the promise of a golden crown, wriggling with delight, her face alight with anticipation.
“Now, shall we see what happens to our king? I believe the fatal wounds and the yielding and dying part are next. Perhaps we should skip those, hmm?” Cecilia caught hold of one of Isabella’s hands and pressed a kiss to her palm. “What say you, madam?”
“No!” Isabella’s bottom lip poked out. “I want to hear the killing parts.”
“You really should only hear songs about spring posies and such. They’re much more to a child’s taste than songs about death. That’s just as it should be, but I’m afraid I don’t recall any of those.” Cecilia’s tone was a little wistful, but Gideon heard a smile in her voice. “There was one about lavender, I think, but—”
“‘Lavender’s Blue.’” Gideon could have stayed quietly by the door all day watching them, but it felt underhanded to him, as if he were eavesdropping. “‘Lavender’s blue, Lavender’s green/can we fix the spacing here?When I am king, you shall be queen.’ Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that one, Cecilia?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice, then glanced over her shoulder. Her smile faded when she saw him. “Lord Darlington.”
“Good morning, Cecilia. I expected you to be downstairs by now.” Gideon strolled into the room, his lips quirking in a grin when Isabella let out a little cry of welcome. “Hello, Isabella.”
“Isabella, go and fetch Amy, won’t you? She’s downstairs.” Cecilia lifted Isabella off her lap and set her down on the floor. “Mrs. Briggs said Cook was making almond cakes today.”
“The little cakes with the sugar on top?” Isabella clapped her hands together, then raced to the door and skipped down the hallway, calling Amy’s name as she went.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Cecilia rose from the rocking chair and faced Gideon, her brows lowered. “About my departure, my lord. You’re making a dreadful mistake, sending me away from Darlington Castle.”
Gideon arched an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” Cecilia raised her chin. “I’ve given it a good deal of thought, and I feel obligated to say I think it’s remarkably short-sighted of you to dismiss me.”
Gideon took in her flashing dark eyes, and all at once he wanted to capture that stubborn chin in his hand and hold her still so he could lose himself in those eyes, even if only for a moment. “I wasn’t aware the matter was negotiable,” he said instead, clearing his throat.
“No, I didn’t suppose you were. I daresay it wasn’t negotiable last night, what with you being in such an unreasonable temper, but I had hopes you’d come to your senses by this morning.”
Gideon’s fingers flexed. The urge to touch her was overwhelming, but he kept his arms at his sides. He’d already decided he couldn’t dispense with the services of anyone who made his niece burst into such glorious laughter, but he didn’t say so yet. “And if I haven’t come to my senses, but instead have come to see you deposited in my carriage and taken away, what then, Cecilia? How will you change my mind?”
He stepped closer, expecting her to step back, but she stayed right where she was, glowering up at him. She was all outraged defiance, but Gideon could see that underneath her bravado, she was nervous. Still, that obstinate chin hitched another notch higher. “As to that, Lord Darlington, I don’t suppose I can change your mind, but before I leave, allow me to give you a piece of mine.”
To Gideon’s surprise, a laugh crept to his lips. It was part amusement and part incredulity, but as impressed as he was with her bravery, he couldn’t allow his housemaid to lecture him. “There’s no need for you to—”
“On the contrary, my lord, there’s every need. First of all, you called me a liar last night. Well, I won’t permit it. I’m no liar, Lord Darlington, and I won’t allow you to call me one, even if you are a marquess.”
Gideon blinked. Had he called her a liar? “I beg your pardon, but I never called you—”
“Yes, you did. I told you the door connecting my room to Lady Darlington’s bedchamber wasn’t locked, and you insisted it was. Furthermore, you attacked me last night as if I were a thief invading your castle.”
Yes, he had done that. To be fair, he’d been convinced she was a thief invading his castle, and for good reason. Still, he should have apologized at once when he discovered she wasn’t. “I