Beauty in Disguise (16 page)

“You have a good head on your shoulders, son. I agree with you that we should proceed in this way.”

“And I have your permission to ask her when the time is right?”

No. He was as culpable in her running away as she was. Had he asked her to marry him as soon as her father had granted his permission, the elopement may never have occurred.

Dear God, how will I ever confess this to her? How will I ever make it up to her?

Would she even let him make it up to her? Kathryn’s father had asked him if he still loved her, and he’d answered truthfully: he did not know. But that wasn’t the entire truth. He knew he did not
still
love her. But as each day passed together at Dinsmore Manor, and each moment a new revelation came to light, it made him think that perhaps he could love her
again.

She was different, more mature, but so was he. He realized, as he regaled her father with each of her characteristics and the bravery with which she had faced each obstacle, that he was the one whose heart was being touched.

He would do everything in his power now to reunite Kathryn and her father. His time might be short, so that would be paramount. But after...he would begin to follow his heart again instead of his ego and pride.

Maybe that is what he should have done from the beginning.

Chapter Eleven

L
ord Dalton no sooner returned midday from his trip than Master Jacob began triumphantly spreading the news that he had promised to spend the afternoon with them for the express purpose of building a moat. It appeared to Kathryn that Lord Dalton was surprised to hear it, but he never gave the child one cause to doubt him.

He bowed in earnest, greeting each occupant with a smile. “Miss Montgomery, I hope you are going to join us.” Kathryn became wary, but he bowed and she gave the required curtsy.

“Lord Darling, you must stop smiling at Miss Montgomery and help me.”

“You will wish I was smiling once you discover what a taskmaster I am,” Dalton said, though ruffling the boy’s hair belied his words. “But we will go softer on the ladies, I think, Master Jacob. What say you?”

“Oh, no, my lord. Lacey and I have our own plans for the morning. Have no fear.” Kathryn hoped he did not see Lacey’s face fall, or he would know how much the little girl wanted to be included.

“Not so fast, ma’am. Jacob and I will need underlings to do our bidding. We could not possibly dirty our hands with the project!”

Kathryn did not understand the change in him, and did not relish the idea of such close proximity to him for the entire morning. But he insisted it was a group project; she
must
stay.

She feared there was more to this visit than a simple promise to an eight-year-old, but as a relative servant, she could not gainsay an earl. She accepted, therefore, with more grace than she felt. Much of the night she had lain awake, thinking about the severe set down she had given him the night before. She believed her disguise hurt no one in the Dinsmore family. Lord Dalton’s awareness of the lie perpetrated on them changed everything.

Lacey was delighted to be included and clapped with glee, making Lord Dalton laugh. Kathryn admitted defeat. It appeared Lacey did not feel the same about the fun they would have had on their own, after all. In short shrift, all four sat cross-legged on the floor around the tower. The children’s nurse, knitting in the rocker by the window, chuckled several times to herself.

After deciding on the basic materials they would need for construction, Jacob raised the question that seemed to be pressing most on his mind. “But sir, how will we keep the water from leaking out? Nurse would scold us if we made such a mess on the floor.”

Kathryn hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she reminded him of his promise. “Jacob, I am sorry, but you may not use real water at all. You agreed to that the day we decided to build it.”

“Jacob,” Lord Dalton chimed in, “a man always keeps his word. So, I have been pondering the problem and I believe I have finally hit upon a solution that will satisfy all of our needs.”

Kathryn and the children watched as Lord Dalton reached into his inner coat pocket and very slowly pull out a strip of dark blue shimmering fabric, much the way a magician would pull a handkerchief from his sleeve.

While the children looked at him in question, Kathryn knew exactly what she was looking at. She was, however, as puzzled as the children as to the material’s purpose. “Lord Dalton, why have you taken a piece of the fabric that is hanging in the ballroom?”

“Ah, I see I shall have to watch my step. It seems we have a detective
disguised
as a companion in the house!”

