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‘Do you allow others to feed your swans?’ Lottie asked. His comment could be taken for silent consent that she was a beautiful lady, or a snub. She would ignore it for the moment. ‘I should have brought food had I known how tame they are.’
‘You should not be fooled by their docile appearance. They hoped to be fed, but swans can be vicious at times. One of my keepers had his arm broken by a male swan guarding its mate—and one of the pairs on the lake have young. However, if you insist on feeding them yourself, please give them the special pellets we use rather than bread. My bailiff will show you where the supply is stored—or one of the footmen will fetch it for you.’
‘Thank you. I shall be careful to do nothing to alarm them,’ Lottie replied. She was still walking with her hand on Sir Bertie’s arm, but the marquis was at her right hand. ‘Do you have deer in the park, my lord?’
‘I believe there may be a few. I rarely visit Rothsay Manor, Lottie. I prefer to live in London for most of the year. Unlike Bertie, I do not enjoy either hunting or shooting, though my keepers encourage the pheasants and we have a regular supply for the table in season.’
‘There are certainly deer in my park,’ Sir Bertie told her. ‘Do you ride, Miss Lottie?’
‘I should—had I a suitable mount,’ Lottie replied, turning to look at him. ‘At home a neighbour sometimes takes pity on me. My father keeps only one hunter and his carriage horses.’
‘I should be happy to provide you with a suitable mount,’ Sir Bertie said. ‘My mother occasionally rides and I keep a horse for her—but I have another I believe might suit you. You can stable Heavenly here and then, should you wish, ride over to Greenacres with Rothsay or a groom.’
‘That is extremely generous of you, sir. It would depend on Lord Rothsay’s immediate plans, I imagine.’
‘I dare say we have a horse that may suit you,’ the marquis said, his tone sharp, causing her to turn her head and look at him once more. ‘Your offer was well intended, Bertie, but I assure you I shall see that my bride has all she needs. I dare say she may care to ride over with me in the carriage and meet your mama—perhaps for tea tomorrow?’
‘Certainly. Mama would be honoured.’
Lottie wondered if she imagined it, but she felt a slight squeeze of her arm and Sir Bertie’s eyelid flickered.
At that moment she let go of his arm, walking into the house in front of the gentlemen. She heard the murmur of their voices behind her, then Mrs Mann came forward to greet her.
‘Ah, Miss Stanton,’ she said. ‘Your father was anxious about you. I think he feared something might have happened to you. You were not in your room and no one knew where you had gone.’
‘I went for a walk to the lake,’ Lottie replied with a little frown. ‘Forgive me if anyone was worried. I am not in the habit of informing anyone when I go out—though I do sometimes tell my aunt.’
‘When are we to expect your aunt, Miss Stanton?’ The marquis’s stern question caught Lottie by surprise.
‘I believe she will come for the ball,’ Lottie said. ‘I am certain she would have liked to come with us—but I was not sure…’
‘You must write to…I am not sure of the lady’s name?’
Lottie met the marquis’s eyes without a flicker of emotion. Two could play at this game!
‘Lady Hoskins. My Aunt Beth. She came to look after…me, when my mother died. I am very fond of her.’
‘You should have brought her with you. This is to be your home, Lottie. You must feel free to invite whomever you wish.’
‘You are kind, my lord—but there is only my aunt, and perhaps Cousin Agatha. I do not particularly wish to invite her, but she may come if she hears of our engagement…’
‘Indeed? A lady of some determination, then?’ For a moment a gleam of amusement showed in the marquis’s eyes and Lottie found herself smiling along with him, despite herself.
‘Yes, most certainly. Both Papa and…Aunt Beth go in fear of her tongue.’
‘You do not?’ His brows rose.
‘No, I have never feared her. She scolds me but I do not mind her. I am, you see, a very independent woman, my lord.’
‘Should I take that as a warning?’
‘Yes, I believe you should.’
Lottie preceded him into the drawing room that Mrs Mann had indicated. Her father was staring out of the window. He whirled round, relief in his eyes.
‘Lottie! I thought you had done a bunk—’ Seeing that the marquis and a stranger followed her, Sir Charles checked himself and his neck turned the colour of brick. ‘My daughter has a habit of wandering off alone for hours…’
Lottie was sure that neither of the gentlemen would believe his clumsy excuse. Sir Bertie would be imagining that she was being forced into an unwelcome marriage—and she had no idea what the marquis was thinking.
