Chapter 14
Alice awoke to the feel of light tapping on her cheek. Still ascending through the fog of sleep, it took her a moment to register what was creating the sensation. When a bit of gentle claw was added at her failure to respond, Alice’s eyes sprang open, revealing fluffy ginger fur.
“Knightly,” she groaned, scooping the kitten up and placing him on her chest, “you woke me up,” she admonished, even as she couldn’t resist placing a kiss on his tiny forehead.
Languishing in bed, Alice thought of the events that had transpired over the last several days which led her to this moment with her new companion.
Stroking Knightly’s soft fur as he settled onto her chest, his tiny body vibrated with a rumbling purr.
Both the sound and the sensation were soothing, calming Alice’s heightened nerves.
Knightly had been a gift from Mr. Beaumont, taking her entirely by surprise.
She’d been in the library with Nathalie following dinner the previous evening when Ethan appeared holding the small, furry, ocher body close to his chest.
“I . . . ah,” he said, stopping to clear his throat.
“I thought you might want this cat. His mother was killed by another animal last night—we found her this morning.” He made another guttural sound, interrupting his words as he once again attempted to clear his throat before adding, “And given how taken you were with Tobias the other day, I thought you might like to care for him.”
Nathalie’s eyes widened as she observed her brother stumble through the offer of the kitten. Ethan’s face had turned a bit red, which was uncharacteristic of the usually composed gentleman. Unless he was upset with Alice, she reflected.
It was the first meaningful interaction the two of them had had since their moment outside the barn a few days prior.
Even now, Alice heated to recall just how close she had been to rising to her toes and kissing him.
He’d utterly confused her that afternoon, jumping from stern and exasperated to gentle and accommodating.
Scolding her at one moment for showing love and affection for the sweet collie, but then once again tending to her when she was in discomfort.
Nevertheless, she could still feel the touch of his hands as they wandered across her skin. How it had felt so wonderful, but not just in the places where he stroked into her tender muscles, making her entire body feel alive to his touch.
Alice knew she should absolutely not be contemplating Mr. Beaumont in such a way.
He was a distraction from the very reason she was here—to improve herself for the upcoming season and attract the best match possible.
She couldn’t have her head turned by a man who would never meet her father’s exacting standards.
While Ethan was from the family of a marquess, Alice understood that alone would not be enough to make him a man worthy of attention in her father’s eyes.
There were other factors that would lower Mr. Beaumont in his esteem even if they were traits that Alice herself had come to admire.
There was the fact that the Beaumont family had not held the tile long, and it was common knowledge they had come into the designation only through purchasing the King’s favor.
There was also the fact that he had chosen to come to the Hampton estate and work.
Her father believed that a man of Ethan’s stature should act as a gentleman and have no need of an occupation, particularly manual labor of all things, as it would be lowering to do anything a laborer might.
Those ideas felt so out of place now. It had been several weeks since she had arrived here and it was amazing how much Alice’s understanding of things she had never questioned before were beginning to change.
It was admirable to her that Ethan wanted to do something meaningful with his life and was working to better the estate which so many relied upon.
He could do such work while also being a gentleman, which he proved each day through his very demeanor.
Alice now believed that the true measure of a gentleman had less to do with his standing and more to do with the way he acted in his surroundings and treated others, regardless of the place he held within society.
There was a level of empathy and care in Mr. Beaumont that he tried to conceal, but she’d seen it shine through numerous times.
Just the other day following their close encounter, Alice stumbled across him kneeling on the ground and talking with Tobias, the very dog he’d admonished her for showing affection to.
Alice had ducked into the nearest barn stall to observe the interaction unseen and was rewarded for her eavesdropping, which was so seldom the case. What she had witnessed was a compassionate man who couldn’t be gruff if he tried.
“I know I was harsh out there,” he said, giving the collie a good ruffle on the neck, “but if you are going to become the great herder I know you can be, you must learn to calm down and take commands.” Ethan sighed before placing a kiss on top of Tobias’s head.
“But I know you are just a young and eager boy who wants love and I can’t fault you, or anyone, for that. ”
Alice snuck away after that, but her heart had been full with the instinctual knowledge that Mr. Beaumont had been referring to more than just Tobias with his last statement.
And now, lying here this morning with her thoughtful gift purring away in contentment, Alice understood that Mr. Beaumont was as conflicted as she was, unsure how to handle whatever seemed to be blooming between them.
His abrupt manner didn’t stem from frustration with her; rather, it was more directed at himself.
If she had learned one thing from her weeks spent working alongside in the garden, it was that he loved to be in control.
Thus, whatever he was feeling toward her was causing that control to slip away little by little.
Alice wasn’t faring any better, as her own control over her situation was in dangerous territory.
Never before had she felt so drawn to a man.
She had certainly wanted a man to kiss her a time or two, but that had mostly been out of curiosity.
With Ethan, there had been more than one moment where the desire to be as close to him as possible had almost overwhelmed her into actions which would be disastrous.
