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“I just got word from Mr. Jenkins! And it seems that we will be able to move back home even sooner than we thought!”

Caroline’s eyes went wide, and she fixed them on Esther in a bid to stop the woman from talking.

“Less than two weeks!” Esther continued merrily. “Oh, it will be good to be home. Not that I do not love it here, but I like my own space, you know? And?—”

“You lied!” Isabella was up, pointing an accusing finger at Caroline. “You said you weren’t going to leave!”

“Isabella!” Caroline spun around, caught between trying to explain and simply denouncing Esther’s claim. “It is not as simple as?—”

“I knew you were leaving!” the little girl cried. “I knew you were!”

“Isabella, please, if you will just?—”

“You’re not my friend!” She turned and sprinted from the room. “Friends don’t leave one another!” Through the door she fled, the sound of her tears echoing off the walls as were the loud clomps made from her shoes as she ran.

“Isabella!” Caroline shouted after her, hurrying around the pianoforte but not chasing her through the house. Somehow, she didn’t think there was much point right now.

“Oh no…” Esther grimaced. “Was this bad timing?”

“It was.” Caroline bowed her head. “But I don’t think it would have made much difference. She was going to find out eventually, and somehow, I get the feeling that the reaction would have been the same, regardless of the circumstances.”

“She really loves you.”

Caroline chuckled. “She will get over it.”

“Maybe…” Esther walked to her, running her fingers idly over the top of the pianoforte. “Maybe not.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Just a statement of fact, I am afraid,” she sighed. “Although perhaps there is no need for her to. Get over it, I mean…”

Caroline bristled for she knew to what Esther was implying. And now that she did, she wondered if the old woman’s timing was as accidental as she claimed. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she came to realize that it very likely wasn’t.

Esther had made no secret about her desire to see His Grace court Caroline. And while previously she had been subtle about it, dropping small hints here and there as if it was not obvious what she wanted, now, she had reached a point where subtlety simply would not do. She wished for Caroline and His Grace to be together, and she mentioned it as often as she could.

Funny that even she did not know about Caroline and His Grace’s secret romance, for they had managed to keep it hidden for close to a week now. It added to the passion, they both decided. The danger made it more fun. And while neither of them needed an excuse to do ungodly things to one another whenever they got the chance… why change what was working?

Just the thought of it… imagining His Grace’s strong hands around her body as his lips kissed down her neck, wrapped around her breasts, nibbled them, sucked as her own hand wrapped around his?—

Caroline pulled herself from that thought as she could feel her cheeks flushing as Esther watched her. “I told you, that is not an option,” Caroline dismissed instead, turning away and walking back around the pianoforte.

“I didn’t say anything!”

She fixed Ether with an unamused expression. “And yet your lack of words says so much. I told you, when you return home, I am coming with you, and that is the end of the matter.”

“And Frederick?” Esther asked. “What does he think about this?”

Caroline was an adept liar by now, but even she could not hide the obvious look on her face. So, she cast her eyes downwards, pretending to fiddle with the keys on the pianoforte. “I imagine he does not care one way or the other.”

“Is that so?”

“He has hired a new governess already, so likely, he is counting the days until I leave. You have seen how tragically we get along…” She dared a glance at Esther, who was grinning triumphantly. “No doubt he cannot wait to be free of me.”

“Perhaps…” She shrugged as she turned and began to waltz back across the room. “But while you may have everyone else in this household fooled, Caroline, I am not so slow that I cannot see what is before my own two eyes.”

“And what is that?”

She reached the door, turned, and winked. “The way my grandson looks at you. One would think that the sun shines from your…” She chuckled. “Well, from somewhere, the way he gawks when you are not looking.”