She gave him a thoughtful look, then nodded. “Respect for Henry—yes. That would be acceptable. Well, then, come along, girls, fetch your coats and hats. And Rose dear, find George something more suitable to wear. We’re going shopping.”
***
A mound of correspondence had accumulated in the short time Cal had been away. He took it into the library and sorted it into estate business—a towering heap—and personal—a single scrawled, hand-delivered note. Nothing from Radcliffe, dammit, but a letter from Phipps had confirmed he’d obtained Henry’s will and found it substantially unchanged from the copy Cal had already seen. There was no mention of Georgiana.
Cal had just broken the seal on the note when a soft knock on the door made him look up. It was Georgiana, a slender waif dressed all in black with a black hat and black gloves.
“What is it?” he asked warily.
“That wasn’t in my father’s will. About no mourning.”
He shrugged. “Different will. Your copy was an old one. I have a copy of the latest one here.” The fewer people who knew the truth, the better.
She studied his face, unconvinced, but before she could ask him anything else—like had her wretched father remembered her in any way at all, poor child—Rose poked her head in the door. “Come on, George, we’re going shopping—forcolors. Bye, Cal.”
“Shopping.”George grimaced good-naturedly, then gave Cal a smile and a friendly nod of good-bye. It was the first time they’d been in any kind of accord, and he found himself smiling as he returned to his correspondence.
The note was from his friend Galbraith, inviting Cal—actually begging Cal—to join him at York House that night, for dinner and commiseration. He didn’t say what the commiseration concerned, but Cal could join the dots.
He penned a swift acceptance and rang for Logan to deliver it to Galbraith at York House. Then he turned to the documents concerning the Ashendon estate and grimly began to work his way through the pile, making notes as he went.
His mood grew blacker. There was a huge backlog of estate matters to be attended to. Their father had been meticulous, a hard taskmaster who’d left a huge and complicated estate in apple-pie order. Henry had simply let things grind to a halt.
But it would be no hardship to go to Ashendon and see to things personally. Three names on his list were from Oxfordshire.
Some time in the afternoon he heard the girls and Aunt Dottie return home. From the sounds of laughter and excited girlish conversation, he gathered they’d a good day.
Cal kept working.
An hour later Rose entered, carrying a tray containing a pot of coffee and a plate of sandwiches. “Cook thought you’d be hungry, but Logan said you wouldn’t want to be disturbed, so I said I’d bring it in.”
Cal thanked her, picked up a sandwich in his left hand and kept working.
She loitered, twirling a golden curl around her finger. “Thanks, Cal, for telling Aunt Dottie to get us something in lilac. Even though it’s still a mourning color, lilac suits all of us, you know—me, Lily and George. We’ve ordered the prettiest dresses. And bought some divine hats.”
“I’m glad.” He had no idea about colors and what would suit whom, but he was pleased the girls were happy for a change. He picked up the next document.
“Cal,” she said in a soft, coaxing voice. “You said we weren’t to go out in the evening without an escort.”
He gave her a narrow look. “Yes?”
“And we haven’t—don’t worry—we’ve been ever so good, I promise. But there’s a night fair down on the common tonight. Could we—I mean, would you take us? There are jugglers and fire-eaters and tightrope walkers, and—”
Lily poked her head around the door to add, “And a puppet show and coconut shies and toffee apples and a menagerie and stalls selling—”
Cal held up his hands to stop the flow of enticements. “Sorry, not tonight, girls. I have an engagement. Another time, perhaps.”
Their faces fell. “Oh, but it’s only on for one night.”
“There will be other fairs.”
“But—”
“Girls, you’ve just been shopping with your aunt and purchased the first colors you’ve worn—legitimately worn, I mean—in a year. And you have a new niece to get to know. Isn’t that enough to keep you happy for the evening?”
“But we haven’t been out for ages!” Rose said. “Not to anything. Not even the Pump Room.”
“All we’ve done for the last two weeks is knit and sew and talk and do puzzles and fold paper firelighters. Aunt Dottie hasn’t let us go anywhere,” Lily added.
