Chapter 26
Tobias reached the landing just as another pair of footmen hurried past with a crate of glassware. The house had been in constant motion for days, every corridor filled with purposeful steps and quiet urgency.
Two full weeks had passed since he had asked Cecily to marry him.
He still felt the moment settle in him whenever he paused long enough to think.
Her expression, the way her breath caught, and the quiet certainty in her voice all returned to him without effort.
The secrecy had been difficult, but he found he preferred it.
The engagement felt safer held close, away from the eyes of those who would twist it for their own ends.
Only a small circle knew the truth. Cecily, the children, Weatherby, Rosamund, and himself. They had agreed to keep the engagement quiet until after the party and recital, when the Stanhopes were no longer under his roof, and the danger had passed.
Now the party was only two days away.
He stopped at the top of the staircase, resting one hand on the polished banister as he looked down at the scene below.
Weatherby crossed the hall with a ledger tucked under his arm, calling instructions to a footman who was nearly jogging to keep up.
Rosamund followed close behind, carrying a tray of folded linens with the same determined look Tobias had so often seen on Cecily.
He had spent the past two weeks gathering information.
Every conversation, every observation, and every quiet exchange with Weatherby added another piece to the picture forming in his mind.
Yet whenever he saw Cecily in the corridor, her calm presence cut through the tension, and he found himself unintentionally drawing strength from her.
And now, with only two days left, everything was set in motion.
Tobias descended the last step and crossed the final stretch of the staircase. “Weatherby, have you recruited Rosamund to help you today?”
Weatherby nodded without breaking stride.
“Yes, My Lord. The family she serves has gone to Bath for several weeks, and she is free until they return. Although she is a governess and has no lessons to teach at present, she is quite accustomed to managing a household. I know she will keep everything running smoothly.”
Tobias allowed a small smile to form. He had noticed Weatherby’s glances toward Rosamund long before the man admitted anything aloud.
It amused him. Their quiet fondness offered a rare moment of ease, and Tobias found himself grateful for it.
It reminded him that not everything in the house was shadowed by the Stanhopes.
“If I did not know better, I would think you invented half of these tasks simply to keep Rosamund by your side,” he said.
Weatherby stopped just long enough to straighten his ledger, though the faint color rising in his cheeks betrayed him.
Weatherby shook his head. “There is no time for jokes, sir.”
“I disagree,” Tobias said. “The plan is in place. Everything will go well. This is the perfect time for jokes.”
Weatherby gave him a look that suggested he was not as confident, then disappeared toward the kitchens with Rosamund in tow.
The entire estate moved with purpose, each person intent on their task, each room shifting into its final shape for the evening Viola had insisted upon. At that moment, she swept into the room, her expression bright with self-importance.
“Tobias,” she said, lifting her chin, “I must speak with you at once. The musicians require a precise accounting of the order of performances, and the floral arrangements in the drawing room are entirely too modest for an evening of this significance. I told them so, of course, but they insisted upon hearing your preference.”
She barely paused for breath before continuing, her tone softening into something she clearly believed charming. “And perhaps, when all of this is finished, we might take a walk together. It has been so very long since we have had a quiet moment, just the two of us.”
Tobias tilted his head, careful to keep his expression neutral. “We shall see how the evening progresses.”
She waited, as if expecting more, but he offered nothing further.
“If you will excuse me,” he said, stepping back with polite finality, “I should allow you to oversee the preparations you have arranged.”
Her smile tightened, but she curtsied gracefully before turning toward the flurry of servants awaiting her direction.
Tobias strode down the corridor, grateful for an escape.
Then he heard the sound that he had come to cherish. The notes of the piano floated through the corridor, clear and steady, rising and falling with a gentle confidence that drew him in at once. The melody was familiar, one he had heard practiced again and again in the last weeks.
He turned toward it without hesitation.
As he approached the music room, the sound grew fuller. He pushed the door open just enough to look inside. Julian and Amabel sat together at the piano bench, their heads bent in concentration as their fingers glided carefully across the keys.
