countryside?”
He leaned down and kissed her hand soundly. “No sights you’ve not slept through before, love,” he replied, regarding her fondly. He turned to Maggie. “How have you fared, my dear?”
“Not too ill when the baby slept.” Maggie’s voice came out sharper than she’d intended and she bit her lip. She did not wish him to think she complained.
“He’s a lusty little lad, that is sure.” Lord Caufield sank into a chair next to his wife. “This is the last leg of our journey. We shall arrive in less than two hours.”
The serving girl placed the dishes on the table and, with a curtsy, left the room. Maggie’s companions, always loquacious beyond measure, lapsed into a tense silence.
“I am curious to see Caufield House,” Maggie said with a try at polite conversation. “I imagine it is a lovely place.”
“Oh, it is,” exclaimed Lady Caufield a little too brightly. “It is indeed lovely.”
The silence descended again, and Lord Caufield busied himself buttering a biscuit. His expression was uncharacteristically stern. Lady Caufield quickly dipped her head and poured a pitcher of cream over a dish of raspberries. Maggie gaped at them from across the table.
Lord Caufield lifted his knife, butter still clinging to it. He pointed it toward Maggie and opened his mouth as if to speak. He shut it again, sighed heavily, and placed the knife crosswise on his plate.
“We are not arriving at Caufield House today.” He spoke with slow deliberation, as if imparting important news to a very slow child. “Caufield House is another day’s journey.”
“I see,” said Maggie, though she did not at all see why this information should be accompanied by so serious a face. “Where is it we are bound, then?”
Lady Caufield choked on a sip of lemonade. She sputtered and coughed. Her husband patted her back, fussing and cooing over her. Maggie grasped her hands tightly in her lap, waiting somewhat impatiently for his solicitude to run its course.
His wife restored, Lord Caufield folded his hands and rested them on the table’s edge. He turned his attention back to Maggie. “We are bound for Summerton Hall.”
This meant nothing to her. “Summerton Hall?”
“Summerton Hall,” echoed Lady Caufield.
Maggie stared at them without comprehension.
“Gray’s home,” Lady Caufield said.
The captain? It might prove embarrassing to visit his home, that was sure. Had he family there? she wondered. A wife, perhaps? That thought unexpectedly disturbed her.
Lord and Lady Caufield both regarded her expectantly. She looked from one to the other.
Finally Lord Caufield leaned toward her. “We realize it was not well done of us to conceal this from you, my dear, but we thought it for the best.”
Maggie still failed to comprehend their concern. “I assure you, sir, I would not protest wherever you wish to visit. I am too indebted to you for your kindness. Whatever would I do if you had not invited me into your home?”
Lady Caufield made a high-pitched sound.
Her husband clasped and unclasped his hands. “That is just the thing, my dear. We are not taking you to Caufield House. We are taking you to Summerton Hall.”
“But, why?” Maggie blinked in confusion.
Lady Caufield moaned.
Lord Caufield cleared his throat. “Tess and I decided that it would be best if you stayed at Summerton. It is the logical thing, you see.”
Maggie spoke carefully. “I fear, sir, that I am unable to comprehend the logic.”
Lady Caufield wailed, “It is my doing. I should not have looked in your portmanteau.” She reached across the table and grasped Maggie’s wrist. “I assure you, I had no idea what I would find and I was only trying to help—”
“She was only trying to help—” interjected her husband.
“What else could we do? We are so fond of Gray and, indeed, have come to love you as well—” she went on.
“—for your own good and his, you see,” he added.
“Wait!” Maggie threw up
He leaned down and kissed her hand soundly. “No sights you’ve not slept through before, love,” he replied, regarding her fondly. He turned to Maggie. “How have you fared, my dear?”
“Not too ill when the baby slept.” Maggie’s voice came out sharper than she’d intended and she bit her lip. She did not wish him to think she complained.
“He’s a lusty little lad, that is sure.” Lord Caufield sank into a chair next to his wife. “This is the last leg of our journey. We shall arrive in less than two hours.”
The serving girl placed the dishes on the table and, with a curtsy, left the room. Maggie’s companions, always loquacious beyond measure, lapsed into a tense silence.
“I am curious to see Caufield House,” Maggie said with a try at polite conversation. “I imagine it is a lovely place.”
“Oh, it is,” exclaimed Lady Caufield a little too brightly. “It is indeed lovely.”
The silence descended again, and Lord Caufield busied himself buttering a biscuit. His expression was uncharacteristically stern. Lady Caufield quickly dipped her head and poured a pitcher of cream over a dish of raspberries. Maggie gaped at them from across the table.
Lord Caufield lifted his knife, butter still clinging to it. He pointed it toward Maggie and opened his mouth as if to speak. He shut it again, sighed heavily, and placed the knife crosswise on his plate.
“We are not arriving at Caufield House today.” He spoke with slow deliberation, as if imparting important news to a very slow child. “Caufield House is another day’s journey.”
“I see,” said Maggie, though she did not at all see why this information should be accompanied by so serious a face. “Where is it we are bound, then?”
Lady Caufield choked on a sip of lemonade. She sputtered and coughed. Her husband patted her back, fussing and cooing over her. Maggie grasped her hands tightly in her lap, waiting somewhat impatiently for his solicitude to run its course.
His wife restored, Lord Caufield folded his hands and rested them on the table’s edge. He turned his attention back to Maggie. “We are bound for Summerton Hall.”
This meant nothing to her. “Summerton Hall?”
“Summerton Hall,” echoed Lady Caufield.
Maggie stared at them without comprehension.
“Gray’s home,” Lady Caufield said.
The captain? It might prove embarrassing to visit his home, that was sure. Had he family there? she wondered. A wife, perhaps? That thought unexpectedly disturbed her.
Lord and Lady Caufield both regarded her expectantly. She looked from one to the other.
Finally Lord Caufield leaned toward her. “We realize it was not well done of us to conceal this from you, my dear, but we thought it for the best.”
Maggie still failed to comprehend their concern. “I assure you, sir, I would not protest wherever you wish to visit. I am too indebted to you for your kindness. Whatever would I do if you had not invited me into your home?”
Lady Caufield made a high-pitched sound.
Her husband clasped and unclasped his hands. “That is just the thing, my dear. We are not taking you to Caufield House. We are taking you to Summerton Hall.”
“But, why?” Maggie blinked in confusion.
Lady Caufield moaned.
Lord Caufield cleared his throat. “Tess and I decided that it would be best if you stayed at Summerton. It is the logical thing, you see.”
Maggie spoke carefully. “I fear, sir, that I am unable to comprehend the logic.”
Lady Caufield wailed, “It is my doing. I should not have looked in your portmanteau.” She reached across the table and grasped Maggie’s wrist. “I assure you, I had no idea what I would find and I was only trying to help—”
“She was only trying to help—” interjected her husband.
“What else could we do? We are so fond of Gray and, indeed, have come to love you as well—” she went on.
“—for your own good and his, you see,” he added.
“Wait!” Maggie threw up
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