Kathryn blushed to the roots of her hair, and she thought she saw regret in his face as he looked at her.

“I do not understand, either, sir,” said Lacey, interrupting her thoughts.

“I have no real conviction it will work. I hope we can make our moat
appear
as if it were water.”

The children were still a little uncertain, and Jacob was obviously disappointed at the pretense, but Kathryn joined in, determined that the children’s day would not be ruined by their contretemps. “I see!” she exclaimed, and leaned across Lacey’s lap with her hand outstretched, silently asking Lord Dalton for the material. Then she looked around for Lacey’s drawing pad.

Upon finding it, she pulled several pieces of the large paper free and began to bunch them into paper balls of various shapes and sizes. Then she gently draped the blue shimmering fabric loosely over them. The chorus of “ahhs” that arose told her they had caught on, and Jacob and Lacey even went so far as to call Lord Dalton a wonderful moat maker.

All materials and plans now accounted for, the children began working in earnest while Kathryn and Lord Dalton offered a helping hand now and again. “Kath...Miss Montgomery, I
am
impressed! However did you arrive at such a brilliant idea so quickly?”

She made light of it with him, then excused herself for a moment to go back into the nursery. She was startled to find him behind her when she turned. “My lord?”

“I beg your pardon. I have noticed in my short stay here how well those two work together. I thought they would be fine on their own for a while, and then they could honestly proclaim their hard work when it is finished.”

Kathryn saw a glimpse of the kindness he showed others bestowed upon her, and she felt confusion. His kindness always made her proud, though she knew it from many years ago. “I only came to retrieve one of the school chairs,” she said as she put one hand around the newel post. “I was growing uncomfortable on the floor.”

Lord Dalton gently lifted the chair from her hand and grabbed another for himself. She retreated into the book room and he followed, making her feel uneasy. He set the chairs beside each other, close to where the children worked.

He stood behind her chair, as if holding it for her, so there was little she could do in rearranging them. He sat next to her but turned his attention back to the children. What was this new game? Did he think to gain her friendship again, only waiting for a better opportunity to humiliate her? “I should like to know, my lord, which part of the large dining room your material was taken from.” She started to rise. “I suppose I had better remove there posthaste before Charity or her mother catch a glimpse of the damage.”

“Come, Kath...Miss Montgomery, I vow you know me better than that! I cut the piece from the extra material hanging behind the draperies. No one will notice anything wrong, I assure you.”

He ran his hand through his hair, and Kathryn knew that meant he was frustrated. “ I apologize for treating you with such disrespect. I had no right, and I am truly sorry for it. If you wish me to somehow make reparation to the Dinsmore family, only say the word.”

Kathryn was caught off guard again. “My lord,” she said very quietly, “you have treated me as I deserve. The only apology I sought was on behalf of them.”

“No.” He seemed tongue-tied.

“You are only here for a few more days, and you may be as mean to
me
as you wish, if it lessens the torment I put you through.”

He shook his head, unable to express himself fully in front of the children. “I should like to impose upon you if you will consent to it.”

With eyebrows furrowed, Kathryn just stared at him. She heard despair in his voice and could only wonder at it.

“May I ask when your next day off might be?”

“I do not understand, my lord.”

“I know as an employee here, you may not be able to come and go as you please. I would like...I wished to take you...great guns! If you will spare the time to me on your next day off, I would appreciate it.”

“Lord Dalton, my
half
day off is the day after the party. But I do not see how...”

“I know you do not, but I cannot discuss it in front of the children. Is it possible to take a full day? I am sorry. I obviously have much to learn about those who work in a household. Those who work in
my
household!”

Kathryn knew she was not the best judge, but he seemed sincere. However, she would not risk her heart again so soon. “I believe Lady Dinsmore would allow it if I asked, but as I have never done so before, I fear she will be interested to know why.”

They were interrupted by Jacob, who grabbed Lord Dalton’s hand and begged him to come see what they had done. “It
does
look like water, sir!”

