Corey McFadden (42 page)

Inside, Mrs. Davies divested Joanna of the heavy basket and Annie took the baby for her nap.

“Baths for each of you,” announced Aunt Joanna. “No nonsense, Tom. I expect you to be wet when you finish, and use the soap.”

He grinned sheepishly and ran off after Bessie, who still walked with a bit of a limp and was slower than she used to be. But she was coming along and grew stronger by the day. Perhaps one day this last evidence of Eleanor’s madness would be gone.

“I’ve laid out your tea in the drawing room, Lady Chapman,” said Mrs. Davies. “I thought you’d wish to enjoy looking at the new draperies and furnishings. The whole house looks just lovely with all the new things.” Mrs. Davies fairly beamed.

Joanna smiled her thanks and made her way to the drawing room where the tea steamed invitingly. Indeed, the room did look nice. Giles had been so indulgent, insisting that she replace most of the furnishings. There had been much that was of excellent quality and taste, and Joanna’s frugal upbringing had chafed at tossing it all out. But in the end, Giles had prevailed, saying that he wanted to start clean and fresh, with as few reminders as they could manage. Gone were the naked cupids and the voluptuous, reclining women. The rooms were less cluttered now. There was no need, reasoned Joanna, to have five or six settees in a room that rarely saw more than five or six people at a time, one of those being an infant.

And the windows! There was not a window in the house that knew the darkness of a drapery in the daylight. Wherever one went in this house there was a magnificent sight to meet the eye, the sea and the sunset to the west, the misty, purple fells stretching as far as the eye could see to the east. Giles had laughed when she took the heavy draperies out of the bathing room, but she had explained that she had walked around the house and that one could see nothing of the room from the outside. It was too high up, after all, and what better way to enjoy one’s bath than under the magic of the fells?

She had poured herself a steaming cup when she heard the door open behind her. She felt warm hands in her hair and nestled back against the lips that found her neck.

“How did you find the mine, Giles?” she asked when he let her speak.

“Running smoothly in spite of my recent neglect. MacAran is a good man. I will not have to go back again for some time.”

“Thank heavens,” she said, pouring him tea. “Emma and Tom asked after you on the hour and even the baby was fussy. We don’t seem to do very well without you.”

“Good. Then you won’t mind if I hang around here. I find there are so many things to enjoy about this house that I never paid attention to before. Did I tell you I’ve worked out a way to lay hot water to the laundry room? No more lugging heavy buckets if it works.”

“And if it doesn’t we shall have an indoor swimming area. How lovely.” She felt his hands again as he reached for her and drew her close.

“I missed you,” he said simply, his lips in her hair.

“And I missed you,” she answered.

His lips found hers and they held each other. Joanna could feel the peace around her, and thought yet again how Papa had always been right.

Copyright © 1995 by Corey McFadden

Originally published by Leisure [ISBN 0843938862]

Electronically published in 2012 by Belgrave House

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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.