“That’s Benedict’s mother, isn’t it?” she asked softly. “Is she all right? What happened? I should have liked to visit with her.”
“She wasn’t visiting,” he said shortly.
Her gaze settled on him. He could feel it even without looking her way. “She was here, wasn’t she? In the parlor.”
“You weren’t needed. It was a short visit for family.” Owen closed the door, nodded to the butler to indicate he wasn’t needed, and steeled himself before facing his wife.
Blast it, she looks beautiful.
Georgiana was fresh-faced as she wore a pout that made those pretty pink lips of hers plumper. There was an errant curl on her forehead that his fingers itched to brush away. The peach color of her dress reminded him of a fresh spring rose—a rare, warm pink. He clamped his jaw shut in the hope that it hadn’t hung open while she spoke.
“I am family,” she pointed out, dropping her gaze.
His stomach clenched. She was right. She was his family now, and though he sought to protect his aunt, Owen realized his defense had been needless here. Georgiana wouldn’t hurt his aunt. In fact, the two of them would probably become good friends. His aunt could use more people in her life.
“Perhaps she will visit again,” he said after a minute. Georgiana’s eyes flicked to his, and he saw the hope there. “She liked the room, by the way. The gold pillows were… were a fine touch, albeit unexpected.”
It appeared his compliment didn’t lift her mood like he had hoped.
Instead of smiling, Georgiana frowned. “What do you mean, unexpected?”
“The room is fine.” Owen opened his mouth and then closed it. “Just fine.”
He nodded, then walked away before he could make a further fool of himself. There was more important work for him to handle than expounding on his compliments.
CHAPTER13
“Fine?” Georgiana eyed the room and crossed her arms. “What is that supposed to mean?”
It was an empty room, so no one was able to answer her question. She tapped her foot in the silence as her frustration bubbled up her chest. All this thinking was giving her a headache.
She had been here an hour. An entire hour, and she was still no closer to understanding what her husband had meant by that.
“Fine good? Fine awful? Fine I’m wasting funds and will be punished?” She rubbed her face. “This is ridiculous. A waste of my time. I should…”
Hearing humming nearby, Georgiana fell quiet. She took a few deep breaths before she stepped out into the hall to see who might be there. It was the butler and two footmen. They smiled when they saw her. After talking with them for a few minutes, she watched them move on.
“There you are, Your Grace!” Mrs. Helen appeared from around the corner. She watched the men leave before making her way over to her mistress. “Goodness, you make a good impression here.”
Georgiana’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? Your Grace, the staff like you. They even adore you. Franklin over there can’t stop singing your praises, you know. I told him you would never give him a second glance, seeing as you’re married and a noblewoman. He said he didn’t care. He’s just thrilled to be in your household. I’ve never been in such a happy household, Your Grace.”
“Oh. Well, that is…”
Georgiana blinked once, twice, and then five times as a wave of emotion swept across her. She didn’t have words for this feeling. Warmth filled her chest.
Although she had been through a few households and knew how to run one, her father’s influence played too big a part to be ignored. Everyone walked on eggshells around him. There were several families in London whom she knew were prone to make up excuses to fire their servants. Everyone had high expectations, and most families ruled through fear. She saw no need for that.
“Thank you.” She beamed at her housekeeper. “That’s very kind of you to say. Now, how would you describe this room?”
A flash of confusion crossed the housekeeper’s face before she looked into the parlor. “The parlor you redecorated? Oh, it’s magnificent. Why?”
Georgiana smirked. “That’s exactly what I thought, thank you.”
Maybe her husband would be an odd and slightly rude man all their lives. So be it. But that didn’t have to stop her. This was her life. Her home. Her marriage. She would make the most of it. In time, she would unravel the mystery that he was.
In the meantime, she had a household to run.
