The upstairs was quiet; a few of the maids scuttled past, nodding their respects, but they were as soundless as ghosts on the hardwood floor. The only sound came from the children's playroom, where soft laughter filtered out into the hallway.
When James peered in, he saw both siblings by the window staring out into the gardens. The window was huge and almost reached the ceiling. There was a heavy wooden seat built into it. Somehow, they had both squeezed into the space, knees pressed together. Alicia sat on a chair beside them, pulled from the table in the corner, as she held one of Jenny's many cloth dolls on her lap.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Alicia turned, her eyes widening. They were a stunning shade of bright, clear green - almost like grass, but so much more lovely. It really was amazing, how he had never noticed before. With the light filtering through the window and her dark hair spilling around her shoulders, the bright green of her eyes was more striking than he'd ever seen.
"Why is your hair down?" was the first thing that spilled from his lips, although he hadn't even meant it.
Blushing gently, Alicia glanced down at her own dark locks. She was pretty when she blushed, he thought, although the embarrassment that flooded her features made him wince in guilt. "I was teaching Jenny how to braid hair," she replied softly, "although I'm not much good myself."
"It's true," Jenny confirmed with a laugh, "but she's trying, so it's okay."
Alicia laughed and nudged Jenny's shoulder gently, and the two shared a grin. It was sweet, how easily she had fit into their lives. For a few years, James had a governess of his own; he had been a polite child, one who avoided trouble, and yet still the governess had treated him harshly. He had assumed that was the standard - but she was slowly showing him that wasn't the case at all. She was their friend as well as their teacher. James felt warmth in his chest at the thought.
"My lord?" she asked quietly, "are you all right?"
He blinked back to attention, and three sets of eyes watched him curiously. "Just fine," he answered with a smile, "if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to borrow Miss Sempill for a moment."
She turned to look at him with wide, nervous eyes. "Have I done something wrong?"
"Not at all. Actually, quite the opposite." He smiled reassuringly, hoping that he hadn't frightened her too terribly. "I’d just like to know how you and the children are doing. Any progress with their reading?" She had been here for a few weeks now, but shehadupturned her entire life for him and his family. The least James could do in return was make sure Alicia was comfortable.
She smiled kindly and stood, stretching out her legs as if she had been sitting for a while. "They’re doing great. You'll be all right on your own for a minute, won't you Jenny? Samuel?"
They nodded in reply, smiles bright, and Alicia left them to it.
James and Alicia wandered downstairs in companionable silence, although he practicallyfelther nerves as if by some psychic presence radiating from Alicia's body. She held herself unusually stiffly as if expecting some kind of repercussions for... well, nothing. Or perhaps he simply made her nervous. Not that he could blame her; whether she believed the rumors of his father's murder or not, it wasn't as if she didn't know the things that people said about him.
After a moment, he shook those thoughts away. They did no good to anybody, least of all him. They slipped into his office, where James took a seat behind the desk and Alicia awkwardly perched on the edge of the chair at the other side.
"There's no need to be nervous," he said kindly, "I really do just want to talk."
She relaxed, just enough to sit properly. At least she no longer looked ready to flee at any second, although her strained smile remained. Did she really find him that unbearable to be around? No, that wasn't it; hadn't they enjoyed a perfectly nice walk not so long ago?
Still, James forced his voice to be gentle as he said, "How are you finding things? I hope Samuel isn't up to his old tricks? I swear, he never used to be so disobedient."
"Oh"—her gaze flickered up to him, bright green meeting sea blue —"forgive me if I speak out of turn, my lord, but I believe that the children are simply trying to, uh,cope.Perhaps it's Samuel's way of dealing with the changes in his life."
Truthfully, it did seem like the most likely scenario. He simply wished that they wouldn't act up so. Although since Alicia's arrival, they had been so much better. Well behaved, polite, and they truly seemed to love her. "I think," he said kindly, "that you've been wonderful for the children. For the whole house, in fact. I didn't just want to ask you about the children, though. How has Edwin been treating you?"
Alicia bolted straighter in her seat, eyes snapping wide. "My lord?"
Perhaps that was the wrong way to go about it. He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, and tried again. "What I mean is, Edwin has a habit of putting people on edge. He does it on purpose, I think. Sometimes, at least. I'm only trying to make sure that he isn't doing anything to make you uncomfortable; this is your home too, now."
She seemed to deliberate, not that James blamed her. Not at all. Although he had asked her a genuine question, it was about his brother. Another lord, and an important man. Poor Alicia was probably wondering how much she could say before getting fired, although of course, he'd never entertain the idea.
"I think he has eyes for me, my lord, if you catch my meaning. Perhaps he's like this with all the women he knows, but he's been awfully friendly." A pause, in which Alicia let out a small sigh. "He asked me to walk with him the other day."
James felt his cheeks flush, for hadn't he asked the very same thing? He had simply wanted to enjoy the sunshine, but perhaps he should have been more careful. After all, Alicia was his employee, and he didn't want to overstep the boundaries.
As if sensing his surprise, Alicia waved a hand in a quick dismissal. "I did not mind when you asked, my lord, because I knew that you meant well. You were simply checking on me, of course." She smiled brightly, "but with Lord Arvill, it felt different. Strange."
Biting down on his lip, James sighed. "I'll have to have another talk with him, it seems. For now, don't feel bad if you choose to ignore him."
She offered just the barest hint of a smile. "I wouldn't dare avoid him, my lord, but I'll be sure not to speak to him too much. I'm so busy these days, I don't have the chance to talk much anyway."
He returned her smile, butterflies lighting up his stomach. Why, he couldn't place, but there was just something about her wonderful smile that made his chest warm. "Good. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"
