AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, to be fair, much of it was already laid out by my grandmother and possibly even Grandmother’s mother-in-law. But my mother takes a keen interest in the gardens and their upkeep. It’s where she enjoys spending much of her time with Augustus.”
Alex heard a strange note in the girl’s voice but couldn’t quite point to what he thought it stemmed from. He was inclined to question her but didn’t want to get too far from the reason for his visit.
“Have you heard from the newlyweds?”
Lady Grace smiled again. “To be sure. Felicity loves nothing better than a well written letter. She’s lucky that she no longer has to spend all her pin money on it, as the duke has promised her all the franking she could wish for throughout the rest of their lives.”
“That seems an odd gift.”
“Not if you are the sort who spends half the day writing letters.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I might be exaggerating the amount of time she spends but despite my sister’s aversion to making her debut, she is a trifle obsessed with remaining in touch with people. She really ought to enjoy the Season more considering her desire to stay in touch, as it would afford far more opportunity for doing such a thing than simply remaining upon her estate, but there you have it. People are complicated, I suppose.”
Alex wasn’t completely certain what to do with all the information the girl had just handed him. She said it all as though it were a matter of fact and aptly showed she was not quite what he had been expecting.
“Do you share your sister’s aversion to the Season?”
“Not for the same reasons as Felicity, but yes, I do, much to my mother’s horror.”
The laugh with which she concluded her sentence sounded like the tinkle of fairy bells, which was the most ridiculously fanciful thought Alex had ever entertained. He dismissed it immediately. Clearly, he was getting too much sun. He took Lady Grace’s elbow and directed her toward a bench in the shade. He sensed her hesitation for the briefest moment before she allowed him to direct her as he willed.
When next their gazes met, her eyes were wary and watchful. Her pleasant face was creased with a slight frown, and her lips were no longer smiling. But she didn’t say a word.
“Do you think your sister would welcome a visit?”
“Which one and from whom?” Lady Grace countered his question with one of her own, challenging him, even though they had just been discussing one sister in particular.
“The duchess. And from me.”
“You’ll still have to be a trifle more specific, as there are two duchesses in the family now.”
Alex could see that she was enjoying her contrariness, despite her obvious discomfort with his questioning.
“The Duchess of Rathnelly,” he said, as though explaining to a child. This only brought amusement to her and chagrin to him.
“Well, as I mentioned earlier, Her Grace loves staying in touch with people, so if you could tell her that you had recently visited here, I’m certain she would be delighted to receive you. Was there a reason in particular you asked? Do you intend to visit Rathnelly, or are you just making conversation?”
Alex was surprised and intrigued by the watchful intelligence evident in the chit’s gaze as she awaited his answer.
“There was something that I hoped to discuss with Rathnelly, to be honest.”
Her bright blue eyes narrowed, and her frown intensified.
“Are we being honest now, then, my lord? It seems to me that you are being rather roundabout in your intentions. Did you ask to speak with me in order to ask about my sister in order to speak with the duke? That seems exceedingly complicated. Surely, His Grace would be happy to entertain you if you were to write and request an audience, or even if you were to ride up their drive and present yourself.”
Heat crept into Alex’s cheeks.
“It does sound convoluted, when you put it that way.” He hated to admit, even to himself, that he had been foolish on this matter. When one considered how determined he was not to stir up expectations in a female’s mind, his approach did appear rather ridiculous.
He had to explain. “It is well known how close you and your sister are. And though I really need to speak with Rathnelly, I’m afraid he will be... unreceptive.” He paused again before nodding and offering her what he knew to be an awkward smile. “I know. Even with that explanation, it feels convoluted.”
Her steely stare made his collar start to pinch his neck, as a bead of sweat trickled beneath it. If it wasn’t directed at him, Alex was reasonably sure he would find it endearing. She was such a small, sunny little character normally that seeing her with a fierce stare and upraised eyebrows was like seeing a kitten trying to guard the house. Still, he was uncomfortably aware that she disapproved of him, and it gave him a very strange sensation. He tried to ignore it.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
He cringed over the plaintive note in his voice that just couldn’t seem to be avoided.
