Diane Gaston – Bound By A Scandalous Secret (страница 13)

‘Did the doctor see him yesterday?’ Lorene handed one of the footmen her cloak and gloves.

Dixon nodded. ‘The doctor spent the night, caught in the storm as you were. He is here now.’

The doctor’s presence should give Lorene some comfort.

‘I must go to him.’ Lorene started for the stairway. ‘I ought to have been at his side last night.’

‘He would not have known it if you were,’ Dixon said.

Lorene halted and turned her head. ‘He was that ill?’

‘Insensible with fever, Wicky told us.’

‘That is good, Lorene,’ Genna broke in. ‘He cannot be angry at you if he does not know you were gone.’

Lorene swung around. ‘It is not good!’ she snapped. ‘He is ill.’

Genna felt her face grow hot. ‘I am so sorry. It was a thoughtless thing to say.’

‘And very unkind,’ Lorene added.

‘Yes,’ Genna admitted, filled with shame. ‘Very unkind. I am so sorry.’

Lorene turned her back on Genna and ran up the stairs.

Why could she not still her tongue at moments like these? She must admit she cared more about Lorene’s welfare than Tinmore’s health, but she did not precisely wish him to be seriously ill, did she?

She took a breath and glanced at Dixon. ‘Is Lord Tinmore so very ill?’

His expression was disapproving. ‘I gather so from Wicky’s report.’

Genna deserved his disdain. By day’s end the other servants would hear of her uncharitable comment and would call her an ungrateful wretch.

Which she was.

* * *

Over the next three days Genna hardly saw Lorene, who devoted all of her time to her husband’s care. Genna would have happily assisted in some way—for Lorene’s sake, not Tinmore’s—but no one required anything of her and anything she offered was refused. She kept to her room, mostly, and amused herself by drawing galloping horses with tall, long-coated riders. She could never quite capture that sense of fluid movement she’d seen that day when she’d gone to make a painting of Summerfield House.

She had just finished another attempt and was contemplating ripping it up when there was a knock at her door. Her maid, probably. ‘Come in,’ she called, placing the drawing face down on her table.

‘Genna—’ It was Lorene.

Genna turned and rose from her chair. ‘How is—?’ she began.

Lorene did not let her finish. ‘He is better. The fever broke during the night and now he is resting more comfortably.’

‘I am glad for you,’ Genna said.

Lorene waved her words away.

Genna walked over to her. ‘You look as if you need rest, too. Might you not lie down now?’

Lorene nodded. ‘I believe I will. I just wanted you to know.’

‘Thank you.’ Genna felt careful, as if talking to a stranger. ‘I am glad to know it.’

Lorene turned to leave, but a footman appeared in the corridor.

‘My lady, two gentlemen have called to enquire after his lordship’s health,’ he said. ‘Lord Rossdale and Lord Penford.’

Genna’s heart fluttered. She would be excited for any company, would she not? Of course, they had not come to call upon her.

Lorene put a hand to her hair. ‘Oh, dear. I am not presentable.’ She turned to Genna. ‘Would you entertain them until I can make myself fit for company?’

‘Certainly. Anything to help.’ Genna turned to the footman. ‘Where are they?’ There were so very many rooms in this house where visitors might be received.

‘I put them in the Mount Olympus room,’ he replied.

The room with the ceiling and walls covered with scenes from mythology, cavorting, nearly naked gods, all painted over a century before.

‘Very good,’ Lorene told him. ‘Have Cook prepare some tea and biscuits.’

‘Tea?’ Genna said. ‘Offer them wine. Claret or sherry or something.’

Lorene pursed her lips. ‘Very well. Some wine, then, as well as tea and biscuits.’

The footman bowed and rushed off.

Lorene glanced at Genna.

‘I can go down directly.’ Genna took off the apron she wore to cover her dress and hurried to wash the charcoal off her fingers. She dried her hands. ‘I’m off!’

* * *

Ross craned his neck and stared in wonder at the ceiling. It looked as if the mighty Zeus and all the lesser gods surrounding him might tumble down on to his head.

‘This is quite a room,’ he remarked. ‘I am reminded of our Grand Tour—the palaces of Rome and Venice. Remember the murals? On every ceiling it seemed.’

‘A man cannot think. The room fills the mind too much,’ Dell responded.

Ross grinned. ‘We did not do much thinking in those days, did we?’

Dell nodded, his face still grim. ‘None at all, I recall.’

Ross perused the ceiling and walls again. ‘In those days we would have been riveted by the naked ladies.’ He stopped in front of one such figure, a goddess who appeared as if she would step out from the wall and join them.

Dell paced. ‘Remind me again why we were compelled to come here?’

Ross had already explained. ‘You wanted to become acquainted with Lord Tinmore, so calling to enquire after his health is only polite, especially after his illness kept him away from your dinner.’

The door opened and both men turned. Ross smiled. It was Genna, the one person he’d hoped to see when he concocted this scheme to call at Tinmore Hall.

Genna strode over to them. ‘Rossdale. Penford. How good of you to call. My sister will be here in a few minutes. She has ordered refreshment for you, as well.’

Dell frowned. ‘Lord Tinmore is still ill, then?’

‘Lorene can better answer your questions.’ She gave Dell a cordial smile. ‘But, yes, Tinmore remains unwell.’

She gestured to the gilt stools cushioned in green damask that lined the walls of the room. ‘Do sit.’

The room was in sore need of a rearrangement of furniture more conducive to conversation, Ross thought. A style more in tune with the present.

‘Tell me, how is the weather?’ Genna asked politely. ‘I see our snow still covers the fields. Was it not terribly cold to ride this distance?’

‘Not so terribly cold.’ Ross kept his expression bland. ‘I suspect some people would consider walking this far even when it is cold outside.’ He darted a glance her way and saw she understood his joke.

‘We felt it our duty to enquire into Lord Tinmore’s health,’ Dell said solemnly.

‘How very good of you,’ she responded, her voice kind.

Ross gave her an approving look.

‘How were the roads?’ she asked.

Dell shrugged. ‘Slippery in places, but the horses kept their footing.’

‘I think they relished the exercise,’ Rossdale added. He’d relished it, as well.