‘Papa, anyone would think I was still your little girl. I assure you I am much too content here to run off without a word to anyone—which would be extremely rude of me. Had I known it would alarm you, I should have told you that I intended to go for a walk.’
‘Well, you know how it is, a father will always be anxious for his daughters’s safety.’
‘Truly, Papa, you have no need to be anxious on my account. I am well accustomed to taking care of myself.’
‘Yes, I dare say…’ Sir Charles sat down, looking ill at ease as Lottie took a chair by the tea table. ‘No tea for me, thank you. I would not say no to some more of that excellent Madeira, Rothsay.’
‘I am certain it can be arranged,’ he replied and flicked his coat tails as he sat on a chair near the fireplace. The large grate was empty because the room was pleasantly warm, lit by the afternoon sun. ‘Bertie takes his tea with lemon, I believe—and I’ll have the same.’
‘Sir Bertie?’ Lottie asked, directing her smile at him. ‘Will you also take sugar?’
‘No, I thank you, just the lemon. Rothsay knows my tastes well, Miss Lottie. Mama always has cream and sugar, but I prefer the lemon.’
Lottie poured the tea, handing it to a maid who stood waiting to pass it to the gentlemen.
‘Would you care for anything more, Sir Bertie? Those almond comfits look tasty—or perhaps a sandwich? What do we have…I am not sure of your name?’ She glanced at the young maid, who blushed.
‘It is Rose, Miss Stanton. Rose Brown.’
‘What kind of sandwiches are they, Rose?’
‘Tomato and cucumber from our hothouses, Miss Stanton, also egg and cress…watercress, that is, from our own…’
‘That will do, Brown,’ Mrs Mann said after offering Sir Charles a glass of Madeira. ‘If you would prefer chicken or salmon, I can have Cook make some very quickly, Miss Stanton.’
‘I think I should like the cucumber,’ Lottie said. ‘What a treat. We seldom have it at home, for it is hardly ever to be found locally. You are very lucky to be able to grow your own, my lord.’
‘I dare say. I had not considered it.’
‘Rothsay takes everything for granted,’ Sir Bertie said and grinned at his friend. ‘He has been fed with a silver spoon since birth, Miss Lottie, and believes the world owes him the best of everything. It would do him the world of good to be denied something he truly wanted.’
‘And I suppose you have had to work the skin from your fingers?’ The marquis looked askance at his friend.
‘I shall not deny that I too have been lucky to inherit a sizeable amount—but I do not take it all for granted, as you do, Rothsay. I know myself to be a fortunate fellow.’ His gaze dwelled on Lottie. ‘Though not at this moment as fortunate as you…’
‘It is a long time since we held a ball here,’ the marquis said and frowned. ‘My people are well able to cope but I feel we need a hostess. I shall ask my godmother to come and stay, but I wondered if your mama would care to help Countess Selby and Lottie compile a list of people who should be invited?’
‘I imagine Mama would enjoy that very much—but you can ask her when you ride over for tea tomorrow. When exactly were you thinking of holding the ball?’
‘In another two weeks,’ the marquis replied, making Lottie catch her breath. ‘I see no point in delay—and it will give us time to invite everyone and order whatever is needed from London.’
She had only two weeks to persuade him that she was not a suitable bride or accept her fate and marry him!
Lottie’s hand trembled slightly as she sipped her tea. Everything seemed to be going so fast. The marquis had a note of decision in his voice when he gave the date of the ball. It was very strange, but Lottie had thought he might be regretting his decision to take her instead of the money her father owed him, but now she thought she detected a change.
There was, she believed, a gleam in his eyes that had not been there when they arrived.
Chapter Three
Sir Bertie and the marquis went off together after tea, leaving Lottie and her father together in the parlour.
‘Well, Lottie, what do you think now you’ve met him?’ Sir Charles asked in a low voice. ‘Can you bear it?’
‘Yes, I think so—unless the marquis were to relent and release you from the bargain and your debt, Papa.’
‘You will certainly have all the luxuries that money can buy, m’dear—but if you should hate the idea I can tell him it won’t do.’
‘I believe we must be realistic. I am two and twenty and I have no fortune whatsoever. This may be my only chance to marry well. After all, most young women marry to oblige their families, do they not?’
