She had his attention now. His eyes snapped back to her, his gaze roving over her hair, which she imagined looked like a bird’s nest with loose strands and tendrils sticking out in every which way. When she had confronted the disarray comprising Mabry’s house, she had removed her bonnet and riding jacket and rolled up her sleeves. She was well aware that her pristine riding habit was streaked with dust, dirt, and God knew what else she had collected as she and Emily had swept the place clean.
His smile vanished. “My apologies. Was it terrible? Will she be all right?”
His apology stole the wind from the sails of her irritation. “Well, Mrs. Mabry is regaining her strength. She should be on her feet in a week or two. However, with her bedridden so long, the house was in as sorry a state. It needed a thorough cleaning. Mabry had stoked the fire, so we were able to warm a kettle of water and dispense with the dishes. They don’t own many, but of the few they do, I believe Mabry used them all.” She grinned.
“You did the dishes?”
She wondered if she had dirt on her face, for he stared at her so strangely. “Well, yes, short of a maid, who else was there?”
“Who else indeed,” he murmured.
“We sorted out the clothes strewn everywhere, did a bit of dusting and sweeping. I cleaned one of the windows to get some light into the rooms, and Emily filled their cupboard with some of the loaves of bread and wedges of cheese I brought.”
“Is that all?”
“Well, I will send a maid down to collect the wicker basket of dirty clothes to have them laundered at Taunton Court. There is no other way. I intend to speak to the vicar, make arrangements for someone to check in on them regularly. We will have to assess the situation of the other tenants. I will advise the parish to put together more food supplies for others in need. But on the whole, it was nothing we could not handle.”
“Except for the laundry.”
Surprised, she looked at him, but his tone was teasing, and she relaxed. “Yes, but I have taken care of that.”
“Of course you have.”
She froze when, light as a feather, his fingers swept something from her hair.
“Just a cobweb.” He shook his hand, sending the gossamer threads sailing in the wind.
“If you find anything else in there, don’t tell me, particularly if it lives.” She shuddered.
Laughing, he leaned close to peer into her hair. He tucked a loose strand behind her ear, a warmth in his eyes. “Nothing else. You are quite safe, except for some dirt just here.” His finger brushed her cheek.
Her face flamed, and her hand shot up to scrub the dirt-streaked area.
“Now you’ve done it,” he laughed. “Look at your gloves.”
Following his gaze, she gasped. Her gloves were beyond filthy.
He crossed to the fence over which he had draped his jacket, withdrawing a handkerchief from its inside pocket. Returning, he presented it to her. “Try this.”
“Thank you.” She accepted it and stepped back as she wiped her cheek. He was too big and too close, and his teasing smile disturbed her pulse. Besides, she had an urge to brush back that errant lock of hair and press her finger to the intriguing dent in his chin. “All gone? How do I look?”
His gaze roved over her features so carefully that she squirmed. His smile was slow and easy. “Beautiful, as always.”
Her lips parted. Beautiful. No one had ever called her so. Emily was the classic English beauty with her fair looks, while Julia had fine eyes. She closed her mouth and tucked the compliment away to savor later. It was a weak vanity, but betrothed to Bedford, men were circumspect in their attentions to her. Few praised her outright, and none complimented her. Until Daniel.
“I don’t suppose it ever occurred to you that you could have collected some servants to assist you with cleaning up? That you did not have to do it all yourself?”
She returned his handkerchief. “Actually, Emily did suggest that. But contrary to my social status exempting me from doing so, I am quite capable of washing a dish and pushing a broom.” She shrugged. “That family needed our help, and they will be my tenants soon, too. That makes their welfare my responsibility. I could not very well turn my back on them.”
“Of course you couldn’t. Nor would you seek assistance. What was I thinking?”
She wondered at the strange glow in his eyes and its odd effect on her. After a moment, she recovered her voice. “And the grounds? How bad is the situation?”
The glow faded and his expression darkened. He gestured to the blanket on the ground. “Why don’t we sit and I will update you.” Jonathan and Bea’s giggles carried to them, and they observed the two dangling from a low branch. “I see Bea and Jonathan have joined forces. The Irish don’t stand a chance.”