As soon as the soup was set on the plates, Miss Brooking subtly showed Frances which spoon to use, then looked up and smiled at him. Rory almost looked over his shoulder when she smiled. He hadn’t been expecting it, but it immediately put him at ease. He lifted his own spoon.
“Frances and I had a lovely afternoon working with your cook on a menu for this evening, my lord,” she said.
“Did you?” Rory didn’t know why he should be surprised. Of course Miss Brooking had thought of everything. He really had to admire how clever she was. Not only would having Francesprepare the menu for tonight ensure she enjoyed the dishes served, but it would also give her practice in one of the skills necessary to manage a household—skills all fine ladies were expected to possess.
If he hadn’t already looked at his ledgers and noted that he was paying Miss Brooking quite handsomely, he would have offered her more.
“What else is on the menu?” he asked, tasting his chestnut soup.
“It’s a surprise,” Frances said. “May I plan the menu again sometime?”
Rory thought this the perfect opportunity to show Miss Brooking he didn’t need to be told what to do. “Of course. I thought we might dine together at least once a week.”
“Oh, good! Grandmama never let me dine with her and Grandpapa, and Mama always said I was too little. But I’m older now.”
“Yes, you are. Miss Brooking said you enjoyed your mother’s handkerchiefs. I have other possessions of hers you might like as well, but I will wait to bestow them until you are a little older.”
“What possessions?” she asked.
“That is my surprise.” The footmen removed the soup and brought the next course. Rory was surprised the first course had ended already. The dinner was going well, but his nerves had not eased. What else was he supposed to speak to her about?
They ate in silence for a moment, and then Miss Brooking—thank God she was present—cleared her throat. “My lord, I was wondering how far your property extends. Frances and I were thinking of taking a long walk and stopping for a picnic later this week. How far might we walk without trespassing on the neighbor’s land?”
Rory considered. “To the west, the property extends almost three miles. The property line is marked by a trout stream, whichwe share with Mr. Collins, who owns the land on the other side. The bank of the stream might make a good spot for a picnic.”
“Excellent.” She smiled at Frances. “Perhaps we can bring fishing poles and do a bit of fishing as well.”
“I’ve never been fishing.”
“I can show you,” Miss Brooking said.
Frances nodded. “Do we have to walk through any woods?”
“Yes, there is a wooded area where some deer and hares live,” Rory said.
“And wolves?”
“Wolves? No, there aren’t—”
“We don’t need to worry about wolves in the daylight,” Miss Brooking interrupted. “They don’t like to come out during the day.”
Rory had no idea if this was true or not, but it didn’t matter because there weren’t any wolves in England. Before he could add this, Miss Brooking was discussing fishing again. Finally, when Frances seemed more excited than worried, she looked at him. “Will you come too, Papa?”
Miss Brooking looked at him, and he couldn’t stop himself from looking back at her. He was not the sort of man who enjoyed being outdoors. He didn’t enjoy hunting and could count on one hand the number of times he’d fished in his own stream. But he was also aware this was exactly the sort of opportunity to spend time with his daughter that Miss Brooking had been hinting at.
Well, he was eating dinner with the child right now, wasn’t he? He didn’t have to go trudging all over the property too, did he?
“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your adventure with Miss Brooking.”
“Oh, but it wouldn’t be an intrusion,” the governess said. “I could use help with showing Miss Frances how to fish.”
He met her gaze and swore there was a challenge in it. She had no idea who she was dealing with if she thought it would be that easy to best him. “I’m not very good at fishing myself,” he said. “I think my advice would more prove detrimental.”
“What isdetrimental?”
“Unhelpful,” he told Frances.
“Is this your first time fishing too, Papa?”
