Page 14 of An Enchanting Kiss (Captivating Kisses #5)

R upert felt something touch his face and awoke with a start. A silhouette stood next to the bed.

“Celia, what are you doing here? It is the middle of the night.”

He could not see her face in the dark, but she seemed to grow smaller, reacting to his sharp tone. He reached from the bed and cupped her cheek.

“What is it, little love? Why are you here?”

“I went outside, Uncle Rupert. It’s not raining! We can go on the picnic today with Lady Lia.”

He could not believe that she had already been outside. Then again, she moved about the house like a wraith. He supposed all the servants were still abed. Not wanting to climb all the way to the top of the house to put her back in bed, he lifted the bedclothes.

“Come. Get in bed with me. There is still sleep to be had.”

She scrambled up, snuggling against him as he lowered the bedclothes.

“You’re warm, Uncle Rupert.”

“Close your eyes, Celia. Go back to sleep.”

Within a minute, he heard her soft, even breathing. Thank goodness he still wore his trousers to bed. It was an old habit from his spy days, which he had yet to break. Sleeping in his clothes had allowed him to escape on more than one occasion from a tricky situation without getting caught .

He lay in the dark for several minutes, struggling to go fall asleep again. He would need to talk to his niece about wandering outside without a chaperone present. Rupert only hoped Lady Traywick would be able to give him some good advice on hiring a governess.

As he hoped sleep would come soon, his thoughts turned to Lady Lia Worthington. She was as kind as she was beautiful, and Celia had taken to her. Then a thought struck him.

What if he wed Lady Lia?

True, she had yet to make her come-out, but she certainly was of age to wed. In fact, if she had made her debut when she was supposed to, she very well might be a married woman now.

She had told him, however, that her brother and sister had both made love matches.

He had seen the stars in her eyes when she mentioned that, and he would not be able to help her there.

Yes, he had loved Celia almost instantly, but it was a protective, familial love.

An adult who wished to care for a child.

Rupert did not believe in romantic love.

At least for himself. It would be a disservice to wed the sweet, gentle Lady Lia or to offer for her.

Better that she make her come-out as planned next Season.

Hopefully, she would find a gentleman worthy of her, one who would bring love into her life.

The next time he awoke, morning had come. Celia slept on beside him, and he rose and rang for Damsley.

When the valet appeared, pitcher of hot water in hand, Rupert motioned to the bed, indicating the sleeping child, and then followed the valet into his dressing room.

Damsley poured hot water from the jug he had brought into the basin, and Rupert sat, allowing himself to be shaved. Then the servant dressed him for the day.

“What is the weather like this morning?” he asked.

“A bit cloudy, my lord, but the rain has cleared up. It looks as if the rest of today will be a nice one.”

“Good. Miss Celia and I are to attend a picnic today at Traywick Manor. Lord Traywick is returning to university soon, and his sisters are holding a picnic as a send-off for him.”

“The little one will like that, my lord,” Damsley replied.

“She most certainly will.”

The valet left, and Rupert returned to the bed, sitting on it. Celia yawned and rubbed her eyes, opening them.

“Good morning, Celia.”

“Good morning, Uncle Rupert. You’re dressed.”

“I am. We need to take you upstairs so you, too, might dress for the day. Damsley tells me the rain has stopped, so we should be able to go to the picnic this afternoon.”

That news got his niece moving. He pulled back the bedclothes and lifted her from the bed, carrying her to the nursery.

Once there, he dressed her in the gown which fit her the best and knew it was time to take her into the village for new clothes.

Perhaps Lady Lia might accompany them and provide guidance.

Rupert brushed and then combed Celia’s black hair before braiding it in one, long plait.

He had seen one of the maids who wore her hair in a similar fashion and asked her to show him how to create one.

She had been nervous, but her hands were gentle, and he quickly learned how to separate Celia’s hair into separate sections and weave the tresses together.

“Shall we go down to breakfast?” he asked.

Rupert scooped Celia into his arms again and made his way downstairs. While he knew small children usually took their meals in the schoolroom, he did not want his niece to do so alone. Once he had hired a governess, they would get into better habits.

She sat in his lap as he asked for breakfast to be brought for the both of them. As they ate, Celia chattered away like a magpie.

