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“Indeed,” agreed Jules with a nod. “In the short space of time since I have known him, I have encountered his stubborn streak.” He grinned amiably to soften the words.
“Right,” she returned and went on. “I sent poor old Jeffries out for the doctor yesterday in hopes of making him stay put.”
“What did he say? What is wrong with your brother?” This time the question came from Sir Edward making her look sharply his way.
“Oh, as to that, Dr. Hayes said he suffers from the quinsy and should be up and about by the end of the week.” She could see Sir Edward considering her thoughtfully and felt a moment’s uneasiness. He couldn’t have recognized her. Even if, as he said, she looked familiar, he had seemed to accept that she looked like her cousin. Hadn’t he accepted that? Her hand fluttered, “Look at me going on in this fashion. I am sorry. Would you like to accompany me to the house and take tea with me? I was just about to go up.”
Jules exclaimed unabashedly, “Indeed, famous good notion. Tea… we love tea, don’t we Edward?”
Edward eyed him dubiously and answered ruefully, “Do we?”
“Yes, yes, of course we do,” Jules claimed, his face bright with joy.
Star laughed, “I had not realized a simple offer of tea could bring such delight.” Her smiled encompassed both men as she brushed her hands together and said, “Right then, you might as well leave your horses here…with our groom, Jeffries and then come up to the house. I will just go ahead and see Cook about refreshments.”
Star felt their eyes on her as she gracefully as she could, jumped off the fence rail and started off. She sensed them watching her and turned slightly to wave and found this was true—they were both watching her and each wore a very different expression from one another. Again wishing she was groomed and in a finer gown, she hurried off.
* * *
Sir Edward eased himself out of his saddle as his head
was still threatening to spin. He turned to Jules who had already dismounted and regarded him for a long moment before he said, “So this is the lady fair who has won over your heart?” He sounded even to himself incredulous.
The lady in question, he thought looked no more than a child, though Jules had told him she was twenty. Besides that, her manners were freely unaffected, something quite out of the ordinary for ladies of fashion. Indeed, she could not be called a lady of fashion, even country fashion. She was nothing like the women Jules had been interested in over the years.
She was admittedly, quite a beauty. In fact, she was a most unusual beauty to be sure. She dressed like a servant and her hair was short, though its style became her piquant face. In fact, if he admitted the truth, he found he rather liked the way her flaxen locks were swept back away from her countenance. He liked too the way her hair fell across her forehead. Yes, yes, but she still was no more than a country miss. Her gown was old and showed signs of wear and although its tight fit displayed her provocative body to advantage, he was fairly certain she had been helping her groom in the stables for she was covered with stray strands of hay and floor dust.
No doubt the Berkley family had fallen on difficult times and for no reason at all, this troubled him. She didn’t appear to be interested in Jules’ status or wealth. In fact, she didn’t appear interested at all.
She had been sitting on a post and rail fence, of all things. Gently bred young women did not work in their stables and did not sit on fence rails. So then, why did he find her so intriguing? He didn’t. He was only surprised that Jules did.
He looked around himself as they walked toward the stable entrance and Jules rattled on about the chit at great length.
He could see that everything was in a sad state of disrepair and frowned over it. No doubt, brother and sister were attempting to maintain their home by working it themselves and he found that he admired her for that. She held herself proudly, unashamed of circumstances beyond her control. He did not want to be touched by this, but somehow he found that he was. Ah bah! Maudlin thoughts would only serve to draw him in where he did not wish to go.
However, the chit was remarkable. She had a lively sense of humor, which he had detected earlier when she had thrown out a sarcastic remark. She had noted that he appeared bored and in her delicate way had called him out on it. He liked that. Also to her credit were her dark eyes. They were exceptionally large, almond shaped and thickly lashed. Dancing white lights were alive with laughter in their dark depths and when she smiled. What the hell was he doing? She was hardly a woman.
Still, she was twenty and she had a quiet grace about herself. Not a long Peg and yet quite tall enough, but she was, in spite of her lovely curves, too thin. What did Jules want with an impish woman? Those sorts were always trouble. Besides all that, why was he thinking about her? It was Jules that wanted her and Jules was a grown man. It was not for him to worry about.
A groom came forward and Jules said, “Thank you, Jeffries. Will you see to it they are both watered?” He then turned and heartily slapped his friend on the shoulder and said, “Very well, why do you look so dour? Tell me and have done.”
“If you must know, I am concerned. She is not in your usual style, Jules. You must see that?”
“Yes, perhaps that may be true, but see where my ‘usual style’ as you put it, got me. Going for something different this time.”
They crossed the cobbled courtyard and took the wide stone steps to the front door of the Georgian styled home. An elderly retainer opened it wide and stepped aside for them to enter. They dropped their top hats and gloves onto the round center table in the central hall and followed Bankes, the butler, and ‘Cooks’ husband, as he led them down a wide corridor. Its walls were lined with what Edward assumed were family portraits. The butler whom Jules called Bankes, opened a set of double doors and once again, stepped aside to allow them to enter, before he quietly withdrew.
It was summer and there was no great need for a fire, but Edward felt the chill in the house, all the same and shook off the cold as he looked around at upholstery that needed repairs. “Fallen on hard times, have they?”
Jules had moved to the window overlooking roses in full bloom. “Indeed…they have.”
“You mean to set things right by marrying this chit?”
“Well, I…well… we don’t know one another well enough. I haven’t thought that far…not yet,” Jules hemmed.
Sir Edward snorted a laugh. “I see.”
“No, you don’t see. It would be presumptuous of me. She is a rare flower. She needs delicate courtship and understanding. I don’t want to charge in on her. You must see that?”
