Part 4 (2/2)
As he reached past Serenity to pick up her bonnet, he knew Mrs. Scott had not arrived a moment too soon. He might be out of his head to have considered kissing Serenity, but it was the only thought in his head now.
”Lord Cheyney,” Mrs. Scott said in her no-nonsense voice.
”Mrs. Scott.” He nodded toward her, the temptation to laugh growing stronger. She could not rid herself of the habit of treating him as if he still were a child. If she could be privy to the thoughts in his head right now, she would know there was nothing childish left about him.
She bustled into the room and over to the bed. She did not quite elbow him aside, but he suspected she would have if he had not stepped back.
”You must be Serenity Adams,” Mrs. Scott said as she took the bonnet from him.
Serenity glanced from Timothy's twitching lips to the pursed ones of this imposing woman. Although Mrs. Scott was shorter than Timothy and wore a dress the same color as her gray hair, she seemed to take control of the chamber with her calm demeanor.
”Yes, ma'am,” she replied. No one had to tell Serenity that Mrs. Scott was the housekeeper, for she had the air of a woman firmly in charge.
”Lord Brookindale asked me to see if you had everything you need, Miss Adams.” She scowled at Timothy. ”He said nothing about your needs, my lord.”
Serenity was sure her cheeks were as fiery red as a wintry sunset. When Timothy laughed, she wondered if her mind had been injured in the carriage accident as well as her forehead. No one here reacted as she expected them to.
”I see,” Timothy said, ”you remain as outspoken as ever, Mrs. Scott.”
”One learns to be outspoken here if one wants to be heard over the hubbub.” The housekeeper lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ”They both are due to arrive within a week.”
”Both?”
”Your aunt from the Continent and that woman your cousin Felix seems to have developed some affection for.” Her nose wrinkled as if the house were about to be invaded by some sort of plague.
Timothy's smile wavered as he glanced at Serenity. ”You might as well know the truth right from the onset. Mrs. Scott speaks of my aunt Ilse, who married into the household of some minor Prussian state that I am sure you have never heard of. None of us had until she announced her plans to marry Prince Rupert.”
”And the other?” Serenity asked. She wanted to know as much as she could about this household and its residents and guests so she did not ruin his plan.
”The other is Melanda Hayes, who is, without question, one of the most vexing people in England.” He winked at Mrs. Scott. ”Or mayhap in the whole world.”
”You have traveled farther than I have, my lord,” she said in the same precise tone. ”I will have to leave that judgment to you while you leave Miss Adams to me. The earl wants her to rest after her ordeal.”
”So rest she shall.” Timothy chuckled. ”How are you, Mrs. Scott? You look well.”
”Other than the knee ...” She set the bonnet on the dressing table and smiled. ”Life would not be interesting if it were perfect.”
”And the plans are going well?”
Mrs. Scott glanced at the bed.
”I have taken Miss Adams into my confidence about many of the details of the plans for Grandfather's party.” Timothy's smile wavered again, and Serenity guessed he would tell her the whole of it as soon as he could, so he did not have to be false with the housekeeper. ”You can speak plainly in front of her about any of it.”
”But not now!” She wagged a finger at him. ”My lord, the earl wishes Miss Adams to rest now.”
”I understand.” He brushed Serenity's face with the back of his fingertips. ”Rest well, sweetheart.”
Her heart thudded against her chest. Because of his touch? Because of his words? She must have hit her head even harder than she had guessed if she would give credence to either. This was a game only.
”Yes,” she whispered, ”I shall rest.” Mayhap, when she woke, she would have herself back under control, so she would not react so strongly to what was only playacting.
Shutting her eyes, she watched from under her lashes as Timothy turned away from the bed. He walked away only a few steps, motioning for Mrs. Scott to come over to where he stood. Only by straining could she hear their low voices.
”Miss Adams will need to replace her wardrobe that was destroyed in the carriage accident,” he said.