‘Your mother chose for herself,’ Sir Charles said heavily. ‘She made me promise that you and…’
‘Papa,’ Lottie warned with a glance over her shoulder, ‘please say no more. I do not see that we have a choice. Besides, I believe I should be foolish to turn down the chance of living in a house like this—and I have a fancy to be the Marchioness of Rothsay…’
Anyone who knew her would have guessed immediately that she was merely funning, but the marquis, who had returned from seeing his friend off, and stood outside the door heard only the last few words and thought the worst.
His ears were still ringing with the congratulations Bertie had heaped on him, and he had almost begun to think himself more than fortunate to have found such a lovely bride. However, catching the last few words and hearing father and daughter laugh together aroused his ire once more. The scoundrels! Did they imagine they had found a soft nest for the two of them? He would send them both packing and good riddance.
Nicolas was about to go in and have it out with the pair of them when he heard a squealing sound, a murmur of alarm and some very peculiar noises coming from inside the parlour.
‘Oh, you poor little thing. What a mess you have got into…’
Intrigued by the new note in her voice, Nicolas walked into the room and saw something that amazed him. The woman he had just decided was a scoundrel was clutching a very sooty and disreputable animal he thought might be a kitten. She was stroking it gently and he could see that the beast did indeed look to be in a sorry state. Glancing at the fireplace, he saw how much soot the kitten had brought down and made a mental note to have the chimneys swept before the winter.
‘How in the world did that get here?’
‘I imagine it must have gone up on the roof somehow and fallen down. It feels so thin,’ Lottie said and held the creature to her breast, stroking its filthy fur and getting soot all over her gown. ‘We have some milk left from tea…’ With one hand, she poured a little milk into one of the exquisite porcelain tea bowls. Still holding the kitten gently as she set both the bowl and the creature on the carpet, she allowed it to lap while supporting it with her hands. ‘Oh, look how hungry it is. Do you think Cook would spare a little fish of some kind?’
‘I imagine she might if you asked,’ Nicolas said. ‘You are, after all, to be the mistress here, are you not?’
‘If it suits you,’ Lottie replied without looking up. ‘For the moment I am simply a guest. The milk has all gone. I must take Kitty to the kitchens. She needs a little wash, but it must be done carefully so as not to harm her, and she will need to be fed small amounts regularly. I think I shall keep her in my room…’
‘She has already covered your gown and the carpet with soot.’ Nicolas glared at her for no particular reason.
‘Yes, I am sorry about your carpet, my lord. I know soot is difficult to get out. I will fetch a cloth later and see what I can do.’
‘One of the servants will see to it. Good grief,’ Nicolas said, feeling irritable without understanding what had changed his mood. ‘Ring the bell and Mrs Mann will come. One of the footmen can deal with the wretched thing.’
Lottie looked up, her green eyes sparking with anger. ‘It may be a wretched thing to you, my lord, but at the moment I believe it is to be pitied. I dare say it has been lost in your maze of chimneys for days, for I think it is near starving. I wish to care for it myself.’
He blinked and then lowered his gaze. ‘I did not mean the thing was undeserving of pity. Merely that it would do well enough with the servants. If you wish to care for it, that is your own affair.’
‘If you would kindly direct me to the kitchens.’
‘I shall ring for Mrs Mann. She will assist you…’ he said, but was saved the trouble by the arrival of the housekeeper and a maid to clear the tea things. ‘Mrs Mann—a kitten seems to have got stuck up the chimney…’
‘Yes, my lord. It is one of the kitchen cat’s brood. We did think one was missing. Rose will take it for you, Miss Stanton.’
‘Miss Stanton wishes to care for the kitten herself. If you will show her where she can clean it a little and also provide some food for the wretched beast.’
Mrs Mann glanced at him, but made no comment. She turned to Lottie with a smile.
‘Rose will show you the kitchen and scullery, miss—if you are sure you wish for the trouble?’
‘It won’t be a trouble to Lottie,’ Sir Charles put in. ‘She always had a soft spot for any creature she found in trouble. Clar…uh, that is, Clara used to scream when she found wounded birds in the garden, but Lottie did her best to heal them if she could.’
‘And who is Clara?’ Nicolas asked. ‘I thought your aunt was called Beth?’