When they finished their meal, he said, “We should go to the gardens now and work on your colors.”

She scrambled from his lap and held out her hand. It touched him that she already trusted him so much.

Taking it, he led her outside, where they strolled the gardens.

Newton had done nothing to educate the girl, and so Rupert was teaching her all about the small things in life, from numbers to colors to letters.

Celia soaked up whatever he told her, and he believed she would thrive once a governess had been engaged for her and gave her proper lessons.

“Today, we will work not only on our colors, but also talk about the kind of flowers we see.”

Rupert showed Celia everything from purple crocus to yellow autumn daffodils.

She favored the pink dahlias and blazing orange chrysanthemums. Eventually, they traced their way back the way they had come, with Celia repeating colors and the varieties of flowers.

A couple of times, she asked what a flower was again.

Overall, she had learned the names quickly, though, far better than he had at her same age.

He decided when they went into town to get her something new to wear, he would also buy her some toys and books.

He should have thought to do so sooner, but he had been too busy learning about his estate and how to manage it.

Celia, naturally, had been with him each step of the way, already comfortable riding atop a horse with him, as he made his way around Crestbrook.

His niece now accompanied him to a meeting with his steward. Williamson was kind enough to provide the girl with pencil and paper, and she sat on the floor, drawing pictures for him while he and Williamson discussed estate business.

Celia presented him with her picture when they left the steward’s office. She had drawn a picture of the two of them, along with some of the flowers they had seen earlier.

“You did such a nice job with your art,” he told her.

She flipped the paper over. “I also worked on my letters, too,” she said brightly .

“Say the alphabet to me, and point to each letter as you do so.”

Celia complied with his request. Rupert saw that she had drawn the P backward, and so he told her it needed to be flipped around. Other than that, she had mastered her letters with ease. Soon, she would be reading. Hopefully, Celia would not be too far behind by the time the governess arrived.

“We need to leave now for our picnic,” he said.

“I liked Lia. She’s very nice.”

“Lady Lia,” he corrected. “You must always use someone’s title when addressing them. If they have one, that is.”

Celia thought on that a moment. “The servants all call you ‘my lord’.”

“They do. It is a sign of respect shown to me. When I am with others of my rank or higher, they will call me Lord Cressley or my lord. Some might even say Viscount Cressley.”

“But I get to call you Uncle Rupert.”

He grinned. “Only you may do so.”

“The servants call me Miss Celia,” she said proudly. He did not tell her he had met with them and told the staff they would do so going forward.

“That is because you are the daughter of a viscount, my brother’s child. When you get older, they will address you as Miss Cummings because that is your surname. For now, though, Miss Celia will do.”

As they left the house, he lifted his niece and set her atop his shoulders. She giggled gleefully.

“I can see everything up here!”

“It is a long walk to the lake. I did not want you to tire by the time we reached our destination and sleep through the picnic.”

“What is a picnic?” she asked, causing him to burst out laughing. Of course, she would have had no experience of picnics under Newton’s care—or lack of.

“A picnic is when you eat a meal outdoors. Sometimes, a blanket is placed on the ground, and you sit atop it. Food seems to taste better when you eat it outside.”

“What will we eat?” she asked eagerly.

“Usually, it is something easy to hold. A sandwich. A biscuit or tarts.”

“Who will be at the picnic, Uncle Rupert?”

“Some of Lady Lia’s family,” he shared. “She has a sister named Lady Tia who will be there. Her mama, the Dowager Duchess of Millvale, will also come. You will call her mother Your Grace. That is how you address a duke or a duchess.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “That is just the way it is done, Celia. Say the names with me again.”

He repeated Lady Tia and Your Grace, satisfied that she knew how to address Lady Lia’s immediate family.

“Lady Lia is visiting with others in her family. They, too, will be at our picnic. One is Lord Traywick.”

“Oh, he’s a lord like you, Uncle Rupert.”

“He is, but Traywick is also an earl. An earl outranks a viscount, which is what I am.” Rupert decided that was too much information to go into, and so he said, “Just call him my lord. That will be good enough. Lord Traywick’s mama will be there.

She is Lady Traywick. You may call her my lady.

So, that will be Lord and Lady Traywick. ”

He could sense Celia nodding. “My lord and my lady.”