Page 44 of To Heal a Broken Earl
Chapter Seventeen
Two days later
Emma jolted awake, realizing she had much to accomplish, yet remained cozily tucked in bed. She had overslept, likely due to the stress of organizing the surprise birthday party. Thankfully, her friends—Stanhope, Hastings, Wright, and Mrs. Peppers—had all been a tremendous help. They all cared about Michael and wanted to do something nice for him. Emma was in full agreement on that front.
They had decided to host the gathering in the “hidden” game room, which, aside from the ballroom, was the largest room and had barely been used in years. It was also the farthest room from the main part of the house, having been a relatively recent addition built at the back of the manor. After a thorough cleaning, tables and chairs were brought in and set up throughout to accommodate the staff, friends, and family who would be attending. It was a miracle that they had managed to keep the preparations a secret from Michael.
Luckily, Celia, Lady Beadle, and even Aunt Chippie had also been helping with the party preparations and spending time with Katie over the past few days. Even the artist, Burns, had stayed on and given Katie sketching and painting lessons. Katie had whispered to Emma that they were creating a grand gift for Michael, in addition to her birthday sign. Meanwhile, Wright and Armstrong had kept Michael engaged in discussing the manhunt they’d set in motion to catch Morgrave.
Emma shivered at the thought that the arsonist was somewhere out there—perhaps even in the area. Michael had hired even more men to guard the property. The stonemason and his workers had almost completed fortifying the wall that surrounded the estate.
She had faith that they would catch the arsonist, now that they knew who he was. Fortunately, she was so busy that whenever her thoughts veered in that direction, she took on yet another task that needed doing before the party. However, keeping herself from thinking about Michael and their kiss the other night was next to impossible. She must have gone over their conversation at least ten times—and the kiss she’d thought about so many times, she’d lost count. But how could shenotthink about it when she’d realized that she was in love with Michael? Nor could she keep herself from thinking about what would happen when Morgrave was caught and the danger had passed.
She and Katie would return to London, for there would no longer be any need for them to impose on Michael’s privacy. Celia had extended an invitation for Katie and Emma to stay with them in London, but had been overruled by Lady Beadle, who’d insisted they stay with her as long as they wanted.
Evie and Martin had sent word that they would stay on at Martin’s family’s estate until after the baby was born. Evie was too close to her due date, and it would be unsafe for her to travel. But eventually they would return to London, and they would all be reunited. Emma looked forward to that day with all her heart. Especially meeting her new niece or nephew. She missed Evie and Martin terribly, and she knew Katie missed them even more.
But what about my feelings for Michael?
Could she tell Michael of her feelings for him? Should she?
That was not a one-sided kiss…
What if Michael was just caught up in the heat of the moment when he apologized and found out who the arsonist was? But what about the comforting words he’d shared with her, promising to protect her and Katie? Could it all be because they had been spending so much time together? After all, they’vebeen living under the same roof for several weeks now. Emma felt a little confused and unsure about what it all meant.
In the past few days, she had been so very busy, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Michael had been purposely avoiding her.
And what am I to make of that?
She heaved a deep sigh as she set aside her swirling thoughts and reached for the list she’d left on her side table of what she still needed to accomplish for the party. Luckily, they’d gotten the bulk of everything prepared. All that was left for her to do was to put the finishing touches on her gift for Michael. She was still counting on Wright keeping Lord Wilton engaged long enough to allow them time to set up the surprise—and finish her gift.
Having decided to make two larger jars of salve, she realized she needed to make haste.
As she was slipping her wrapper on, the door opened, and Doris entered carrying a tray of chocolate and a slice of toast with a small pot of Emma’s favorite fruit preserves.
“Good morning, Doris. I’m afraid I slept much later than I planned,” Emma said as Doris set the tray down on the bed.
“No trouble at all. You’ve been so busy these past few days that I didn’t want to disturb you, my lady.”
“Thank you,” Emma said before she took a sip of the delicious chocolate. “Would you mind watching Katie for a couple of hours? I have a few things I need to take care of.”
“Certainly, my lady. I enjoy watching Miss Katie and Finn play together in the garden. It’s like they’ve been together since they were wee ones,” Doris said, as she laid out a pink muslin dress for Emma. “I also pressed the deep-green muslin dress for you. It’s such a pretty frock.”
“Katie and I seem to have more dresses than we can possibly wear,” Emma said with a smile. “And they are all so beautiful.”
“The modiste did a wonderful job,” Doris agreed. “My lady, you mustn’t try to put your corset on by yourself,” she chided, stepping over to Emma. “Please allow me to help you finish dressing.”
Emma smiled. “Thank you.” She turned to grip the bedpost as Doris expertly laced her corset and adjusted her petticoats. Once they had finished, she bent down to slip on her half boots, preparing for a trip to the stable. Reluctant to ruin the delicate pink satin slippers the modiste had sent along with the dress, she opted for practicality instead. “I still need to finish Michael’s gift,” she half whispered to herself, the thought of it lingering uppermost in her mind as she got ready.
“It’s a mighty important day, Lady Emma,” Doris continued, as if she hadn’t heard her. The older woman skirted around the bed, hanging up the clothing from the day before and picking up Emma’s nightclothes. “Everyone is excited about the birthday party.”
“Yes! I know Katie plans to finish her birthday sign well before the party. She told me Mr. Burns has been helping her,” Emma said as she opened the door. “If anyone is looking for me, I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Yes, my lady. Don’t worry about Miss Katie. I’ll keep an eye on her and Finn,” Doris said, before Emma nodded and departed the room.
She scooted out the kitchen door and headed for the stables, intent on getting the salve finished.
“Are you heading to the stables?” Michael asked, appearing from nowhere.
