Chapter 23
Kalina
Not long after the trunks of her clothing and things had been delivered to her room, there was a knock at the door.
Before Kalina or Margaret could answer, the door burst open and Hereford’s youngest sister came barreling into the room, bright-eyed and eager, followed by the middle sister, who appeared scandalized and apologetic.
“Fiona! I am so sorry, Your Grace, we’ve been trying to teach her manners, but…” Emma’s soft-spoken apology was accompanied by her throwing her hands up in the air in obvious frustration at the inability to control her younger sister.
“Please, call me Kalina,” Kalina said immediately.
She almost added on that they were sisters now, but bit her tongue against it, not sure how Hereford’s sisters would feel about her once they knew how she had attained the position.
Smiling kindly at Fiona, who beamed back at her, she leaned forward to put her hands on her knees, bringing her closer to Fiona’s height.
“Knocking was appreciated, but it is best to wait until you receive an invitation to enter someone’s room.
What if I had been changing my clothing?
Or taking a bath? You would have interrupted my privacy. ”
“Oh.” Fiona thought about that for a moment. “I have seen my sisters changing.”
“Have you seen Miss Milford or Mr. Milford changing?”
“No, they would be upset if I… oh.” Fiona made a face as she realized.
Kalina could not help but smile.
“It sounds as though your sisters would appreciate it if you waited for an invitation to enter as well.”
“We would,” Emma confirmed with a sigh. She walked forward, putting her hand on Fiona’s head and brushing back some of the flyaway hair, tiny tendrils that had worked their way out of Fiona’s plaits. “But it is very hard to tell this imp no in a manner that sticks.”
Fiona frowned.
“I will start waiting,” she said, almost defiantly. Then she looked at Kalina again. “You are very pretty. Are you from Africa?”
“No, India.” Kalina smiled, straightening up again now that she had made her point about privacy. “Though my father is from England.”
“Oh. I wondered. Nathanial said he had to marry a lady.”
“Fiona!” Emma’s scandalized whisper was back, along with a long-aggrieved expression.
Kalina laughed, waving reassuringly at Emma.
She did not mind Fiona’s bluntness, and she could only imagine how few people the girl had met at her age, living in this house.
House parties were certainly not a thing that had happened here for many years, if there had even been any during Fiona’s lifetime.
“My grandfather is the Marquess of Stilton.” Estranged and did not acknowledge her or anyone else in his family, but blood was blood. It was the reason they had received any invitations at all initially. Mostly due to the ton’s avid interest in anything of a scandalous nature.
“And your mother is from India?”
“Yes, as am I.”
“What is India like? Are there animals there?”
Smothering a laugh, Kalina gestured to the small chaise on the other side of her bed.
The girl’s enthusiasm was infectious, as was the warmth of her welcome, which was far more than Kalina had hoped for.
She realized Fiona was too young to understand all the implications behind her and Hereford’s sudden marriage and arrival at the hall, and she was grateful for it.
“Would you like to sit down, and I will tell you all about it?”
Fiona immediately ran to the chaise, Emma following more hesitantly. She clearly felt the need to keep an eye on Fiona but also was unsure of Kalina.
She understood there was something more than a quick marriage.
Kalina only hoped she could at least make a good impression before Emma learned the truth, perhaps keep Nathanial’s sisters from thinking too badly of her. At the very least, she did not want Fiona to take up against her.
She had a feeling the youngest of the Percys could be devilish if she chose to be.
As Margaret unpacked Kalina’s things, she sat on the bed and told Emma and Fiona all about India and the animals there. Fiona was especially fascinated by Kalina’s description of elephants.
Because her back was to the door, it was only a prickling of her senses that made Kalina aware there was an addition to their audience.
She turned to look over her shoulder. Hereford and Julianna were standing there, listening intently as well. Her husband’s gaze met hers for just a moment before he looked away. Julianna was studying her closely, as though she was trying to figure Kalina out.
“Julianna! Did you know that elephants are so big you can ride them?” Fiona asked as she jumped up and ran over to her sister. Grabbing Julianna’s hand, she tried to pull her into Kalina’s room.
“I did not know that. I have never seen an elephant before.” Julianna resisted Fiona’s attempts to drag her forward. Lifting her gaze to Kalina, she smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “I apologize; you must be tired. We’ll leave you to rest.”
Fiona made a disappointed noise, but at her sister’s urging, she quit the room after waving over her shoulder at Kalina.
Emma glided noiselessly after her, though she smiled and nodded at Kalina before she left, and her smile seemed genuine.
After his sisters were gone, Hereford stood in the doorway, looking about the room, not meeting her eyes.
She wondered when the last time he had been in this room.
Possibly when his mother had been alive.
He was looking at it as though he did not recognize it.
Or perhaps he was just that determined to avoid looking at her.
Nervously waiting for him to say something, she was aware of Margaret on the side of the room, appearing to make herself as small as possible but also watching Hereford closely.
If he did anything to discomfit Kalina, her maid would defend her.
Kalina would have to have a word with Margaret.
She was uncertain whether she could stop Hereford from firing the maid if he decided to. Though her understanding was that, as lady of the household, she was nominally in charge of the staff, especially her own lady’s maid, he was still the duke. The head of household.
That rankled because it did not seem fair that her husband controlled the money she had brought to the marriage. She kept her portion, and that was it. But there was nothing she could do about that.
She could, hopefully, keep Margaret from speaking out of turn and being fired.
“Supper is at six o’clock,” he said after a long moment, still not meeting her gaze. “Unless you would prefer a tray in your room?”
Though the notion tempted, Kalina would not be such a coward. It was better to start as she meant to go on, and she was determined to make a good try at this marriage. This life.
Besides, she’d enjoyed Fiona’s company, and Emma’s, though the latter had been much quieter. Eating together would also give her a notion of how to gauge the Percy sisters’ reactions to any revelations their brother made to them this afternoon. Kalina lifted her chin.
“I will eat dinner with the family.”
He nodded, started to turn.
Stopped.
“It will not be… there has not been time to send Miss Milford to the village for any additional food. The meal will be…” His voice trailed off again.
“I am sure whatever is served will be filling, and that is all I need,” Kalina said firmly. If she was able to eat very much at all.
Hereford nodded again and turned, pulling the door shut behind him. Both Kalina and Margaret let out their breath at the same time.
“He’s a bit of a cold fish,” Margaret muttered, turning back to her task.
But he had not been.
Not until he’d been trapped in a future with her.
Tears pricked her eyes again, and Kalina took a deep breath, pushing them away. Sometimes, it felt like all she did was push down her emotions. Her wants. Her desires.
Shaking her head, she got up from the bed and went to assist Margaret in sorting through the jewelry she’d brought. It did no good to dwell on such things.
None of it could be changed, anyway.
Though… as she was putting her favorite rose diamond necklace to the side, it occurred to Kalina that her life was more her own now than it had ever been before.
She’d done what she had sworn to do. She had married a duke.
Her father was now so well-connected, his father would not be able to completely ignore him anymore.
That had been her goal for long enough that she felt the lack of it like a void. What did she want for herself now?
What kind of future could she make here at Hereford Hall?
Staring down at the glittering gems in her hand, she realized she had no idea what she wanted now that there were no expectations laid at her feet. She could finally choose for herself, and she did not know what she desired because she had never thought about what she might want for herself.
How very, very strange.