He continued in this cheerful view as he escorted Kitty and her brother to Samuel’s room across the hall from Kitty’s. She stopped, her hands on Samuel’s shoulders and turned a smiling face to his. Without pausing to think, Phineas leaned down and planted a kiss on Kitty’s cheek. It was only when he was met with Samuel’s inquisitive gaze and Kitty’s shocked one that he realized what he had done.
Ahem. Phineas appeared to have a ball lodged in his throat. “I … um … Good night.” He turned to go, but not before he caught the corners of Kitty’s lips creeping up into a smile.
15
Kitty had hoped for a glimpse of Phineas at breakfast, but he had already left to meet the steward, according to the footman. Instead, she settled down to listen to Samuel’s conversation. Although she was used to entering into the spirit of all that excited him, she found herself listening with only half an ear and thinking about Phineas. He had touched a chord in her heart the night before the way he listened to Samuel and advised him. It was as if he understood what Samuel was going through. Of course that was impossible since Phineas had been born to the privilege of his set. Undoubtedly he went to school without a fear in his heart other than the natural fear of leaving what was familiar.
Although Kitty had found Phineas attractive upon first sight, his appeal grew the more he’d engaged with Samuel at dinner. She’d barely had to say anything as he listened to Samuel recount his adventures and tell what parts of the garden he had visited. Phineas then offered suggestions of other things her brother might like to do. Occasionally, he would glance at Kitty, his eyes twinkling with shared enjoyment. At times, she thought it might be to see whether their conversation pleased her. Then he would catch her eye and give something close to a wink, sharing in the private amusement of listening to the unedited speech of a boy.
He would make a good father. The thought made Kitty catch her breath. Nothing could recommend a man to her more than that, and yet they were hardly closer to knowing one another than they were before. Apart from that kiss last night. Kitty clamped down on her lips to keep a grin from erupting. What had that been about? She hadn’t known he was capable of such a stealthy move. He must have known it had not been unwelcome.
Kitty had sent a footman to warn Craddock earlier that Samuel would be accompanying her. The path that led to the stables was now familiar, and she anticipated the dip in the road that likely filled with mud when it rained. The branches of the oak tree on the lawn were bare, but in the spring they would be filled with light green budding leaves. This was her home now, and she would be here to witness this new life.
After last night, the image of Phineas as a father consumed Kitty. How frustrating that he made no advances to make such a thing possible. He could not have truly meant that he expected her to make the first move. How could he think she would do such a thing? Kitty had come to the conclusion that she could only wait to see how all this would unfold. Phineas must eventually have a plan for their union. Since it was clear he was invested in the relationship, he could not let things continue as they were. Did he not understand how impossible it was that she be so forward?
Craddock had received the message, and had Fawn saddled as well as his own horse. A pony that Phineas had acquired before Samuel’s arrival, and whose name was Punch, was waiting next to the other horses. Another evidence of her husband’s thoughtfulness.
“Samuel!” Craddock held his hand out, and Samuel shook it gravely. “How are you this morning?” Craddock lifted his eyes to Kitty as he addressed her brother, but Kitty did not wish for the same dynamic that had occurred with her husband last night to mar this morning’s musings. She smiled and turned away as Sam answered.
“Very well, I thank you.”
“I understand you are not experienced at riding,” Craddock went on. “But you know how to get into the saddle, and you can ride a little bit without me holding the bridle, can’t you?”
“I can ride some. I'm just not what they would call a bruising rider.” Samuel glanced at Kitty. “I can even trot a little. But I am afraid of galloping.”
“I know just how you feel on that matter,” Kitty said with a smile.
“We will not gallop,” Craddock assured him. “All right. Up into the saddle with you while I help your sister—if you are able?”
“If you can bring Punch to a mounting block, I can.”
Craddock brought the pony over, and Samuel hopped into the saddle with little difficulty. Phineas had told Kitty it was an Exmoor pony, who would be strong enough to carry Samuel even as he grew. Punch was a caramel brown color and his forelock was so thick it lent him an impish look. He stood very calmly while Samuel adjusted himself in the saddle.
“And now, my lady, I believe it is your turn.” Craddock came to Kitty’s side and helped her on to the mounting block. She climbed on to the horse and settled comfortably. A pat on her leg made Kitty jump, but when she glared at Craddock, he had already moved away from her. He should not think she would accept such intimacy from the groom—not when even her own husband hadn’t touched her leg. Phineas had not even done so the time she had brushed her knee against his at dinner.
“We are ready,” she called out in a frigid voice. “Why don't you mount and lead the way.”
Craddock grinned, despite the rebuke in her tone, and Kitty was momentarily bereft of further speech. Surely he could not think his familiarity in any way appropriate. Craddock mounted his horse, and the three of them moved forward. “I will take you toward the public road. You’ve not yet explored this part of the property, and the road is very quiet so you need not fear the horses will be spooked by anything.”
