CHAPTER 23

In the corridor outside Grace’s room, Andrew held his breath and prayed she wouldn’t answer his knock. He didn’t know if she’d had enough time to make it back from the gazebo yet, but if he could convince Cecilia that Grace was asleep and that he’d confront her with this ridiculous accusation in the morning, it would buy him time to determine how best to handle the situation.

On the other hand, if Grace was here, Andrew could make a perfunctory search of her room and prove she had nothing to do with the disappearance of Celia’s necklace.

Andrew clenched his jaw. He couldn’t begin to comprehend why Cecilia was so insistent Grace had stolen her pendant. Most likely, the clasp had come loose, and the piece had fallen off. The maids would find it when they cleaned up after the guests left.

He turned to Cecilia. “I’m sure Grace is long retired for the night. I’ll speak to her first thing tomorrow, if the maids don’t come across the necklace in the meantime.”

Her thin brows crashed together. “That is unacceptable.”

Then before Andrew could stop her, she twisted the doorknob and pushed into the room.

Grace stood by the end of the bed, still in the dress she’d been wearing earlier. A fleeting look of panic flickered in her eyes. “What is the meaning of this?” She clutched the bedpost with one hand, thrusting the other behind her back.

Cecilia advanced on her. “Hand over my necklace, you thief. I know you took it.”

The blood drained from Grace’s face, and for a moment, Andrew feared she would faint.

Then her features hardened as she glared at Cecilia. “You mean the one you stashed under my mattress?”

Cecilia’s mouth fell open. “Of all the nerve—”

Grace sidestepped Cecilia to stand in front of Andrew. “When I returned to my room earlier, I noticed my bed was untidy, not like I’d left it. I pulled out the quilt and found this.” Grace held out her hand, revealing the sapphire and diamond pendant. “Someone came in while I was gone and put it there.” She shot a hard look at Cecilia.

Cecilia’s nostrils flared. She snatched the necklace from Grace’s hand. “A liar as well as a thief. This would have fetched a pretty penny for someone of your station. I’ve a good mind to call the constable.”

Despite Grace’s bravado, her bottom lip trembled. She turned her wide brown eyes on him. “Surely you don’t believe that, Andrew.”

He almost groaned. She’d called him Andrew, not Mr. Easton. With that tiny slip, Grace might have fueled Celia’s ire and sealed her fate.

His stomach twisted at the unfairness of the situation, for even with the evidence in her hand, Andrew knew Grace would never take anything that wasn’t hers. Everything in him wanted to shout her innocence. That she couldn’t have stolen the necklace, because she was with him outside. But if he admitted they were alone together at the gazebo, it would ruin her reputation.

And he couldn’t risk upsetting Cecilia even more. Not with so much at stake.

His hesitation became evident to both women, each looking equally unhappy. He needed time to figure out how to protect Grace from whatever was happening here.

“Let’s all calm down,” he said. “Celia, you have your necklace back, and your parents are waiting for you. Let’s sleep on the situation and deal with it in the morning.”

“And give her time to disappear? I think not.”

Grace whirled on her. “Why would I disappear when I’ve done nothing wrong?” She turned to Andrew. “I would never abandon Christian. Never.” Her eyes shone with moisture, beseeching him to believe her.

“Those tears aren’t fooling anyone,” Cecilia scoffed.

Andrew’s stomach churned. Any minute, Cecilia would storm down the stairs and accuse Grace of theft, leaving his parents with no choice but to call the authorities.

“That’s enough,” he snapped. “Grace isn’t going anywhere. We’ll handle this tomorrow.” He took Cecilia firmly by the elbow and guided her toward the door.

She shot another glare over her shoulder at Grace. “Don’t think you’ve heard the last of this.”

Grace pressed her lips together. The anguish in her eyes nearly undid him, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. If he told everyone about meeting Grace in the garden, their time together would be misconstrued, and her future would be destroyed.

He needed more time to come up with a solution that would satisfy everyone involved.

With a silent look of apology, Andrew closed the door and followed Cecilia down the hall.

Andrew’s mind whirled, reaching hard for logic to override his heightened emotions. He required a clear head to diffuse the situation. If he went down those stairs to face both their parents, he had no doubt Grace would become a sacrificial lamb in Cecilia’s drama. They might even have Grace arrested. He couldn’t take the chance of that happening. He had to get to the bottom of this before he let Cecilia wreak havoc below.

Gripping her arm, he propelled her past the staircase to an alcove at the far end of the hallway, where there would be no chance of being overheard.

