Page 32 of The Hidden Heart

And here Rachel was, presenting him with the perfect opportunity to ask her and Michael to take over the task for him, yet he could not bring himself to do it. It was too abrupt, he thought; that was the reason for his reluctance. He should give Rachel more time to get to know and like Gabriela. She would readily accept her as her ward if she had already come to like her. That reasoning made sense, even if there was a niggling doubt inside him.

For her part, Rachel watched her brother-in-law struggle with some inner turmoil. She was very fond of him, and she would have liked to help him, but she was sure that right now it would be better for her not to. She was not sure if Miss Maitland was right that they had coddled Richard too much, that he needed to be challenged. But she suspected that what he needed just might be Miss Maitland. She had seen him looking at the governess in a different way from the way she had seen him look at any other woman. Miss Maitland might irritate him, but Rachel thought that she intrigued him, also. And she did not for a moment believe that disinterested pose of his, as if he had not noticed what a stunner the woman was. There was a decided undercurrent of something in his tone when he spoke of the woman—or to her, for that matter.

There was that thing about the scandal, of course, but, frankly, Rachel did not care if Miss Maitland herself had been in a scandal if she could help Richard out of the deep well of pain he had been living in the past four years.

She almost wished she were not committed to go to Westhampton for Christmas. It might be quite interesting to stay here and watch what happened.

CHAPTER 7

Upstairs, Gabriela was bubbling about her visit with the duke.

“He was ever so nice, Miss Jessie, and he told me stories about my father. He even apologized! He said he had been rude, and that it was wrong of him. Can you imagine?”

Jessica smiled at her charge, enjoying the unabashed happiness on Gabriela’s face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling, and she was talking with her old vivacity. It was heartening to see the weight of her sorrow lifted for the moment. “It was very good of him,” she said now. “Exactly what he should have done.”

“He wasn’t at all high in the instep, either. You would think a duke would be, wouldn’t you? But he didn’t seem proud or self-important. Just sad. He explained about his daughter and how he thought it would hurt to see me, because I would make him think of her. But then he invited me on the walk anyway. Do you think he will change his mind and let us stay now?” Gabriela looked at Jessica hopefully.

Jessica shrugged. “I don’t know. Lady Westhampton is here, and I think it is she—and her husband—who he hopes will take over your care. He might go ahead and ask her.”

“She seemed very nice,” Gabriela admitted. “But I would rather stay here. Wouldn’t you? I liked the duke.”

“Well, I imagine that Lady Westhampton would have to ask her husband about the matter before she gave him any answer, and perhaps in the next few weeks the duke will change his mind.”

“I hope so.”

Jessica decided that it was pointless to try to continue any lessons with Gabriela that afternoon, so she allowed her to read until it was time for their supper. Jessica knew that she should probably use the time to work on her plans for Gabriela’s studies this week, but she was having a little difficulty concentrating this afternoon, as well. Finally she settled down to do some mending, which would leave her mind free to ponder the events of the afternoon.

She was surprised when one of the maids knocked on the door and handed her a note stating that her attendance at supper that evening was requested by the duke. She had assumed that since Lady Westhampton had arrived, Cleybourne would not feel the need to use her as a buffer against the Veseys again.

She understood it better, however, a few minutes later, when Lady Westhampton breezed into the nursery with her maid in tow. The lady’s maid carried three dresses in her arms, which Lady Westhampton directed her to spread out on Jessica’s bed.

“You are coming to supper tonight, aren’t you?” Rachel asked Jessica.

“Yes. It seems I am expected to. But I really don’t see why it is necessary.”

“You jest. Safety in numbers, you know. That is important when Leona is around. And you can be sure that she and her ‘broken’ ankle will manage to make it down to the dining room. She will spend the whole time monopolizing Richard. That is how she always is, which will leave me with no one to talk to except Lord Vesey. You have to come so that I can have some decent conversation.”

“I see.” Jessica smiled, but she could not help but feel a certain letdown at the realization that it had been Lady Westhampton who wanted her there, not Cleybourne.

“And I assumed that you probably had not brought any dresses suitable for formal dining,” Rachel went on.

Jessica thought glumly of her best black dress. She would feel like a crow beside Lady Vesey’s bright beauty.

“So I thought I would lend you one of mine.”

“Oh, I couldn’t….”

“It would be no bother. Frankly, I am rarely able to lend my clothes to anyone because of my height. But you are a tall woman, too, and they should fit you. And since you are coming down to suffer through a meal with Lord and Lady Vesey in order to help me, it only seems fair that I should help you.”

Jessica hesitated, torn. The sight of the lovely jewel-toned gowns laid out on her bed was tempting. One was a deep royal-blue velvet, low necked as formal gowns usually were, with long sleeves, puffed at the shoulders, then fitting closely the rest of the way down. She knew at once that it would suit her coloring immensely, bringing out the deep blue of her eyes. The other two were no less beautiful. It was clear that Lady Westhampton had a good eye for fashion and just as clear that she had picked out dresses that would look good with Jessica’s red hair and milky-white skin.

“Try them on. Tilly will help.”

“Oh! How gorgeous!” Gabriela exclaimed from the doorway. Curious about Rachel’s visit, she had abandoned the novel she was reading and drawn closer to them. Now she walked to the bed and looked the dresses over admiringly. “These are beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Rachel responded. “I am lending them to Miss Maitland to wear at supper, since she will be dining with us tonight.”

“Really?” Gabriela smiled at Jessica. “How exciting. Which one are you going to wear?”