Matthew. “I can already see that Faith is right where I’ve told her to stay, and that she’s looking as radiant and healthy as ever.” He grinned at Amity. “You and your sister keep her from becoming bored.”
“We do our best.” Amity smiled. “Charity pops in and out to make her laugh, but she can’t sit still for very long. Still, Faith and I have enjoyed one another’s company very much.”
“Excellent.” The young physician stared down into Amity’s bright eyes, and he seemed to forget, for a moment, that Faith was even in the room. Faith glanced back and forth between the two, noting Amity’s heightened color and the intensity of Matthew’s gaze. She almost hated to spoil the moment but knew it would become awkward when the pair realized they’d been staring.
She delicately cleared her throat, and then stifled a laugh when her sister jumped in reaction. “Amity, I don’t suppose you’d be kind enough to walk Dr. Meadows out, would you?”
“Of course.” Her sister covered the blush that was stealing across her face by ducking her head and pretending to straighten the extra blanket folded across the end of Faith’s bed while Matthew said his good-byes.
Downstairs, unbeknownst to the trio in Faith’s bedroom, the Marquess of Asheburton had arrived. “I’d like to see Miss Amity Ackerly, please,” he told the butler who’d wrenched open the door after his second knock.
Desmond scowled up at him. “Have you been announced?” he demanded.
Lachlan, who rather thought it was the butler’s job to announce him, remained nonetheless patient. “Well,” he said, “I’ve only just arrived.”
“ Un announced,” declared Desmond, and he sighed heavily. He turned away, muttering something under his breath about constant interruptions, and then looked back at the marquess, who stood just outside the open door. “Are you coming in or not?”
His patience rapidly fading, Lachlan raised his brows and gave the butler a dampening look, and then he stepped inside, wondering why Gareth Lloyd continued to employ the man.
Desmond, who had seen Charity slip out to the back garden and steadfastly refused to try to distinguish one twin from the other, led Lachlan through the foyer and into a lovely solar. It was glassed on three sides, with doors that opened out into the back gardens, and Charity sat across the lawn on a blanket, quietly reading, her back to the house. The butler pointed in her direction and walked abruptly away.
Irritated by the servant’s utter lack of professionalism, Lachlan watched him go and then stepped outside. He stood a moment on the terrace, hoping the girl would look up and see him. She presented a fetching picture, clad in a simple cobalt morning dress, her strawberry blonde curls caught at the nape of her neck with a jaunty matching ribbon. She twirled a wayward strand of hair with a graceful finger and continued reading, utterly unaware that she was being watched.
When she didn’t look up, Lachlan descended the wide, shallow steps and began crossing the grass. He cleared histhroat lightly as he drew near, loath to startle her, but Charity, completely absorbed in her book, still did not sense him. He stopped a few paces from her blanket.
“Good morning, Miss Ackerly.”
Charity glanced up in surprise to see the man with whom she had sparred from the beginning of their acquaintance. This time, however, the expression on his face contained no trace of censure, disapproval, or annoyance. Instead, he looked unexpectedly amiable and quite handsome. Her heart skipped a beat, and then began pounding at twice its normal rate, as if to catch up. She bit her lip, oddly at a loss for words.
“Good morning, my lord,” she finally managed in a quiet voice.
Lachlan took a step closer. “I was hoping I wouldn’t startle you,” he said, then indicated the space beside her on the blanket. “May I?”
Charity nodded and closed the book, her finger marking the page
“We do our best.” Amity smiled. “Charity pops in and out to make her laugh, but she can’t sit still for very long. Still, Faith and I have enjoyed one another’s company very much.”
“Excellent.” The young physician stared down into Amity’s bright eyes, and he seemed to forget, for a moment, that Faith was even in the room. Faith glanced back and forth between the two, noting Amity’s heightened color and the intensity of Matthew’s gaze. She almost hated to spoil the moment but knew it would become awkward when the pair realized they’d been staring.
She delicately cleared her throat, and then stifled a laugh when her sister jumped in reaction. “Amity, I don’t suppose you’d be kind enough to walk Dr. Meadows out, would you?”
“Of course.” Her sister covered the blush that was stealing across her face by ducking her head and pretending to straighten the extra blanket folded across the end of Faith’s bed while Matthew said his good-byes.
Downstairs, unbeknownst to the trio in Faith’s bedroom, the Marquess of Asheburton had arrived. “I’d like to see Miss Amity Ackerly, please,” he told the butler who’d wrenched open the door after his second knock.
Desmond scowled up at him. “Have you been announced?” he demanded.
Lachlan, who rather thought it was the butler’s job to announce him, remained nonetheless patient. “Well,” he said, “I’ve only just arrived.”
“ Un announced,” declared Desmond, and he sighed heavily. He turned away, muttering something under his breath about constant interruptions, and then looked back at the marquess, who stood just outside the open door. “Are you coming in or not?”
His patience rapidly fading, Lachlan raised his brows and gave the butler a dampening look, and then he stepped inside, wondering why Gareth Lloyd continued to employ the man.
Desmond, who had seen Charity slip out to the back garden and steadfastly refused to try to distinguish one twin from the other, led Lachlan through the foyer and into a lovely solar. It was glassed on three sides, with doors that opened out into the back gardens, and Charity sat across the lawn on a blanket, quietly reading, her back to the house. The butler pointed in her direction and walked abruptly away.
Irritated by the servant’s utter lack of professionalism, Lachlan watched him go and then stepped outside. He stood a moment on the terrace, hoping the girl would look up and see him. She presented a fetching picture, clad in a simple cobalt morning dress, her strawberry blonde curls caught at the nape of her neck with a jaunty matching ribbon. She twirled a wayward strand of hair with a graceful finger and continued reading, utterly unaware that she was being watched.
When she didn’t look up, Lachlan descended the wide, shallow steps and began crossing the grass. He cleared histhroat lightly as he drew near, loath to startle her, but Charity, completely absorbed in her book, still did not sense him. He stopped a few paces from her blanket.
“Good morning, Miss Ackerly.”
Charity glanced up in surprise to see the man with whom she had sparred from the beginning of their acquaintance. This time, however, the expression on his face contained no trace of censure, disapproval, or annoyance. Instead, he looked unexpectedly amiable and quite handsome. Her heart skipped a beat, and then began pounding at twice its normal rate, as if to catch up. She bit her lip, oddly at a loss for words.
“Good morning, my lord,” she finally managed in a quiet voice.
Lachlan took a step closer. “I was hoping I wouldn’t startle you,” he said, then indicated the space beside her on the blanket. “May I?”
Charity nodded and closed the book, her finger marking the page
Similar Books
