Chapter 5
Chapter five
Annette
While I was never one to arrive last in the drawing room before dinner, being the first was unusual.
The vacant room, with its golden furniture and intricate molding, had been a place of comfort where my family gathered when not in London.
I held fond memories of this space, the kind filled with exchanges of love and laughter.
Well, and some vexing interactions. I did have three brothers, after all, and at least two of them were prone to teasing me.
Still, there was something calming about standing in a place where so much of the good in my life happened.
Kenwick and its drawing room were home, and simply being here chipped away at the months’ worth of tension I had carried in Town.
I ran my gloved fingers along the raised back of a navy blue sofa nearest the window.
Light poured between the curtains, the orange glow of sunset filling the room and glistening off everything it touched.
It glinted off the frames holding paintings of gardens, and the Oriental vase perched on the walnut cabinet in the corner, one that had been knocked over years ago and glued back together, sparkled in a way that made the beautiful figures decorating it almost dance.
The clearing of a throat broke me from my reverie, and I turned sharply. Lieutenant Paget stood near the door, his lips slightly raised in a light smile. He bowed. “Miss Apsley, you look lovely this evening.”
It took great effort not to roll my eyes. Instead, I forced myself to curtsy. “How do you fare from your travels, Lieutenant? I do hope you enjoy your last evening with us.”
His lips ticked up farther. “I believe you mean my first evening.”
“They are one and the same, are they not?” I lifted my brows. Mother would expect me to be polite, and I would indulge her. But I would also not pretend I wished for this man’s presence in my home. Especially not in my drawing room, a sacred space where he would taint the memories I had here.
Lieutenant Paget clasped his hands behind his back. “I have considered your demand for my departure.”
“And?” It was too much to hope he would oblige me, but I foolishly did so.
“And, as I have come here with a purpose and not yet fulfilled it, I’m afraid I must disappoint you for the time being. I will stay.”
“What purpose?”
He smirked, the incorrigible man. “A purpose worth pursuing, Miss Apsley.”
“How forthcoming and open you are,” I said flatly.
The lieutenant crossed the room to me, his pace a saunter full of confidence.
My heart beat faster at his approach, although I could not entirely pinpoint the reason.
Anticipation, perhaps? Yes, that must be it.
His proximity raised my hackles. I could never predict what this man would do from one moment to the next, and being unable to anticipate his actions left me uneasy.
He stopped next to me, his attention focused on the Oriental vase. “What happened to such a beautiful piece?”
Was he truly going to deviate from our conversation?
Likely so, and simply for the fact that he knew it would irk me.
I needed to know why he had come here if I had any hope of getting him to leave.
The sooner he accomplished whatever purpose had brought him to Kenwick, the sooner I could be rid of him.
“It fell off and broke,” I said offhandedly. “For what reason have you come to Kenwick?”
His lips twitched. “Fell off? All of its own accord?”
“No. My brother, Jack, thought to act like a baboon during a game of Charades, and his dramatic behavior resulted in the vase tipping over the edge. Why are you here?”
“That is a shame, but at least it was saved with a bit of effort.” He reached forward and ran a finger over the vase’s surface, truly seeming to admire the scene depicted on it. “Broken things can still tell stories. They are far more likely to be good stories, in my opinion.”
Perhaps if I broke him, he would tell me the story of why he came to visit. His nose was far too straight, was it not? I winced at the mere idea. I would never physically assault him on purpose, but I wouldn’t mind finding another way to drag his ego down a peg.
The lieutenant turned to face me so abruptly that I was momentarily arrested by his dark, soul-searching eyes that seemed to always see through any facade I presented.
The patter in my chest intensified, and my breath caught in my throat.
Edward Paget was unquestionably handsome, and I despised how I physically reacted to his presence.
A crooked nose truly would help.
His gaze flicked over my face, then dropped briefly down my body before meeting mine again. I fought a blush at the appreciation in his eyes. I had not dressed or had my maid restyle my hair to please him.
“I came here to speak with your father,” he said, his voice much softer than it had been before.
I blinked, requiring a moment to comprehend his statement. After his evasiveness, I hadn’t expected him to reveal why he had come. I also didn’t care for his shift to solemnity, something I rarely saw mar his features. “Speak to him about what?”
