Chapter 56
King’s Head
Cam wanted nothing more than to nab Graham, currently drinking coffee with his father in the library, grab his hand and pull him outdoors on this beautiful sunny morning.
She wanted her promised tour of King’s Head, especially the eastern forest where Uncle Tally lived.
Then there were the old Augustinian ruins some one hundred yards behind King’s Head to explore.
She wanted to pet the sheep always grazing in the large front swatch of land bordering the Green Stream.
She wanted to look deep, see what she could see.
Graham had laughed at her, said you couldn’t see below the green surface of the water and one of the rams, King Henry by name, might try to shove her into the water.
She especially wanted to meet all their farmers, maybe drink some of their particularly powerful ale and then—She had to be patient.
First she had to eat her breakfast. She was wearing a new riding habit, a lovely dark green wool jacket cinched at the waist and a form-fitting skirt and her favorite black boots picked out for her by Lady Tremaine.
Her high crown riding hat had a jaunty narrow brim and a narrow blue ribbon.
She wore her hair in a thick braid down her back, something Cilly deemed unusual but clever, maybe Cam would bring in a new style.
She was eager, not only for the promised tour but to see her husband.
It had, after all, been two hours since he’d left their bedchamber to meet with his father.
She met Eugenie at the door of the small breakfast room, a lovely room she’d seen briefly, more feminine than not with its pale green walls and dainty Louis XVI furnishings.
Eugenie was dressed in a lovely pale gray morning gown, a small book in her white hand.
Eugenie said, “I have never seen a lady wear her hair braided like that to go riding, to go anywhere, for that matter. It is quite charming.”
Cam smiled. “That’s what Cilly said. Do you think it might become a new fashion?”
Eugenie stared at her a moment, shrugged and waved the book at her. “This is a book of menus, and dishes are marked that I’ve found Mrs. Sample excels at. You will want to meet with her this morning.” She handed Cam the book, her smile never wavering.
Cam eyed her sister-in-law. She seemed quite content with the change.
Still, Cam started to tell Eugenie she was certain Eugenie would do a better job than she with the menus when she suddenly heard Aunt Deveraux’s voice ringing in her ear: BEGIN AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON.
I FORGOT THAT RULE WITH MY SECOND LOVER AND HE TOOK GROSS ADVANTAGE UNTIL I GOT HIM UNDER CONTROL.
She realized in that moment whenever she’d demurred to Eliza to keep the peace it had only made Eliza more strident and dismissive, as if Cam had no importance at all in the household.
She realized she’d always been a rug to be tread upon by her sister.
She’d been a pathetic nod-cock. She didn’t want her relationship with Eugenie to be like Aunt Deveraux’s second lover.
And so Cam said matter-of-factly as she took the dark brown leather book, “Yes, thank you, Eugenie.” She added on a clean lie, “It was my responsibility at home, every Monday morning. You needn’t worry I’ll ask for anything out of season. ” She smiled.
Eugenie nodded, not really paying attention now, and walked gracefully into the breakfast room. She called out over her shoulder, “After breakfast, I’ll show you my accounting room and review all the procedures I’ve set up.”
Was Aunt Deveraux nodding and smiling? She’d made a good start.
She had the menu book. She thought of Graham, but he would have to wait.
She now had a responsibility and she wasn’t about to shirk it.
After breakfast, she walked downstairs to Mrs. Mince’s small office next to the kitchen, where she met Mrs. Sample.
She gave her a cup of her precious oolong tea and a warm raisin scone with Devon cream dripping over the edges.
Together they reviewed the menus, adding chicken vol-au-vent and Charlotte Russe, two dishes Cam particularly liked.
She would have to ask Graham his favorite dishes.
She saw Arthur, one of the very young footmen blessed with startling white-blond hair and eyelashes longer than a girl’s, waiting for her outside Mrs. Mince’s office to tell her Lord Whitestone was at the stables, waiting for her.
She left Arthur, skipped down the deep stone stairs, picked up her riding skirts and ran to the stables.
She arrived out of breath to see her lovely husband rubbing a brush over the neck of a magnificent chestnut whose head rested on his shoulder.
Did she look as happy as the horse did? Cam would swear she felt her heart fall to her toes as she paused a moment simply to watch him.
She wanted to jump him and take him to the ground, but there was a great deal of activity, three grooms leading out horses, cleaning saddles, so she had to show restraint.
Graham looked up to see her standing very still, looking at him. Her glasses sparkled in the sun. He saw wickedness in those eyes of hers and grinned. “What is this? What are you planning?”