over her head to offer polite greetings to her mother before looking down at her. “I was going to invite you to go for a ride but if you would wish to shout at me some more, I can come back tomorrow.”
A flush crept up her face. “You don’t enjoy a loud scold?” She tried to jest.
“Not particularly. But I can manage a quiet scolding if something more is required. I only warn you I shan’t listen to a word of it on a busy street.” Though his words were serious, she could have sworn she saw his lip twitch. The dry humor was a bit of a surprise.
Isla decided to take it as a promising note.
“I beg your pardon, Your Grace, those were hardly proper manners befitting a lady. It’s simply been overwhelming, all of these gifts.
You didn’t need to… that is, we didn’t need…
Well, you see,” she tried to explain herself while shifting her weight around in the doorway.
“It was a surprise,” Ronan spoke over her plainly. “You don’t appreciate surprises. That is good to know. Is the help appreciated?”
“Very much so,” she confessed. “They’re already invaluable.”
He nodded. “Then I am satisfied. And perhaps next time, I shall warn you in advance of any surprises.”
She thought of the tea house and his mention of a son. “I would appreciate that. It seems there are some surprises still to sort out.”
Now it was he who shifted uncomfortably. She watched the way he plucked his hat off. “Yes, well, I do suppose it’s time we had that discussion. I thought the ride might do us a good run, if you would care to join me?”
Then he will talk to me about it. I must know what I am getting myself into, after all. And if he’s finally ready, I cannot miss this chance.
“Isla!” Her mother was still in the hall. “Won’t you invite the duke in? You cannot leave him on the doorstep like so!”
Isla gave him a grateful smile as she called back to her mother, not wanting to leave Ronan’s side now with the promised conversation ahead of them. “Mama, he is taking me for a ride. Might I go?”
“Ach! What a lovely surprise! Yes, yes. Oh, your maid should accompany you. Where is that girl?”
Skipping past their mother was Lacey with a hand on the wall to feel her way forward. “Did I hear the duke has arrived? My future brother?”
“Brother-in-law,” Isla automatically corrected her.
“Westvale?” Lacey asked. She had reached the side table that stood in the entry, and came to a stop. All she had to do was reach out a hand to find Isla and then the door where she focused her gaze toward Ronan. “You are there. I can smell you.”
Isla grabbed her and wrapped a hand around her mouth. “Lacey, don’t say such things!”
Though she was appalled, Ronan had to cough. He turned away a second before saying, “What exactly do I smell like, Lacey?”
“Apples, of course! Where are you going on your ride? Are you going to ride a horse? I heard you always ride a horse.”
“Not always. I also have a carriage or two.” His gaze landed on Isla for a long moment. There was something going on inside his thoughts. What she wouldn’t give to know what it was. “That’s what your sister shall ride in today.”
She nodded. As she let her little sister go. “Exactly, which means I must be on my way now.” She could hear her mother in the background calling for the maid. “You’ll behave yourself while I am gone?”
Groaning, Lacey leaned into her. “I must stay back here all alone in the great big house? How devastatingly dull. Must I stay here forever?”
“I took you on a stroll this morning,” Isla reminded her.
“There isn’t much to do once you’re in a carriage,” Ronan chimed in to her surprise. “We’ll only be talking. Surely you have better things to do than talk?”
“That’s just it. I don’t get to do much of anything. Even though I can hardly see, it’s just awful to never explore any place new. I don’t get to feel the sun on my face or smell new smells or hear the thrilling traffic of the city,” Lacey sighed dramatically.
Oh dear, so that’s what she is doing.
“Now, Lacey, perhaps another time,” she started.
But her sister was throwing her arms around her while giving her the saddest pout possible. “I will never have a chance to live half a normal life all cooped up in here. What is there to be done? Am I lost cause, Isla? Westvale?”
The little runt! I cannot believe she is attempting to wheedle her way into this.
Why isn’t Mother stopping this? I actually wish for private time with the duke and now Lacey is trying to finagle her way in.
She is transfixed by him. Just because he is handsome and generous doesn’t mean he will… Oh dear.
When Isla looked up, believing he will politely decline and usher Isla right out, she was stunned to find the opposite.
The duke was smiling. He was trying not to, clearly, but the fight wasn’t going according to any sort of plan.
Clearing his throat, he fiddled with his hat before meeting her gaze.
Warmth spread through her chest as they shared a silent moment.
She couldn’t resist returning the smile.
Then he shrugged and she knew the plans had to change.
“I suppose you can join us this time,” Isla said at last. Before she could say more, her sister was cheering and racing off for her bonnet. “I’m so sorry, Your Grace.”
“Ronan,” he quietly corrected her. His eyes trailed after Lacey for a moment with a gentle expression she hadn’t seen before. “I don’t mind. She’s a spirited girl and I would hate to break her heart.”
She shook her head. “She would forgive you, believe you me.”
They would merely have to have their serious conversation later. It only took a few minutes for the new lady’s maid, Doreen, to bring her a bonnet and gloves. Then Lacey appeared with her new gloves and soon Ronan was helping them into the carriage.
He sat down beside her facing backwards. For some reason she hadn’t thought this would happen. The carriage was comfortable and a fair size, but Ronan was a large man. Their thighs touching was inevitable.
Swallowing hard, Isla tried to ignore the warmth as Ronan shifted to get comfortable. Then he rapped on the carriage for them to take off. As they started down the avenue, Lacey was busy squealing so Isla took a moment to admire the carriage.
Very good cushions and fine springs. It was sturdy and simple with a few marks that proved what high quality this carriage had to be made of.
She would have thought they would take a barouche or something else open-aired for such a nice day.
The limited windows would only allow so much light in.
She opened her mouth to ask but Lacey beat her to asking questions.
“How many carriages do you have, Westvale?”
“Two. I find that to be satisfactory.”
Lacey scrunched her nose. “What if you need more? This one has a roof. Do you have any that don’t have a roof? What about a curricle? Have you any of those?”
“No, those are dangerous for the road.” The stern tone he gave surprised Isla as well as Lacey who stared his way for a moment.
But that hardly deterred the girl. “Very well. I can hardly see any shadows here so you must describe everything to me. Please. Will you?”
Ronan glanced at Isla before he said aloud, “Very well. What shall I describe to you?”
“I don’t know. The first stranger you see out there?”
Turning his head from them, Ronan fixed a curtain before looking out.
It wasn’t a great angle for Isla to watch him.
All she could see was his chin and the way it curved so nicely above his cravat.
She could smell him here, that apple scent Lacey had even noticed.
Was it truly apples, Isla wondered, or simply something similar?