The Lady's Second-Chance Suitor

by Scott, Regina

  He turned to offer her a smile that would once have set her heart to fluttering. “Then I suspect I will need to purchase a very large gift indeed.”

  “Do you really require my help?” Hester asked.

  He wrinkled his nose, making him look years younger. “Alas, I am woefully unprepared for such a duty. And you will know your sister far better than I do.”

  There was that. And she knew a little something about the Earl of Howland as well. Few in the area realized that his father had left the family finances in a precarious position. Rob could afford to be generous. Perhaps she should help, for her sister’s sake.

  “Then I suppose we will have to meet on Saturday,” she said. “Would you be willing to come to Upper Grace and fetch me around eleven? That would save my mother having to go out in the carriage.”

  He glanced toward the row of examining room doors, all closed now. “Then that wasn’t a ruse. Is she truly unwell?”

  The thought plunged a knife in her heart. Hester managed a shaky breath. “I certainly hope not. She claimed chest palpitations this morning. That’s why we came. It’s happened before, about eight years ago. But she’s been fine since.”

  His hand touched her arm, a brief caress, but she felt it to her toes. “I’m sure the doctor will know what to do.”

  “I hope so,” Hester murmured. “I don’t want to lose her.”

  “I know. I suppose even as an adult, we often think our parents will be there for us forever.”

  The pain in his voice wrapped around her, and Hester lay her hand over his. “Until they aren’t.”

  “Exactly.” He traced a circle on the back of her hand, sending tingles through her. “My father and I butted heads on occasion, but he always tolerated my foibles. Elizabeth and I could do as we pleased, knowing someone would always be there to clean up any messes. Now, I’m not expected to have any messes to clean up. It’s quite a challenge.”

  A smile tugged at her mouth. “But you have always risen to challenges, my lord.”

  His gaze lifted to brush hers, as briefly as his caress, but just as potent. “Some challenges are more pleasurable than others.”

  Oh, but she could lose herself in that smile. “And some make us stronger, better able to meet future challenges.”

  He chuckled. “So, am I to expect choppier waters ahead?”

  “Perhaps not,” Hester allowed. “Grace-by-the-Sea is known for its sheltered cove, its warm welcome.”

  “And will I find a warm welcome here?”

  She should not give him hope there could be anything between them. He claimed to be trying to change and become the man his father had been. She had seen little evidence as of yet. Still, some part of her grieved with him, sought to comfort him.

  “I’m sure you have already felt a welcome,” she told him. “You are the other major landowner in the area, after all. And you have been rather generous.”

  “Which means they welcome me for fear I might take offense otherwise,” he pointed out. “That’s not a true welcome. What about friendship, camaraderie?”

  “I suspect,” Hester said, “you are most likely to find that in the new Lord Howland. The two of you have much in common, being recently elevated to the title. Which brings us back to our goal of selecting the best present.”

  As if sensing she meant to end their conversation, he dropped his hand and stepped back. “Eleven sounds perfect. I’ll come for you then.”

  Hester gave him directions to the house, but she had a feeling she would be counting the hours until Saturday at eleven.

  Chapter Seven

  Rob adjusted his cravat as the coach pulled up in front of a three-story stone house off High Street in Upper Grace. The front yard was edged by shrubs, leaves curling and brown with autumn.

  “If you touch that linen again,” Elizabeth warned from across the coach, “it will wilt off your neck.”

  “Be nice,” he returned as Bascom jumped down to open the door for him. Rob climbed out and followed the short walk to the door. It opened before he could knock.

  Hester, her daughter, and her mother stood in the small entry hall. All were dressed in warm colors—russet and orange and peach. The little girl gazed up at him, mouth curving in a shy smile. Rob wiggled his fingers at her. She blushed and ducked behind her grandmother.

  “It was very kind of you and your sister to request Hester’s help in finding a present for Rosemary and the earl, my lord,” Mrs. Denby said, smiling at the coach as if to include Elizabeth. “Would you be willing to join us for tea after you bring Hester home?”

  “We’d be delighted,” Rob assured her with a bow.

