Page 19 of A Lady to Reveal (Sherton Sisters 4)

“That’s quite all right, Jonesy. I’ve got plenty of ideas. But first, we need to know how long we have to prepare. So hurry and eat, and we’ll go in search of Father.”

Felicity grinned at the girl’s commanding tone. She was a managing little thing. Felicity could better understand how the duke hadn’t been able to stand up to her.

“I take it you slept well,” Felicity commented.

“Very well,” Adelina replied, grinning.

Finally, with some less-than-helpful assistance from Lady Adelina, Felicity was finally finished with her breakfast as well as dressed and coifed.

“Why do you scrape your hair back so tight, Jonesy? I didn’t even know you had such pretty curls. You should style it differently to show it off better.”

“It is not my place to show off my hair,” Felicity sputtered, fighting the blush that was rising in her cheeks like a tide. When Adelina was going to argue, Felicity put up her hand to cut her off. “Never mind about my hair. If I don’t tie it up tight, it will irritate the life out of me. Those curls can be even more unruly than you,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows to prompt laughter from the girl. “If they aren’t managed carefully, they’ll try to take over control.”

Adelina nearly roared with laughter, having the intelligence to recognize that Felicity was comparing her with her curls.

“Now, I’m well under control,” Felicity said, meaning in more ways than one. “Shall we set out in search of your father?” The child’s enthusiastic nodding left nothing to interpretation. “Afterwards, I was thinking we might ride into the village. We can discuss your ideas while we ride, and then we can see if we can find any inspiration in the shops, as well.”

Adelina was in favour of the idea, much to Felicity’s relief. Besides fighting her attraction to the duke the previous night, she had also been consumed with curiosity about the wool industry that he had mentioned. Even though she suspected he hadn’t truly meant it when he suggested she ought to ask in the village, she had every intention of doing so.

When they reached the main floor of the large house, Adelina ran ahead of Felicity, hurrying to open the library door before Felicity could stop her from doing so without knocking.

“Adelina, wait,” she called, too late.

“Father, we have come for some important information,” the girl declared with dramatic flair just as Felicity reached the now wide open door.

She hoped the cringing she felt inside wasn’t written all over her face as Felicity met the duke’s gaze. Relief filled her as she saw that he was far more amused than irritated.

“I’m not sure if I have any important information, but I’ll be happy to share it with you, if I do,” the duke assured his daughter as she pranced toward his desk.

Felicity watched with interest as he closed the ledgers around him and turned his paper over before she drew near. Curiosity niggled at the back of her mind, but Felicity told her questing mind to hush for a time. If the duke wanted his privacy, surely he was entitled to it.

“My apologies, Your Grace. We ought to have knocked and ascertained if you could accommodate us before barging into your sanctum.”

“No trouble, Miss Jones, but I do have a few things I need to accomplish.”

Glancing at his desk, Felicity thought it looked like more than a few.

“Of course, Your Grace. We shan’t keep you long,” she began before Adelina interrupted her.

“We need to know when the boys will be home, Father. We want to plan festivities. But Jonesy doesn’t know what to do yet. She said it would be better to know how long we have to prepare.”

“That seems sensible, I suppose,” Rathnelly agreed promptly. “From what I understand, they’ll be here in a fortnight.”

“Oh boo, that’s far too far away, Father. Can’t you go get them right away?”

“Surely, it will be here before you know it, and you have arrangements to make, now don’t you?”

Adelina frowned, preparing to argue. “Aren’t you excited for them to get here?”

Felicity stepped into the fray, uncomfortable with her young charge’s belligerent tone. “As you told your father, my lady, we have arrangements to make. While I’m sure you’re anxious to see your brothers, I’m not ashamed to admit to you that I’m glad we’ll have two weeks to make our preparations. And surely, you wouldn’t want your father to make your brothers miss all their end of term fun at school.”

“School is dreadful. I’m certain they are sitting in their rooms right this minute wishing they could be here with us already.”

“I do hope you’re wrong, my dear,” Felicity said gently. “For one thing, at this time of the day they probably ought to be in a classroom. And for another, surely you don’t wish misery upon your brothers.”

“Of course, not,” Adelina declared promptly.

“Well then, let us leave your father to his important work and get on with our plans for the day. Remember all the plans we need to make for your brothers? And we only have two weeks to get everything ready. I’m not even certain that’s enough time.”

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