Kitty was grateful for her brother's presence. She was going to have to speak to Craddock, but she found it difficult to do so, especially with their mutual connections. What if word made it back to her family that she had become proud in her new situation? Her brother’s presence only delayed a conversation that would be inevitable. As they rode, Craddock gave Samuel excellent instruction on how to handle the pony. Despite what Kitty was coming to see as his faults, she had to own that Craddock was a very fine teacher. He not only knew horses well, he knew how to impart his knowledge.
It was probably not enough that she had rebuked Craddock. She would need to speak with Phineas about the groom’s impertinence. Such a thing made her uncomfortable. She could be ruining a man's livelihood. Was it possible she was misreading his intentions? Was he simply mistaking the common past they had for reason to take liberties that another servant could not take? A direct warning was an important start before going to her husband. She needed only find a moment when they were alone to do so.
“Careful, my lady. There is a narrow ditch here, and your horse will need to make a very small leap to get over it. Lean into it just slightly, and you will be fine.”
Craddock went over first, giving additional instructions to Samuel, who followed him and continued on with a canter, which he reined in. Her brother looked back at Kitty with a pleased flush on his face. Kitty sped her horse up and leaned forward, and made it safely to the other side of the ditch. That was a victory. Her first leap. It hadn’t been as hard as she’d imagined, and Fawn had seemed to sail over the ditch effortlessly.
They continued on the path until they came across another rider heading in their direction—a young lady accompanied by a groom. As they drew nearer, Lucretia Dutton came into view, astride a large dapple gray that she rode with ease. Her dark blue riding habit set off her flushed cheeks, and Kitty thought again of the fabrics from Phineas, waiting to be turned into something as fashionable as Lucretia’s riding habit.
“How do you do, Miss Dutton?” Kitty called out, impulsively she feared, for it was the first familiar face she had seen.
“Lady Hayworth. It is a pleasure to see you again. I had to beg my mother to let me go riding, because it is such a beautiful day and a little warmer than the days we’ve had in the past. I do not know how long this will last, but I could not sit inside
for another moment.”
Miss Dutton’s expression held a natural warmth, and Kitty felt that—apart from her connection to her mother—she was someone who could potentially become a friend. “I understand perfectly. It is a beautiful day. Please allow me to introduce my younger brother, Samuel Stokes.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Stokes,” Miss Dutton said, turning her eyes to him. Samuel sat up straight at being called by such a formal name. “Are you home from school?”
Samuel shook his head. “I will not go to school until next year. I'm going to Harrow.”
“I am sure Harrow will suit you very well,” she said. “My cousins went there, although some of their friends went to Eton. There was always a rivalry between the two schools, and I’m sure you will quickly find you have a favorite.”
Kitty laughed. “I am very sure he will. And will you be spending the Christmas holidays here?”
“Yes, I am not going anywhere before the London Season, despite having three married sisters. What is the point of having married sisters if they will not invite you to London and introduce you to Society? It is all very dull.” Miss Dutton spoke in a droll voice that made Kitty laugh again.
“Perhaps we may spend time together then,” Kitty said. “We will be leaving for Bath in a week, but when we return, I will be pleased to invite you. We plan to remain for the Christmas holidays, as well.”
“With great pleasure.” Miss Dutton hesitated and added, “We are having a formal dinner party next weekend. If you are free, I would like to send you an invitation.”
Kitty’s heart leapt at being received by a member of Society, even if it meant meeting Miss Dutton’s mother again. “I would like that very much. I will have to ask Lord Hayworth, but I do not believe we have firm plans.”
“Excellent. You may expect an invitation to arrive by the end of today.” Miss Dutton smiled and lifted her riding crop to wave.
They had just bid farewell, when Craddock began turning his horse. “If we turn here, we can start circling back to the house, so that you are not too tired from your first ride, Samuel. We can increase the time as you grow accustomed to longer rides, although it appears you will only be here for another week before you leave again?” He raised an inquiring eyebrow to Kitty, who did not think a servant needed to know their family’s business.
Still, she did not have the heart to snub him, and he would eventually learn of their plans anyway. “Yes. We will be leaving to bring Samuel back to my brother and to visit with Lord Hayworth's parents in Bath.”
“I only hope it will be a comfortable visit for you, my lady,” Craddock said.
Kitty darted a glance at him and found him watching her. She chewed her lip, wondering how best to handle this familiarity with Craddock. His underlying message was that he doubted she would be accepted among Society there. And although she found the complicity he constantly searched for between them to be bordering on impertinence—and therefore greatly in need of being repressed—she couldn't help but agree. She, too, was unsure of the reception she was likely to have.
Samuel had been at Giddenhall for over a week, and life with the three of them had begun to take on a comfortable rhythm with Kitty at the foot of the table, Phineas seated close by on her right, and Samuel close by on her left. If Phineas had been worried that Samuel’s stay would break up the harmony of his newly established relationship with his wife, he had to own it had done more good than harm. True, there was not the privacy needed for him to court the woman he was married to. Samuel took up too much space in their conversation. When Kitty’s hand brushed his as he passed a dish at the dinner table, he could only assume it was innocent rather than a flirtation and therefore could not follow up.
When dinner was over, Samuel accompanied them up the stairs, chattering the whole while. There was no longer that moment of hesitation—that questioning glance as Phineas bid Kitty good night in front of her room. This was both a relief, as it removed the disappointment when nothing came of it, and it was a source of frustration. Because nothing came of it.
