Beauty And The Brooding Lord

Serena quietly followed Henry out of the room, wishing that she, too, could escape what promised to be a depressing meal in the company of her sister-in-law.

* * *

‘Well, now, Miss Serena, ’tis a beautiful morning.’

Serena winced at Polly’s cheerful greeting. She heard the rattle of crockery and dragged herself up in bed so that her maid could place the tray across her lap.

‘Will you be joining my lady for breakfast today, ma’am?’

Polly had asked the same question every morning since Serena had returned from Melham Court and Serena’s reply never varied.

‘Not today, Polly. A cup of tea will suffice.’

The maid’s eyes moved to the plate of bread and butter lying on the tray, but she had given up trying to persuade her mistress to eat anything in the mornings. She left Serena to drink her tea while she bustled about the room, collecting together the clean chemise, stockings and gown that her mistress would wear that day.

‘Lady Hambridge is expecting visitors this morning, Miss Serena, and she has asked that you wear the powder-blue muslin.’

‘Visitors?’

‘Miss Althea—Lady Newbold, I should say, miss. She is bringing Master Arthur to visit his grandmama.’

‘Oh, Lord.’

Serena closed her eyes. Althea was Henry and Dorothea’s only child. She was the same age as Serena but had already been married for two years and provided her husband with a lusty heir. Dorothea was understandably proud of her daughter’s achievements, as she constantly reminded Serena. There was no doubt that Althea would want to hear every horrid detail of this latest scrape, while Serena would be expected to play the doting aunt to little Arthur who, in her opinion, was developing into a bad-tempered child.

She gave a little sigh. ‘Pray give my apologies and say I have the headache.’

‘I will, miss,’ said Polly, shaking out the blue muslin. ‘But not if you are going to mope around in your room all day. We’ll get you dressed and you can stroll in the gardens.’ The maid met Serena’s questioning eyes with a determined look in her own. ‘Are we agreed, miss?’

* * *

The sun shone down on Serena’s bare head and the bright day lifted her spirits sufficiently for her to think Polly had been right to press her into going out of doors. She allowed her shawl to slip off her shoulders so she could feel the sun’s comforting warmth on her skin. The black cloud that enveloped her spirits was still there, but it had thinned a little.

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