All of this was dangerous; it was a treacherous path she was heading down. But there was something so delicious about not being fully in control of where her feelings led, of being almost swept away without a choice—as if her body inherently knew something that her mind did not.
Alice so desperately wished to surrender to these feelings, but she knew she could not.
Oh, why was it that the first man to make her feel even the slightest bit understood was so far from those she had met in Mayfair ballrooms?
Letting out a muffled scream into the crook of her arm, she managed to startle Knightly awake.
He scrambled off her with a small, offended meow and resettled in the nest of blankets beside her, seeking her warmth.
“Am I too much for you as well?” Alice let out a sigh and knew she must get ready for the day.
Nathalie was leaving that morning, and she was sad to see her go.
Though she had been consumed with the garden much of the fortnight of Nathalie’s stay, Alice appreciated having a friend around—someone her own age she could talk with candidly—without agenda or the need to make a good impression.
And Nathalie had opened her eyes to the idea that there was more a woman could do with her life than simply make a match and produce heirs.
After quickly getting ready, Alice gave Knightly one last kiss, burying her face in the soft fur of his side while he slept, before making her way downstairs to say goodbye.
Of course, the first person she saw upon entering the breakfast room was Mr. Beaumont.
It was unusual for him to break his fast at the same time as Alice, but it made sense that this morning he prolonged his meal to spend more time with his sister before she left.
His eyes found Alice as she entered the room and he dipped his head in politeness, the most he had acknowledged her in days outside of gifting Knightly.
She knew he had been avoiding her, choosing to spend his time fixing up a cottage on the outskirts of the estate for the new steward who would arrive any day now. It was a convenient excuse. But staying away this morning on Nathalie’s last day would have raised a few eyebrows.
Alice returned his nod before rushing to Nathalie’s side, ignoring the way her lower belly twisted at the sight of the smile that lit up his features when he looked at the woman of the hour. Her slight flush did not escape Nathalie’s notice, however.
“You seem to be a bit warm, did my brother’s presence throw you into such a state?
” Nathalie asked, leaning in as Alice sat beside her.
The expression on her friend’s face was nothing but innocence, her eyes sparkling in mirth.
And after a moment, she cracked, unable to keep her neutral facade, her lips twitching as she tried to suppress a laugh.
“Don’t tease me,” Alice forcefully whispered. “I am perfectly fine.”
She wasn’t sure exactly when Nathalie had noticed her affections.
Neither of them had ever acknowledged the situation outright, but Nathalie had been sending not so subtle jabs in her direction for about a sennight.
Maybe her earlier inquiries regarding Mr. Beaumont weren’t quite as subtle as she’d supposed them to be.
“And how is Knightly this morning?” Nathalie inquired as she piled strawberry preserves onto her toast.
“Who is Knightly?” Mr. Beaumont asked, a crinkle forming between his brows as they pulled together.
“The sweet, little kitten you gifted our dear Alice, of course.”
“It wasn’t a gift,” he said gruffly, Nathalie clearly knowing how to rile her bother. “It simply needed care, and I knew Miss Pembroke had a softness for animals. It was practical.”
Wishing to disrupt the awkwardness that had descended upon the room, Alice hastened to answer, “Knightly is well, I left him soundly asleep on my bed. Lucky little thing can return to sleep whenever he wishes, whereas I was awakened early by a prodding paw to the face.” The ladies grinned at one another, equally enamored with the kitten.
“Why on earth would you name the poor thing Knightly?”
Nathalie looked at her brother utterly aghast. “Why, for Mr. Knightly of course. Only one of the greatest heroes to have been written by the author of Pride and Prejudice. From her book Emma.”
“You enjoy this book, Miss Pembroke? You did not simply allow my sister to foist such a name on you?”
Alice colored as his attention turned toward her, but regained her poise, answering in as dignified a manner as possible. “I do enjoy the book. In fact, the name was my idea, not your sister’s. Though Nathalie did heartily agree with me that it was fitting.”
He assessed Alice, tilting his head as she answered through her practiced demeanor, his eyes slightly compressed as if he didn’t fully believe her. Remaining silent, he returned to eating his breakfast.
Soon the meal was over, and Nathalie’s carriage was ready.
Alice didn’t wish to say goodbye to her friend—in truth it felt like the first real friendship she’d ever had.
Nathalie made her way around the small circle of people who had gathered to see her off.
She thanked West and Priscilla for their invitation and hospitality, then gave her brother a fierce hug, telling him how proud she was of the work he was doing.
Alice was fighting back tears, which had materialized without her permission, when Nathalie finally turned to her. “I don’t want you to leave,” she said while embracing Nathalie tightly. “You are such a delightful person, and I have so enjoyed getting to know you.”
“You’ll be just fine.” Alice had trouble hearing her friend’s words, as they were said into her shoulder where Nathalie had buried her face to hide tears of her own.
“And I suspect I’ll see you again soon enough.
Once my fool of a brother wakes up and realizes what’s in front of him, I don’t think it will be long before I return for a wedding. ”
And with that astonishing statement, Nathalie released her and mounted the carriage stairs, leaving them behind with a large smile and twinkling eyes.