Lord Arvill's concerned features swam into her vision, and Alicia snapped back to reality with an apologetic smile. "Sorry," she murmured, "I was lost in thought."
He smiled - and just like it always did, that beautiful expression lifted her spirits. Alicia shouldn't have been thinking of him as beautiful at all, yet here she was anyway. With those high cheekbones and striking sea-blue eyes, he was certainly unique.
Shaking her head, Alicia turned back to her lunch. "I should get back to the children. They'll be almost finished by now." Of course, it was an excuse, but that didn't matter. Thoughts were whirling about in her mind, and she didn't know what to do about it. Alicia knewshe shouldn't have allowed herself to partake in something so unprofessional. So ridiculous. Not just because of what happened with Lord Ashton, either. Alicia couldn't guarantee that if this continued, she wouldn't end up falling for the marquess.
He studied her silently, hair blowing gently in the breeze. The sun cast a healthy glow across his cheeks and made the dark shadows of his cheekbones even more striking. Yet his expression was filled with concern as he said, "Are you sure? You've barely eaten."
"I can eat it in the classroom," she replied, too quickly. Climbing to her feet, Alicia tucked the half-eaten meal back into the cloth. "Excuse me, my lord. I'll see you this evening." Not allowing herself time to doubt, she quickly turned and scurried off towards the manor. The doors left wide open seemed to embrace her as she entered the huge foyer. Then, without looking back, she darted upstairs.
* * *
James watched Alicia go, his brows furrowed in confusion. Had he done something wrong? He had assumed that eating together would have provided the chance to get to know her, when considering that she was spending hours with his siblings seemed important.
And yes, all right. if he was completely honest, he also wanted to know more about Alicia simply because she intrigued him. Her life was a mystery to him, and every time she spoke, James found himself hanging onto her every word. She was simply so stunning that he couldn't help himself; her voice was like the most beautiful piano piece, and her eyes shone like the most expensive gems.
Now she was gone, all but sprinting back inside before he could so much as utter another word. It didn't take long for the realization to settle in - he had scared her off after all. Asking her to sit with him, the informality, it had probably all contributed to convincing poor Alicia that he was up to something foul. After all, if he was a murderer, what else was he capable of?
Appetite thoroughly ruined, James folded the leftovers back into its cloth and hauled himself upright. There was no sense in staying here, feeling sorry for himself, especially not when he had to prepare for Edwin's return.
As if summoned by the very thought of him, Edwin's voice called out, "James! Good to see you again. How have you been doing?"
Fantastic. He was even earlier than James expected.
Chapter Ten
The carriage rolled to a stop outside the manor, almost perfectly beside where James stood. Edwin’s face stuck out of the wide window, a grin on his face. Then Edwin climbed down without even allowing the coachman time to assist and landed on the hard ground with athud.When he opened his arms wide, it was clear that he meant to embrace James.
Instead of accepting the hug, James settled for placing a hand on his broad shoulder. They were similar in many aspects, from their dark curls and unusually bright blue eyes, but that was where similarities ended. While James had a lean, slender sort of muscle about him, Edwin was all hulking shoulders with a broad, solid waist and bulging arms. In his younger days, James had been jealous; now, not so much. Edwin might have gotten the looks, but he was still no closer to finding a wife than James was.
"How have you been?" he asked, flicking long hair from his eyes. "I do hope the children aren't giving you trouble? Oh, and how is our dear Lady Agatha?"
Oh.Agatha.Amongst the chaos of having a new governess in the house, James had forgotten about her entirely. "She hasn't been around lately," he replied with a shrug, "Perhaps she finally sees that I'm not interested in her affections."
"Or perhaps she's scheming something new," Edwin interjected with a laugh. His laugh was just as grating as James remembered, although not quite as loud or boisterous. "Regardless, there will be plenty of time to talk later. Charles, could you bring my bags in please?"
The coachman, evidently named Charles, nodded solemnly. He wasn't one of James' coachmen, nor was this James' coach because Edwin hadn't bothered to write and give a proper time of arrival - well, if that meant he had to hire his own coach, that was his fault, not James'.
Oh,simply being around him was making James feel childish! That was quite the statement, considering he lived with two children.
Yet Edwin didn't make crude jokes at James' expense like he might have done, and there was a little spark of hope in James that he had finally matured. As Charles began to collect heavy luggage from the back of the carriage, Edwin took the time to glance up at the manor. "It's been a long time since I've seen this beautiful place," he murmured, "Have you changed anything in my absence?"
"Only things you won't notice," James shot back, but a smile curled at his lips, "Your room is untouched, I promise."
"Good. Then I shall feel right at home tonight, back in my own bedroom. Shall we go inside?"
They walked in together, up the stairs and into the cavernous foyer. A chill followed them inside, although by now, James hardly noticed it. The foyer was always cold because it was huge and round, and the ceilings were too high to trap in the heat. Still, he loved his home and wouldn't change it for the world.
Edwin slowly pivoted on the spot, gaze cast across the foyer as if drinking it in for the first time. When he ascended the stairs, he trailed a broad hand gently across the banister, as if greeting an old friend after many years. "You've kept this place well," he said softly - then his eyes drifted across the stairs to settle on something else. "Oh, and who do we have here?"
Alicia made her appearance, smiling bashfully, as she descended the last few steps. "Jenny needed a drink," she said, "Apologies for the interruption."
"Nonsense," James replied instinctively, "my brother here was just reminiscing. Miss Sempill, this is Edwin. Edwin, this is our new governess."
Edwin quirked a brow, and a slow smile crept across his features. "A governess? My, you look so young yourself! Hardly old enough to have such a drab, boring job."
Alicia flushed - and with her hair held back in a loose bun, it became clear that even her ears had turned pink. "It's only my first day, my lord, but I'm enjoying it quite well."
Edwin's smile was kind, but there was a mischievous glint in them, too. The little ones had to have gotten it from someone, and nobody else in their family was like that. "Well, I'm glad," he replied - and he reached out to put a gentle hand on Alicia's shoulder. "Will you be staying with us long?"
