James sighed, and there was a shuffle of feet as he perhaps moved to sit down. "Miss Sempill is new to this home, and I want her to feel comfortable here. Especially considering she's in charge of the children.You,Edwin, made her feel uncomfortable today with your sudden interest in her."
There was a soft laugh, deep and masculine, before Edwin replied, "I've always had a weakness for attractive women, and this Alicia Sempill is beautiful. Why doyoufeel the need to defend her so?"
"Because she's under my employ, and while she's under my roof, she'll be treated with respect. Either improve your manners, Edwin - or keep your distance."
Alicia's stomach flipped at his words. Was he really standing up for her? Truthfully, he didn't need to; Alicia was perfectly capable of caring for herself. Even so, it made her heart bloom with warmth. He must have cared for her to say such things to his own brother. Or perhaps he was this defensive over all his staff; he certainly treated them all well enough. Either way, Alicia found a smile curling at her lips.
Perhaps Lord James Arvill wasn't so bad after all. Not that she ever thought hewas,but this was the only evidence to support what she already knew.
"Now, I have a busy day tomorrow, and I'm sure you do too," he was saying now, a sigh leaving his lips, "Try not to get yourself into any trouble, yes?"
Edwin only grunted in reply, a terribly inelegant sound that had Alicia fighting not to laugh. Then he stood, and Alicia heard the patter of his footsteps as he left the living room.
She ducked back, pressing into the darkness of the kitchen as Edwin's silhouette darted past. She squinted after him, but he had vanished within seconds.
She wanted to thank James for his kindness. Thank him for defending her, even if it hadn't been all that important to begin with. It was late, though, and she wasn't about to admit that she had been eavesdropping on a conversation she had no business in. So, once she was sure that Edwin was gone and James wasn't about to follow, she crept back the way she had come.
The manor fell silent again, broken only by the dull thump of Alicia's footsteps as she climbed the stairs. She was sleeping in a guest room rather than the servant's quarters, in the right-wing which she soon discovered, was never used. She had practically the whole wing to herself, although the other rooms were all dusty and unused, and once she stepped into the hall, there was no more need to sneak.
Moments later, she was back in the familiar bedroom, tripping over the curly rug as she stumbled in the darkness. She should have brought a light, but then she might have ended up being seen, so in the end, it worked out fine. Setting her glass of water on the bedside table, Alicia once again curled underneath the thick blankets and cuddled deep down into the warmth. This bedroom was unlike anything she had ever slept in before. It was hardly as grand as the rest of the house, modest by Lord Arvill's standards, but comfier even than her old bed at home.
As if giving her a job and allowing her to live here wasn't enough, he had defended her against his brother. He was a kind and generous man, regardless of what the rumors said. As Alicia drifted off to sleep, it was with the certainty that those rumors were a lie.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning, it was as if yesterday had never happened. The children settled down for lessons with eager smiles and bright eyes; the memories of yesterday's scolding apparently put to the backs of their minds.
Alicia was happy enough with that, greeting them with a smile of her own. "Have you both eaten breakfast?" she questioned, "It's important to eat before school."
They nodded in sync, Jenny with a bright smile and Samuel with more relaxed enthusiasm.
"Good. I thought today we could start with reading."
Samuel frowned, thick brows knitting together. "But we usually start with arth - arithma -numbers."
Alicia couldn't help but smile as he stumbled over the words. "Arithmetic?" she offered, "I know that's what Lord Arvill said, but I don't suppose it matters the order as long as we get it done. Besides, you did so well with it last time, I was hoping you two might come toenjoyreading."
Jenny and Samuel shared a look. They shrugged. "I don't like reading," Jenny said quietly, "but I'll do it. Besides, if we do it in the morning, it just means it's over faster."
That wasn'tquitethe enthusiasm that Alicia had hoped for, but she took it with a smile. "How about you start today, then?"
Jenny grumbled - but she dutifully slid the book from the desk and into her hands. It was so big and heavy that she had to hold it in both arms, flipping the page awkwardly, but soon enough, it was lying open on her lap. "Do I have to?"
"Half of this is all about confidence," Alicia said kindly. She meant it, too - if youpretendedto be good at something, soon you realized you weren't actually faking it any longer. "Just take it slowly and read it a bit at a time. You'll get there."
She scrunched up her nose and leaned in close to the book - probably closer than she needed to - as if trying to hide her face from Alicia and Samuel. Shedidbegin to read though, in a clear but halting voice that rang out through the otherwise quiet classroom.
Only to be cut off when the door creaked open, knocking against the wall, and a tall figure materialized in the doorway.
"Edwin," Samuel groaned, "you're not supposed to interrupt when we're having lessons!"
Lord Edwin Arvill, broad shoulders filling up the doorway, only smiled. "Not so long ago, I was the one giving you these lessons."
"Yeah," Jenny chided, "then you disappeared to Italy for two months and didn't even send a letter."
Perhaps,Alicia thought,what Jenny said yesterday wasn't just a distraction.The thought made her chest hurt for the poor girl. Although it was none of her business, it didn't make the ache any less.
Edwin simply smiled and rolled his eyes. "Jenny, sweetheart, I know I haven't been around recently, but can't you just be glad that I'm back?"
