Page 31 of When She Loved Me
Abby sat in the chair across from Franklin, near to the fireplace, holding her cup of tea in her lap. She probably didn’t hear half of the conversations around her, but smiled nonetheless, content with the company and the ease.
Nicole stirred her tea, having added a bit of sugar, and took her cup and saucer to her usual spot in the window seat. She paused at the settee where sat Charlie and Henry, their faces buried in books. Playfully, she flicked her finger on each book as she passed. “What are we reading, gentlemen?” This asked with considerable pride, as she and Ian had spent the entire winter teaching the boys how to read and write. They worked still on thewriting, but with much less regularity as the boys adored reading and the stories to be found within all these tomes within the library.
“Same as yesterday,” said Charlie, without lifting his face, “Robinson Crusoe.”
Henry lifted his serious brown eyes to Nicole. He was younger than Charlie by several years and his speech was so often plagued by a stutter—when he did speak at all. He only held up the book to show her,The Mysteries of Udolpho.
Nicole plopped upon the cushions of the window seat, feeling her first bit of relaxation today. And just then, Ian entered the library, his hands holding several ledgers and files.
“Oh, Miss, you’re back now,” he said, setting down the books on the table across from the settee. He strode then to the tea table, where Lorelei was pouring his tea. The maid handed it to him with a pleased smile. Ian returned and sat at the table and said to Nicole, “We need to make a decision upon the thatch.”
“We should go with the wheat, I think. It’s more cost effective.”
“But the mix of wheat and rye makes a better thatch, Mr. Adams said,” Ian countered.
“Yes, but he said the wheat was ‘nearly’ as good, and if we included rye, we would have to purchase it, as we do not grow enough.”
“Fair enough.”
“Miss, have you given any more thought about the dance?”
She actually hadn’t in the last few days since Lorelei had first brought it up. Presently, she blamed this on Trevor’s coming to Lesser House. “I’m sorry, Lorelei, I haven’t. But let’s talk aboutit now. Franklin, when was the last time the Earl of Leven sponsored a dance for all the people of the estate?”
“Oh, miss, it’s been a decade, I’m sure,” the old butler answered, then pursed his lips, as if recalling. “Yes, the present earl’s father and mother were in attendance, the earl himself must have been only a boy—perhaps longer than a decade, then.”
“But where was the dance held?” Nicole asked.
“Right here, miss, in the ballroom.”
Lorelei leaned forward. “My mam says she met my da’ there. She says there were twinkling lights and sweet music, and everyone wore their very best—though there’d be no silks or such.”
“But lovely all the same, I’d wager,” Nicole guessed.
“Mam still says it was her most favorite night ever,” Lorelei said dreamily.
“But why have they never had another?” asked Nicole.
“Like as not,” answered Franklin, “the earl’s mother put a stop to that. She had no liking to be mingling with the lower classes, kept her nose up, she did. The old earl, he danced with everyone and laughed and played into the wee hours.”
“Oh, but, miss,” Lorelei said, clasping her hands to her breast, “say that we can, won’t you?”
“You don’t even know how to dance, proper-like,” Charlie commented, having closed his book on a dog-eared page.
“And you do?” Lorelei shot back. “The miss will teach us, won’t you?”
The idea started to take hold in Nicole, the idea of gathering all the people of Hyndman Abbey, welcoming them to the lord’s house, providing a venue for a festive night, with music and dancing. She looked to Ian. “Can we afford that?”
“Dancing lessons?”
Nicole gave Ian a funny look. “A dance for all of Lesser House folk.”
Henry interrupted. “Miss, what is T-o-u-l-o-u-s-e?”
“Toulouse,” said a voice at the door. All eyes within the library turned to find the earl standing there, not exactly looking too pleased to find his servants gathered so informally in his library.
“But wh-what is it?” Henry asked, being the only one who seemed unperturbed by the lord’s coming, while others cast wary glances at him, trying to discern his reaction to their very un-servant-like present behavior.
“It is a city in France,” Trevor said, walking fully into the library. “I was ringing the bell,” he said by way of reprimand.
