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The younger children scrambled out of the carriage and ran toward their friends. Finlay and Hugh dragged behind them, pretending they were too mature to play in the park. But once Geordie started kicking the ball with his friend, the older boys joined in.
Cameron helped Grace down the steps of the carriage and settled her hand in the crook of his arm, intending to escort her to her friends.
“You need not bother to accompany me to the benches. ‘Tis only a few feet away,” Grace reassured Cameron.
“Nonsense. I would not be a gentleman if I did not see you safely settled before I continued on my way. Also, you are still pale. Mother would have my head if you fell ill and I abandoned you.” Cameron patted her hand.
Grace sighed softly enough that Cameron couldn’t hear her. She couldn’t fault him for being a caring gentleman, a trait his brother failed to reciprocate. Why had she fallen for the brooding brother instead of the carefree one?
“I cannot have that on my conscience.” She pointed toward a group of ladies settled on the benches facing the children. “You may walk me to my friends before you take your leave.”
Cameron winked at her. “Why, thank you for the pleasure, Miss Penrose. I consider it an honor.”
Grace chuckled at his wry response, smiling at how easily he lightened her mood. While the letter remained a constant thought weighing down her emotions, Cameron’s easygoing approach to caring for her helped her not to dwell on the threat. Once she returned to the manor, she would make a plan to return home. She didn’t want to cause any trouble for her friends or the Lockhart family.
“Grace.” Sara Abbott rose off the bench and wrapped Grace in a hug. “It is wonderful to see you.”
“Since you were so late to arrive, we thought you were not to show,” Flora Grant added.
Grace pulled back. “I apologize. I did not mean to worry you.”
Vivian smiled, her glance straying toward Cameron. “All is well. You have arrived and with a friend, no less.”
“Pardon my manners.” Grace pressed her hand against Cameron’s arm, then swiftly pulled away. It was improper of her to act so familiar with him, even if they had declared themselves friends. “May I introduce you to Lord Lockhart’s younger brother, Cameron?” She turned to Cameron and pointed to each lady as she introduced them. “These are my friends, Vivian, Sara, and Flora.”
Cameron tipped his hat and bowed. “A delight, my ladies.”
“Have you returned home for an extended visit?” Vivian asked.
Cameron focused on Grace. “I only planned for a brief stay, but I might lengthen my visit for a bit longer.”
Grace blushed at Cameron’s bold stare. “Do you not have business to attend to?”
Cameron smirked. “In due time.”
Grace growled. Cameron held the same infuriating trait as his brother. His flirtation would only create more speculation among her friends. And anyone else who might overhear and observe his attention toward her. She could feel each friend’s stare upon her.
“I also see more children accompanying you today,” Sara stated.
Cameron glanced at the children playing. “Yes. My brothers Finlay and Hugh are home from school. Grace has had her hands full of late. Not to mention her illness.”
“You have been ill?” Flora asked.
Grace glared at Cameron. “A slight chill, nothing too dreadful.”
Vivian frowned. “Still, you should be resting.”
Grace pinched her lips. “Nonsense.”
Vivian’s concern bothered Grace. Why show everyone she cared when she proved she held no sympathy for Grace’s plight? By not responding, Vivian had shown Grace how alone she was in solving her problems. This false display of caring only showed Vivian to be shallow, a trait she had never shown in the past, but then life changed for Vivian once she became Lady Courtland. Grace didn’t want to consider her friend insensitive, but her hurt feelings urged her differently.
Flora stood and draped a blanket around Grace’s legs. “We shall look after Grace while you conduct your business. If the visit becomes too taxing, we will send a footman after you.”
Grace sighed in relief. Leave it to Flora to dismiss Cameron as if he were a lowly servant and not the gentleman he was. Her friend was a no-nonsense Scot, and the status of a person never swayed her behavior. She noticed Grace’s discomfort and only hoped to eliminate the cause.
Before Cameron could respond to Flora’s bold dismissal, Vivian’s younger sister, Chloe, ran over to the benches and dropped her shawl in Vivian’s lap. “I am going to play ball to help Bennett and Geordie win.”
Chloe ran off as quickly as she had arrived. But her presence held enough of an impact for Cameron to take notice. Grace saw his interest in the young debutante, and she needed to convince Cameron to leave before his flirtatious charm conquered another victim. Vivian shielded her sister from the interest of any gentleman. She wanted her sister not to feel pressured to marry until she was ready. It was the reason for her visit, to keep Chloe away from her mother’s agenda of securing a wealthy groom for her daughter to elevate her status.
“Who was that lovely gem?” Cameron mused aloud with his gaze fixed on Chloe.
“That is my sister, Lord Lockhart,” Vivian answered.
Vivian’s firm tone did not go unnoticed by Cameron. He acknowledged Vivian’s warning with a nod. However, he didn’t hide the interest still gleaming in his eyes.
Cameron pulled out his timepiece and noted the time. “I shall return in two hours. Will that allow you enough time to visit with your friends?”
“Yes,” Grace answered.
“Ladies, it has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Cameron strolled away at a leisurely pace, keeping his gaze focused on the young beauty playing with his brothers. He paused at the carriage, watching her before issuing directions to the footman. Soon he took off on foot to the center of town. Grace didn’t know what his business was, but she was thankful he left the carriage in case she needed to leave with haste. While her illness no longer troubled her, she had an eerie sense that trouble lurked nearby.
