The rector inclined his head. “I’d be happy to.”
He motioned the other man to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, taking the one across from it for himself. “Shall I take it you wish to discuss my presence?”
“I think I have already figured out the truth of it.” Doust grinned. “I won’t let the cat out of the bag, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Interesting.“Pray continue.” Kit cocked a brow. “Other than knowing Lady Mary’s grandmother is involved, I am at sixes and sevens.”
The man settled back, crossing his legs. “It all seemed a bit strange to me, at first, when the ladies arrived.” Doust took a sip of sherry. “Yet for at least a month beforehand, the servants had been talking about their arrival and the new servants who were expected.”
Kit had to force himself not to interrupt with questions.
“The scheme,” Doust continued, “had apparently been well planned to appear completely natural, and, by the time the ladies reached Rose Hill, it did. Until to-day when you arrived, and I could see Lady Mary had no idea who you were at first, I believed what the rest of the area did.”
“And that was?” Kit sipped his sherry, wishing it were brandy.
“That you had married, there was a falling out of some sort, and you sent her to your northernmost property. As far away from London as possible.”
“Damn. No wonder the servants and townspeople are all suspicious of me.” Doust studied him as he took another sip of sherry. Kit took a much larger one. Did this house have no brandy? He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what was next. “Continue, please.”
“Once you got a look at Lady Mary, you appeared to know her.”
“Yes. I remembered her quite well. Though she did not appear to remember me much at all.” He grimaced. That had been a blow to his pride. “But considering I spent most of my time doing the pretty with other young ladies and watching her from afar, I should not be amazed.”
Doust’s eyes widened a bit. “You surprise me, sir. I have heard your address is excellent. You are the prize every hostess wants at her entertainments.”
“Ah, yes”—Kit saluted the rector with his glass—“but I have also been, shall we say, marriage shy.”
“And Lady Mary was too much temptation.”
He clung to as much dignity as he could under the man’s scrutiny and inclined his head. “In my defense, I was barely eight and twenty, but you have the right idea.”
“And now?”
He took another drink. “Now I am commanded to marry, and the only woman who has ever inspired me with the least desire to join my wedded brethren is Lady Mary. She has been on my mind a great deal of late. Though, I must admit, I did not expect to meet her here.”
That was either a blessing or a curse. He just wished he knew which.
Doust drained the glass then set it down. “Fencing with you is entertaining, but may I be blunt?”
Kit tossed off his sherry, then poured two more. “I wish youwould. It would help to finish this conversation before the ladies are down.”
“I wish to marry Lady Eunice, and she will not do so until Lady Mary is settled. Do you know who the grandmother is?”
That was what he should be applying his mind to, rather than Lady Mary’s charms. “Lady Mary’s surname is Tolliver. I cannot remember if her paternal grandmother is still living, but her maternal grandmother is the Dowager Duchess of Bridgewater”—he slammed the glass down on the small side table, sloshing the liquid.Damnation!—“one of my Grandmother Featherton’s oldest friends, and Lady Bellamny with them! I have been played for a fool.”
“You’re not the only one. While Lady Eunice and I strolled in the gardens to-day, she finally took me into her confidence.” Doust leaned back in his chair. “Lady Mary has no idea of the scheme either.”
Being in hiding as she had been, she most likely didn’t even know of their grandmothers’ friendship. Kit was not looking forward to her finding out, and he certainly was not going to be the one to tell her. She would have to figure that out for herself.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kit took out his handkerchief and wiped the wine off his hand. “No, I could see that when I spoke with her. What I don’t understand is how she thinks to get out of this without a scandal unless we wed.”
“Though I agree with you that your marriage was the purpose all along. She has great faith in her grandmother, and it might not occur to her a match had been planned without her knowledge and consent. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t tell her. According to Lady Eunice, Mary wants a Season and to be able to choose her own husband.”
Kit had never known his grandmother to act stupidly. Hadn’t she and the dowager duchess even considered Lady Mary might very well balk? “That will make things more difficult than they already are. With that goddaughter of Lady Bellamny’s in London, I cannot take Lady Mary there and court her. Still and all, I have no intention of enlightening her as to the scheme.” He almost growled. “The only thing that would accomplish is to set her against me. I had a friend who tried to force a marriage, and it did not go well for him.” At least not at the beginning. Robert did finally end up wed to his Serena. Kit rose, careful to put his glass down lest he smash it against the fireplace. “This will require a much finer hand than I expected when I spoke to Lady Mary earlier.”
The door opened. Doust stood and bowed. Kit moved toward Lady Mary. “My ladies, we’ve been waiting impatiently for you to join us.”