Cecily stood behind them with her hands clasped lightly in front of her. Her expression was soft with pride. When the final notes faded, she stepped closer, her voice warm and full of affection.
"That was perfect. Truly perfect. I am so proud of you both. You will amaze everyone at the recital."
Julian straightened with a shy smile. Amabel beamed, her feet swinging lightly against the bench.
Tobias felt a quiet swell of love for the children and for the woman guiding them. The feeling was so strong he could not remain in the doorway.
He stepped inside.
Cecily turned at the sound, her eyes widening for a moment before softening into a smile. The children brightened at once.
"Uncle," Amabel whispered.
Tobias crossed the room, his gaze moving from their eager faces to Cecily’s gentle one.
"It seems," he said, "as if everything is ready. All we have to do now is wait."
He spoke the words calmly, although waiting had never been his strength.
The recital, the party, the confrontation he knew was coming all pressed closer with each passing hour.
Yet standing beside her, watching the children glow with pride, he felt a rare moment of peace.
It reminded him why he was doing all this.
Two days later, Tobias stood in his room, fastening the last button of his coat.
He checked its fit in the mirror, adjusted his cuffs with steady hands, and paused for a moment, studying his reflection with a critical eye.
The evening ahead would demand composure, and he meant to show none of the strain he carried.
He thought briefly of Cecily preparing somewhere in the house and felt a quiet resolve settle within him.
Whatever happened tonight, he would protect what they had begun.
When he was satisfied, he stepped out to make one final inspection of the house.
Viola was already in the corridor, flitting from table to table with restless energy.
She fussed with arrangements that had been finished hours ago, shifting a vase, smoothing a cloth, and offering instructions for which no one had asked.
She wore a small smirk she seemed to believe he could not see, although he noticed it clearly.
Tobias continued down the hall, giving each room a final look. Everything was ready.
A sound from outside drew both their attention. Viola paused, her head tilting toward the front of the house.
“It is time,” she said.
Tobias moved to the entrance. By the time he reached it, the footmen were already in position, and the lamps had been lit.
Carriages had lined the front drive before the hour struck four, and the guests began to step out in a steady procession.
Tobias took his place and greeted each arrival with accustomed civility as they crossed the threshold, a line of dukes, counts, and earls he had not seen in years.
Viola remained a short distance behind him, offering polite smiles to those who glanced her way, her hands still fussing with details that no longer required attention.
If only Cecily were beside me, welcoming everyone, standing by my side as my betrothed. As she soon will be.
He glanced toward Rosamund, standing across the hall.
The sight of her brought to mind the letter she had sent to Cecily the morning after learning of the engagement.
Cecily had shown it to him with a shy smile, and he had read the lines more than once.
Rosamund had written with such warmth that it had been impossible not to feel the sincerity in every sentence.
She had expressed her happiness for her sister, her relief that Cecily had found a place where she was valued, and her hope that the future would bring them all peace. She had added that she looked forward to welcoming him as a brother in due time, a sentiment that had stayed with him.
He relished the memory until another carriage stopped outside and the footman announced a new arrival. Tobias straightened and returned his attention to the steady procession of guests entering the hall.
When the Earl of Hartmere stepped through the doorway, Tobias felt his jaw tighten. The earl’s smile was pleasant, but Tobias could feel the mockery beneath it and the quiet satisfaction of feeling he had the upper hand.
“I must say, it is good to see the estate so lively again,” Lord Stanhope said, a quiet smirk forming on his noble features.
“One hears all sorts of things, you know. Rumors. Concerns. I am pleased to see you are proving them wrong. I admit, I wondered whether Ravenshollow Park still had the strength to host an evening of this scale.”
Tobias held his gaze. “I find it best to let actions speak. They tend to cut through the speculation.”
“Oh, I agree,” Lord Stanhope said, his smile sharpening. “And we shall see what they say tonight. I do hope you have prepared yourself. Expectations can be … unforgiving."
Tobias released his hand. “Enjoy the evening, My Lord. I trust you will find it enlightening.”