St. John had said, “The lady is comely and a duke’s daughter and I am a lord, why should I not be interested in pursuing her? It is merely a fortunate happenstance that she comes well-funded. I will get the ambassadorship and I will go to Rio de Janeiro. With funds at my disposal, I will take advantage of the mining for precious gems to be done there.”
“So that’s the scheme,” Leland had said. And what a scheme it was. He wanted to get his hands on Lady Winsome’s money so he could roll the dice on mining. A gambler right to the end.
“I hear your derisive tone,” St. John said, “though I do wonder at it.”
“You wonder at it?” Leland asked, incredulous. “You are near penniless and have not given up your profligate ways—gambling and making purchases you cannot afford. I understand you recently bought a horse, it was very ill-advised, considering.”
“Oh ho! Look at you! You are one to be talking about losing money on horses!”
Leland had no idea what he was talking about. Of course, that was nothing new. “I warn you to back away from Lady Winsome. She does not deserve such treatment.”
“Well, well,” St. John said, “it is fine for you but not for me. That’s right, I know what you’re up to. Your days of controlling everybody with your money have come to a close, Cousin.”
Leland had poked him in the chest and said, “Do as I say. I will not allow you to injure the lady by pulling her into a dangerous situation with a profligate man.”
He’d mounted his horse and rode off to the park. St. John had called after him something that sounded likeTrulogap. He really never understood half of what that man said.
Leland could not say his ride was any more genial than the rest of the day had been. Horses were very astute at picking up on moods and Leland’s own mood had put his horse out of sorts—Apollo had enough of the thoroughbred in him to provide for a spirited personality. This day, he made himself difficult to control and did more sidestepping than going forward until Leland could get him going into a canter.
As he flew across the greens of the park, Leland considered that he’d thought he had more time than he likely did. St. John was putting on the pressure and who knew what he might do next. Who knew how Lady Winsome received his cousin’s attentions? Especially if he, himself, had not yet made himself clear. The fellow was handsome enough and titled. If one did not know him as Leland did, he might be considered a serious candidate.
Perhaps he ought to make his interest more known, more definite, than he had. He felt there was some sort of unspoken understanding between him and Lady Winsome, but there was the chance that it was in his imagination alone.
He would see the lady at Sir Jonathan’s scavenger hunt. Thatmight be the ideal moment to make himself more clear. After all, he did not expect St. John to turn up. Sir Jonathan’s annual event was for a charity he sponsored and therefore the price of the tickets was steep for what it was.
Of course, the dowager would be there, encouraged by the duke. However, it sounded as if this year would be held in darkness so perhaps he could slip away from his grandmother. He might keep her away from Lady Winsome before she said anything outrageous. He might keep himself by Lady Winsome’s side.
Leland was determined to drop a clear hint of his interest.
*
Landry had boltedhis doors against his relatives. Lady Edith had assured him that he did not need to admit anybody into his house unless he really wished to see them.
The idea had at first struck him as outlandish. He was so used to his aunts and uncles and cousins descending upon him whenever they felt like it. They just barged in and cornered him in his drawing room and listed their demands. They never even bothered to write that they were coming. At home, he spent a good deal of time nervously looking out windows if they hadn’t been to see him in a while.
Lady Edith explained that he was a lord with his own estate and nobody could push him around unless he allowed it.
What an idea.
The more he thought about it, though, the more he liked it. The more he liked it, the more he became determined to try it out. It would be enormously pleasant to avoid his relations. He really did not like any of them—they were very pushy.
He’d had a tentative word with his butler to ascertain his views, as that fellow would be the one faced with them all standing on the pavement when they chose to turn up. Could he keep them out?
Marley had been surprisingly enthusiastic about the notion. He’d said, “My lord, nobody you do not wish to see will be admitted to this house by me. I will inform the rest of the staff of the various persons who have made themselves persona non gratis.”
The fellow had looked rather gleeful and Landry got the idea that he’d been waiting for just such a directive. It began to seem as if he ought to have barred those terrible people from the house long ago.
Now, they had arrived. Landry pulled the curtain aside just the smallest bit so he could view the proceedings. He felt his heart speed up, as there was always the chance they might push past his butler. What would he do then? He would be questioned mercilessly about why he’d tried to stop them from coming in.
Aunt Agatha led them forward, as always dressed in her black widow’s weeds and looking as bad-tempered as ever. Her two lumbering sons stood behind her.
The lady had just been told that she would not be admitted. Really, Marley had taken the thing further than Landry had directed. He did not recall telling his butler to inform her that she would not be admitted “today, or any other day, forevermore.”
His aunt shook her cane at Marley, which she was often in the habit of doing. She demanded that he step aside, but he refused to step aside. His cousins offered their own threats, raising their fists and claiming they would push him out of the way if necessary.
Marley stood firm.
And then, in a miracle happening right in front of his eyes, they turned and left.
