Page 25 of For a Lady's Fiery Heart
Caroline nodded, her teeth chattering slightly. "Yes, that would be lovely."
Chapter 14
Caroline laughed as James finished his story. She raised her glass to him, and they drank a toast. "I cannot believe you could be so wicked," she laughed again. "To think of your poor father with a bed full of toads!"
James chuckled, his face growing red with the effort to breathe over his laughter. "I have never seen him so angry in all of my life. I thought my life was over at seven and was worried that I had never kissed a girl before!"
Their laughter subsided, and he cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. She thought it sweet that he had told her of his childish exploits. Evidently, he had never played a prank like that again.
James shook his head, placing his wine glass back on the table.
"Well, anyway. He did not stay angry for very long. One of the toads tried to jump under the sheets, and the rest followed. It looked like someone was poking their hands up under the coverlet. Papa started laughing with me after that."
Caroline took another sip of wine before placing her glass above her plate. She looked around the room, still astounded at what the footmen and maids had been able to accomplish in such a short time. Of course, only the dining room and the bedroom they would be staying in that night had been put back in order.
Even still, the polished surfaces gleamed in the candlelight, and even a vase of flowers had been placed in the centre of the dining table. It looked more like the home she had remembered from her childhood than it had in a long time.
"Your father seems very serious at times. However, I believe there is also a playfulness about him. Would you concur?" Caroline asked.
She took another bite of the delicious veal that the cook had prepared for them. It was a wonder she had been able to conjure such a mouth-watering meal in the dilapidated kitchen. However, the footman, Silas, had assured them that the kitchen was actually one of the least damaged rooms in the house.
James nodded, swallowing his last bite and wiping his mouth before he answered.
"Father is difficult to figure out at first. He is kind in his own way, but he has certain ideas about how things should be run. He has a brilliant mind for business and has put it to good use running the estate over the years. We will never want for anything if I can follow in his footsteps. And I fully intend to do just that."
Caroline relaxed even more. Perhaps she just needed some time to get to know Lord Highclere. She was sure that underneath his hard exterior, a compassionate spirit waited to be discovered. Indeed, how else could James be so without a parent's guidance in the right direction?
"You seem very pensive all of a sudden. What are you thinking about?" James asked.
Caroline looked down at her plate. She took a moment's pause, and when she looked back at him, she was glad to see that he was waiting to listen.
"I was thinking of all the lovely times we spent in this room. Unlike many families of the ton, Papa and Mama would have us take our dinners with them here. Papa would always tell the most fantastical stories." She paused again, thinking of one of her favourites. She blushed. "I apologise. It must be very tiring to have me reminiscing all the time."
"Not at all," James said. "I want you to. Tell me one of the stories your father used to tell," he suggested. The footman took their main course away, and dessert was soon served in its place. Caroline poked at the delicate brandy-soaked sponge, no longer hungry. She pushed the plate away, looking up at James with a mixture of pain and longing. Taking a deep breath, she began her tale.
"Papa used to tell of a pirate ship that used to sail along these coasts. It only appeared when the moon was full and the mist covered the sea. One night, a little girl, much like me, had trouble sleeping.
She tossed a turn and finally went to the window. However, instead of seeing the calm moon-washed landscape, she saw pirates creeping over the grounds and heading straight for the house!”
"The little girl tried to scream, but to her everlasting horror, a hand clamped over her mouth, and she was whisked away into the night."
James shifted in his seat, leaning forward to hear the story. Caroline laughed, continuing on.
"The little girl soon found herself locked away in the hold of the ship. The pirates had looted the fine houses of the coastline and were soon away, disappearing with the setting of the moon. The little girl was frightened, wondering what would happen to her. Would she not disappear, too?"
Caroline paused for effect. James shifted again. "Go on," he urged her.
She searched her mind for the way her father had told the tale. "Well, the little girl fell into a fitful sleep, rocked by the waves of the choppy sea. When she awoke, she found herself in a wholly fantastical world. When she looked out of the window, she saw a group of islands with lush trees, flowers, and mermaids swimming next to the ship to greet them."
"Was she frightened still?" James asked, wholly engrossed in the story.
"She was a little. But at the sight of the mermaid's smiling faces, she was put at ease. Anyway, the ship docked, and the natives came out in rafts to greet them. The pirates brought out their booty and placed it in a cave. The little girl was then made a guest of honour at the feast of the natives. She met a dashing boy at the feast, who was very kind to her."
"Ahh, a love story," James said, sounding not a little disappointed.
Caroline giggled. "Yes, well, you have to remember my father raised two girls," she said.
He waved her off and continued to eat his dessert. "Go on, please. I have to know how it ends."