After a quick “Excuse me, my lord.” She rose and went out to the nurse, still knitting in her rocking chair. “Sally, will you keep an eye on these three for a few moments? I must check on the...ice sculpture for the party.” She was halfway out the door before Lord Dalton could stop her.

Sally chuckled and waved her on. “It ain’t the two wee ones I’ll be having to restrain, miss,” she said to no one in particular, as Miss Montgomery was gone and Lord Dalton not far behind.

Kathryn ran down the hallway as soon as she left the nursery and went straight to the large dining room where the party would be held. She decided, if found, she had any number of reasons for being there. She stood at the French doors, surrounded by what she would always think of as Vauxhall Gardens, and tried to calm her fluttering heart.

Lord Dalton’s voice behind her had the opposite effect. “Kathryn, what is it?” He put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her toward him.

“My lord, there is no need to manhandle me.”

He let her go so quickly she almost tumbled backward. “I beg your pardon,” he said.

She did not know what to think. She was so confused. He was being quite civil today, which was more than she could say about his behavior two nights ago, or any of the time since he had returned, for that matter.

“What is it you want from me, my lord?”

“I want you to trust me in this.”

She turned her back on him and looked out the glass doors once again.

“I know I have behaved despicably. And I know I have given you no reason to trust me since I found out...discovered...it was you. But I would like to take you with me to visit someone we both need to see. We will not be able to do that in half a day.”

She turned back to him. “Who would we be visiting?” she asked curtly.

“I decided I would ask you to trust me and believe it is someone you wish to see, but I fear I have not earned that trust yet, so I will tell you.”

She saw that it was he who was uncomfortable now, but was not in the mood to humor him.

“It is your father.”

She gasped and came at him with fists balled in rage. “How
dare
you?”

He grabbed her fists before she could do damage he had no doubt she could do. “He wants to see you, Kathryn. He needs to see you. And I think, from all you have said, you need to see him, too.”

“You have no idea what I need. And why would you have seen my father? Is this another means of punishing me, my lord? I own it is your best effort to date.”

She tried to pull away. What was he doing? If he was so set on defeating her, why did he not just leave? She was stuck in a lifetime of servitude. Was that not enough for him?

“Kathryn, hear me, please. When you told me your story, I could not fathom that no one had seen you in all these years.” He still held her hands. “I confess I was as angry at him as I was at you. I felt I deserved to know why he had not told me about the elopement. It was as if I had never been a part of either of your lives.

“So I went to see him. He is sorry, Kathryn. I know I have no right to ask it of you, and you could certainly go see him quite on your own. But I believe if we both go, it will do each of us good. Maybe help us understand each other and what has happened between then and now. I
know
it would be the best thing for him.”

“Is this the same speech you gave him, my lord?”

“No! I went to see him for my own selfish reasons. He asked me to bring you to him, if you would come.”

“
He
asked for
me?
” Her surprise was real, but became jaded in an instant. “Why should I believe you?”

“I think he should be the one to tell you his reasoning, not I.” He pulled both of her hands up to his chest, knowing the pain and anger that would be in her eyes, though he could not see them. “I have been unkind and cruel to you. I wish I had not, but I cannot undo it. I wish the hard feelings to end here. I have sought God’s forgiveness, and I ask now for yours. I know you will need time. But please say you will go with me to see him on your day off. No one will know you are with me, I promise.”

“I...”

She spoke but the one word before Charity and her mother entered the room and were brought up short at the sight of Lord Dalton holding her hands.

“Miss Montgomery!” screeched Charity at her vilest.

“Miss Montgomery!” said Lady Dinsmore at the same time, and in complete shock. “What am I to understand by this...this...display?”

Drat the man! Kathryn had allowed time alone with him to cloud her judgment, and she was no doubt about to lose her position because of it. She quickly pulled her hands from Lord Dalton’s and rested them at her side. “Lady Dinsmore,” she began, but was cut off mid-breath by the man standing beside her.