Their faces brightened and right away she knew she made the right decision.
“Come along.”
Her heart squeezed when they scampered to hold one of her hands each. As she near the door, their staid butler Mr. Jenkins held it open.
“Please inform Mrs. Fields we would like a picnic basket prepared quickly and delivered to us on the lawn,” Adel said to him.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
They exited and soon they were walking across the lawn, inhaling the cold crisp air into their lungs.
“We are never outside this early.”
“Surely not.” It was already past two in the afternoon. Adel would have taken her walk much earlier if she’d not overslept and then conferred with the dowager duchess.
“After breaking our fast, we will go to the school room,” Rosa said. “We come outside after all our lessons, but we do not take long walks.”
“Well we shall certainly fix that, won’t we?”
Sarah’s eyes rounded, and she nodded eagerly. It felt natural as they strolled along the vast expanse of the estate to simply chatter and laugh, as if she had been in their lives for weeks instead of a couple of days.
They came upon a pond with several stone benches and they sat.
“Our mamma is in heaven,” Sarah suddenly whispered.
Adel smiled gently. “So is mine.”
They gasped.
“Do you think they are friends?”
“Most certainly.”
Sarah’s faced scrunched. “Grandma said heaven is not real, but Mamma is certainly at peace,” she parroted.
Two footmen arrived with blankets and a basket. They laid them nearby and set out the food, before melting away. Adel and the girls wasted no time tumbling onto the blankets.
“I do not think we can stay with you for luncheon…Mr. Davenport expects us back before three.”
Adel winked. “I am sure Mr. Davenport will understand if I take today to learn my new daughters.”
Sarah and Rosa fairly glowed, and it finally sank in how starved they had been for attention. How was this possible with the dowager duchess still living at Rosette Park?
After biting into an apple, Adel spoke, “Not everyone believes there is a heaven, but I am certain of it.”
“Have you been there?” Rosa asked, munching on grapes.
“No, but just because I have not, does not mean it is nonexistent. I choose to believe my mamma is there…happy, laughing as we speak and making friends with your mamma.”
Relief filled Sarah’s expression and she nodded.
“What was your mamma like?” Rosa asked almost shyly. “My mamma loved to sing and play the pianoforte.”
Adel stretched her legs out, and propped her weight on her elbows. “Those are such wonderful skills. My mother was very unconventional and when she sung, our dogs barked in protest.”
The girls giggled and Adel grinned. “And Mamma sang every morning, with the most atrocious accent.”
“Was she French?” Rosalie whispered.
Adel winked. “American.”
The girls’ eyes widened and they glanced at her consideringly.
“Mrs. Galloway told us the Americans are savages.”
Adel frowned. “And pray tell who is Mrs. Galloway?”
“Our governess. Father fired her when she smacked Sarah,” Rosa said.
“We put frogs in her bed…and she smacked us,” Sarah said giggling.
Adel was happy to see they were not scarred from the experience. “And why would you girls do such a ghastly thing?”
“We did not like her,” they said together.
“She was very mean,” Sarah said, her lower lip trembling.
“Come here, my darling,” Adel said, then “oomped” at the force Sarah flung herself into her lap.
“Today is not a day for bad memories. We are going to eat, have some lessons, and have fun.”
Rosa shifted closer to Adel’s side, but did not hug her.
“Now the first lesson…let me tell you of the red Indians and…dare I say it? They are called savages by some.”
They gasped and Adel settled into what would be a glorious afternoon.
Chapter Fifteen
Edmond strode toward the wide pond at the eastern side of Rosette Park, Maximus at his heels as usual. The night wrapped around Edmond in a cool caress, a welcome respite from the sweltering heat earlier. Dinner had passed in a blur, with minimal conversation between him and Adeline.
Amusement wafted through him. She had spent a good portion of it glaring at him, and it was not that he willingly ignored her, he was just too tempted to partake in all she had to offer. Her smiles, her wit and conversations, and the kisses she was hell bent on tempting him toward.
Vexing woman.
He’d been content to allow her and his mother to lead the evening, but had excused himself from joining them in the parlor for reading. That had been over an hour ago. He’d spent the time visiting his girls in their bedchamber and had read to them before kissing them goodnight.