A wardrobe! Her eyes popped open. She had not realized how much this deception would cost Timothy. It was only a few weeks until Christmas. To spend all that money on a wardrobe for her that she could not use when she regained her memories and went back into service seemed ludicrous.
”Of course.” Mrs. Scott smiled at her. ”If you will give me the name and address of your modiste, Miss Adams, I shall have a message sent for her to come here.”
Serenity bit her lower lip. A seamstress? She had no idea of the name of any.
”My dear Serenity,” Timothy said so quickly that she doubted if Mrs. Scott had noticed her hesitation, ”I recall you telling me that you had admired a bosom-bow's dress and had learned of Madame DuLac's skill with a needle. Mrs. Scott, I shall give you the address. I believe Miss Adams should rest now.”
”Those were your grandfather's orders.” Mrs. Scott's eyes twinkled. ”If you will be so kind to recall that, my lord.”
”I doubt you would allow me to forget.” Timothy grinned again. ”I shall leave Miss Adams to your capable care while I retrieve Madame's address.”
Serenity let her shoulders relax back into the pillows as he walked out of the room, which seemed so empty without him. Don't be absurd! With the fire dancing on the hearth as the wind teased the windows, this was probably the finest room she had ever been in.
Mrs. Scott walked over to the bed and smiled. ”May I say that, despite the mishaps you suffered on your way here, you look well?”
”Thank you.” Cheyney Park must have the most efficient system of gossip in all of England. Serenity was unsure if anyone had mentioned the carriage accident. How long had she been senseless?
She looked at a gilded clock on the mantel and relaxed again. It must have been for only a few minutes that she had lost consciousness. Wrapping her arms around herself, she thought of how perfect it had been to be cradled in Timothy's strong arms. The beat of his heart beneath her ear had been sweet music, urging her heart to match its rhythm. It had been wondrous.
”We have been looking forward to your visit, Miss Adams.” The housekeeper's voice ripped her away from her reverie of forbidden dreams.
”You have?” She hoped Mrs. Scott had not said something else she had missed.
”I don't usually talk out of turn, but the earl is always happy to see his grandson, the viscount, and more so than ever this time when Lord Cheyney has brought you to meet his grandfather.”
”I hope I can meet his expectations.” That was the most honest thing she had said since she woke in the inn.
”Don't mind the earl's bl.u.s.ter, Miss Adams. He is deeply devoted to those of his family he respects. The others ...” She shrugged and began to undo Serenity's left shoe. Setting it on the floor, she reached for the other one.
Wanting to ask who the others were, because she was hungry for any information that might help her keep from revealing the truth of this deception, Serenity simply smiled. A lady would not gossip with a servant. Again that was something she knew with a certainty that was inexplicable when so much of her past was gone. Mayhap she had been a prattlebox, and her employer had chastised her with a similar comment. Odd, though, for she did not seem to be a prattlebox.
It did appear that, given the opportunity, Mrs. Scott was. Or mayhap it was nothing more than that she was trying to offer a welcome to the woman she believed would be the next chatelaine of Cheyney Park. As she drew the covers all around Serenity, the housekeeper said, ”I shall send Nan to help you, Miss Adams. She is young, but not without experience as an abigail. The earl hired her last year when ...” She glanced at the clock on the mantel. ”Dear me, look at the time. I told Cook I would be up here for only a few minutes. Is there anything else you need just now?”
”Lord Brookindale's prescription for me to rest sounds wisest just now,” Serenity replied, trying to keep her smile in place. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and fall asleep. Then she could forget the whole of this. ”I want to recover quickly from this accident, so I can watch the house being decorated for the holidays.”
”The holidays!” Mrs. Scott rolled her eyes. ”I dread them every year. It is busy enough with Christmas and New Year's Day and Twelfth Night, but the earl's birthday makes things even more hectic.”
”Especially this year when he reaches the seventieth anniversary of his birth.”
<script>