Chapter 16 #2
Rosalind joined her at the bottom of the stairs. “Why? What’s happened?”
“I didn’t know, but we’ve run out of paper and pencils. I can’t find any more in the schoolroom. And there’s something Theo needs for one of his lessons.” She shot a look over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s hidden them.”
“Can we go to the village?” Theo asked, jumping up and down. “Please? Can we?”
Rosalind was tempted to tell him no, but she couldn’t help herself. Sighing, she nodded and turned to Mrs. Rivers, who had appeared behind her.
“Can you get our carriage ready, please? And how far is it to the nearest village?”
“It’s only twenty minutes by carriage, just on the other side of the hill.” Mrs. Rivers smiled at Theo. “It’s market day today, so it will be very lively in the square.”
Theo gave a squeal of joy, which made the housekeeper laugh.
Leaving her to keep an eye on Theo, Rosalind got herself ready to go out.
She contemplated telling Julian about it but decided not to.
If he was going to insinuate that she couldn’t make decisions as she was, then she wasn’t going to tell him everything she was doing.
It was far easier to leave it be and deal with everything herself.
It didn’t take long to get into the carriage and head off in the direction of the village. Rosalind was aware of Julian watching them from the window, but she ignored him. After his comments about how she couldn’t carry on as she was, and it was only temporary, she needed some space from him.
Normally, she would agree with him, and he would be taking charge.
But not now. For the first time in a while, Rosalind was feeling like she really needed to be here.
She was feeling better, even if there were bittersweet moments where she missed her husband.
If William had bought this place and wanted her to be here, then she was going to listen to his wishes.
Also, the thought of Theo being at the same school William and Julian went to made Rosalind shudder. William had talked about some of the horrors at that school, and that place was never going to have Theo grace its classrooms. Julian would have to understand that.
They reached the village, Theo’s eyes big and wide as he saw the variety of stalls scattered around the square.
Bea also looked intrigued. Rosalind heard the laughing and joking of the villagers, and it lifted her spirits.
It was nice to see this again. She’d always enjoyed going to market day when she was little, and this brought back happy memories.
“Let’s go and have a look!” Theo jumped down as soon as the driver opened the door, grabbing Bea’s hand and almost tugging her out. “Come on!”
Bea was practically dragged along to the first stall. Laughing, Rosalind climbed out, thanking the carriage driver before walking away. They had arranged to meet up again in a few hours. There would be plenty of time to look after everything.
The stalls looked fun, selling vegetables and flowers, along with a variety of cloth and little trinket boxes. Someone was selling the items he’d whittled. There was even a puppet show at the far end of the square, something the children were enjoying. Theo was pulling Bea along to it.
At least he would be entertained by it. Rosalind wanted him to have a good time.
She stopped at a stall, containing balls of wool, buttons and silk.
She looked over everything, hovering her fingers over a length of green ribbon.
It was beautiful, and she loved the color green.
It would be something to put in her hair when she felt like doing a different style, or designing her gowns.
But she wouldn’t buy it. She wasn’t here for ribbons, though it was beautiful. She smiled at the woman behind the stall, and the older woman beamed back at her. There was no flinching at the way she looked at Rosalind. The scars were clearly visible, and she didn’t look shocked.
In fact, Rosalind noticed, nobody seemed to notice, or care, about her appearance.
The villagers were going about their day, and they were friendly, nodding a greeting at her when they passed.
She’d even made small talk with a few people at each stall as they discussed the items on sale. Nobody batted an eyelid at her.
That made her feel better. She hadn’t felt like that in a long time. People saw her, and they didn’t care what she looked like.
“Good morning, Rosalind.”
Her breath hitched as she turned, her heart thumping hard when she saw Cormac. He gave her a sheepish smile, one hand just behind his back. Rosalind felt a smile spread across her face.
“Cormac! What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d come and look at the market. It’s always very entertaining, and I haven’t been for a while.” He hesitated. “I trust you’re enjoying yourself?”
“Of course! It’s such a lovely place!” Rosalind looked around. “I haven’t been to something like this in a while. I forgot how lively and friendly it is.”
He looked pleased at that. Then he cleared his throat and brought his hand out. The green ribbon was in his hand, and he watched her closely. Rosalind stared. Had he…?
“I saw you looking at it, and I could tell you liked it. So I bought it for you.”
“But… you really shouldn’t…”
“A woman ought to have a small thing now and then. Besides, I think the color suits you.” He smiled. “It’s just a small gift between friends, don’t you think?”
Rosalind wanted to protest, but she could tell that he wasn’t about to back down. And her heart had swelled knowing that he’d bought something for her, no matter how small. She licked her lips.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
He took her hand and pressed the ribbon into it. His hand remained still for a moment, the heat from his hand sinking through both of their gloves. Then he removed his hand, but it still felt like he was holding her. Rosalind’s chest tightened as she rubbed her thumb across the smooth silk.
“I didn’t think anyone would notice.”
“I’m good at noticing these things.”
He didn’t take his eyes off her face, and Rosalind couldn’t look away, either. There was something in his expression that left her rooted to the spot. Her feet just wouldn’t move.
How could someone just… well, she didn’t know what it was, but Cormac had an unnerving ability to get her struck with awe.
Then she remembered where she was and shook herself, absently looking around.
“Theo’s here. I’m sure he’d be delighted to see you.”
“I’d be happy to see him, too.” His expression softened. “Are you all right? About last night…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Rosalind said quickly. “I’m fine. You don’t have to be concerned.”
Although she still had a lot of questions about Lady Carlisle, and the way she kept slipping back into Rosalind’s mind, it wasn’t the time or place to ask about it. She was feeling happy, and she wanted to enjoy the moment.
Besides, it wasn’t any of her business. Was it?