“Good day, Lady Dolomore,” Rose said.
“Hello, Lady Rose,” the Marchioness said with a bright smile. “It is wonderful to see you.” She glanced around the theater and her features saddened. “Although I do wish it were under much different circumstances.”
Rose nodded in agreement, trying to mask her own heartache.
“This is terrible, indeed,” Rose said. “But at least no one was seriously injured.”
Lady Dolomore nodded fervently.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “You are absolutely right.” Then, the marchioness sighed. “Your father must be both relieved and devastated.
“Yes,” she said, smiling sadly. “I would give anything to help take his mind off of things, if just for a little while.”
The Dowager Marchioness gave Rose a motherly smile.
“You should try to convince your father to go home for a little tea and a brief rest,” she suggested.
Rose’s eyes lit up. The Marchioness’s words had given her another idea.
“That is a wonderful idea,” Rose said, unable to conceal her excitement. “Would you like to join us?”
At this, the widow blushed. Rose also noticed, however, that she was also smiling.
“If you can drag your father away from this devastation for a time, I will gladly accept your invitation,” she said.
Rose grinned.
“Wonderful,” she said. “I shall go speak to him straightaway.”
As soon as she had helped the dowager and the other woman, who Rose did not recognize, dispose of the destroyed material, she set off to find her father.
To her surprise, her father found her first, and his face resembled something like its normal, happy self.
“There you are, my dear,” he said, reaching out and taking her hands.
Rose’s grin broadened, her heart feeling already much lighter at seeing her father’s spirits improving.
“Did you need to see me, Father?” she asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact,” he said, his voice almost cheery.
Rose decided that her suggestion could wait until her father had spoken his piece. If he was feeling better, she felt sure that she could convince him to take a break.
“What is it?” Rose asked.
“Why do we not go home and have some tea?” he asked.
Rose’s mouth fell open. Had he managed to overhear her conversation with the Marchioness?
“What a strange coincidence,” she said, almost more to herself than to her father. “I was just coming to ask you the same thing.”
Her father looked baffled, but only for a moment before he offered his arm to his daughter.
“Well, then,” he said with a hearty chuckle. “It is settled.”
Rose started to protest, wanting to let the marchioness know, but as she opened her mouth to say something, she caught sight of the Marchioness.
The Dowager Marchioness saw the two of them heading for the door and she smiled brightly and nodded a silent acceptance of the invitation for tea.
Confused, but pleased that her father was willing to leave behind his troubles for a time, Rose took her father’s arm and accompanied him to the carriage in puzzled silence.
She had not even expected her father to agree with her suggesting that they return home for a little while, let alone to make the suggestion himself.
During the carriage ride, Rose wondered what had given her father the idea, and what could have possibly improved his mood so much in such a short time.
For a moment, Rose hoped that she had not made a mistake that would put her father back in darker spirits by inviting the dowager to join them.
When they arrived at their home, Rose saw that there was already a carriage awaiting them. Wondering how the Marchioness could have made it there before them, Rose disembarked from the coach to greet her. What awaited Rose was, however, a heart stopping shock. From the waiting carriage stepped not Lady Dolomore, but a man.
As he turned to face her, Rose could not help but gasp.
“Good afternoon, Lady Rose,” Lord Elbrook said, bowing.
Rose looked perplexed at her father, who was beaming brightly. So, this is why he so readily suggested tea, Rose thought.
She tried to be angry with her father, but knowing that she, too, had invited a surprise guest, she simply looked at her father and shook her head with a smile. Then, she turned back to Daniel.
“Hello, Lord Elbrook,” she said with a pleasant curtsey. “It is good to see you.”
“A true pleasure,” he said with a courteous bow.
“Well, shall we?” her father spoke up, his voice even more cheery than before. Rose could not help but laugh as her father led the way inside.
Sarah greeted them at the door and rushed off to order the tea and cakes prepared. The trio made their way to the drawing room, and the treats were served soon after.
They were all just helping themselves to the cakes when there was a rapping at the door of the room. Rose turned her face to hide her smile as she saw the butler standing there with the additional guest.
“Forgive me, milords and lady,” Burgon said with a small bow. “But Lady Dolomore just arrived.”
Rose’s father choked on the tea he had just begun to sip and nearly dropped the cup as he rose quickly from his seat, and a giggle escaped from Rose’s lips.
The Earl turned briefly to face his daughter, his face red and his mouth opening to speak. Rose glanced at Daniel and then back at her father, eyebrows raised, and the Earl closed his mouth again. He took a deep breath and then walked to the drawing room door to greet the marchioness. Daniel slipped Rose an inquisitive look and she gave him a tiny shrug, hiding another smile.
“Good afternoon, Lord Elbrook,” the marchioness said as Rose’s father escorted her to a seat, which he kindly pulled out for her. Rose saw how utterly smitten her father looked as he gazed at Lady Dolomore, and her heart warmed. Daniel seemed to notice, as well, and Rose saw a small smile on his face.
“Good afternoon, Lady Dolomore,” Daniel said, with a gentle dip of his head.
“I am glad that you could come,” Rose said, slipping a glance at her father as she spoke.
“A very pleasant surprise, indeed,” the Earl said, looking at his daughter. As she had hoped, there was no trace of agitation in his face, but only happy surprise.
“Thank you for inviting me,” Lillian said. She was addressing Rose, but she had not taken her eyes off of the Earl. Rose and Daniel shared a bemused look, which the Earl noticed as he served the dowager a small plate of cakes.