Rescued By A Viscount(17)
“Indeed they are, Mother, and I had best get ready to greet them,” Claire said, rising. “Excuse me.”
Mathew’s eyes followed her from the room, and Claire was glad to close the door behind her. One of the staff must have told him about the note, and like Simon, Mathew was tenacious and would ask her until she told him what it had said.
“Lord, what a conundrum,” Claire muttered as she made her way back to her room. Her life had been so simple just a few days ago, and now she had the note, Simon, and Mathew to contend with.
Her maid helped her change and prepare for Eva’s visit, and she applied more powder, then pinched her cheeks, hard.
“The Duchess of Stratton has arrived, Miss Belmont.”
“Thank you, Plimley,” Eva called through the door.
Claire made her way down the stairs to where Eva and Georgia were waiting. The smile on her face was now genuine. She had fallen in love with the little cherub, and at least for a few hours, she could be herself, chat and laugh with her best friend and mother without a brooding male questioning her. Hurrying inside the parlor she came to an abrupt halt.
CHAPTER FOUR
Simon was standing by the windows with Georgia in his arms. He was having a conversation with Mathew, and both men seemed oblivious to the fact that the little girl had undone Simon’s necktie and was sucking on it.
“Hello, Claire.”
Dragging her eyes from the picture Simon presented and forcing the smile back onto her face, Claire hurried to greet her friend.
“Simon insisted on accompanying me when he heard Grandmother was visiting with Daniel. You know how she terrifies him.”
Claire kissed Eva’s cheek and tried not to look at Simon.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
Yes, she shrieked silently. “Of course not.”
“You had best go and give Georgia a kiss, Claire. She has noticed your arrival.”
The little girl was waving her hands about and making noises and looking at Claire, who did not want to go anywhere near the male holding her or her brother, yet could not resist the child in his arms, so she made her way to where they stood.
Claire curtsied to Simon, avoiding his eyes as he stopped speaking to Mathew and looked at her. She then took one of the hands Georgia was waving about. “Hello, sweetheart, how are you today?”
“Very well, darling, and you?”
The deep words were whispered in her ear as Mathew turned to speak to a footman. Ignoring them and the small shiver they produced inside her, Claire leant forward and kissed the baby’s cheek.
“She likes it if you make disgusting noises whilst you kiss her.”
“I don’t make disgusting noises, Lord Kelkirk,” Claire said in a prim voice that made her sound like her mother. She wanted to take the child from him, yet did not want to ask.
“What? Never? How very controlled you are, Miss Belmont.”
She refused to acknowledge those words or the meaning behind them, so she ignored him and ran a finger down the baby’s soft cheek.
“Excuse me for a moment. There is a matter I must attend to.”
Simon and Claire nodded to Mathew, and then he left the room with the footman at his heels. At least one of her problems had gone.
“I like to be in control.” Claire knew she sounded defensive, yet couldn’t help herself.
“Surely there are times when you can let someone else take up the reins?”
She always felt he was saying one thing and meaning another. The man was very taxing to converse with. “I prefer to handle my own reins, thank you, my lord.” Claire took the tiny fist Georgia waved at her and opened the fingers to press a kiss on her palm.
“I have quite a steady hand on the reins, so I’ve been told, should you need to share.”
Blowing out a frustrated breath, Claire looked up into his twinkling grey eyes. “Can you never be serious?”
He did not answer straightaway, and Claire held her breath as she waited for a response.
“If you’ll remember last night, Claire, I was very serious.”
Babies presented the perfect opportunity to avoid answering difficult questions, so Claire ignored Simon and began to tickle Georgia under the chin until the little girl gurgled back at her.
“It constantly amazes me that such a small creature can captivate a room full of adults. She is a constant delight, isn’t she? I swear she holds my heart right there in that tiny palm.”
The sincerity behind his words touched Claire, and for that brief moment as they looked at Georgia, she knew they were of one mind. This little girl meant so much to both of them.
“It is no different for me, my lord.”
“I know,” he said and then handed her Georgia. “Don’t you think it grossly unfair that when she belches, moves her bowel, or makes a lot of noise, everyone applauds, telling her what a good baby she has been, yet if I did the same I would be run out of town?”