And then, without waiting for an answer, he stomped back up the stairs to his office where he tossed himself into his chair. He had to last a week with Mary. Honestly, he had to last far longer. She was good for his daughter and he’d endured worse for the sake of Anne’s happiness.
But as he tried to start working, again and again, his thoughts returned to the rich brown silk of Mary’s hair and the soft shape of her eyes. The pale pink that infused her cheeks and lovely curves of her figure danced in front of his closed eyes.
He dropped his head into his hands, propping his elbows on the desk. Mary was haunting him.
Chapter Six
Mary sat on the blanket, enjoying the summer sun as she waited for Anne to return with Lord Sinclair. Here in the shade of a flowering pear tree, nothing could bother her, not even her worries over her new, temporary-for-now position.
She pulled out a sketch pad and started to draw. First, she drew a nearby daisy, dancing on the end of its stalk in the summer breeze. But her thoughts drifted to little Anne and her charcoal followed. Soon, she was adding a girl bent over and sniffing the flower.
Mary wasn’t nearly as accomplished as Grace but she pictured the girl in her mind and tried to capture the child’s essence. There was so much life in the girl waiting to come out. Then she thought of Lord Sinclair. Slowly, she began to sketch his outline too, behind the child, smiling in support. His hands were held out waiting to help the girl, his shoulders slightly bent in case she fell as she danced toward the flower.
It was a rough sketch, no detail added, but the subjects were clear and the picture made her smile, despite herself.
When she looked up, the real-life Anne was bounding toward her, Lord Sinclair following in her wake, just as in her drawing. Her smile broadened as she set the sketch aside and waved. Sin waved back and her grin slipped, her tongue darting out to lick her now parched lips. How could the man affect her so with the tiniest of gestures?
“Do you see, Papa? Isn’t it lovely? This is so much nicer than lessons.” Anne stopped just on the edge of the blanket.
Mary answered before Lord Sinclair could. “Lessons are very important too. You must be ready for life as an adult, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun.”
“Agreed,” Sin said as he chose a spot across from her on the blanket. “And this picnic looks delicious. I must confess that I too wish we’d done this before now.”
“Me too,” Anne answered, sitting next to her father.
She reached for a bit of meat pie, but Mary held up her hand. “Remember, we serve his lordship first.”
“Oh yes,” Anne nodded and turned to her father. “What would you like to eat, my lord?”
Sin’s eyebrows rose. “A meat pie and some chicken, please.”
Mary tapped a bowl of fruit, giving Anne a wink. Anne nodded, folding her hands and turning to her father to practice her manners. “You must try the dates. They are in season and delightful.”
“I will take your recommendation, my lady.” And he gave Mary a long look that made her shift on the ground, her eyes dropping to her lap.
“Very good,” Anne replied sitting up straighter and nodding along. “Would you also care for some tea?”
“Tea would be lovely.” And then he dipped his chin in a nod of acknowledgement. Mary’s breath stuck in her throat. She knew what his gesture meant. He understood what Mary had been attempting to accomplish with this picnic lunch. Anne was still engaged in lessons. The entire affair had been a big lesson on first preparing food, then learning the proper way to serve. Of course, Anne had barely noticed, which was the best way to teach someone. But Sin clearly understood what Mary was doing with the day and he appreciated her efforts.
And that was more pleasing to Mary than if he’d winked at her during a ball or asked her to dance.
They ate their meal, Anne doing her best to make the small talk as Mary had instructed her. “Isn’t the day lovely?” she asked at one point.
“The breeze is a delight,” Mary had answered. “And your garden, Lord Sinclair, is stunning. What a beautiful place.”
Anne had clapped her hands. “Last year it was overgrown but this year we were able to hire a gardener again.”
Mary didn’t answer as she studied Sin. His mouth tightened as he too remained silent. She knew he’d taken over the Gaming Hell from Darlington and the others and clearly he needed the funds if he was hiring staff he hadn’t previously been able to afford. Finally, she cleared her throat. “I’m so glad the gardener was able to do such a lovely job.”
“Wait a moment.” Anne jumped up. “There are some snapdragons I want to show you. They’re my favorite flower the gardener planted this year. Maybe we’ll draw those.” Then the girl was off, disappearing down a path.
Mary glanced over at Sin to find his head bent low as he stared at his hands. “This picnic has been lovely. I’m glad to use the garden. I have to confess we haven’t been out here much.”
Mary scooted a bit closer. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Anne certainly has and she’s learning a great deal.”
“I noticed,” he answered. “And you’re learning a great deal about us too.”
Mary shook her head though he wasn’t looking at her.