Page 24 of Surrender to the Earl (Brides of Redemption #2)
A s Robert followed Audrey into the entrance hall, he worried about how the arrival of her judgmental sister would affect her. In Rose Cottage, Audrey was the mistress, but her sister’s presence might bring back memories of the woman who was never even permitted to leave her home.
A young servant wearing a shawl and lace cap sat on a bench near the front door, and when she saw him, she blushed and looked at her fingers twined together.
“Shall Miss Collins’s maid go to the kitchen?” Robert asked Audrey.
Audrey paused and sent him a thankful smile over her shoulder. “Charlotte?”
The girl stood and bobbed a quick curtsy. “Aye, Mrs. Blake.”
“Lord Knightsbridge is correct. The housekeeper, Mrs. Sanford, will find you a room and show you about. The kitchen is back through this hall.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Charlotte said, and quickly left the room.
Audrey squared her shoulders and moved briskly into the drawing room, showing no hesitation. “Blythe?”
Robert paused in the doorway to take everything in.
Miss Collins stood in the middle of the drawing room, wearing a bright green gown with a matching shaped jacket for warmth during travel, and a little hat perched on the top of her piled brunette curls.
He thought she looked nervous upon first seeing Audrey, but when she caught sight of him, she gave that “confident-in-my-beauty” smile, and he found himself distrusting her motives before she even opened her mouth.
“Audrey, this is a lovely home,” she said politely, guardedly.
“I’m glad you came, Blythe.” Audrey reached out her hand, and Miss Collins took it. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to visit? I thought you were staying in London.”
Miss Collins shrugged, glancing at Robert again. “It’s not the Season yet, and so many people aren’t in Town. I made my rounds and then … I wanted to see the house you inherited. Rose Cottage is the name?”
Audrey smiled and nodded, as if she’d never had a problem with her sister.
Robert suspected that Audrey would do anything to improve her relationship with Miss Collins.
He felt a rise of anger on her behalf, that she would have to be so desperate for her family’s approval.
But was that all it was? He had no family at all but distant cousins, and would give much to have the companionship and shared past of close kin.
Perhaps Audrey wanted to preserve that, rather than take whatever abuse her sister handed out.
Robert would make certain that Miss Collins understood that he would not tolerate poor treatment of Audrey.
“Are you just stopping by,” Audrey began, “or might you visit for a while? You’d be my first overnight guest.”
Miss Collins glanced at Robert with speculation. “Lord Knightsbridge did not stay?”
What did the woman think they were doing, conducting an open affair? Not that Robert would have minded for himself, but he minded on Audrey’s behalf.
“My home is only eight miles away,” Robert said coolly. “It would be inappropriate for me to spend a night here, do you not think?”
Miss Collins’s eyes widened. “Oh, forgive me. Of course you’re right. But you’re engaged now, and I thought Audrey might wish for your help.”
“We do much together, it is true,” Audrey said, before Robert could answer. “He has been a good friend, especially since Molly’s illness has confined her to her room.”
“I’m sorry to hear about Molly’s illness, and hope she’s recovering, but friend ?” Miss Collins said with interest.
“Shouldn’t those about to be married do well to be friends?” Robert asked dryly.
Audrey tilted her head toward him, and he already knew her particular warning look. She wanted to handle this, and she didn’t appreciate his interference.
Sometimes it was damned annoying to be involved with an independent woman. It made him not want to find his own wife.
But a lover, on the other hand …
“Please sit down, Blythe,” Audrey said warmly. “Robert, please ask Francis to bring a tea tray to stave off our hunger before luncheon.”
Robert stepped out the door and relayed the request to Francis, then returned. Audrey and Miss Collins were seated side by side on the sofa, so he took an upholstered chair across the low table from them.
“London was quite boring,” Miss Collins said, heaving a dramatic sigh.
As if Audrey had any idea what London was like, Robert thought angrily. This wasn’t going well already. It was amazing how the passing of just a few days made him even more defensive and irate on Audrey’s behalf.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Audrey murmured. “I know how much you usually enjoy it there.”
“Yes, well, it gave me such a good opportunity to see your inheritance. I know how excited you always were. Could it possibly have lived up to your expectations?” Miss Collins asked, her voice laced with doubt.
He admired Audrey’s forbearance more and more as she remained the gracious hostess.
