If Edward was disturbed at all by the lack of order in the Gray household, he didn't show it, and in fact, appeared outwardly.. charmed by it. His eyes alight by the energy and activity there in, and even blushing subtly at how (well at least in his own mind, ) he perceived it to be endearing.
"Well, Lilly, if you like Abigail so much, perhaps later I can take you both for a ride in the park? It seems my initial plans have been thwarted to take your brother out, so perhaps, you and er, whatever siblings are still home- might be able to share in at his expense? But only if your mother agrees... Then afterwards we can feed her apples, and maybe eat some ourselves." ANd the last part he added in a bit of a lowered whisper as he bent over to ensure only the little girl would hear. THough no doubt, her Grand Mother would be able to as well.
And it was here, with his body half bent over, ass facing Dahlia Gray, did the disheveled woman enter the drawing room and with a turn, and his hands clasped neatly behind his back, he regarded the woman with a beam- though the beam of a smile faltered a little at the quirky way she looked. But like the shoeless girl who kept rats and frogs in her pockets, he was no less charmed by her messy dress and face. And in fact, for a brief moment, he was a bit smitten by it.
The way her ash gray hair remained barely kept in a frizzy tail, and how her cheeks lit up beneath dried bits of smeared clay... why, he was, for the moment, speecheless in her presence, that was, until her exclamation of his name came out, her shock, evident, and her inquiry- there in.
Giving a sheepish smile himself, his own cheeks heated on their own as he bowed before her, a bit rigidly, before clearing his throat.
"Reajh," he corrected. "Though it's not too terribly far from Uthlyn. Just a few hours on horse." And his eyes glimmered a moment as he took her in, finding her most attractive in her off-taken state before he, again, became sheepish and righted his posture more appropriately.
"I'm terribly sorry for the surprise, Lady Gray. It's just that at the ball- I had been talking to Riley and came with my horse to surprise him, only to find, much to my dismay, he has flown the coop." ANd he gave a bit of a twitchy grin at his silly kick back to the ball. They were, after all, birds of a feather there, as it were.
Remaining sheepish, as he knew he had caught her off guard (and probably upset her so, his late wife, after all, hated to be caught answering the door in her night gown, or other such inappropriate things) and though Dahlia was hardly dressed in appropriately, he wasn't born yesterday, and knew she would probably have preferred not to be caught so off guard in this way. And for that, he felt immensely guilty, but in a sense, took a bit of pride int he fact he caught her this way- for at the ball, it wasn't that he was not charmed by her or her family already, but to see a woman so exposed...
Oh.. he really needed to keep his mind away from staring at all of the pottery caked onto her form.
"Your mother in law and daughter have seen me in. And I.. I'm sorry to intrude, dreadfully so, but as I stated, I was hoping to catch Riley and offer him a ride on my horse. Though I suppose, if it were not so inconvenient, if any of your other children are home..'A nd he looked about, straining his ears as if to catch the possible noise of another lurking... "Then I would not mind obliging any of your other children in a ride upon Abigail. That is, with your permission." And at that, he gave a bit of a leftward smile, one that was almost dreamy in the way it tugged at his cheek. "Though I'd understand if you'd rather I see myself out. I have showed up quite rudely so, without so much as a proper announcement and here I see you were busy. Clay pots... or .. sculpting?" he inquired, gesturing towards her dress. There was no use in hiding the fact it was quite obvious.