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“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
Claverley nodded once and walked away, but I looked up to find James watching me curiously. I sent him a grin and pretended as though I had not just transacted business in the drawing room—business he had no knowledge of.
We saw the earl and countess off, then sighed as a collective group once the door was closed behind their retreating carriage.
“It can be such a chore to host one’s family, can it not?” Mother said.
“I was thinking it was a wonder Lady Claverley ever agreed to go to London at all, given the state of poor Gwenny when she is not by her side,” Felicity said.
Thea chuckled. “You did not hear? The countess shared with me while we were playing whist that her intention had been to take the entire family to Town, but she was unsure how she was going to manage all the children and all the balls. She is mightily grateful she no longer needs to balance them.”
“Do they not have servants?” Felicity asked. “Aside from their nurse.”
Lady Edith sighed. “They do. The countess is a very involved mother.”
“I think it is sweet,” Thea said. “I should like to be just as involved when I am a mother.”
I couldn’t help but admire her wistful smile then. She would be a loving mother one day. Thea did not do anything by halves.
Felicity nodded as though agreeing. “Which you will have every right to be.”
The party soon after broke up, and James cornered me in the drawing room when the women had all left for the night. “Fencing in the morning, after your ride?”
“Absolutely,” I said. Fencing was a great way to burn some of the anxious energy that had not left my body since the night of the assemblies. I would work hard enough to overcome all of the residual feelings I was developing for Thea, and then she would no longer have such control over my thoughts.
I would master this. I had no other choice.
* * *
James was already waiting in the long gallery by the time I had changed out of my riding attire, the rugs rolled up and the curtains drawn to let in soft mid-morning light.
“I often feel as though our ancestors are watching us when we fence in here,” I said, crossing the room and giving my foil a good swipe through the air, testing my wrist.
James lifted his mesh wire mask and affixed it over his face. “They would be disappointed by how infrequently we practice, I think.”
I shrugged. “Duels are fought with guns these days. It is not as necessary a sport to learn for us as it was for our father’s generation.”
“You intend to fight a duel now? Whose honor are you defending?”
“Last night I worried it was to be Thea’s.” I lowered my sword and lifted my mask to my face, blurring the image of my brother a little. “Did you notice Cousin Matthew’s focus on her?”
James lowered his voice. “I did. I wondered if he had always acted in such a way, or if it was new. Given Thea’s adamance that she would not go to his house, I am inclined to think it was not the first time he’d paid her such marked attention.” He laughed without humor. “I was prepared to move her into Felicity’s room for the night so I could keep an eye on her. I was glad when the countess insisted on going home.”
“As was I.” I finished tying my mask in place. “For a man who despises scandal to such a degree, his behavior was shocking.”
We took our positions, and James began. We’d blunted our foils, but still chose to wear masks to protect our faces, though sometimes I felt it put me at a disadvantage.
“Kellinger?” he asked, out of breath from the parries and thrusts.
So, he had been listening last night when Claverley spoke of the house. “They do not want it to be widely known that they must sell.”
“The family is kidding themselves if they do not believe most of Bakewell is already aware of it.”
I was out of breath and lost my focus. James landed a hit on the right breast of my jacket, and we both dropped our foil points and retook our positions to begin again.
“I am going to look at it today,” I admitted.
“Interested in an estate?” James asked. “What brought this on? You know you can stay here as long as you wish. There is room enough at Chelton for all of us.” He threw his arms wide to illustrate his point.
