“Thank you, ma’am,” Charlotte said, and quickly left the room.
Audrey squared her shoulders and moved briskly into the drawing room, showing no hesitation. “Blythe?”
Robert paused in the doorway to take everything in. Miss Collins stood in the middle of the drawing room, wearing a bright green gown with a matching shaped jacket for warmth during travel, and a little hat perched on the top of her piled brunette curls. He thought she looked nervous upon first seeing Audrey, but when she caught sight of him, she gave that “confident-in-my-beauty” smile, and he found himself distrusting her motives before she even opened her mouth.
“Audrey, this is a lovely home,” she said politely, guardedly.
“I’m glad you came, Blythe.” Audrey reached out her hand, and Miss Collins took it. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to visit? I thought you were staying in London.”
Miss Collins shrugged, glancing at Robert again. “It’s not the Season yet, and so many people aren’t in Town. I made my rounds and then … I wanted to see the house you inherited. Rose Cottage is the name?”
Audrey smiled and nodded, as if she’d never had a problem with her sister. Robert suspected that Audrey would do anything to improve her relationship with Miss Collins. He felt a rise of anger on her behalf, that she would have to be so desperate for her family’s approval. But was that all it was? He had no family at all but distant cousins, and would give much to have the companionship and shared past of close kin. Perhaps Audrey wanted to preserve that, rather than take whatever abuse her sister handed out.
Robert would make certain that Miss Collins understood that he would not tolerate poor treatment of Audrey.
“Are you just stopping by,” Audrey began, “or might you visit for a while? You’d be my first overnight guest.”
Miss Collins glanced at Robert with speculation. “Lord Knightsbridge did not stay?”
What did the woman think they were doing, conducting an open affair? Not that Robert would have minded for himself, but he minded on Audrey’s behalf.
“My home is only eight miles away,” Robert said coolly. “It would be inappropriate for me to spend a night here, do you not think?”
Miss Collins’s eyes widened. “Oh, forgive me. Of course you’re right. But you’reengagednow, and I thought Audrey might wish for your help.”
“We do much together, it is true,” Audrey said, before Robert could answer. “He has been a good friend, especially since Molly’s illness has confined her to her room.”
“I’m sorry to hear about Molly’s illness, and hope she’s recovering, butfriend?” Miss Collins said with interest.
“Shouldn’t those about to be married do well to be friends?” Robert asked dryly.
Audrey tilted her head toward him, and he already knew her particular warning look. She wanted to handle this, and she didn’t appreciate his interference.
Sometimes it was damned annoying to be involved with an independent woman. It made him not want to find his own wife.
But a lover, on the other hand …
“Please sit down, Blythe,” Audrey said warmly. “Robert, please ask Francis to bring a tea tray to stave off our hunger before luncheon.”
Robert stepped out the door and relayed the request to Francis, then returned. Audrey and Miss Collins were seated side by side on the sofa, so he took an upholstered chair across the low table from them.
“London was quite boring,” Miss Collins said, heaving a dramatic sigh.
As if Audrey had any idea what London was like, Robert thought angrily. This wasn’t going well already. It was amazinghow the passing of just a few days made him even more defensive and irate on Audrey’s behalf.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Audrey murmured. “I know how much you usually enjoy it there.”
“Yes, well, it gave me such a good opportunity to see your inheritance. I know how excited you always were. Could it possibly have lived up to your expectations?” Miss Collins asked, her voice laced with doubt.
He admired Audrey’s forbearance more and more as she remained the gracious hostess.
“It has been more than I ever dreamed,” Audrey said quietly, hope evident in her shining expression. “I feel like this inheritance is Mr. Blake’s gift to me, an apology, the chance to start my new life.”
“But you won’t be here long,” Miss Collins pointed out. “Soon you’ll be the mistress of Knightsbridge Hall.”
Robert awaited her response tothatone, lobbed as if from a mortar and targeted precisely.
“We haven’t set a wedding date yet,” Audrey said, without even a momentary hesitation. “And this will be one of our properties, as well, and my dower property, so I want to see it thriving.”