“A friend of mine. I had hoped he might have information that would help me.”
“You have friends?”
The question drew a laugh from him, restoring his smile. Rather than take offense at my response, humor danced in his eyes. Somehow, it still felt like a victory, and I grinned. “And did my father have information?”
The lieutenant drew in a slow breath that lifted his broad shoulders, straining the fabric of his coat in places. Places that drew my eyes.
I chided myself for the lapse in focus.
“I did not ask him yet,” the lieutenant admitted. “He has requested that I meet with him tomorrow morning. I shall do so then.”
My brows puckered. I had been under the impression our guest had gone to speak with Father after his arrival. If they had not conversed, did that mean my father was too weak to do so? My lungs constricted, cutting my breathing short.
Realization flashed in the lieutenant’s eyes, and he reached for me.
His hand landed on my shoulder, and warmth permeated through the fabric of his gloves over my skin.
“He is well—or, at least, as well as can be expected. We simply did not have time to speak of my purpose in coming, for there were other matters he wished to…discuss with me. Forgive me for worrying you.”
The tightness in my chest eased. “His condition seems to change from one moment to the next at times. I cannot help the overreaction.”
He squeezed my arm before dropping his hand. “It is not an overreaction to show concern for someone you love. It has been a difficult few months, I imagine. No one would fault you for being quick to assume the worst, especially when your father’s health has been so poor as of late.”
His sincerity and understanding plucked at my heartstrings. Lieutenant Paget spent the majority of our time together teasing or taunting me. But on those rare occasions when he was not, a man of kindness and empathy stepped in. A man of passion.
My face heated again, and I averted my gaze. His passion I had only experienced once, and I wished to forget the experience altogether.
“So, this friend of yours…how is my father to help?”
He did not answer right away, and when I believed he would ignore my prodding completely, I finally dared a glance at him. I expected to find his smirk had returned and a teasing glint sparkling in his eyes. Neither was present, and the solemn expression he wore unsettled me.
“My friend is missing. Before leaving Town, I procured a possible lead, and I hope your father can assist me in discovering whether it is viable.”
“I am sorry about your friend,” I said. “You are clearly worried about him if you are willing to travel so far to discover his whereabouts. I hope my father is able to help you in the endeavor.”
He smiled wryly. “Why? So it means I shall leave sooner?”
I opened my mouth to correct his assertion, but Mother’s greeting from the doorway stopped me. She quickly drew the lieutenant into conversation, and it was not long before Russell and Bridget joined us in the drawing room.
Mother introduced the lieutenant to Bridget, and he bowed politely to her. “An honor, Miss Bridget.”
“Oh, I am so glad you are here!” Bridget gushed. “Mother says you served in the Navy. That must mean you’ve seen all sorts of exotic places.”
“Certainly places quite different from England,” the lieutenant responded. “Do you have an interest in traveling?”
“Interest is putting it lightly,” I said.
Bridget lifted her chin as if my statement was to be taken as a point of pride.
“Someday, I shall travel the world just like my brothers, and I will appreciate it far more than they ever will. What was your favorite place to visit, Lieutenant Paget? You simply must tell me. No! Tell me first whether you met any pirates while at sea. And leave out no details.”
Mother grimaced. “Bridget darling, I do not think this an appropriate topic of conversation before dinner.”
Or likely ever.
Bridget pouted. “That is unfair. Provide me an opportunity for thrilling tales and then forbid me from requesting it?” She grumbled something more under her breath.
“Your mother is right,” said Lieutenant Paget. “Now may not be the best time, but I promise to regale you with at least one”—he glanced at my mother, who raised her brow— “intriguing tale whilst I am here.”
“With pirates?” Bridget asked.
“Of course. We cannot forget the pirates.” The lieutenant caught my eye.
Amusement danced in his gaze, but it was not the sort that suggested this conversation might wind up on the tongues of gossips.
Despite the impropriety of the conversation, especially involving a girl of sixteen who was old enough to behave more properly, he did not seem to think less of my sister, something I appreciated.
He winked at me, and I could not help but smile in return.