Page 64 of The Undaunted
Kingston, the consummate valet, had only nodded when he was informed that the clothes, and the person in them, had recently been in the sea. He would tell nobody, Richard knew well enough. As for that confounded Bemmy, he supposed she’d make it her business to tell everybody below stairs.
Well, if the story were to come out, he’d face it down. It was preferable to have made the attempt than to have seen a person waving for help and done nothing by assuming it was a joke.
He’d since dried off and made his way to the drawing room. Miss Upton would return to the house soon and she must take tea eventually. She could not forever have it sent to her room.
He was determined to get his apology out and done for his harsh words on the night of the dinner. He was not often in the wrong, at least he did not think so, and he found it preyed heavy on his mind, always prowling round and presenting itself for consideration.
As he absentmindedly rubbed Edgar’s head, he wondered how those in the habit of doing harm could bear it. How did Landon carry on, having wronged a woman in the gravest fashion and left her with child? Did it keep him up at night? He doubted that it did, though he could not fathom how the fellow got on with things. Whatever the case, he himself could not carry such a burden round with him for long.
He heard Miss Upton come in the front doors and Lady Easton fluttering round her in the hall. Edgar’s ears pricked up as Miss Upton assured his aunt that they’d had a lovely time, despite the storm not being as ephemeral as had been hoped. Fortunately, he heard no mention of himself flinging his person into the sea on a doomed rescue mission, so that was at least something.
His aunt bustled into the room. “That is Caroline just come back. I’ve sent her above stairs to thoroughly dry off. I do wonder about Theodosia going forward with the scheme.”
“You’ve said yourself she takes great pride in her swimming,” Richard said. Though if he had the luxury of always being honest, he might have said,The duchess is a one-woman Mongol Horde who is entirely too dependent on her own opinions and the absurd weather predictions of her butler.
“It’s that butler of hers, Carlson,” Lady Easton said. “I am not at all confident that he knows as much about the weather as he thinks he does.”
Based on what he had witnessed just an hour ago, Richard was entirely confident that Carlson knew no more about the weather than a piece of furniture, though he did not say so.
He had thought Miss Upton would be above stairs for quite some time, warming herself, but she came into the drawing room not ten minutes after she’d arrived back to the house.
Richard rose and issued a slight bow and then seated himself after she took the chair next to his aunt. Edgar trotted over to her and waited to be petted. All but her hair appeared dry,thathad been surely re-pinned after the exertions of her adventure, but it was still quite clearly wet.
“Dear Caroline,” Lady Easton said, ringing the bell, “we must have a fire to take out the damp in the room. You may sit by it and dry your hair.”
“That is very kind, Lady Easton,” Miss Upton said.
“Was it quite dreadful?” Lady Easton asked. “I feel it must have been, though you claimed it was pleasant when you came in. Theodosia would have told you to say that, she so little likes to be wrong.”
“Oh, no, my lady,” Caroline said, avoiding Richard’s eye and looking at Edgar instead, “it was an adventure like no other. I did really enjoy it.” Miss Upton paused under Lady Easton’s frown. Softly, she said, “There was so much to appreciate about it.”
Lady Easton shrugged and said, “I wonder where can Bramley be? I’ll just step out, I imagine he’s arranging things in the breakfast room. I really do not want you to take a chill, my dear.”
After Lady Easton departed, Richard dove in. “Miss Upton, please do allow me to apologize for my words in the drawing room the other evening. I allowed myself to indulge in temper and it was entirely misguided. You, unfortunately, paid the bill for that indulgence.”
Miss Upton blushed prettily and said, “It was a bill I ran up with my own actions, my lord.”
“It was not the crime of the century, however,” Richard said, “though I am afraid I made it seem so.”
“I must thank you for your daring rescue this morning, though,” Miss Upton said.
“You did not need rescuing, as it turned out.”
“But had I…”
“Yes, had you…”
Edgar looked back and forth between them, probably wondering if they were discussing his dinner.
“It was very brave, in a full set of clothes.”
“I’m glad you think so, I suspect my valet would call it something else.”
“But you might have been pulled under from the weight of it.”
“I am strong enough.”
“Yes, I know.”
