“Well, that’s terrible,” Elizabeth commiserated. “Don’t youthink that’s terrible, Brother?”
About as terrible as Hester having to raise a child alone.His parents had had nurserymaids, nannies, and tutors for him and Thomas, and agoverness for Elizabeth.
“An utter shame,” he said. “Would a thousand pounds resolvethe matter, Mrs. Todd?”
Her head snapped up, and her gasp was audible. Her gaze methis, incredulous, grateful.
Wary.
“That is too kind, my lord,” she said. “I’m sure it could beaccomplished in less than half that.”
“But we can use the money for other things,” Mrs. Mancehurried to put in. “And thank you so much for your generous donation, my lord.”
He inclined his head, but his gaze remained on Hester. Herlook challenged him, as if she could see the true motivation behind his gift.
Which was ridiculous. He wasn’t even sure why he’doffered such a sum.
Elizabeth rose and shook out her skirts. “Thank you all foryour warm welcome. I’m sure we’ll visit again sometime before we return toLondon.”
Hester directed her gaze at his sister now, and the look wasfar softer, kinder. For some reason, his chest felt tight.
“Then you don’t intend to make the Lodge your home, MissPeverell?” she asked politely.
“Only through the winter,” his sister explained. “But untilthen, we will have many opportunities to meet. At services, at the assembly, atthe spa.” She smiled charmingly.
“I regret I’ll likely be teaching, but I wish you well,”Hester said, smile equally charming but with an edge of determination he couldonly applaud.
The children stood at attention while Mrs. Mance closed thedoor behind him and his sister. His last glance of Hester was of her gazingafter him, brow puckered as if she simply couldn’t understand him.
He knew the feeling.
“A thousand pounds?” Elizabeth asked, picking up her skirtsto head for the waiting coach.
“What did you expect?” Rob returned, going to open the doorfor her. “You asked to tour the school. Some token of appreciation wouldgenerally be expected.”
“A token,” she said as he handed her into the coach. “Not myquarterly allowance.”
“I will not pick your pocket,” he promised as he followedher in. “We have plenty for such things.”
“I suppose we do.” She settled herself and waited until hehad done the same and the coach had set out before leaning forward. “Is sheyours?”
Hester? Most certainly not. Regrettably. Then he realizedhis sister was thinking of another pretty lady.
“Rebecca?” he asked, hands braced on the bench. “No. I toldyou, Hester and I engaged in nothing more than kisses. But if I had had thecourage to stay then, she might have been.”
Some of what he was feeling must have shown on his face, forhis sister reached across the coach to touch his hand. “Was it truly a lack ofcourage that drove you away from her?”
He sighed. “I have asked myself that question a dozen timesover the years. I was young and foolish. I didn’t understand the importance ofcommitment or dedication.”
She looked at him askance. “Commitment. Dedication. Such bigwords, Brother.”
“I can spell them too,” Rob teased her.
“You should pursue her.”
The statement rocked him back in his seat. “Don’t beridiculous. We’re still in mourning. I have much to learn about being aviscount let alone becoming a husband and father. And I’m not sure she’d wantme.”
“She wants you,” Elizabeth said.
He shook his head, as if that would clear the thoughtsswirling through it. “How can you possibly know? You’ve met her all of twice.”
“And observed her both times,” Elizabeth told him. “At theassembly, you terrified her.”
Rob snorted. “Well, that bodes nicely for a courtship.”
“Of course it wouldn’t,” Elizabeth scolded. “But she ralliedthen, and she rallied today. And, when she thought no one noticed, she lookedat you as if you were a lovely bit of buttered toast with jam and she hadn’teaten in days.”
“You must stop this conjecture,” Rob warned, heart thumpingpainfully in his chest at the thought of Hester looking at him with suchlonging. “You know nothing of what she feels.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “If she is reticent, which would beperfectly understandable given the circumstances of your parting, you stillhave your charm. I’ve never known it to fail you yet.”
It had rarely failed, but then it had never encountered asituation as important as this.
“I don’t want to cause her any more pain,” he murmured.“She’s been through entirely enough.”
“Oh, Rob.”
The admiration in his sister’s voice made him raise hishead. She was regarding him with a soft, commiserating smile.
“This is the most interest I’ve seen you show in anythingsince the accident,” she said. “We both could use a diversion, and I think Mrs.Todd could use a friend. Think of this as your second chance to court her.”
“And that went so well the first time,” Rob reminded her.
She wrinkled her nose at his sarcasm. “This time will bedifferent. This time you have me.”
He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or leap out of the coach andrun as fast as his legs could carry him.
Chapter Four
A thousand pounds! Hester knew manyfamilies who would not earn as much in five years’ time. As soon as Rob and hissister left, Mrs. Mance grabbed her hands and danced her around the room whilethe children laughed. Hester’s head was still spinning as she walked Rebeccahome mid-afternoon at the end of the school day.
Oh, what they might achieve with such funds. Heat for thewinter. Supplies to teach the children sewing and elementary woodworking.Perhaps a school garden to tend. Rosemary and their uncle had seen themwell-supplied in tomes on botany and animal husbandry, but new books on historyand art would really round out the curriculum.
She ought to accept such a gift with grace, but she couldn’thelp wondering why he would make such an impressive donation. His family hadn’tshown any interest in civic concerns in either village before, even though theyowned half the land in Grace-by-the-Sea and nearly all of Upper Grace. Shecould not convince herself this generosity stemmed from some guilt over the wayshe and Rob had parted.
And if he thought he could buy her good will for a thousandpounds, he was very much mistaken.
She glanced down at her daughter as they walked past theshops on the main street. Rebecca’s