“It would appear Chloe has found herself another admirer,” Flora quipped.
“I will have a word with Cameron about keeping his distance from Chloe,” Grace promised.
Flora arched her eyebrow. “Cameron? Grace? Is there something you wish to share with us?”
Another blush settled over Grace’s cheeks. “No. ‘Tis only a friendship we have developed over the past few days. I need to remember myself while not in the privacy of Lockhart Manor. The family is informal and insists I address them by their given names while in their company. I have forgotten myself. However, it will not matter soon anyway.”
Vivian reached out and placed her hand over Grace’s. “Why do you say that, dear?”
Grace pulled her hand away. “You already know the answer to the troubles that await me.”
Vivian’s eyebrows puckered in confusion. “I am at a loss about your troubles.”
Grace swiped at a tear. Her emotions were on the verge of pulling her under. “I wrote to you asking for your help. And you never responded. I thought I could depend on you through this troubling time.”
Vivian shook her head. “I never received your letter.”
“Lady Lockhart assured me she had my missive delivered,” Grace insisted.
Vivian slid closer, wrapping her arm around Grace to help calm her. Her distress hovered over them, causing her friends to gaze at her with sympathy. “I promise I would have responded without delay if I had received it.”
“Has Lord Lockhart made your position too unbearable?” Sara asked.
Grace choked on her cry. If it were only the simple reason of Lockhart disagreeing with her decisions about the children’s education. “He dismissed me.”
“What?” Flora leapt off the bench.
Vivian waved at Flora to sit back down. “Please explain.”
Grace drew in a deep breath. “I made a horrible mistake of participating in the children’s fun. It ended with an insult toward Lady Fyfe and her daughter. Lord Lockhart decided I am unworthy of educating and caring for his siblings. Once the tutor he hired arrives, I must depart. Until then, he retains my services.”
Sara handed Grace a handkerchief. “Did Lady Lockhart not plead your case?”
Grace wiped away her tears. “She attempted to, but Lockhart has remained stubborn and sticks by his decision.”
Flora reached across to offer Grace comfort. “What are your plans?”
“I hoped Vivian would allow me to stay with her until I can find another position. I understand it places you in an awkward position, but I can offer my services as a governess to the children.”
“Nonsense. You can stay as a friend. I will send the carriage to Lockhart Manor on our return home to gather you and your belongings.”
Grace shook her head. “No. I promised Lady Lockhart I would stay until the tutor arrived. She has been so kind, and I do not wish to disappoint her. I do not understand what could have happened to my letter.”
Vivian shrugged. “Perhaps the servants misplaced it. I will check with Bowers once I return home. I wish you would reconsider, though. My concern for your continuing to reside with Lord Lockhart does not sit well.”
“I agree with Vivian. You should leave now,” Flora insisted.
“I cannot. I made a promise that I plan to keep. Also, Lockhart has taken himself off to his club, and there is no talk of his return. Hopefully, the tutor will arrive any day, and our paths will no longer cross.”
Sara offered Grace a wistful smile. “Do you truly hope to never see Lord Lockhart again?”
Grace tucked the blanket tighter around her legs, keeping her gaze downcast. “Yes. Why would I not?”
Sara shrugged. “I thought maybe you held tenderness for him.”
“Aye. I have noticed in the past months how your voice has softened whenever you mentioned his name,” Flora agreed.
“Nonsense,” Grace denied.
Vivian gave a swift shake of her head to Flora and Sara to halt their inquiries. “Of course, dear, we understand your decision. Since we do not understand what happened with your missive, I will send a footman around every day with a note inquiring about your well-being. I will make him wait for your response. Once you are ready to depart, you will let me know. Then Lord Courtland and I will call around and collect you. That way, we can reassure Lady Lockhart of your care. Do you agree with these plans?”
Grace hugged Vivian with gratitude. “Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to help me once again.”
“We are more than friends but a family. I am there for every single one of you,” Vivian promised.
“As am I,” Sara added.
“Aye, a family,” Flora agreed. “Now tell us more about that devilish charmer who escorted you to the park.”
Grace laughed at Flora’s description of Cameron. While her troubles were far from behind her, Vivian’s offer helped to ease her troubled mind. She hoped once she left Lockhart Manor, the threat would vanish. She refused to scare her friends in case it didn’t become an issue. Since no one else mentioned they received a letter, Grace concluded she was the only victim. No sense in stirring trouble until it became worse.
Besides her family, these three ladies had proven themselves to be the best of friends. They had survived a scandal together by proving themselves worthy adversaries. They had rallied around Sara when she became a victim of her employer’s advances and then when Vivian suffered at the hands of her peer’s reactions. With their support, they would help Grace overcome her difficulties. Together, their bond of friendship only strengthened with each act of kindness. It was a gift she would treasure always.
“A devilish charmer does not even begin to describe Cameron Lockhart,” Grace teased.
Soon Grace had her friends laughing about the stories Cameron had shared with her while he entertained her during her illness. Her eerie feeling forgotten, Grace enjoyed the afternoon visiting with her friends. Vivian shared her marital bliss, Sara told them about Lord Somerville’s plans to visit his family in England for the holiday, and Flora mentioned how they had heard word that her employer should arrive by Christmas. Grace found happiness in her friends’ lives and held out hope she would feel secure once again soon.
But would she ever?