“What are you doing?” She pulled her arm free. “My parents are waiting for me.”

He kept his eyes trained on her. “I need to clear up a few things first.”

“What things?” A trace of unease passed over her features.

He paused to collect himself, forcing a calm he didn’t feel in order to pry the truth from her. “There are several holes in your story, Celia. For one, I saw you minutes before I went outside to get some air, and you were still wearing the necklace.”

She crossed her arms. “So?”

Andrew took a gamble and prayed it would pay off. “While I was out by the fountain, Grace happened to come along. We chatted for a while. Quite a while, in fact.” He paused to let the implication of his comment sink in.

Celia’s expression grew thunderous. “How convenient! You were probably planning a rendezvous when I saw you both in the hallway.”

Andrew fought to keep his temper under control and not think about the amazing kiss by the gazebo. “A pure coincidence, I assure you. But the point is, Grace couldn’t have taken the necklace and hidden it in her room, because she was in the garden with me. Besides, how would she have gotten it off your neck in the first place without you knowing?” He pulled himself up to his full height and gave her a stern look. “You put it there, Celia. Admit it.”

She pressed her lips together and looked away. Her silence was all the proof he needed.

“How could you do something so cruel to a woman who’s never done anything to you?”

Her eyes flew to his, anger glittering in their depths. “Can you not guess? Or are you so besotted with her you can’t see straight?”

Her harsh words stung, but he forced himself not to flinch. “I am not besotted.”

“Oh really?” She paced the alcove like a caged animal. “Do you imagine I don’t see how you follow her every move, how your ear is attuned to her every word while I sit unnoticed beside you? How do you think that makes me feel?”

Guilt sliced neatly through his chest. Had he been that obvious? A landslide of images flew to mind. Dancing with Grace at the gala, enjoying her company at Hanlan’s Point, and most damaging of all, kissing her tonight under the stars. He’d never felt so alive, so uplifted as when he spent time with her. “So, out of jealousy, you planned to have Grace fired to remove her from my life?”

Her bottom lip trembled. “I had to do something. I could feel you slipping away from me more and more each day. And then seeing you together in the hall with that baby, looking like a real family, something just snapped.” A tear slid down her cheek, and she brushed it away. “I won’t lose you the way I lost Frank. Do you have any idea what his rejection cost me? I could never endure such humiliation again.” All her bravado fell away, leaving only raw emotion.

Compassion mixed with guilt as Andrew handed her his handkerchief. Despite everything, she did have legitimate cause for her insecurity. Was he such a cad that he could ignore her pain?

And for what? One perfect kiss in the moonlight with a woman he could never have?

He rubbed his temples where a headache grew in intensity. “I’m sorry, Celia. Sorry I’ve been so . . . distracted lately. You’re right. I haven’t been fair to you.”

She blew her nose and sighed. “I’m sorry too. For lying about the necklace.”

A recollection flashed through his mind of Celia as a young girl, chasing him, Frank, and Ginny around the back lawn, her blond braids flying out behind her. They’d been so young and carefree back then. How had things gotten so complicated?

“What do you intend to do now?” she asked quietly.

Andrew released a weary breath. Maybe if he tried harder to involve Celia in his life, to include her on outings with Christian, she would form a deeper attachment to them both. And in turn, maybe his feelings would strengthen. “If you drop your accusation against Grace,” he said. “I promise to make more of an effort in our relationship.”

It was the least he could do to ensure Grace’s reputation remained untarnished. Especially since this whole situation was his fault. If he had to sacrifice himself to do so, then so be it. He should be used to it by now.

Cecilia sniffed. “You’re not just saying that to guarantee my silence?”

Faced with the naked vulnerability in her blue eyes, Andrew couldn’t bear to hurt her again. “I give you my word.”

A smile fluttered on her lips. “Then I will try harder with Christian as well.”

“Thank you. That would mean a great deal to me.”

The pressure eased in his chest. He’d saved Grace for now and hopefully taken steps to solidify his connection with Celia. Maybe he could make this work after all.

He led her out of the alcove toward the stairs, his resolve firming. He’d known all along that his attraction to Grace was inappropriate. Pursuing it would be wrong and would only result in the ruin of many lives, Grace’s included.

It was time to be a man and accept the truth. Cecilia was his future.

After a sleepless night spent alternately pacing the floor of her room and reading her Bible, Grace dressed for the day ahead with wooden movements. She’d stayed up for hours in the hope that Andrew would come back to tell her that he believed her and that he’d put Cecilia in her place. But he never returned, leaving Grace’s imagination to run wild with what might have happened.

