Page 52 of No Ordinary Lady

“Because she’s a fool and without a generous bone in her body. She’ll never allow the common folk so much liberty on the estate when she becomes countess.” Miss Kimble kicked her slippers off. “We must enjoy it while we can.”

“What are you doing?”

“Taking a dip?”

“But you promised not to get wet,” Marian reminded her.

“No. I promised not to fall in by accident. Swimming is another matter entirely.”

“But we’re expected back,” Marian argued, glancing back at the entrance to the grotto.

“No, we’re not,” Gabby promised. “The only reason Mrs. Nolan suggested I show you the pool was for us to do this.”

“She never said that.”

“Well, of course not,” Gabby agreed. “She almost always says the opposite of what she means.”

“But Lady Scarsdale might disapprove,”

“If she did, she would have said so before we left. Come on, Miss Marian Trill,” Gabby complained. “You’re wasting precious time.”

Gabby finished undressing down to her shift. Before she could pull that over her head, Marian whispered, “What if someone comes?”

“There’s already a maid guarding the door. Mrs. Nolan wouldn’t let anyone surprise us here.”

With that, the other woman tossed aside her chemise and walked into the shallow part of the pool, completely naked. “There’s cloth in that trunk behind you to dry off with later,” she added before she suddenly jumped into the water, disappearing completely under the surface.

Marian didn’t waste any more time worrying about being caught. She stripped off her new gown and hurried into the warm water for a quick dip.

Chapter Twelve

Daniel was almost ready to roar with frustration. First, he couldn’t seem to make conversation with Amy Wilson for more than a few minutes without wanting to walk away, because second, whatever Marian was doing and saying seemed much more interesting.

“More tea?”

“Yes, thank you,” he murmured.

Amy cast him a shy smile. “It’s always a pleasure being at Hammersley Lodge.”

“Yes, it is.”

Marian kept laughing at something John Kimble said to her, and he found himself tensing all over. He wanted to go over there and tell his old friend to stop flirting with her.

It wasn’t Kimble’s fault that he could sit in the sun with his ward and Marian, her new friend, and make the pair laugh uproariously. Amy preferred the shade and was not inclined to laugh at anything he said so far. He was stuck sitting next to Amy for the rest of his life, too. Short of making a fuss to rearrange the furniture and everyone around him today, there were no other vacant chairs that he could move to.

“Cake?”

“Yes, please, unless you want the last piece.”

Amy demurred. “I’ve eaten far too much today already.”

One slice of cake might be considered enough for Amy, but Marian and Gabby were indulging in a third slice each and laughing about ruining their figures because it was so good. Neither young lady seemed concerned about overstuffing themselves. Not like Amy constantly seemed to be. His future wife was also as stiff as a board, even in informal settings like this.

There was no slouching or leaning toward him when they spoke. It was like talking to an automaton doll. She had so little animation in her expression, he idly wondered what she’d do if he stuck a pin in her leg.

Kimble suddenly threw his hands up in the air and bellowed out a laugh, and Marian leaned back in her chair from him, grinning too, before leaning toward him to speak so quietly, Daniel couldn’t hear the exchange.

He gritted his teeth as Kimble laughed at whatever it had been, though, and Daniel reached for the last piece of cake on the plate. “All the more for me,” he murmured, taking a savage bite.