Read Online His Saving Grace (Regency Refuge 1) by Heather Gray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Gray
Ads: Link
memory to add to the others I have. I want to carry a picture of you vibrant and colorful and beautiful and mine."
This might be easier if he were still angry. Why'd he have to go and get over his problem and make this parting so painful?
She fought back the tears so close to the surface.
"Ah, Gracie, come here," he said, opening his arms in invitation. She flew into them. "You are a strong, brave, and wonderful woman. You will do fine in your own right. I am honored to call you wife and look forward to when I can return. Don't let my absence take your sparkle away. I shall continue picturing you as feisty, argumentative, and opinionated. I will believe you are here reading the newspaper and getting involved in things other women wouldn't dare. Promise me you will continue being you while I am gone. Don't sit around and pine for me. That will do neither of us any good."
Sniffling, she said, "I shall pine for you until the first newspaper arrives. Then I will put you firmly out of my mind and go about with my life." Liar!
Thomas pulled back and used his finger to tilt her chin up until their eyes met. "We have many years of marriage left ahead of us, Gracie. This separation is for a season, then it will be over." He gave her a lingering kiss before taking his leave.
She watched from her room as he mounted Hero and rode away. Before leaving the courtyard, he sought her out where she stood in the window and waved. Grace returned the wave, her hand remaining on the glass pane long after he was gone from sight.
Lord, please keep him safe. It feels that we've only just found each other.
Chapter Eight
"Your Grace?" Rupert's words broke into her thoughts. "There are six girls from the village coming today."
"Are they all looking to become a lady's maid?"
Rupert, his face impassive, replied, "You need to hire a lady's maid as well as a housemaid and a cleaning maid to help with the laundry and dishes."
"Are there any other positions that need to be filled?"
"I'm sure Mrs. Pembroke would appreciate it if the cleaning maid could also assist her in the kitchen. Other than that, no." Rupert shook his head. "We brought a driver and footman from Stafford. The driver will also act as groomsman while we're in residence." After a short pause, he said, "If you plan to do much entertaining, then perhaps we will need more staff."
Grace shook her head. "I have no need to entertain, but I do wonder if the village has a seamstress. It appears I need a wardrobe."
"Unfortunately, there's no seamstress nearby. There would not be enough business to support one. We have come to a humble place."
"I suppose all these girls are in need of the work, and a job here at the castle will be a lifeline to any one of them." Maybe doing something good for someone else will make this day seem less wretched.
"That is likely so, Your Grace."
She nodded and said, "I'd like to meet each one of them individually. Is there a salon downstairs I can use?"
Rupert nodded and said, "I'll see to it."
****
She was exhausted by the emotion of the day and interviewing the girls, the youngest of which was barely twelve. Later that evening, Grace sat at the kitchen table with Rupert and the Pembrokes. "I can't abide Edith. Don't ask me why, but something about her personality grated. Seeing her in my home on a daily basis would be worse than living downwind from the stable." Rupert, who held a list of the girls, drew a line through Edith's name.
"Elsie is so young. It seems she should be in school."
Mrs. Pembroke spoke up and said, "We don't have one of those fancy schools in the parish, Your Grace."
Intent on her duty to select the household staff, Grace said, "I liked Margaret. She struck me as quite friendly."
Mr. Pembroke muttered something, and Grace watched husband and wife inquiringly. Mrs. Pembroke glared at her husband and said, "What Mr. Pembroke means to say is that Margaret is quite friendly, but sometimes she's friendly to the wrong people. She
This might be easier if he were still angry. Why'd he have to go and get over his problem and make this parting so painful?
She fought back the tears so close to the surface.
"Ah, Gracie, come here," he said, opening his arms in invitation. She flew into them. "You are a strong, brave, and wonderful woman. You will do fine in your own right. I am honored to call you wife and look forward to when I can return. Don't let my absence take your sparkle away. I shall continue picturing you as feisty, argumentative, and opinionated. I will believe you are here reading the newspaper and getting involved in things other women wouldn't dare. Promise me you will continue being you while I am gone. Don't sit around and pine for me. That will do neither of us any good."
Sniffling, she said, "I shall pine for you until the first newspaper arrives. Then I will put you firmly out of my mind and go about with my life." Liar!
Thomas pulled back and used his finger to tilt her chin up until their eyes met. "We have many years of marriage left ahead of us, Gracie. This separation is for a season, then it will be over." He gave her a lingering kiss before taking his leave.
She watched from her room as he mounted Hero and rode away. Before leaving the courtyard, he sought her out where she stood in the window and waved. Grace returned the wave, her hand remaining on the glass pane long after he was gone from sight.
Lord, please keep him safe. It feels that we've only just found each other.
Chapter Eight
"Your Grace?" Rupert's words broke into her thoughts. "There are six girls from the village coming today."
"Are they all looking to become a lady's maid?"
Rupert, his face impassive, replied, "You need to hire a lady's maid as well as a housemaid and a cleaning maid to help with the laundry and dishes."
"Are there any other positions that need to be filled?"
"I'm sure Mrs. Pembroke would appreciate it if the cleaning maid could also assist her in the kitchen. Other than that, no." Rupert shook his head. "We brought a driver and footman from Stafford. The driver will also act as groomsman while we're in residence." After a short pause, he said, "If you plan to do much entertaining, then perhaps we will need more staff."
Grace shook her head. "I have no need to entertain, but I do wonder if the village has a seamstress. It appears I need a wardrobe."
"Unfortunately, there's no seamstress nearby. There would not be enough business to support one. We have come to a humble place."
"I suppose all these girls are in need of the work, and a job here at the castle will be a lifeline to any one of them." Maybe doing something good for someone else will make this day seem less wretched.
"That is likely so, Your Grace."
She nodded and said, "I'd like to meet each one of them individually. Is there a salon downstairs I can use?"
Rupert nodded and said, "I'll see to it."
****
She was exhausted by the emotion of the day and interviewing the girls, the youngest of which was barely twelve. Later that evening, Grace sat at the kitchen table with Rupert and the Pembrokes. "I can't abide Edith. Don't ask me why, but something about her personality grated. Seeing her in my home on a daily basis would be worse than living downwind from the stable." Rupert, who held a list of the girls, drew a line through Edith's name.
"Elsie is so young. It seems she should be in school."
Mrs. Pembroke spoke up and said, "We don't have one of those fancy schools in the parish, Your Grace."
Intent on her duty to select the household staff, Grace said, "I liked Margaret. She struck me as quite friendly."
Mr. Pembroke muttered something, and Grace watched husband and wife inquiringly. Mrs. Pembroke glared at her husband and said, "What Mr. Pembroke means to say is that Margaret is quite friendly, but sometimes she's friendly to the wrong people. She
Similar Books
