Page 43 of A Rogue at Stonecliffe

Martha rose, too, looking disappointed, and Annabeth said, “I’m sure Grandmother didn’t mean you had to leave, too, Mama.”

“Of course not.”

“It’s been ages since we talked,” Annabeth said. “Do stay.”

“That would be nice.” Martha turned to her husband. “What do you think, dear?”

“I cannot stay,” Edgerton told her, even though he had not been included in the invitation. “I promised to see Hanborough at the club. And I don’t want you going home by yourself. Annabeth may come visit you at our home.”

“No doubt you’re right.” Martha’s face fell a bit, but then she smiled up at her husband. “You take such good care of me, Edward. I am the luckiest of women.”

“You are the world to me.” Edgerton lifted Martha’s hand to lay a brief kiss on her knuckles.

Lady Lockwood let out a groan. “Sorry,” she said when the others turned to look at her. She patted her stomach. “Touch of dyspepsia.” After her daughter left, Lady Lockwood added, “Thank heavens Alistair never took such good care of me.”

Annabeth giggled at the thought of her mild, sweet grandfather ever telling Lady Lockwood what to do. Indeed, his most common response to any question or concern was, “Go ask your grandmother.”

“It makes me so angry when he tells her what to do,” Annabeth said crossly. “He acts as if she were a child. Why doesn’t she ever stand up to him?”

“That’s the way your mother likes to be treated,” Lady Lockwood declared. “It’s why she married Edgerton as soon as her year of mourning was over. She cannot bear not to have a husband.”

Annabeth thought her mother’s departure was probably more due to a desire to escape living with Lady Lockwood than anything else, but she knew better than to say such a truth.

“Martha has no responsibility for anything this way, and yet she usually still manages to get what she wants by being biddable. She enjoys being coddled and fussed over, and she simply ignores everything in Edgerton that is unpleasant. If you’ll remember, she never stood up to your father, either. She simply paid no attention to his wasteful habits and irresponsibility.”

“Yes, but Papa was kind and pleasant and...and fun.”

“Doesn’t mean he was a good husband. At least Edgerton pays his bills, gives Martha an ample allowance for clothes and fripperies, and doesn’t have her worry about bill collectors. He doesn’t gamble or drink, and she doesn’t have to wonder what he and his wild friends might take it into their heads to do—like racing their curricles all about. Goodness, I was sure Hunter was going to break his neck within a year of their marriage.”

“Papa was that wild? I thought he was one of Lord Drewsbury’s circle.”

“Yes, like my father,” Nathan said.

“Oh, no. Hunter usually ran with a different set—your father, Marcus, for one.” She nodded in Sloane’s direction.

“Yes, I remember,” Sloane said. “He and Russell used to come over to drink and play cards with my father.”

“But Uncle Russell isn’t wild.”

“Not anymore,” Lady Lockwood admitted. “To be fair, your papa had mostly settled down about the time you were born, too. Gave up his foolish racing. So Russell settled down as well. He always followed Hunter’s lead. Hunter was that way—people were drawn to him.” There was a bit of wonderment in her voice at the notion of her son-in-law’s popularity.

“Not Lord Edgerton, surely.”

Lady Lockwood let out a crack of laughter. “I’d say not. Both he and Hunter were courting Martha, you see. Of course, Edgerton disliked Hunter more than Hunter disliked him. That’s just their natures.”

Lady Lockwood cast her gaze over Sloane and Nathan. “Clearly you two haven’t the manners to have left with the others. So sit down and let’s decide what we’re going to do.” When the two men took their seats, she went on, “Now, Rutherford, I hope you’ve thought of a better plan than slinking off to Bath.”

“I’d like to hear this plan, too,” Verity said from the doorway. She was dressed in her maid’s attire and carried a duster to keep up her disguise with other servants. But she closed the door, laid the duster on a table, and adopted a very un-servant-like pose, arms crossed and chin raised. “Since Sloane seems to be making decisions for all of us.”

Sloane cast her a quelling look. “I didn’t notice you waiting for any instructions before you ran off this morning.”

Verity shrugged. “I had people to talk to.”

Nathan cleared his throat. “The plan?”

“Yes.” Sloane turned back to the others. “As soon as you can—tomorrow if possible—Annabeth and Lady Lockwood will drive to Stonecliffe.”

“Stonecliffe! I told you I’m not going to go anywhere, much less burst in on a couple of newlyweds,” Annabeth protested.