Page 4 of Lady Mariel’s Scandalous Love

“Yes, my Lady.”

As Mariel turned back to Hallam, intending to ask after Selina’s whereabouts, Selina rushed into the foyer.

“Mariel! I am so glad that you are finally here. Do come into the parlour and greet Alex. Oh, and meet our dinner guest.”

Mariel looked at her for a moment, considering, then glanced down at the crushed folds of her dress, which had suffered from the hours in the carriage.

“Perhaps I should change first? I am, I believe, rather unfashionably travel worn.”

Selina laughed, shaking her head.

“You look beautiful regardless, but if you wish…”

“I think that I do, given that you have another guest – I would not want to be thought unkempt!”

“Then let me come with you, and we can talk as you change. I am quite certain that Alex can entertain Lord Longwood by himself for now.”

They set off up the stairs, and Mariel looked curiously at Selina.

“Lord Longwood? I do not know the name, and I thought that I knew of every man of the ton, almost – for I have studied which are worthy of… further investigation… and which are worthy of being avoided.”

“‘Further investigation’ – how delicate of you, Mariel – when I know that you mean kisses, and more!”

Mariel laughed.

“See what not having you to talk to has done to me? I am actually developing the dreadful habit of being as proprietous as my mother would like me to be!”

They reached the rooms, which were just as Mariel remembered, and found Hattie standing in the dressing room, with open trunks and hatboxes scattered around her.

“Oh! My Lady, I didn’t expect you quite yet. But, if you wish to change, I have these two dresses which are not at all crushed from the trunks – will one of these suit?”

“The blue one will do nicely, thank you. That shade of blue always makes my eyes look brighter.”

As Hattie began to undo the buttons on her travelling dress, Mariel turned back to Selina.

“So – I must admit that I am full of curiosity – about your life, and all of the things that your letter suggested we might speak of – and about your guest downstairs. Lord Longwood? Who is he – I mean, where does he fit amongst the tangled relationships of the ton? And why have I never heard of him?”

Selina laughed – a melodious sound, which Mariel loved – and envied, for she did not think her own laugh to be anywhere near as pleasant sounding.

“As far as the details I referred to in my letter, perhaps that is best left until we can have a private coze, away from everyone – mayhap late tonight, or tomorrow? But with respect to Lord Longwood – you have not seen or heard of him before, because he has been out of the country for seven or eight years – in Italy, and in other countries, on the continent and beyond. He is a Marquess – his father is the Duke of Cockleigh, and he is the heir. But he cares more for travel, and collecting things from distant places, than for English society – at least that’s what Alex told me. Alex met him in Italy, and they became friends. Lord Longwood has very recently returned to England, and Longwood Peak is but half an hour’s drive from here.”

“If his estate is so close, how is it that Alex did not know him when they were boys?”

“He grew up at Cockleigh Great Hall, I believe, which is on the other side of the county.”

“Oh, that makes sense. But you said that he collects things from distant places? What sort of things – for that could be either interesting or boring. After all, you remember that dreadful Lord Chasetick? The one who collected stick insects from around the world, and talked of nothing else?”

Selina shuddered.

“I can assure you that Lord Longwood appears to be nothing like that. But… there is some mystery about him. For Alex refused to tell me exactly what it is that he collects – he said something along the lines of ‘Lord Longwood may tell you if he wishes, for it is his business’. So I don’t know. But I am determined to find out.”

“Ooh! That is rather intriguing. What could it be, that requires such discretion in knowing of it?”

Hattie, all the while they had talked, had gone about the process of getting Mariel out of one dress and into the other, of changing her necklace to suit, and of tidying her travel tumbled dark curls. Mariel had simply complied with whatever she wanted, like an obedient doll, her whole attention focussed on her conversation with Selina.

“There, my Lady, unless you want to change anything, I think that you are ready to go downstairs now. And I will get back to unpacking.”

Mariel spun to look at herself in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction.