‘My mother and sister were in London recently and wrote to tell me the crowds were extraordinary. I much prefer the quiet of the country to such a spectacle.’
She chuckled. ‘I believe the presence of the Allied Sovereigns in London will cause quite a stir.’
‘Town will be as full as it can hold with crowds pushing and shoving and trying to catch a glimpse of the great men. Will you go?’
‘No. I thought my uncle would wish to go. He has always been most interested in reports about the war, especially the Russian campaigns. He sent to London for newspapers, specifically to read about them. But he says we are to remain in Bath.’
‘And are you sorry?’
She paused to consider before answering.
‘I should enjoy the spectacle of the procession when they arrive from the Continent and to see these leaders that I have read so much about. It is a very special moment in history.’ She was silent, her gaze wistful, then she shook her head and gave a little laugh. ‘Not that I have any special reason to be there. I should only be adding to the crowds. So, no, on reflection, I shall not be sorry to remain here with my aunt and uncle.’
‘Are the Pridhams the only family you have?’ he asked her.
‘They are my guardians,’ she said carefully. ‘I understand I am an orphan.’
Her choice of words intrigued him. He said, ‘You do not know?’
‘I do not. I know nothing of my parents.’
She was uneasy with his questioning and he said no more. Instead he let the quiet of the warm day settle around them. He watched as she plied her pencil with quick, deft strokes. When his eyes strayed to her profile, he thought that she herself made an attractive picture. That straight little nose, the dainty chin and the high cheekbones gave her face a beauty that would last well beyond her youth.
His lips quirked.
I have misjudged Freddie, he thought. The boy has shown good taste in choosing this lady as the object of his affections.
Natalya looked round. ‘Something amuses you, my lord?’
He disclaimed quickly, saying, ‘No, no, an old joke, merely.’ He added, ‘You draw very well.’
‘Thank you. I am better at drawing landscapes than people, I think. My tutor despairs of my portraits.’
‘My sister could never master perspective.’
‘You come from a large family, my lord?’
‘One sister, that is all.’
‘And she is Freddie’s mama?’
‘You sound surprised, Miss Fairchild.’
She blushed. ‘Forgive me, it is just that...she must be somewhat older than yourself.’
‘Yes. Katherine is some sixteen years older than I. There were five other children between us, but they did not survive infancy.’
‘Oh, how sad for your parents. And for you, too. No doubt it brought you closer to your sister.’
He shrugged. ‘Not really. I was five when she married Erwin. If anything, I saw more of Freddie than his parents did. He is Katherine’s only child. His father died four years ago and he was left to our joint guardianship. Did Freddie not mention it to you?’
‘No.’ She added a few more deft lines to the paper, then paused to study the result. ‘We were not as close as you seem to think, my lord.’
‘No? I had the impression the two of you were about to form an alliance.’
She laughed at that. ‘Heavens, no. Whatever gave you that idea?’
‘Oh, merely something Freddie said to me.’
‘Then you misunderstood him, my lord. We are friends, nothing more. If your nephew thinks differently, then I am very sorry for it. I assure you I have not knowingly misled him.’
‘Thank you for your clarification, Miss Fairchild.’ The relief he felt at her answer rocked him and he felt the need to explain himself. He said, ‘Freddie confides a great deal in me, you see. I hold him in considerable affection. Not only that, I take my responsibilities as his guardian very seriously.’
‘I am glad to hear it. But, forgive me—’ she shot a quick look at him ‘—you look very young to be anyone’s guardian.’
The words sounded innocent enough, but he had the distinct impression she was teasing him.
He said stiffly, ‘I have been head of my family for several years.’
‘But you might have inherited that title as a schoolboy,’ she pointed out. ‘How old are you?’
Damn her impertinence!
‘Not that it is any of your business,’ he ground out. ‘I am eight-and-twenty.’
‘And Freddie is not yet one-and-twenty,’ she replied cheerfully. ‘The same age as me. He is far too young to be considering marriage.’
‘But you are not.’
She stared at her sketchpad, working with fierce concentration.
‘Believe me, my lord, I have no thoughts of matrimony.’
The mood had changed. She had grown serious and he was sorry for it. He tried for a lighter note.
‘I was under the impression that was the only thought in a young lady’s head.’
‘Not in mine!’ Her pencil slipped, putting a jagged line into her picture, and she gave a little huff of dismay. ‘Oh, dear, now it is ruined!’
‘Not at all. You can add a bird to your sky, Miss Fairchild.’ He put out his hand. ‘May I show you?’
She gave him the sketch pad and pencil and watched as he deftly turned the line into a wing, followed by a few more lines that transformed it into a bird, soaring high over the rooftops.
She laughed. ‘It is perhaps more the size of an eagle than a pigeon, but you have rescued my drawing. How clever of you.’
She held her hand out for the pad, but Tristan held on to it.
‘Not yet. I would like to see a little more of your work.’
He began to turn the pages and she gave a little sigh.
‘You will find it very commonplace. My tutor says I should practise more...’
She trailed off as he turned over another page and came face to face with a portrait of his nephew. He looked up at her, his jaw