Now with the household beginning to stir, Grace feared that at any moment Mr. Easton would call her down and fire her. Or worse, turn her over to the police. Because unless Andrew had succeeded in getting Cecilia to change her mind about accusing her of theft, this would be Grace’s last day in the Eastons’ employ. The last day caring for Christian. Her heart hitched at the thought. How would she ever say good-bye to that precious boy?

On a deep inhale, Grace attempted to shake off her worries, and entered the nursery to check on Christian. She was glad to find he was still asleep. His late-night appearance at his grandmother’s party had likely tired him out. She would go down to the kitchen and get his morning bottle prepared because when he awakened, he would be hungry.

She stepped into the hallway and found Andrew waiting by the top of the stairs. Her heart leapt into her throat. How would he treat her today after everything that had transpired?

“Good morning, Grace. May I have a word with you downstairs, please?”

Her tongue tangled at his serious demeanor, and she could only nod. She forced her legs to carry her down the staircase.

“Let’s sit in the solarium,” he said when they reached the main floor.

She followed him into the spacious room filled with sunlight and plants, where only a few stray balloons bore evidence of the festivities that had taken place the previous night.

Andrew gestured for her to take a seat on one of the wicker chairs.

She did so and waited while he paced to the windows overlooking the rear yard.

At last he turned, his expression haggard. “I owe you an apology. Two apologies, in fact.” He paused. “First, for taking liberties with you last night at the gazebo.” Color crept into his cheeks. “I had no right to kiss you. Not when I’m courting another woman. I hope you can forgive me for overstepping the bounds of our . . . friendship.”

Hurt stole her breath. Was that all he considered her to be?

She held his gaze. “Well, I don’t regret it. Not for a minute.”

He actually flinched, then moved to the other side of the room where he fingered the leaves of a potted fern. It seemed he couldn’t even bear to look at her.

A burn of indignation heated Grace from the inside out. It was glaringly obvious that their kiss, which had changed everything for her, meant nothing to him. She’d been foolish to believe anything else. She pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything rash. One reckless deed was enough.

“The second apology is for that stunt Cecilia tried to pull.” The sun shone through the windows, surrounding him in a wash of light.

Grace went still. “Does this mean you believe me? Because last night I wasn’t sure you did.”

He whirled around. “Of course I believe you. I know you’d never do anything like that.” He was saying all the right things, but his eyes remained shuttered. “Cecilia told her parents we found the necklace in the hallway and apologized to everyone for overreacting.”

Relief crashed through her with such intensity that for a moment she lost her breath. “So I won’t be going to jail?”

“No.” A hint of a smile touched his mouth.

She rose from her seat, too unsettled to remain still. “Why did she do it?” she asked.

Yet as the words left her mouth, she remembered the iciness of Cecilia’s words when she’d seen Grace with Andrew in the hallway. Had she suspected Andrew’s interest in her and followed them out to the garden? Grace’s stomach churned at the idea of being spied on in such a manner.

“She was making a point in her usual dramatic fashion.” His brow furrowed. “Ever since Christian became my ward, Cecilia has been angry. She resented the attention I gave him and the time I spent away from her.”

“Well, you have a nanny now. She should be happier.”

“Except that the nanny also seems to claim a great deal of my attention.” He gave her an intense look.

Heat scorched her cheeks as emotions seesawed through her. “If I’ve done anything to make you think—”

“No, Grace. You haven’t.” He moved in front of her. “You’ve done nothing except be the wonderful person you are. How could I not want to spend time with you?” The huskiness of his voice drew her gaze to his face, where his eyes flashed with an undefinable emotion. “The fault was all mine for forgetting my place. Forgetting my commitments. I’m truly sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

Grace’s lungs felt like they were collapsing. “What are you saying?”

“I haven’t been fair to you—or to Cecilia.” His gaze slid away as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m going to do my best to make it up to her.”

“I see.” Coldness settled in the pit of Grace’s stomach. Despite what Cecilia had tried to do, he was remaining loyal to her. Grace had been foolish to ever imagine she held any sway over him. That his kiss meant he’d choose her. She couldn’t look at him, afraid he’d see too much. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to Christian.” She turned to leave before her emotions got the best of her.

He reached for her hand. “Forgive me, Grace. I never meant to hurt you.”

She went still, anguish tightening her chest. With enormous effort, she tugged her fingers free. “You’ve made your position very clear. From now on, I’ll remember my place.”