Watching them, Roslyn felt her heart warm at the bittersweet moment. The two woman shared a common bond, caring for the children of the man they had each loved.
Such love would have to be profoundly strong and deep to be so accepting, Roslyn reflected. The thought brought an ache to her throat. She wondered if she could be as magnanimous were she to learn that Drew had a second family. It would be devastatingly painful, but she believed she could-
But then there was no point in indulging in such distressing speculation, Roslyn scolded herself. Instead she ought simply to feel glad for her friend.
And there was more reason for gladness. This morning it seemed less likely that Constance would die from her grave illness.
Winifred broke the tender moment just then by clearing her throat, as if the display of emotion flustered her. “Now, then,” she said with a return of her usual pragmatism as she addressed Constance. “You should have a few moments alone with your daughters, but afterward they must let you rest. I will send a maid to sit with you, but you know to ring the bell if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Constance murmured again.
“And you must call me by my given name,” Winifred added briskly. “This ‘lady’ business will not do if we are to be friends.”
Constance laughed softly at that. “I should very much like to be friends, Winifred.”
“Very well then, Constance…”
Beaming, Winifred turned and left the bedchamber. Roslyn followed her out to the corridor and shut the door quietly behind her.
“It was the right decision to bring them here,” Winifred declared, her face suffused with pleasure. “The girls will be happy here, and so will I. They are the children I never had,” she added softly.
“And I am very happy for you,” Roslyn murmured with affection.
Her friend shot her a penetrating glance. “I trust you and Arden will be blessed with children someday, so you can know the same happiness, my dear.”
Roslyn hesitated to reply. With Constance’s fate hanging in the balance, she hadn’t wanted to burden Winifred with the news of her dissolved engagement to Drew. So she merely smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand. “You are indeed an angel, Winifred. Now if only you would cease prying in my affairs, I would be as grateful as Constance.”
Winifred gave a raucous laugh, clearly delight
ed by the remark, but Roslyn couldn’t share her laughter. Not when her heart was so heavy. At the moment she felt as if she would never know happiness again.
Yet for the next hour until she took her leave of Winifred and the children, Roslyn hid her despondency well. When she returned to Danvers Hall, however, she was required to continue the charade, for she discovered that Earl of Haviland had just called upon her.
Finding him waiting in the entranceway for her, Roslyn forced herself to paste a welcoming smile on her lips as she moved forward to greet him.
“I beg your pardon?” Roslyn said five minutes later, blinking at her noble caller. Surely she wasn’t hearing correctly. Had the earl just proposed marriage to her?
Haviland’s handsome mouth curved in a wry grin. “Did I not express myself correctly, Miss Loring? Perhaps not, since this is my first proposal. But regardless of how I should phrase my offer, I would be highly honored if you would grant me your hand in marriage.”
Managing to stop staring so impolitely, Roslyn returned an uncertain smile. “Your proposal was entirely correct, my lord. I am just astonished you made it. I had no idea you wished to wed me.”
One heavy dark eyebrow rose. “Surely it doesn’t come as a total surprise. You know I have long admired you.”
“But it is a long step between admiration and suddenly contemplating marriage.”
Haviland shrugged his broad shoulders. “It isn’t all that sudden. I never wanted the earldom, but when I inherited the title at my father’s death last year, I assumed all the obligations of the role. In fact, I returned to England with the intention of settling down with a wife and begetting heirs. I thought I should wait until a proper period of mourning had passed, of course, but now that it is over, my grandmother has been after me to find a bride.”
Lowering her gaze to give herself time to think, Roslyn shook her head at the irony of Haviland’s timing. What she wouldn’t have given to have received his offer three weeks ago, before she had come to know Drew so intimately!
“It is still quite unexpected, my lord,” she said lamely, at a loss for words.
“I can see I have caught you off guard,” Haviland observed. “But I hold you in very high esteem, Miss Loring, and think you would make an admirable countess. I would have approached you sooner had you not become engaged to Arden. But now that your betrothal is at an end, I thought I would try my luck.”
Roslyn’s gaze lifted abruptly to meet his. “Where did you hear about our betrothal ending?”
“From Arden himself, last night.”
She felt a strange jolt to her heart. Drew had told Lord Haviland about their parting? But she didn’t want to think about Drew just now. Especially when the earl was standing before her, awaiting her answer. And now that her initial astonishment had subsided, she could give him one.