Chapter 2 #2
He continued watching Miss Kavanagh, trying to reason with the terms of this will, and why on earth his grandmother had made them. While he knew by then that she and her companion were close, the timing of this request … it was strange to say the least.
“Oh, this is absurd.” Verity threw the will onto the table. Then she looked at Alaric as if she expected him to do something.
Alaric considered the situation quickly.
He could refuse the terms of the will if he wished to. It was a request, not legally binding, and as he did not know this woman, he was sure that few would begrudge him for it.
But he considered the reason that his grandmother had asked for this … the greater purpose. It was not done on a whim, and his grandmother had always been the type who saw things that others did not.
She did this for a reason, even if I cannot fathom why.
He looked at Miss Kavanagh again.
She was clearly terrified. Confused. Most of all, she was possessed of that same sense of loss that he had seen in her yesterday.
He knew almost nothing about her. He could not imagine what she was thinking.
But he was sure that she felt alone, unsure of herself, and wanted nothing more than for someone to help her …
It was a feeling that Alaric could relate to; one that he, too, had felt these last few days. And oh, how he would have loved nothing more than for someone to help him as he knew that Miss Kavanagh needed someone to help her.
With that realized, he strode across the library toward her.
She started when she saw him coming and looked away.
“I take it that this is a surprise to you?” he asked her.
“It is,” she stammered. “I … please, know that I had nothing to do with this.”
“I believe you,” he assured her. “And while I do not know why my grandmother asked for this, that she did is not to be taken lightly. With that said, the final decision is left to you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I will not force you to honor her wish,” he said. “It will be your choice …” He looked down at her.
Still, she refused to meet his eyes. She fidgeted. She trembled. She looked as if she might suddenly flee. But then a calm fell over her, and when she snapped up her head, and when he saw that fierceness burning behind her green eyes, he knew her answer.
“I will honor her wishes,” she said. “If you will allow me to?”
A smile touched his lips, but he smothered it quickly.
She had said earlier how much she cared for his grandmother, and while he did not doubt her words, he knew now that they were the truth.
Whether she wanted this role or not appeared irrelevant, because it seemed that she would do whatever she must for his grandmother’s legacy.
For that reason alone, Alaric found that he trusted Miss Kavanagh. He did not know her, but he felt that trust grow in ways he could not explain.
He studied her as these thoughts passed through his head, not realizing he was doing so. Miss Kavanagh blushed under his stare, and she could not bring herself to look at him.
“Right?” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Very well. But be warned, this is not the work of a companion, and I think you will find life here of a different variety to what you are used to in the south.”
That seemed to steel her resolve. “I know how to work, my lord. All I need is a chance to prove it.”
Another smile found him.
From the moment Alaric had first laid eyes on Miss Kavanagh, she had been frightened and reserved, seemingly scared of her own shadow.
But she came into herself at that moment, and he knew then that there was strength in her.
Likely, it was one that his grandmother had known of, and one she seemed to think would suit.
“Very well,” he said. “You are dismissed for now, but we will speak of this later.”
She nodded her head. “Th – thank you, My Lord.”
“Do not thank me,” he said. “Thank my grandmother.”
That made her smile as if at a hidden joke. She looked right at Alaric as if to prove that she was determined to do this, then she bowed her head and hurried from the room.
“Alaric!” His sister swept to him. “Have you lost your mind? Surely, you cannot think to … this is highly irregular.” She looked at Crispin for support. “Well? What do you think of this?”
Crispin shrugged. “It is not my place to say.”
Verity groaned. “And yet I am asking you. Please, Crispin. You must see this as folly. Say something!” She looked pleadingly at Crispin as if she truly expected him to support her.
Crispin furrowed his brow. “I know you think of this as your home, Verity, as you care for it as if it were true. But this is Alaric’s decision and –”
“Unbelievable!” she cut him off.
“It is our grandmother’s wish,” Alaric said. “We will honor it.”
His sister was more frustrated than Alaric expected, and she muttered under her breath as she stormed from the room.
“My Lord …” The solicitor was by his side. “There is one more piece of your grandmother’s will.” He held out a letter. “She left this for you, with strict instructions that it be for your eyes only.”
Alaric frowned at the letter as he took it. “She did?”
He eyed the letter, curiosity flooding him.
Even from the grave, his grandmother’s hand was felt.
And while the addition of Miss Kavanagh to the house was a development the likes of which he could not have expected, and he was still not sure what to think about, Alaric sensed the letter he held would unsettle him further.
Death affected people in different ways. It left its mark long after its passing. And typical of his grandmother, the larger-than-life figure that she was, her mark was far from being forgotten.
Likely, it would be felt for some time to come.