Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
She sighed and shrugged. I shall see them later.
* * *
She hurried down to Arthur who offered her his arm with a smile. “I should tell someone I’m leaving. But I haven’t seen a soul.”
* * *
“Well, your father is in the greenhouse.”
* * *
“Yes, let’s tell him as we go.”
* * *
Arthur nodded. “As you wish, my love.”
He deposited Janice in the parlor before going in search of his mother. Sister Sarah was still in residence, training the new caretaker who would take over from her once she went back to the hospital. He found all three of them in the garden, his mother sitting on one of the benches staring off at something only she could see while Sarah and the new nurse flanked her. Both were occupied with knitting, while they kept one eye on his mother.
* * *
“Sister Sarah, I have brought home a very important person to visit with my mother. Would you be so kind as to bring her to the parlor?”
* * *
“I could.” Sister Sarah put down her knitting, “but she is very comfortable here and peaceful it seems. Would your visitor mind very much to come out here and meet her?”
* * *
Arthur pondered this for a minute. “No, she would not mind. I shall be but a moment.”
* * *
He turned, retracing his steps to the house and heading for the parlor. His mother did seem slightly more aware, as if she were actually seeing the landscape she was looking at. Arthur hoped it wasn’t just his imagination.
* * *
“Lady Janice,” he said bursting into the parlor, “Would you be a dear and come with me?”
* * *
She smiled, getting to her feet and coming to meet him at the door. “Of course. Where are we going?”
* * *
“My mother is in the garden and her nurse thinks it may not be wise to disturb her with movement.”
* * *
She nodded. “I understand. Let us join her then. It’s a lovely day, we shouldn’t waste it inside.”
* * *
He gave her a searing glance. “I can think of a few things that I would not consider a waste of time if we did them indoors.”
* * *
She blushed, hitting his hand softly. “Stop that.”
* * *
He raised his eyebrows with faux innocence. “Stop what?”
* * *
“That!” she pointed at his eyes.
* * *
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand your meaning.”
* * *
She snorted. “You are infuriating.”
* * *
He grinned impishly, enjoying himself. “I am. I hope you will be able to withstand it.”
* * *
She sighed dramatically and attempted to look sad, “I shall do my best.”
* * *
He turned away from her, looking to the bottom of the garden where the three women were still seated. He took Janice’s elbow and propelled her forward toward his mother. The nurses got to their feet and moved away, giving them room to sit down.
* * *
Arthur seated Janice on one side of his mother while he took the other.
* * *
“Mother?” he called softly. She didn’t so much as twitch.
* * *
“Mother? I want you to meet my affianced. This is Janice. We are to be wed.”
* * *
“Very pleased to meet you, Your Grace,” Janice said softly and then touched his mother’s hand lightly.
* * *
To Arthur’s shock, his mother turned and looked right at Janice. She gasped, holding her breath and staring back. They sat suspended in time, waiting for more. The dowager duchess turned her head, blinked once, and resumed staring at the middle distance.
* * *
Arthur and Janice’s eyes met over her head. Janice inclined her head as if to say ‘It’s about the best we could hope for’. Arthur was inclined to agree. However, he decided to talk to his mother about his plans.
* * *
“Janice’s family will come by for dinner this evening to celebrate the engagement. I shall send to London for a marriage license as soon as tomorrow and we can be married in a fortnight. Isn’t that wonderful?”
* * *
His mother merely blinked and gave no sign that she’d heard a word he said.
* * *
“Maybe you can join us tonight. I want my new family to know you.”
* * *
“I know they’d be so happy to meet you,” Janice said.
* * *
They paused, expectantly, staring at the dowager duchess, hoping for some acknowledgment, but she gave no sign that she’d heard. He looked to Janice and she nodded, settling back more comfortably against the bench and looking in a similar direction to his mother. He decided to do the same.
* * *
“What a lovely bird that is,” Janice said, indicating a sparrow that had landed on the yellow rose bushes.
* * *
“Yes.”
* * *
“Your gardens are quite lovely. Cared for.”
* * *
“That is only because the gardeners take it upon themselves to keep it that way, and the cows do the rest.”