Chapter Seven #2
Mrs. Ellsworth entered, seeming flustered. “I’m sorry I’m late, Mrs. Honeycutt. I was interviewing girls from the village for our maid positions.” She smiled with maternal satisfaction as she surveyed the assembled company. “It’s nice to see people gathered around this old table again.”
James lifted a spoonful of stew to his mouth—rich with tender meat, potatoes, and carrots. “Mrs. Honeycutt, you never cease to amaze.”
“It’ll stick to your ribs anyway,” Mrs. Honeycutt said, her eyes shining. No one loved a compliment about their cooking more than she did.
They’d barely taken three bites when a sharp knock thundered against the kitchen door. Three imperious raps, followed by an impatient, high-pitched voice that cut through the kitchen’s warmth like a winter draft.
“Who could that be?” Mrs. Ellsworth jumped to her feet. “Are we expecting a delivery?”
“Not me,” Mrs. Honeycutt said.
“Nor I,” Georgiana replied, though James noticed her face had gone pale.
“I’ll see who it is.” Mrs. Ellsworth headed toward the kitchen entrance that led directly to the gardens.
A moment later, she returned with a tall, fashionably dressed woman in a traveling coat entirely unsuited to country roads. Her hair was perfectly arranged beneath her hat despite her journey, her lips stained the fashionable rose red of Town, and her hat bore three rather large purple plumes.
“Lord Ashford, may I present Lady Linley,” Mrs. Ellsworth said.
Cecily dropped her spoon, the metal clattering against her bowl in the sudden silence.
“Lord Ashford, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Lady Linley’s voice dripped with condescension.
“I’ve come to see my children. After a troublesome carriage ride from London, it’s not the reception I anticipated.
One would expect a butler or footman to answer the door, but no one came, so I took it upon myself to use the servant’s entrance.
Apparently, my daughters are no longer at the inn, which I had to learn from the barkeep. ”
James rose, his chair legs scraping against the flagstone floor. “We did not expect you, Lady Linley. My apologies.” He glanced back at Georgiana, who had grown even paler.
“Well, that’s obvious. My daughters have never been ones for details.
” Lady Linley removed her gloves with delicate disdain, one finger at a time, her eyes scanning the kitchen and everyone in it.
She looked remarkably like Georgiana—the same light hair and blue eyes—but her expression held a calculating quality that her daughter’s lacked entirely.
Lady Linley’s gaze traveled from James’s head to his feet.
“Lord Ashford, how handsome you are.” Her voice changed to more of a purr.
“I didn’t know what to expect. The things I’ve heard about you in the village were complimentary but you know how that is.
” Her gaze lingered on the breadth of his shoulders before sliding away with practiced nonchalance.
Georgiana and Cecily rose to greet their mother.
“We didn’t expect you until this evening,” Georgiana said, kissing her mother’s cheek.
“Darling, you look positively mannish. This happens when one does a man’s work, I suppose.” Lady Linley turned to Cecily. “And you’ve more freckles than ever.”
“Yes, I’ve been helping outside, planning the gardens.” Cecily’s voice sounded small and miserable.
“It shows on your face. One day you’ll be sorry you didn’t wear a hat at all times.” Her voice held the sweetness of a mother’s concern laced with just enough disappointment to sting.
James didn’t care for it at all. Heat rose from his gut and flamed in his cheeks.
Before he could stop himself, his voice an octave sharper than just moments ago, he said, “Your daughters have been working tirelessly to restore my estate to its former glory. You will show them respect in my home, or I’ll be happy to escort you back to the village. ”
Lady Linley gasped. “I wasn’t aware that commenting on one’s own daughters required your permission. I’m simply concerned, as any mother would be. Though I confess I hardly recognize them anymore, having been so thoroughly forgotten in favor of… whatever it is that occupies them here.”
Mrs. Honeycutt muttered into her apron, her reddened hands clutching the fabric as though it might shield her from the intruder.
“Would you care to join us for a meal?” Mrs. Ellsworth wrung her hands, clearly distressed by the tension.
“How kind of you to offer. I’ve not eaten for hours. My daughter refuses to give me more than a pittance to live on.”
Mrs. Ellsworth guided her toward the table while Mrs. Honeycutt returned to the stove to dish up another serving of stew.
Soon they had resumed their meal, though the comfortable atmosphere had vanished entirely.
Lady Linley glanced around the table, her eyes resting briefly on Ben and taking in his worker’s clothes with dismissive swiftness before returning to James.
Her smile was smooth as silk and just as insincere.
“I had the most dreadful coachman from the inn. He kept asking questions, as if I were obliged to answer him. You’ve quite the reputation in the village, Lord Ashford. ”
James wasn’t sure what she meant by that, so he decided to ignore it.
“How long will this restoration take?” Lady Linley poked at her bowl of stew as if afraid it contained something unpleasant.
“A few more months, at least,” Georgiana said. “You’ll want to return to London sooner rather than later, I assume? Now that you’ve seen the inn?”
“Yes, about that.” Lady Linley set down her spoon with a delicate sigh. “My friend and I have had a little falling out, and I have nowhere else to go. So here I am, at your mercy. Surely there’s a room for me here?” She smiled at James with calculated sweetness.
“Mother, you cannot stay here,” Georgiana said firmly. “You’ll have to remain at the inn.”
James folded his arms across his chest. “That’s correct, Lady Linley. I’m afraid we don’t have any rooms appropriate for a lady. We’re restoring one room at a time, and we’ve only just begun.”
“Ah, I see.” Lady Linley gave a tinkling laugh that never reached her eyes.
“The inn will have to do, then. It’s only important that I’m here to see my lovely girls.
” She turned back to Georgiana, who sat rigid as a statue.
“Dearest, I shall be terribly lonely at the inn without you or Cecily. Surely you’ll join me there? ”
“We can discuss it later.” Georgiana’s tone was arctic.
James caught the slight tremor in her fingers as she set down her spoon with deliberate care.
No wonder they hadn’t wanted their mother to visit. She’d been there five minutes and he already couldn’t wait for her to leave.