Bennett leaned forward in his seat. “Why didn’t you have the servants stock food at the hunting lodge?”
“We wanted to hunt our own food,” Miles explained with a fond smile at the memory. “Every morning, we would wake up to a fresh kill in one of our traps.”
“It sounds like you were successful, then,” Bennett acknowledged.
Miles chuckled. “No, far from it,” he replied. “Our gamekeeper took pity on us and would always leave us something so we could eat. It wasn’t until we were older that he confessed to such a thing.”
Bennett clucked his tongue. “I doubt that I would have fared much better,” he admitted with a wry smile.
Edwina shifted in her seat to face Miles. “It sounds as if you and your brother were rather close.”
“At times, we were,” Miles said. “That is why I cherished my time with John at the hunting lodge. It was nice to be together without servants underfoot.”
Lord and Lady Dallington stepped into the room and sat at the ends of the table.
“Good morning,” Lady Dallington greeted with a warm smile. “I do apologize for our tardiness, but I assure you that it couldn’t be helped.”
Lord Dallington gave his wife an amused look. “It could have been avoided if you had made a decision on which gown to wear sooner.”
“Choosing which gown to wear is no small matter when I am having tea with Mrs. Walker,” Lady Dallington said.
Bennett grimaced. “The village gossip,” he stated. “Why do you wish to spend time with her?”
“Oh, she is quite a delightful woman,” Lady Dallington replied as she elegantly placed a napkin on her lap. “We have much in common.”
“You mean, you like to gossip,” Bennett teased.
A glint of mischief sparkled in Lady Dallington’s eyes. “No, we simply enjoy discussing the happenings of our quaint little village. It’s not gossip when it’s shared between friends.”
“That is precisely what gossip is,” Bennett responded.
With a shake of her head, Lady Dallington turned herattention to Edwina. “Would you care to join us?” she asked. “I am sure that Mrs. Walker would love to see you.”
Edwina leaned to the side as a footman placed a plate of food in front of her. “I… um… am busy today,” she stammered.
“Doing what, may I ask?” her aunt pressed.
Her eyes darted towards Miles as she no doubt attempted to come up with a believable excuse. “I have a pile of books that I would like to read today,” Edwina said quickly. “It will take all day and into the night. I am sure of it.”
Her aunt gave her a curious look. “If you are sure…”
Edwina gave a decisive bob of her head. “Yes, these books won’t read themselves,” she added with a nervous laugh.
Miles resisted the urge to smile at Edwina’s uneasy attempt to keep things from her family. She was clearly not cut out for this kind of subterfuge and he couldn’t imagine her ever being a successful spy. She wore her emotions on her sleeve. Which was a refreshing change of pace for him.
Deciding it was best to divert the conversation away from Edwina’s awkwardness, Miles announced, “I believe I shall spend some time reading as well.”
“But we were going to go angling today with a few of my friends,” Bennett said.
“That sounds dreadfully dull,” Miles responded. “You can go without me.”
Bennett considered him for a moment before saying, “Of course it is dull. It is angling. There is only so much you can do when trying to catch fish. But it is fun to be around the other men. Are you sure that you would rather stay back and read?”
Miles reached for his glass, taking a sip before answering, “I would.”
“I hadn’t taken you much for a reader,” Bennett said. “You didn’t seem to have much time for books during our university days.”
“I read all the time,” Miles defended.