Lady Griffith's Second Chance

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Well," she said as she finished her food and her second cup of coffee. "I should venture upstairs before your brother and sister burst through the windows in search of sunlight."

"They'll still need their boots," Katharine said, sounding so grown up and motherly that Regan almost tripped on the edge of the rug as she stood. "Mrs. Dale said it is still nothing but mud everywhere, but it does seem to be drying quickly enough."

By the time she arrived at the door to the nursery, she found all three children - Peter included - dressed for outdoors and sitting very quietly together, as if they knew their fate depended on their behavior. Miss Kennett sat near the window, working on more of her embroidery, singing to herself while the children played and whispered in subdued tones.

"Well?" Regan announced without preamble, drawing all four sets of eyes to herself. "Who is ready to walk down to the lake and see if the rain has made it overflow its banks?"

They made a merry party marching down the drive, Miss Kennett carrying Peter on her hip and Regan bearing the load of a small bag of apples for the children to snack on when they needed a rest and bit of refreshment. Regan thought they would keep to the lane for as long as possible rather than cut across the lawn, giving the grass more time to dry out beneath the sun. They had only been outside for a minute when Regan caught sight of a black shape on the horizon, the soft sloping hills situated in a way that gave her a view of the gatehouse and the beginning of the drive leading up to the house.

"What is it, mama?" Maria tugged on her sleeve. "Is it Mr. Cranmer? Has he come back already?"

Regan squinted beneath the brim of her bonnet. The carriage was unfamiliar to her, but it was certainly not the one Mr. Cranmer and Mr. Dale had left in six days before. "I do not know. Shall we return to the house and wait for their arrival, or shall we walk a little farther and meet them along the way?" The weather was so fine it had made her playful, and the idea of their little band trundling up to greet their visitors made her smile.

"My lady," Miss Kennett said from behind her.

Regan turned. Miss Kennett's complexion was pale, her eyes wide and unblinking. And fixed in the direction of the approaching carriage.

"Miss Kennett?" Regan took a step towards her, her arm outstretched. The poor girl looked ready to drop where she stood, though her grip on Peter remained strong, even tighter than before.

"I recognize the carriage," she said, finally blinking, finally tearing her gaze away to swing it towards Regan. "It belongs to Lord Hays."

It could not have been a greater shock if someone had thrown a pail of icy water onto Regan's head. Her breath stopped, perhaps even her heart as it thudded once, twice in her chest. And then she inhaled, and she spun on her heel as she took in her surroundings as if seeing them clearly for the first time.

"Take Peter to the nursery," she told Miss Kennett. "Keep him there until I tell you when it is safe to come out again."

The young lady did not hesitate, but returned to the house as fast as she could with Peter in her arms.

"Jack, Maria?" Regan called her children to her. "Go to the kitchen. Tell Mrs. Dale I need you to help sort out refreshments for our guest, hmm? And then tell her you may stay there - out of everyone's way, please - and have as many treats as you wish."

The children scampered away, the gravel from the drive spitting out behind their heels as their departure turned into a race between the two of them. Regan waited until everyone else had disappeared inside again, and then she set her mind to work.

"Right," she said under her breath, and looked down at her gown, then raised a hand to touch her hair, pulled back in a plain, rather untidy knot for the day. "Best to make him wait."