Page 31 of Irish Thoroughbred
“So there are,” he murmured, then tousled her hair. “I imagine you’re starving. I couldn’t wake you for dinner last night.”
“I feel like I haven’t eaten in a week.” With a sigh, she pushed at the hair he had just ruffled. “If you’ll show me the kitchen, I’ll start breakfast.”
“Hannah’s seeing to it,” he informed her, taking her arm and leading her into a large dining room. Noticing the expression on her face, he whispered confidentially in her ear as he pulled out a chair, “Don’t worry, I’ve been eating her cooking all my life.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean—I meant no disrespect. It’s only that I’m not used to having someone fix my meals.” Her expression bordered on horror, and he leaned back in his chair and laughed.
“Don’t look so stricken, Dee. Hannah will think I’m beating you already.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want you to think that I meant…” She fumbled for something to say which would release her from her awkwardness. “The room you gave me is lovely. I want to thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
At his careless response, she was grateful for Hannah’s entrance with a steaming breakfast platter.
“Good morning, Mrs. Grant. I hope you’re feeling better after a good night’s rest.” She set the platter on the table and Adelia smiled up at her.
“Thank you, I feel fine.” She was careful not to start at her new title.
“Hungry though, I’ll be bound.” Nodding, she studied the pixielike face. “Travis told me you ate next to nothing yesterday, so I’ll expect you to do full justice to your breakfast.”
“You should be warned, Dee, not to trifle with Hannah,” Travis put in from across the table. “She can be ferocious. Personally, she terrifies me.”
“Don’t you listen to his nonsense, Mrs. Grant.” She sent Travis a scowl before giving her attention back to Adelia. “You’ll be busy for a while with Paddy in thehospital, but once you’re settled, you let me know how you want things done. For now, if it’s agreeable, I’ll just plan your meals around your visits to the hospital.”
“I—whatever you think best.”
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it,” the housekeeper concluded. “Now, you get to your breakfast while it’s hot.” With this she bustled from the room.
Adelia listened to Travis’s breakfast conversation, answering only when it was required, while she slowly took in her surroundings. The dining room was large with dark wainscoting and elegantly patterned wallpaper. The furniture was heavy, gleaming oak. Everywhere was the glow of silver and glimmer of crystal.
“Travis,” she said suddenly, and his brows rose in acknowledgment as he sipped his coffee. “I don’t fit into all this. I haven’t the way or the experience to know what’s expected of me. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to you, and I’m mortally afraid I’ll do or say something horrible, and—”
“Adelia.” The one word stopped her rambling. She saw from his expression that she had already made a mistake. From the way his face was set, she waited for him to rant at her, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and precise. “You will not embarrass me, you could not embarrass me. Relax and be what you are, that’s what’s expected of you.”
They lapsed into silence. Adelia toyed with the remainder of her eggs. “By the way,” Travis began, and she raisedher eyes and saw he was smiling, “you’ve had your picture in the paper.”
“My picture?”
“Yes.” His smile widened at her frowning expression. “Two pictures, as a matter of fact. There’s one of you and Steve with the two of you sitting on the paddock fence, and there’s one of you and me taken after the Belmont Stakes.”
Color flooded her cheeks as she realized the contents of the second picture. “I don’t know why they kept following me around with their cameras and their pencils.”
“I can’t imagine,” Travis returned, his lips curving again. “It appears that the press has had a splendid time speculating about the romances of my attractive groom.…”
Her eyes widened, and the color ebbed and flowed again. “Are you meaning… Oh, what a passel of nonsense! Steve and I are friends, and you and I…” She faltered, sputtered, and fell into excruciating silence.
“Married, Adelia, is what we are, friends or not.” With what she thought was a very odd smile, he drained his coffee and rose. “I don’t suppose it will sound like such a passel of nonsense to the press when our current relationship is leaked to them. I can keep it out of the papers for a while, but we’ll have to deal with it sooner or later.… I take it you’re done since you’ve been playing with your fork for the last ten minutes.” Securing herarm, he brought her to her feet. “Now, if you’ll take that frown off your face, I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
Any anxiety Adelia still harbored was dispelled by the appearance of her uncle. The color on his cheeks, which had appeared a ghastly gray the day before, was now closer to his normal, ruddy hue. His eyes twinkled as Travis brought her into the room. His voice was weak rather than booming, but steady and unforced. When he complained about being hooked up to blasted, noisy machines, her concern melted into laughter, and, kissing the hand she held in hers, she felt the last vestige of tension dissolve.
After a short visit, Travis drew her into the hall. “You won’t be able to stay too long this time. The doctor says he tires easily and needs his rest. That, and seeing you, is the best medicine he can get.”
“I won’t tire him, Travis,” she promised. “He’s looking so much better, I can hardly believe my eyes. I’ll only stay a little while more. As soon as I see he’s tiring, I’ll go.”
He looked down at her smiling face, his fingers tangling absently with the ends of her hair. “I have to get back now, but Trish will be along soon to take you shopping.” His hand dropped, and he stared past her as if suddenly preoccupied. “She’ll know just what you need, and if you like, she can bring you back here for a while longer this afternoon.”
“It’s kind of you to be doing all this, Travis.” She touched his arm to bring his attention back to her. “I don’t know how to repay you for all that you’ve done already.”