Samuel had accompanied Kitty on her riding lessons, which relieved Phineas’s mind since she was no longer alone with the groom. However, Phineas offered to replace Kitty and ride with Samuel when he discovered her only habit needed to be washed, and she did not intend to ride. He wondered if she did not like the cloth he had bought for her, and if that was why she had not had her riding habits made up yet.
Phineas found Samuel to be a natural in the saddle. Kitty said that in one lesson he’d advanced more quickly than she had and, indeed, he was already attempting small jumps. “Throw your heart over first,” Phineas said, when they came to a short hedgerow.
When Samuel looked at him questioningly, Phineas added, “That means, set your mind about where you want to land and show your determination to go there. Your pony will follow if you do that. But if you show any hesitation on your part, the pony will sense it and will not go.”
“He will see that I'm quite determined,” Samuel replied. With a glint in his eye that showed his resolve, the boy rode toward the hedgerow and led Punch neatly across. He allowed his pony to go forward a little before reining in. He looked back at Phineas, his eyes shining.
“Nicely done,” Phineas said, following him across. “I could not have done it better myself. Shall we head back to the stable? I believe Kitty will want to find out how your lesson went, and you will be able to tell her about your jump. She will surely have finished with Mrs. Morley by now.”
Samuel screwed up his lips. “I don’t like Mrs. Morley.”
Phineas looked at him in surprise. “You don’t? Why not?”
“She is not nice to Kitty. She takes her time to answer when Kitty asks for something, and she doesn’t get what Kitty requests right away.” Samuel brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Our servants at home never treated her like that.”
“Ah.” Phineas frowned. The thought of one of his servants lacking respect for his wife filled him with anger. That would have to be dealt with. “Thank you for telling me.”
Samuel nodded, and they allowed their horses to walk side-by-side toward the stable. The boy looked ahead, and the sun glinting on his red hair was very like Kitty’s. Phineas wondered if their own children would have her red hair too.
“Phineas, can I ask you something?”
Phineas had never given Samuel license to use his first name, but the boy must have heard Kitty use it and imitated her without thinking. Phineas did not precisely mind. He was coming to appreciate his new young relative and was even looking forward to having him return after the holidays, when hopefully the connection with his wife might have deepened. He looked at Samuel and nodded. “You may ask me anything you like.”
“Do you love my sister?”
The shock of being on the receiving end of such a blunt question sent a flush to Phineas's cheeks that he could not hide. Samuel was looking at him and waiting for an answer. “You know…” Phineas was not sure how to answer in a way that was truthful and would satisfy the boy’s curiosity but also help him to see that there were certain aspects of Phineas and Kitty’s relationship to which Samuel would not be privy. “Love is not something much talked about among Society.”
“I thought as much,” Samuel replied, and the easy way he said it caught Phineas by surprise. “But I thought it might be different with you because my sister is not of Society, and she says she loves me all the time. I thought maybe she would say it to you.”
If Phineas had felt uncomfortable before, this confession did not help, and it set his mind spinning. So Kitty was someone who was able to say “I love you.” He wondered if he would ever be the recipient of such a phrase. No one had ever said it to him before, and he almost thought it did not exist outside of novels.
“I’ll tell you what, Sam,” he said, returning Samuel’s use of his first name with the nickname Kitty used for her brother. “I don't propose to answer your question. This is a subject that is private to your sister and m
e.”
“I beg your pardon.” Samuel looked ahead at the far end of the path. “There is Kitty walking toward the stable. We shall meet her there.”
An irrational surge of jealousy seized Phineas when he saw her making her way with graceful steps, her head covered with a bonnet so that she did not see or hear them returning. She could only be going to the stable to see Craddock. There could be no other explanation for it. At the nudge from his rider, Phineas’s stallion sped up.
“Shall we canter to the stable? It’s not as fast as a gallop, and I believe you are capable,” Phineas said.
“I am ready,” Samuel said, following behind.
Phineas very nearly did ride at a gallop to close the distance. He swung down at the entrance, and led his horse through the wide doorway. He heard Samuel doing the same behind him and was pleased that he had been able to keep up.
“Craddock,” he called out, his voice taking on a hard edge that did not hide his jealousy. Craddock was facing his wife, closer than Phineas would permit, but Kitty’s relieved expression made him pause. She did not look like she was engaging in a flirtation. “Take our horses.”
Kitty stepped forward. “I came to inquire what time the both of you set out because it seemed a very long time for Sam to be riding. Craddock seemed to think it was too long for a boy of his skill so I grew worried.”
“I am very well able to handle a horse now,” Samuel exclaimed from behind them. He had not led his pony forward but was holding him by the bridle. “You should not have worried. Phineas was with me.”
Kitty looked at Phineas, startled, and he was not sure if it was because Samuel had used his Christian name, or if it was because Samuel replied what should have occurred to her without prompting. “You are very right, Sam. It was foolish of me to have worried.”
His Disinclined Bride (Seasons of Change Book 7) Page 14
