Page 9 of A Sense of Turmoil
‘Ha! He flirts with me,’ Grandmamma cackled. ‘But yes, invite him by all means. I shall even drink this child’s vile concoctions and keep my strength up so that I can come down and join in the amusements while the young scoundrel is here.’
‘That’s settled then. I’ll send Archie a note. The Flemings will be here as soon as next week.’
‘Ring for Sandwell, Flora, then you two can go off and leave me to rest. All this talk of entertainment tires my old bones.’
Flora smiled, did as she was asked, and when Sandwell appeared, Luke and Flora left her room together.
Chapter Three
‘Walk outside with me,’ Luke said, not ready to let her go yet, ‘and tell me how she really is.’
‘Of course,’ Flora smiled.
Romulus, who’d been stretched out across the threshold to his grandmother’s rooms, jumped up and wagged his tail. He followed the two people he loved most downstairs and outside.
‘You noticed the changes in her,’ Flora said, stepping out into the weak autumn sunshine without pausing to fetch a hat or coat. She headed for the path that skirted the lake.
‘She is clearly much weaker. Worryingly so. I assume everything that can be done for her is being done.’
Flora sighed. ‘Her time is close. Today is a good day, and I could see the prospect of Archie’s company lifted her spirits.’ Flora chuckled. ‘She is still the most incorrigible flirt on the planet and Archie encourages her misbehaviour. They are two of a kind.’
‘Well then, we shall make Archie’s stay as pleasurable as possible for her, since it’s likely to be the last time they meet.’ It was Luke’s turn to sigh. ‘One must face facts. Anyway, I dare say Archie won’t mind making himself useful. He still hasn’t fully repaid the rest of us for letting ten years pass without making us aware that the fall from that window had not killed him.’
‘It did in many respects. I don’t suppose he feels like a complete man anymore, and for someone who was once as robust as him, that must be hard to live with.’
‘Your herbal remedies have helped ease his pain.’ Luke stared across the surface of his lake, the water rippling in the breeze, as he experienced pangs of jealousy. He should be delighted that Flora had tried to help Archie, instead of resenting their closeness. ‘I know he is very grateful to you.’
‘Yes, he wrote and expressed his thanks.’
Luke raised a brow. He hadn’t known that, and wondered what else he had said to her in his letter. He wanted to ask but couldn’t find the words. Damn it, he was like a dog in a manger, and it simply wouldn’t do. He must reach a decision and reach it soon. Either put duty and family loyalty first or follow his heart and live with the consequences.
‘Did I do the right thing, inviting the Flemings? It was a spur of the moment decision. I didn’t stop to think about the disrupting disturbing Grandmamma, and I should have.’
‘She won’t come down if she’s tired. Don’t worry, I won’t allow it.’ Which meant that Flora wouldn’t come down either, and his dinner table would be a dull place without her. ‘You can’t put your life on hold, waiting for her to die. She could go on for a while longer yet. Indeed, I fully intend to ensure that she does. Besides, there is nothing wrong with her mind, and she would know it at once if you changed your habits in deference to her.’ A faint smile touched her lips. ‘And you can be sure she would have something to say on the matter.’
‘Certainly she would.’
Flora threw her head back and momentarily closed her eyes, showing a rare glimpse of the strain resulting from having sole responsibility for his grandmother’s wellbeing these past months. ‘Mary will be glad that you are home. She felt vulnerable, I think, being your only blood relation here at the Court during your absence. I know Paul is more than capable of taking care of the day-to-day running of the place, but Mary felt her social obligations.’ Luke raised a brow. ‘The vicar’s wife,’ Flora explained.
‘Ah.’ They both smiled at the thought of poor Mary being no match for the old harridan. ‘I had hoped that Charlie and Henry would keep an eye on things.’
‘Oh, your brothers were in and out all the time, but they are married men with responsibilities of their own nowadays, and they are definitely no match for Mrs Ingram. Miranda is about to give birth any day, so naturally Charlie is preoccupied with the prospect of impending fatherhood. As for Henry, being head of his own household has not yet lost its allure, so he is preoccupied too.’
‘You’re making me feel guilty.’
‘That was not my intention. I am only pretending that you were missed in order to make you feel important. The estate ran like clockwork in your absence.’ She flashed one of the mischievous smiles that Luke had missed so much. ‘Perhaps you are not needed here and can spend as long as you like exploring the rest of the world with a clear conscience, scattering broken hearts in your wake.’
He sent her an amused look. ‘I am not in the habit of breaking hearts.’
‘Not deliberately, perhaps, but a man in your position must expect his share of attention and if the interest you receive is not reciprocated then it stands to reason that you will disappoint.’
He wondered if she was speaking from personal experience, but knew better than to ask.
‘Mary had you to bear her company,’ Luke said, responding to Flora’s earlier comment about his sister’s vulnerability, ‘And Paul, of course.’
‘Paul yes, but I am not one of you.’
‘And yet we are the only family you now have.’
