"You could eat outside," he offered softly, "or we could eat together." It was a silly offer because she refused to eat supper with them and spent almost all of her time exclusively with the children. Yet, he couldn't shove down the bloom of hope in his chest.
Finally,Alicia's eyes darted up, and she smiled. "All right. I'd love to."
* * *
It was improper to eat with your employer; Alicia knew that. She had tried so hard to keep the boundaries between them, never extending a hand of friendship for fear of repercussions. Lord Ashton hadn't needed friendship to make advances on her, but she had remained adamant that if she kept her distance, so would Lord Arvill. He was, after all, a far more respectable man than her previous employer, regardless of what the rumors claimed.
In a moment of impulsiveness, she had already agreed. Now she had no choice but to go along with it. She only hoped that Lord Arvill didn't take this the wrong way. She settled into the wooden bench, head tilted towards the sky and soaking up the warm sun. Summer was truly here now, for which she was grateful. Alicia had always loved the sun.
The bench creaked under Lord Arvill's weight as he perched beside her. He carefully untied the knot on their lunches before letting the cloth fall open, revealing thick, fluffy white bread and generous cuts of meat.
"You have such good cooks," Alicia confessed as she unraveled her own meal. At her own request, the cook had provided her a slightly smaller portion, as well as a single, bright red apple. "I feel spoiled to be able to eat their food every day."
"We've had the same cooks for as long as I can remember," Lord Arvill replied as he took a bite of the sandwich. He chewed thoughtfully, and just the sight of such delicious food made Alicia's stomach growl.
She took a bite of her own - and oh, she was right. It was fantastic. The bread was soft and fluffy, with a crispy crust that paired well with the juicy chicken and lettuce. She had never been a fan of uncooked vegetables, but the lettuce still added something extra to the sandwich. It was simple and yet somehow still the best sandwich she had tasted.
"If there's anything specific that you like to eat, let the head cook know. She'll be happy to make something out of the ordinary once in a while."
Alicia wasn't about to go asking for special favors, especially not from the other staff members. It was already becoming increasingly obvious that the governess was held in higher standing than the rest, and although nobody seemed to mind the hierarchy, Alicia was hardly going to risk angering people she hardly even knew yet. It was a nice offer, however, so she smiled and nodded anyway. "Thank you, my lord. I don't wish to sound rude, but... is there a reason that you asked me to eat lunch with you?"
Lord Arvill stared down at the meal on his lap. It was a much less formal affair than supper, almost on equal standing with the sort of thing Alicia would have eaten back home. After a moment he said, "There is something I need to tell you, yes, because my younger brother will be returning home soon. Yet that's only a fraction of the reason; the truth is, I simply wanted to spend time with you."
Spend time with her? No, this was improper, even with Nora standing a few feet away. Without thinking, Alicia scooted right to the edge of the bench until her thigh dug into the uneven wood of the armrest. Yet it would have been rude to say no to a marquess, and her boss at that, so Alicia didn't leave. Instead, she cleared her throat and asked, "Why so? With all due respect, my lord, I'm only a governess."
"Yes, but you're also interesting. Great with the children too - I've never seen them so quiet or well behaved."
Alicia looked down at her food, taking a bite of the sandwich. The second taste was as good as the first, and she managed a smile. "It's just patience and perseverance, my lord. I think they're trying to impress me, too; I'm sure the novelty will wear off eventually."
A laugh bubbled up in the back of Lord Arvill's throat, quickly hidden by a drink of the coffee flask at his side. "Yes, well, let's hope not," he replied softly.
"Speaking of siblings, did you say something about your brother?"
Lord Arvill winced, and the laughter died on his tongue. "I did," he answered, "Edwin will be coming back later tonight. He's been in London, you see. He was in Scotland before that and Wales, too - but that's irrelevant. I just want you to be aware that there will be somebody else in the house, at least until he decides to leave again."
Alicia's stomach flipped. The frown on Lord Arvill's lips was so unlike what she expected of him, and it left her wanting nothing more than to reach out and reassure him. She held back and settled for, "Do you not want to see him?"
"Oh, it isn't that," he assured her, "I haven't seen him in almost six months. He simply hasn't been present much, since our father died, and the last time we truly spoke was a long time ago. I can only hope he's matured some since we last spoke."
Having grown up an only child, Alicia didn't know what it was like to argue with siblings. She knew what it was like to argue with family because she had often fought with her father as a child. It had always been about silly, trivial matters; she had the impression, though, that Lord Arvill's matters with his brother went much deeper than that. "Lord Arvill-"
"Please, call me James. Or Lord James will do - there will be two Lord Arvill's here now, and I've always hated the formal title."
Alicia bit down on her lip, resisting the urge to reply. The line kept blurring, and now she wasn't sure where she stood. Even more frightening was the fact she was no longer sure if she cared. When her eyes flickered up to look at him, Lord Arvill's gaze was cast out across the garden.
"I hope you don't think I'm being too forward," he offered gently, "I only want you to be comfortable here. I'm not like my father - I don't care for titles and prestige. I'm only the marquess because I'm the oldest, although truthfully, I don't think Edwin would be capable of handling such a title anyway."
If Alicia had been here for longer, she wouldn't have minded referring to him by his given name. As it stood, she had only been here a week; it simply wouldn't do to be referring to him so casually. "With respect, my lord, I would prefer to keep using your proper title."
His lips pursed at her words, but he didn't protest. Instead, he offered a smile. "Of course," he answered, "whatever you're comfortable with. I'd hate to frighten you off; I don't think I could find another governess as good as you."
The praise had her cheeks flushing scarlet, an unfortunately common occurrence these days. Why she wasn't sure, or perhaps it was more that she wasn't willing to think about it. Tugging at a loose strand of dark hair, Alicia said, "This brother of yours, is he kind?"
"Exceptionally, when he wants to be. His immaturity is outdone only by his generosity, which is never something that people expect."
Just like Papa, then. Papa had been a loving man with a childish side, and so his deep, unwavering kindness had often come as a surprise to those who only knew him on the surface. Mama had seen the real him, though, and loved all aspects of him. That was why they were so good together and why they had enjoyed twenty-four years of marriage before passing in their sleep.
They had died together, just twenty minutes apart.
