Brandywine Brides by Amber Stockton

Author:Amber Stockton [Stockton, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-63409-184-8
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Grace?”

Uncle Richard called to her from his office, so she filed the current folder she held, shut the drawer, and stepped into the other room.

“Yes, sir?”

“Would you do me a favor?” He consulted a spreadsheet of sorts on the desk in front of him, but she couldn’t make out the heading at the top. A second later, he looked up at her. “Would you walk down to the ships and fetch Andrew for me? Tell him I need to speak with him as soon as he’s available.”

“You wish Andrew to come here? Why not speak with him down at the dock?” This had to be something of great import. She hoped he hadn’t done anything to upset her uncle.

“Because what I have to say to him is best said without other listening ears.”

Grace tilted her head just a little to the right. Her uncle didn’t give an indication if the upcoming conversation would be serious or a run-of-the-mill topic. And it wasn’t her place to ask. That didn’t stop the questions though. Why didn’t he want anyone else to overhear him? How would here at his office be any different than his study at home? Or even in the carriage ride home, since Andrew rode with him each day? Both of those would afford him the privacy he sought. And what made him ask her to go find Andrew? Why not one of his clerks?

“I would like to speak with him sooner rather than later, Grace.” His voice held a hint of amusement.

“Oh!” She shook her head. Best to not ruminate too much with her uncle watching. “I am sorry, Uncle Richard.” She placed one hand on the doorframe. “I will go straightaway to find him for you.”

“Thank you.”

He returned his attention to the spreadsheet in front of him, picking up a pencil to make some additional notations. Grace turned in a slow arc. She wouldn’t get anything further from her uncle at this point. Perhaps afterward he would be more inclined to answer some of her questions… at least the ones she’d be permitted to ask.

“Harriet, I’ll only be a few minutes,” she said to her maid who rose from her seat. “No need for you to join me.”

Grace grabbed her satin bonnet from the coatrack by the door and looped the ties beneath her chin as she stepped outside. She squinted and blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the sun. If she could, she’d be outside more often. She walked down the path toward the docks. Aunt Charlotte would never approve of so much time spent being exposed to the sun. Grace touched the chiffon ties, wishing she could have left the bonnet inside. From what her uncle told her, she’d inherited her mother’s wanderlust spirit. Her father had been content to remain cooped up behind a desk. But not her mother, and not her uncle. And certainly not her.

“Afternoon, Miss Grace.” One of the swabbies tipped his hat to her as she passed.

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