the part of the servants to make the old family apartments habitable?"
"No, not at all. Why?"
"Because that is where we shall be staying for the duration of our guests’ visit."
Jane wouldn’t tell Elsbeth why they must remove to the ground floor rooms; nonetheless, once Lady Elsbeth assayed the heavy oak door with its ornate lock that guarded the entrance to that wing, she began to understand. What puzzled her was Jane’s quiet conviction that such safeguards as distance and a heavy oak barrier were necessary. Sir Helmsdon was an annoyingly persistent suitor, but certainly not one to overstep the bounds of propriety! Still, it wasn’t like Jane to act unwarrantably, and there was her matter-of-fact attitude that argued against any suspicion of hysteria.
That afternoon, as Jane directed the cleaning and organizing of those apartments, there was a certain grimness to her expression not totally explained by her weakened condition. She had just finished directing the movement of certain heavy pieces of furniture when Jeremy came with the information that the Earl of Royce was in the parlor. Lady Elsbeth glanced at her niece worriedly, dubious as to her reception of the information. To her gratification Jane merely directed the servants to carry on and formally suggested Elsbeth accompany her.
"I should be very remiss in my duty if I didn’t!"
"Oh, excuse me, Aunt Elsbeth. I’m sorry. I must seem the most cold individual today. My mind is quite tied up in knots. I’ll own that news of Sir Helmsdon’s eminent appearance has rattled me a bit. It’s just that he was so persistent...." she said, her voice fading away. She shook herself and forced a bright smile to her lips, but it was a smile that failed to reach and warm her icy green eyes. "Will you forgive me? I shall strive to be better. I promise."
Jane saw the worry in her aunt’s eyes and was touched; but she did not feel she could confide the extent of her misgivings surrounding the upcoming visit. She hoped she was wrong, but she suspected that neither Lady Serena Tipton nor Sir Garth Helmsdon intended to act in a totally honorable fashion. She felt like a warrior girding up for battle, checking her defenses, setting strategy, and readying her ammunition. The problem was, she really had no ammunition with which to fight save for the Earl of Royce. And he was at best a keg of dynamite as likely to destroy her as her enemy.
What could he want now? she mused as she tore at the strings of the large white apron that covered her gown. She flung it over her head, tossing it in a hallway chair by a tall pier glass in which she stopped to check her appearance. She patted a stray raven lock back into place, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. The trick to dealing with men like the earl, she told herself, was to be impeccably polite. Such behavior drove them crazy.
She closed her eyes a moment to will a relaxed, calm state in which to greet the earl. Behind her Lady Elsbeth began making slight noises indicating her growing sense of unease. Jane opened her eyes and flashed Lady Elsbeth a smile before taking her arm in hers.
"I’ll not deny the man makes me nervous. Look at me, preening like some fresh debutante! It is simply not to be borne!"
Lady Elsbeth relaxed and smiled in turn. "No, but I’ll own I feel it healthy for you to be thrown off stride a bit. One can become too complacent."
"With Aunt Serena and Sir Helmsdon arriving, complacent is the last thing I could possibly be!" she said, laughing, her eyes warming at last.
"Miss Grantley, it is welcome to see you recovered from your unfortunate accident," drawled the Earl of Royce from the open parlor doorway.
Jane looked up, emotion draining from her features and leaving two bright spots of color in its wake. Royce was dressed in riding attire, his hat and crop tucked under one arm.
"My Lord Royce," she murmured, dipping slightly while extending her hand. "You do me an unexpected honor." Her lashes descended over her eyes, masking the irritation reflected in those twin green pools of light. "Please come in and sit down. May we offer you anything in the way of refreshments?" She gracefully swept past him and sank onto one of the settees. She indicated an invitation to be seated with a brief wave of her hand.
"No, thank you anyway. I do