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Chapter Two
What an interesting woman.The thought entered and exited Florent’s mind as he watched her scurry away. From what he had heard of her, he never would have expected to witness such an event. He didn’t think Lady Constance Moreland, world travelling debutante, would do anything that even somewhat resembled running away.
But it had definitely looked to Florent as though she were in a great hurry to get away from him. He probably should feel insulted. But instead, he was amused. As the oldest of six children and the brother to three sisters, he was well aware of the vagaries of humans, especially the females of the species.
That thought made him roll his eyes and shake his head. His mother used language like that. Lady Alcott thought of herself as an amateur botanist. She was forever talking about characteristics and species. It was also how he and all his siblings ended up with strange flower-related names.
Speaking of his mother, he really ought to find her so he could present himself as the obedient son she wanted to think him, despite the fact that he was advancing in years considerably past the schoolroom age of needing to obey his mother. In fact, if not for his being the heir, he would have moved out of his family’s home years ago. He envied Lady Constance her life of leisurely travel. He couldn’t relate to it in the least, but he fought a sense of jealousy that she had such a luxury.
Of course, she might not see it that way. Well, obviously, unless she was the verist dolt, she would recognize that she had been afforded a luxury and a privilege that few could enjoy, especially not young ladies. It was quite commonplace for young gentlemen to do the Grand Tour. And he would have done so as well even as the heir, except that the estate had gone into decline right around the time that he ought to have been planning his Tour. He had chosen to forego his trip in order to remain and help his father right the path the estate was on. And then he had never been able to get away after that. The estate needed him. Or maybe that’s just what he told himself as the dream of travelling slipped further and further from his grasp.
Now he was a grown man who probably ought to start considering starting his own family, and he had barely even left the county he had been born in, let alone having even left the country. It was a lowering sensation. And one he was not going to dwell upon that day. His mother would never forgive him. He had finally arrived, late, but present. He couldn’t compound his dastardly behavior of being tardy by also woolgathering about opportunities he had missed.
But perhaps Lady Constance would be willing to tell him a little bit about her experiences. If she were a good enough storyteller, it might just feel like he had been there himself.
Florent nearly snorted. No one was that good a storyteller. But it would have to do. And he had to stop thinking about it for now as he sought out his family members.
He remembered well the layout of Everleigh, but Florent suspected the houseguests would be using the house in a much different way than he and his brothers had done as boys playing with the Earl of Everleigh’s sons. As youngsters, they had stayed far from the fashionable areas of the house out of fear of breaking something during their roughhousing. Of course, he had seen every room in the exceedingly large house, but he was still a trifle concerned about getting lost in the proper section of the large building. And no self-respecting nobleman wanted to ask the footmen for directions. But the servants were sure to know where his mother and sister were. And he couldn’t exactly start searching the entire house.
“I say, could you please tell me where I might find Lady Alcott? Or Miss Alcott?”
The footman appeared dismayed by the question, which brought a frown to Florent’s face. It shouldn’t have been a difficult question.
“Alcott?”
The voice came from behind him, not from the footman, who still hadn’t answered his question. Florent turned toward the one who’d called him.
“My lord,” he exclaimed in greeting, bowing to the owner of this grand edifice. “I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age.
The old earl chuckled over Florent’s exclamation, as had been Florent’s intention. It had been one of the earl’s favorite expressions when the brothers had all been boys.
“I didn’t think you were going to attend.” The earl had always had a way of making him feel like a recalcitrant school boy even as he had grown into manhood. This was one of those times.
“I couldn’t get away until now,” he tried to excuse but the earl only made a slightly disapproving humming noise as though he didn’t want to outright disagree with a guest. Which was actually very restrained of the old codger, and Florent appreciated it.
“Well, you’re here now so you might as well come and join the rest of Amelia’s guests. I don’t know what I was thinking to let that girl fill the place up with visitors. But she seems to be having a good time, so I suppose that’s why.”
Florent blinked over the older man’s convoluted rambling but nodded anyway and fell into step with his noble neighbour.
“So what was such a riveting situation that you couldn’t leave it with the servants?” Everleigh asked with a grumble in his tone.
“Foaling,” Florent answered briefly, bringing the earl’s scold to a sudden conclusion.
“Ah, I see,” Everleigh replied, seemingly in agreement that this was an acceptable excuse. “Did it end well?”
“Yes, mothers and babies are all well, thank you, my lord.” Florent paused, deciding not to start raving about the beautiful animals as would be his first inclination. “And how are you managing here with your guests?”
“Amelia is keeping everyone in line at least, so they aren’t interfering too much with the running of the estate. Of course, she has taken to running the estate, so I’m not sure how she is managing both, but the house hasn’t fallen down in the last few days, so I suppose she must be doing it right.”
Florent snickered. He couldn’t help himself. He wasn’t sure if the earl had meant to be amusing but Florent hadn’t been able to keep his amusement completely contained. Fortunately, when the earl glanced at him, despite the frown wrinkling his brow, Florent could see the old man’s eyes were twinkling with his own amusement.
“And surely Everleigh shan’t fall apart in a fortnight anyhow,” Florent added after he was able to stem his amusement.
“If Adelaide did one thing right in his life, it was finding that girl and getting her to agree to marry him.”
Florent snorted again. He rather suspected Amelia might have done the finding, but he wasn’t going to argue with the earl. He was happy for his friend. And if truth be told, even a little envious. Florent wasn’t sure how he was supposed to find a wife of his own since he had taken over the running of the estate several years ago and was still working to pull it out of the downward spiral his father and grandfather had allowed it to get into. He was almost there, but it had taken his full concentration for nearly a decade since he had finished school. While his friends had all been kicking up a lark in Town or on their Tour, he had been at Alcott learning animal husbandry and crop management. The earl had actually helped him considerably. He owed his sister’s generous dowry to the Earl of Everleigh’s excellent advice because Lord Alcott, Florent’s own father, had depleted every account in an effort to hide the truth of the family’s situation.
Now there was nothing to hide. Alcott was thriving. But Florent felt as though he had been turned into a steward and left behind. He had barely even been to Town but for very brief visits during his first two sisters’ Seasons, let alone travelling anywhere else, unlike Lady Constance. He hadn’t even gone up for any of his youngest sister, Daisy’s, Season. So now that he finally felt in the clear, he wanted to make it up to the girl. She was such a great sport most of the time. She’d never complained about his outward lack of interest in her. Florent was afraid that might be because she was so used to it, but he ignored that possibility. She was more than a decade younger than he and probably didn’t remember when he was young and entertaining. That would have to change too, he supposed.