‘Oh, Clara is a just a friend,’ Lottie replied, eyes wide and innocent. ‘Excuse me, my lord. I must attend to the kitten—I think she has just wet herself.’
‘And you, miss,’ the housekeeper said. ‘You will have to house train the beast if you mean to make a pet of it.’
‘Yes…’ Lottie smiled. ‘I shall have to teach her better manners, shall I not?’
Nicolas let his gaze follow her as she walked from the room. He had meant to send both her and her father packing. It would be simple enough to cancel the debt and pay a lump sum to ease the lady’s pride. Yet the incident with the kitten had made him curious. He could not quite work out in his mind what was going on, but something did not ring true. Lottie had made nothing of the soot on her pretty afternoon gown or the kitten wetting her. How did the girl he had seen robbing his friend while he lay in a drunken stupor equate with the demure and compassionate young lady now staying in his house? She was like two different women!
She must be a consummate actress. Nicolas scowled, for he did not like the way she had played on his sympathies. Miss Stanton was not the only one to care for animals in distress. As a young lad he had rescued enough of them himself… Now what had made him recall his childhood? It was years since he had given it a thought, perhaps because painful memories had superseded the happier times.
He had, he supposed, been fortunate to live in a house like this and to have parents who cared for him, even if they spared him little enough of their time. His tutor and some of the grooms had been his companions, as he roamed the estate, fished with a net for frogs and newts in the streams and ponds, rode his pony and climbed trees. It was a very good place to bring up a family. The pity was that his mother had been a little fragile after his birth, and when she died from a putrid fever, the house had been plunged into mourning, from which it had never quite recovered. Nicolas’s father had not remarried, spending most of his time away from the estate, working. Nicolas had been left alone with his grief.
Glancing around the parlour, Nicolas saw that although the furniture was good quality and made to the finest standards, the curtains and décor had become a trifle faded. He had spent only a few days at the house in the last years, and never in this particular parlour. If his wife intended to use it, he must have it refurbished for her.
His wife… Nicolas walked to the French windows and looked out. Was the reason he had been avoiding the subject of marriage down to his disappointment in love years before—or to the fear at the back of his mind that he might love too well, as his father had? Losing his mother at an early age had made Nicolas a little reserved and afraid of giving his affections. When the first woman he had believed himself in love with had also turned him down, he had put up a barrier to protect himself.
For a moment he thought about Elizabeth, the beautiful young lady who had been his first love. He had believed her nature as sweet as her face. The realisation that her gentle manner was false and covered a spiteful character had swept the illusion of love from his mind. He had thought her a woman he could trust, but her dismissal of his declaration had been deliberately cruel and meant to wound, destroying his trust in women and convincing him that love was for fools.
His father had been a fool for love. As a child, Nicolas had not truly understood why his father could not bear to be in the house after his wife died. Nicolas had imagined the fifth marquis was too busy to be interested in his only son, but as an adult he could guess that his father had simply shut himself off from everyone who mattered because it was too painful; because he was suffering from a broken heart. Perhaps he had grieved as much as Nicolas, but been unable to show it, which meant they might have been more alike than either of them had realised.
No woman was worth the pain love inflicted. Nicolas was determined that he would never again offer his heart to have it crushed beneath a woman’s dainty foot.
‘Foolish…’ he muttered and went out of the French windows. Love was a waste of time. A marriage of convenience was much safer. It was best to keep his mind on practical matters. He would walk down to the stables and speak to the head groom to discover if there was a suitable horse in their stables for a lady to ride.
‘Now you must be good, Kitty,’ Lottie said and stroked the kitten’s fur. It still felt a little spiky and rough but with good food and care she did not doubt it would recover in time. Now that that the soot had gone, she could see that the kitten was a pretty tortoiseshell in colour. ‘If you must wet, use the sand tray as I showed you.’
‘You talk to her just as if she can understand,’ Rose said and laughed. ‘She will learn to use the tray in time. My mother puts the cats out to teach them, but they still wet in the house until they get older. Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to take her down to the kitchen?’
‘I shall keep her here until she is better,’ Lottie said. ‘If you would pop in and look at her now and then…’
‘I’ll come before I help with the dishes, miss,’ Rose said. ‘Cats are loners, you know. I dare say she will wander off when you let her outside. My mother says dogs are the best companions for they give love in return, and cats don’t.’
