But he would not be able to, Barbara thought. He was a guest at the house. Eve had a dizzying number of activities planned. Besides, he must not be seen to be consorting with her or her son. Papa would be furious and Mama upset and Eve annoyed. Even William would be displeased. She would have to live with the discomfort of their disapproval for a long time after the house party was at an end.
Besides, Viscount Brandon was no ordinary guest. He was intended for Eve. The thought was depressing in some inexplicable way.
“Well,” Lord Brandon said, getting to his feet after finishing his tea, “I must not keep you any longer. I appreciate the tea and the warmth of the fire, ma’am. And I am impressed with your boat, Zach. Until tomorrow?”
“You must not feel obliged,” Barbara said, rising and following him from the room to the outer door. “I know that there is a busy schedule of events planned at the house.”
“Are you to attend any of them?” he asked. “There is to be a ball on the evening of Saint Valentine’s Day.”
“No,” she said.
“By choice?” he asked. But he frowned when she did not immediately reply. “I am sorry. That was an impertinent question. Good day, Lady Barbara. Zach?”
“You will be there tomorrow?” Zachary asked anxiously. “Promise?”
Barbara opened her mouth to say something to her son, but the viscount spoke first.
“It is a promise,” he said. “I could not allow theLady Barbarato make her maiden voyage without my being there, now, could I?”
He smiled at them both and strode away down the path to his horse.
Barbara stood looking after him, hardly listening to the excited prattling of her son beside her. It was February 9, she thought. Just five days away from the day for lovers. She felt her loneliness as a heavy and very physical sensation.
If only, she thought as he swung up into the saddle and turned to touch his hat to them. If only . . .
The following morning was taken up by a ride to Woville Castle, five miles distant from Durham Hall, and luncheon at an inn close by. The weather cooperated. The sky was a clear blue and the air warmer than it had been since Christmas, although the breeze was fresh.
Lady Eve was in very high spirits. Viscount Brandon had heard it said that she might have married any of a number of eligible suitors during her first Season the year before. And he could believe it. Just her position as the only—no, as theyounger—daughter of the Duke of Durham would have ensured her success. But her beauty, her smiles, her exuberance, would have won her admirers even without her dowry and her title.
She was behaving well. This was her house party, since her brother seemed unconcerned with laying claim to it himself, and these were her guests. She was treating the ladies with kind friendliness and the gentlemen with an easy familiarity that never descended into vulgarity. She called almost all of them by their first names, though not the viscount, and flirted with each of them in an offhand manner that left none of them offended when she turned to another to flirt in like manner.
Only with Lord Brandon did she not flirt. There was a subtle difference in her treatment of him and a slight proprietary air in her dealings with him. She rode with him during much of the morning’s outing and sat beside him at luncheon. It was very clear to him that she had decided to have him, though not by word or gesture did she indicate that she expected his offer.
She was unlike her sister, he thought as she laughed at something another of the guests had said during the ride home. A little alike to look at, it was true. Her hair color and complexion were similar. She was a little shorter than her sister and a little plumper. But the greatest difference was in nature. Lady Eve was lighthearted, gay, gregarious; Lady Barbara was quiet, dignified, proud. Lady Eve was pretty; Lady Barbara was beautiful. And several years older, of course. Talavera had been fought in 1809. She had said that both Lady Eve and Meacham were younger than she.
It seemed for a while that they would not be home in time for him to keep his appointment with mother and son. Everyone lingered over luncheon and then Hutton suggested that they visit a Norman church that was only three or four miles distant. If he was not to break his promise, Lord Brandon thought, he would have to make some excuse to leave the party and return alone. But fortunately a chorus of female voices declared that they had done quite enough riding and exploring for one day, and they all turned toward home.
“I am going to take a stroll to the lake,” the viscount told Lady Eve as he lifted her from the saddle after they had reached the stables. “I feel the need to stretch my legs after so much riding.” He had spoken only after she had made the announcement to the whole group that tea would be served directly in the drawing room.
She looked a little annoyed for a moment before smiling at him. “I would accompany you, my lord,” she said, “except that my guests would think it rag-mannered of me to abandon them at teatime.”
“And you would need a maid to accompany you,” he said. Her hand for some reason was in his. He squeezed it. “I shall see you later?”
He felt almost guilty as he strolled off in the direction of the horseshoe lake to the west of the house. Almost as if he were doing something quite clandestine. Perhaps he should have mentioned why he was going to the lake. He had no reason and no wish to keep his rendezvous there a secret. But he guessed from the evidence he had gathered so far that Lady Barbara, even though she lived on her father’s estate, was not considered to be a full member of the family. He guessed that her family would not look kindly on her consorting with one of the guests from the house. And since she must be dependent upon them, he supposed that they could make life unpleasant for her if she did something to arouse their disapproval.
He could not quite imagine any of his own sisters being ostracized by the rest of the family under similar circumstances. Rather, doubtless they would all fall upon yet one more child in the family with great glee. But then, it was hard to imagine any of his sisters unmarried and with child. He knew he would be angry if any such thing had happened to any of them—angry at the man who had so carelessly caused their disgrace.
They were standing on the bank of the lake, mother and son, Lady Barbara looking out over the water to the still bare trees at the other side, the boy looking anxiously back toward the house. He visibly brightened and waved vigorously as the viscount came into sight.
“Famous!” he yelled when Lord Brandon came within earshot. “You came, sir. I knew you would. See, Mama? I said he would come.”
She turned and smiled at him. She was wearing the same blue cloak and bonnet he had seen her in before. “I heard that you had all gone to Woville Castle,” she said. “I was trying to make sure that Zachary was not overly expectant of your coming.”
“I promised,” he said. “Your son knows that gentlemen do not break promises, do you not, Zach? Is theLady Barbaraready to sail?”
“Over there,” the boy said, pointing excitedly to their right. “The inlet is sheltered. The wind would blow it out to sea if we tried to sail it here.”
“Ah, yes,” the viscount said, squinting out across the water. “Clever of you to have noticed. Let us go, then. Ma’am?” He offered his arm to Lady Barbara.