“It has been more than I ever dreamed,” Audrey said quietly, hope evident in her shining expression. “I feel like this inheritance is Mr. Blake’s gift to me, an apology, the chance to start my new life.”
“But you won’t be here long,” Miss Collins pointed out. “Soon you’ll be the mistress of Knightsbridge Hall.”
Robert awaited her response to that one, lobbed as if from a mortar and targeted precisely.
“We haven’t set a wedding date yet,” Audrey said, without even a momentary hesitation. “And this will be one of our properties, as well, and my dower property, so I want to see it thriving.”
“Already planning for my death?” Robert asked with faint sarcasm.
To his surprise, it was Miss Collins who answered.
“Every woman must be prepared for that, my lord. Our father would never dream of allowing a marriage contract that did not grant Audrey protection in her elderly years.”
Surprised and bewildered, Audrey thought upon her sister’s words, even as a tea tray was set before her and she began to pour.
It was true, her father wanted to make sure she was taken care of, and she’d always assumed it was because he wanted more property to control.
But did he actually care about her future after he was gone? It was a novel concept.
“I do not need Father’s assistance in the contract,” Audrey said, holding out a cup and saucer to her sister, “since I am a widow who can retain her own lawyers. But I appreciate your sentiment, Blythe, and I agree with you.” To change the subject, she said, “Lord Knightsbridge tells me our engagement has become common knowledge in London.”
“Was it a secret?” Blythe asked.
Audrey could hear her surprise, and knew she had to tread carefully. She offered Robert his cup, then poured her own. “No, it was not. We were simply surprised he had received congratulations already.”
“I mentioned it at a dinner party,” she admitted. “People were taken aback that, so soon after returning to England, Lord Knightsbridge would commit himself.”
Audrey heard the suspicions Blythe didn’t bother to hide. Now that Blythe no longer thought she could win Robert for herself, she was not being as careful around him.
“Were they surprised you had a sister?” Robert asked coldly.
Audrey caught her breath. She tried to picture Blythe’s expression, but all she saw was the innocent little girl who’d once been her doll baby. “Robert?—”
“No, Audrey,” Blythe interrupted. “He has the right to say that if he cares about you. Yes, my lord, my London friends have always known I have a blind sister. What was so surprising to them was that you would offer marriage, when you’d only just returned, and it was obvious you had not known her in your youth. ”
Audrey’s cup rattled briefly in the saucer as she lifted it to her mouth.
Was Blythe worried about her, rather than simply jealous?
Audrey wasn’t such a fool as to forget the jealousy, but maybe her sister had more complicated emotions than she’d ever suspected.
It gave her such a spark of hope that they could one day have a sisterly relationship, but she tamped it down, knowing it was too soon.
“Do you believe your sister unable to inspire my respect, admiration, and love?” Robert asked sharply.
“Perhaps you have other motives,” Blythe countered.
“Blythe, I have no great dowry or beauty, and I am blind,” Audrey said firmly. “I’m not sure there can be other suspicious motives. So let us put this argument behind us. Would you like a tour of my home before luncheon?”
“That would be lovely,” Blythe said stiffly.
As Audrey rose, she felt Robert touch her arm, and knew he was offering his guidance, but after their kiss and his open offer of a love affair, she was afraid she’d blush or stammer or forget herself, simply at his touch.
So she concentrated on counting her steps and touching the occasional piece of furniture as they moved from room to room, and prayed the servants had not left something out of place.
More than once, Blythe fell into her old habit of constantly warning Audrey about anything in her vicinity, as if Audrey usually blundered over everything.
Of course, she’d recently blundered over a coal bucket and fallen off Erebus, things she wasn’t about to mention …
But Blythe did ask interested questions throughout, and Audrey found herself relaxing. When Blythe was shown to her room to change before luncheon, Audrey left Robert in the study and went to look in on Molly.
When she tried to feel Molly’s forehead, she touched her shoulder instead. “Ah, you’re propped up a bit higher in bed today,” Audrey said, feeling even more relieved.
“It makes my head pound, but I want to be up and about as soon as I can.”
“So anxious for me to work you to the bone?” Audrey smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Anxious to see what your sister is up to.”
“News travels fast.”
“Francis came to tell me.”
“Did he now?” Audrey asked, amused.
“This isn’t a good thing, Miss Audrey,” Molly said, her voice serious. “Why is she here, when she never had much use for you before?”