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“Warren, you don’t know what you are saying, but, luckily for the two of us, I do. Marry the Parker girl. I don’t know why, for she is a grown woman, nearly my age, in fact, and should know better, but she appears to be in love with you. You may learn to love her, for she is attractive and I think has a great deal of sweetness in her.”
Serena was out of patience. She was quite annoyed at Warren. She did not know Miss Parker well, but that didn’t matter. It was wrong to take advantage of someone who cared for you, and it did appear that Miss Parker cared for Warren.
Serena clucked to her horse and started off at a trot. Warren called after her, but she just kept going.
She reached the top of the hill and looked back to find that Warren had turned towards the main pike. Breathing a sigh of relief, she decided to continue her ride and hoped she would not meet up with anyone else.
“Ah, Brandy,” she said, patting her chestnut mare’s fine neck. “How did I ever think him charming? And I did, you know. I thought the sun rose when he stepped into my sights. What a complete idiot I was to allow a handsome man to turn my head. I shall never do so again.” She sighed. Although he was quite good-looking in a florid way, and he could be good fun as well, he held no lure for her because she had come to see that at bottom, he was completely self-serving.
He was in the right of it. She had reached the age of three and twenty without accepting one offer. Spinsterhood lay over the rise. Did she care? If she were honest, yes, she did. She could have accepted an offer from young Hathaway. He was a fine young man … but she did not love him. It wouldn’t have been right to marry someone she did not love. Not fair to him … not fair to her.
Her friends had sighed over her inability to accept any of the suitors that came around. They laughed at her and told her she would never fall in love because she was already in love and with no other but the hero, the knight in shining armor Lochinvar, from Walter Scott’s poem. Perhaps they were right—at least none ever had compared to him in her mind. Amy had asked her once if her passions had not yet been stirred, and she had frowned over it. Indeed, she felt a twinge at times and knew what it was. Her body needed a man. The notion made the heat rush into her cheeks.
What she needed was a good run to clear the cobwebs in her head so she could think of something other than men and marriage.
Some twenty minutes later, she gave her horse over to one of their grooms at Moorely stables and walked the short distance to the house. Inside, she heard the sound of men talking just across the hall, and as she pulled off her gloves Davis, their butler, appeared and advised her that both Lord Frederick Radburn and Mr. Warren Beverly awaited her in the sitting room.
She couldn’t believe Warren had come to the house to wait for her. She was irritated by it, but she smiled, thanked the old retainer, and asked, “Have they been given refreshments?”
“Indeed, Miss Serena … I have just this moment, in fact, put a tray of tea and fresh biscuits and such on the sideboard.”
“You are, as ever, too good, Davis,” she said and made her way to the attractively furnished sitting room. She always liked this room with its bright floral drapes and matching upholstery.
“Ah, Serena …” Warren said, getting to his feet. “You will never believe who I bumped into when we parted, but Freddy here. He was bent on coming here to wait for you, and I thought what a splendid notion, so I tagged along.”
Serena swallowed the sharp response that nearly found its way out of her throat. She went instead to the small fire burning invitingly in the grate and said softly, “Ah, of course you did. How silly I am to think you might have been on your way to Miss Parker.”
“That is precisely where he was going when I bumped into him,” Freddy offered innocently. “How could you know that?” He grinned as he moved towards her. “Changed his mind once he knew I was on my way here.”
“Ah,” said the lady, her eyes twinkling with amusement. She liked Freddy a great deal. He was a charming lad, but just that, a lad.
Warren winked at her. “How could I not accompany Freddy here?”
Freddy’s eyes narrowed, and he gave his back to Warren as he bent over the lady’s hand and said, “I rode out to meet you, but you must have taken a different route.”
She smiled at Freddy. She had no wish to hurt him, but she wanted him to understand that his suit was not welcome. He was but a boy. She had, in fact, changed her direction to avoid bumping into him and had then bumped into Warren. She said, however, as kindly as she could, “Indeed … I often go as the whim directs me.” He still held her hand, and she gently pulled out of his hold and said, “Do, Freddy … be seated while I pour some tea for us all.”
Warren laughed and did, in fact, take a seat. Freddy eyed him and stayed right where he was at Serena’s side.
“Oh no, Serena … allow me to serve you,” Freddy said hurriedly as he took the pot in hand and managed to pour without spilling a drop. “See … I have the knack of it. Do rest and be comfortable.”
She laughed. “Freddy you are too kind, and I tell you what then, would you also pour a cup for Warren and yourself? That’s it, and I shall bring this platter of sweets to the table for us to munch on.”
Managing both the plate of small cakes and her cup of tea, she took a seat beside Freddy on the sofa. She did not wish to encourage him, but she did not wish to slight him in front of Warren either.
Freddy was a tall, nice looking young man without airs or conceit. He wore his dark blond hair in the youthful style of the day, windswept and long, hanging to his neckline. His heart was untainted by pride or false airs, and one day he would make some lovely a wonderful husband, but not yet. He was too young, and he needed to return to Oxford.
As she sipped her tea, she almost choked when she noticed Freddy shooting Warren a superior look. Warren began getting a nasty look in his eye, and Serena said hurriedly, “Have you heard, Freddy, if Sir Newton found that hound pup he was looking for?”
Freddy smiled broadly. “Indeed, I was at the kennel this morning, and they told me that Sir Newton rode over to Bournemouth to pick up the new puppy.” He eyed her shyly. “I thought perhaps you and I might ride over there tomorrow and have a look at the new addition?”
Serena’s face lit up. “Oh yes, I would love that above all things.”
“A puppy giving a tour of puppies …” Warren said mean-spiritedly.
Serena turned a wicked eye on him, and he threw his hands up. “I beg your pardon, Serena, but … he should be at school, not dawdling about here hanging on your every word.”
“You are a bleater and a cad!” Freddy said, somewhat red-faced, and Serena nearly choked again as she tried to hold back her giggles.
