Lady Adalyn (The Saga Of Wolfbridge Manor Book 1), Sahara Kelly [the best e book reader .TXT] 📗

first days at the Manor and her desire to learn more about her gentlemen. She had not, thus far, given it much more thought, but perhaps now she could elicit some information that would help her understand these men and their devotion to the mistress of Wolfbridge.

She shifted closer to Daniel, enjoying the slight warmth that heated her side. But turned her head toward Giles. “I think it may be time to speak of matters we’ve left untouched, Giles.”

He raised his eyebrows in question. “My Lady?”

She smiled. “You have a habit of calling me my Lady when you’re not ready to answer my questions or words, Giles. But when you’re relaxed you call me Adalyn. It’s quite endearing, but I am wise to your little slips now.” She reached out her hand and touched his arm. “I know so little about you all, but you know everything there is to know about me. If we are to move forward together, to wherever fate has determined, I would like to work toward a balance between us.”

Giles looked at Daniel, then sighed. “We’ll see.”

“Humph.” She narrowed her eyes and watched the lane ahead. She vowed to make sure that information was forthcoming. Otherwise the mistress of Wolfbridge Manor would be most displeased.

Chapter Fourteen

Jeremy arrived back at Wolfbridge late in the evening, just as Adalyn was about to retire.

His demeanour was calm, his face betrayed no untoward emotions—but Adalyn was convinced that he was not himself. That little sparkle in his eye had vanished and his lighthearted wit had left him.

So she readied herself for bed, accepted Daniel’s offer of assistance, and the two of them talked briefly about their day. But even he seemed disinclined to linger, and she blew out the last candle knowing her room was devoid of her gentlemen. She felt rather lonely, and frowned at their unwillingness to talk about important matters. Personal matters.

If they had been women, there would still be a deep and emotional conversation taking place downstairs. On that somewhat amusing thought she fell asleep.

The whisper of the curtains being pulled back to admit the daylight, and the rattle of a teacup on a tray awoke her, and she yawned and stretched.

“Good morning, my Lady,” Jane Barnsley curtseyed. “I’ve your tea steeping, and hot water in the ewer. If you’ve a preference for your dress today, I’ll be happy to take it downstairs and give it a quick iron…”

Adalyn’s heart lifted. “Jane, how lovely. You and I are going to get on so well. The men are extremely efficient, but there’s just something comfortable about hearing a woman’s voice first thing.”

Jane smiled. “I’ll pour the tea then, shall I?”

“Please do.” Adalyn got out of bed and headed for the screen in the corner of her chamber. “Milk only, please.”

“Yes, my Lady.”

The tea was excellent and Jane offered a few suggestions about her choice of garments for the day, suggesting a lavender shade of ribbon to replace the pale grey.

Adalyn agreed, and blinked at the sudden thought that time was passing. It was going on three months since Sir Ridley Wilkerson had passed away and precipitated her into this amazing adventure.

“Is the walk to get here in the mornings acceptable, Jane?” asked Adalyn over her teacup. “Not too far?”

“Oh no, Ma’am. Ten minutes at a brisk pace. And I like to keep a brisk pace.” She smiled from eyes as blue as a spring sky.

She was quite lovely, tall and shapely with excellent posture and hands that could be described as delicate. Mr. and Mrs. Barnsley were to be applauded. Jane was a wonderful creation. Except, of course, for the scarring. Adalyn prayed it would fade slightly as time went on, for surely it would be the first thing anyone noticed about her, and that was just wrong. She now understood why the young woman had needed to defend herself, and sighed at the sad tale. That might have been her own lot, had she been forced into service by circumstances beyond her control.

Her toilette completed, Adalyn left Jane to her chores and walked downstairs to the parlour for breakfast.

There she found Daniel and Giles talking with Evan, who was laying out several dishes of food on the sideboard.

“Good morning,” she said, walking up to them. “I trust everyone slept well?”

Their greetings were somewhat subdued. “Indeed, my Lady.”

“Thank you, Lady Adalyn.”

She helped herself to toast and walked to the table, taking her seat. “Very well then. Sit down and tell me what's going on.”

“My Lady?” Giles raised an eyebrow.

“Giles,” she said, after sipping her tea. “I have been here for almost a quarter of a year. In that time I have come to know you all quite well. Quite well indeed. So cut line. Something is not right this morning. Jeremy is not here, and neither is Trick. Now one or the other of you may have work that needs to be done, but seldom are two of you absent while the rest of you act as if nothing were happening.”

Daniel shook his head. “You are too observant, Adalyn.”

She gazed at him. “You are all so very dear to me. If something is wrong I need to know.”

“She’s right.” Jeremy walked into the room. “And it’s my fault.”

“It’s nobody’s fault, lad,” Giles sighed. “But perhaps it’s best for us to talk this through.”

“Trick?” asked Evan.

“On his way,” answered Jeremy. “And yes, I believe the time has come to talk about what has occurred.”

“Are you all right, Jeremy?” Adalyn tried to keep her concern out of her voice, but failed. If something was wrong and judging by the faces around her, something definitely was, she had to worry.

Trick rushed in. “Sorry, I had to check on the mare. She kicked out a slat in her stall last night. No damage though, just a broken panel. She’s fine.”

“Well, at least something is going right.” Adalyn buttered her toast, trying to ready herself for whatever lay ahead. “And Jane Barnsley has joined our staff.