  Hester sent her mother a look, but she accepted his arm to walk out to the coach. Rob helped her in, and Bascom hopped up into his place again. As Rob climbed in after Hester, however, he noticed she’d seated herself facing backward, the position generally reserved for a gentleman or a servant. He should insist she sit beside Elizabeth in the forward-facing seat, but he couldn’t quite convince himself to forego the pleasure of having her beside him.

  So, he settled himself next to her. She frowned at him, but she didn’t protest aloud.

  The coach lurched as it started away from the house, and her shoulder brushed his. Definitely the best seat in the coach.

  Hester was as composed as always. “Good afternoon, Miss Peverell,” she said.

  “And to you, Mrs. Todd,” Elizabeth said with a nod. “But I am certain we are destined to become great friends. Therefore, you must call me Elizabeth.”

  She turned right enough that he could see her cheeks turning pink inside her straw bonnet. “Thank you, Elizabeth. Then you must call me Hester.”

  “Excellent, Hester,” Rob said.

  She had not given him permission, but he saw no reason to stand on ceremony. Still, the look she sent him said she knew what he was about.

  Elizabeth’s smile was amused. “I’m delighted you could join us today. I’ve heard so much about the shops at Grace-by-the-Sea, but I haven’t visited in years. What are our choices?”

  “They are many and varied,” Hester told her, shoulders coming down in her russet redingote. “But you’ll see for yourself soon enough. Perhaps we should stop near Church Street and walk down toward the cove. That would give you a good tour of the area.”

  “Have you lived here all your life, then?” Elizabeth asked as the coach left Upper Grace and headed out across the Downs like a ship through the tossing waves of the browning grass.

  “Since I was a girl,” Hester admitted. “We moved here after my father died to live with my uncle, Flavius Montgomery.”

  Elizabeth’s brows went up. “The famed naturalist? How marvelous. What he must have taught you.”

  Jealousy crawled up him. Hester had mentioned her uncle before, but the name had meant nothing to him. Figure on Elizabeth to be the better read and more informed.

  “He and my sister Rosemary were closer,” Hester said, gloved hands folded primly in her lap. “She loved searching for natural curiosities as much as he did.”

  “Which is why she discovered this ancient crocodile I’ve been hearing about,” Elizabeth mused.

  “Actually, Lady Miranda discovered it,” Hester said, “and she is rather proprietary about the skeleton, ugly thing that it is. Rosemary tells me Lord Howland intends to make a museum in the castle to house their treasures.”

  A museum? Well, at least Rob wasn’t the only one who felt the need to donate things. Perhaps it was the lordly thing to do.

  “Excellent,” Elizabeth declared. “I didn’t have an opportunity to see it at the fair. We must go visit his lordship, Brother.”

  “Certainly,” Rob agreed. “After the fellow returns from his honeymoon. I imagine he’ll have other things on his mind before then.”

  They must have been starting down the hill into Grace-by-the-Sea, for the carriage tilted just a bit. Once more, Hester was jostled against him. He could get used to that.

  He called up to
Mr. Fitch, who stopped the coach near the intersection of High Street and Church Street. Bascom jumped down again, but Rob refused to give up the luxury of holding Hester’s hand as she alighted. His new footman wore a slight frown as they set out, as if he wasn’t sure what his duties were and whether he was performing them adequately.

  Elizabeth certainly saw no need to correct him. Head high, she set off without a backward look, leaving Rob to offer his arm to Hester. Hester lay down her hand so gingerly he might have been one of the aged pensioners come to take the waters. But at least she was content in his escort. He should be thankful for small favors.

  Yet he couldn’t help wondering what else he might do to thaw this wall of ice between them. He had spent most of his time in the past in Upper Grace, so the village before him was a strange land. Then again, he was the stranger. Newcomers, didn’t they call visitors at the spa?

  “I think you may like this first shop, Elizabeth,” Hester called.

  Rob looked up at the sign over the door. “Mr. Carroll’s Curiosities?”

  “A veritable treasure trove,” Hester promised.

  Bascom darted around them to hold open the door, and Rob followed Hester and Elizabeth inside.

  The place was part bookstore, part bazaar, with brightly colored cases filled with books for children and adults alike. Tables positioned here and there carried fascinating inventions like miniature automatons, telescopes, and a model of the famous pyramids in Egypt. Unless he missed his guess, the massive stuffed creature in the corner was supposed to be a hippopotamus.

  A slight fellow with silver-rimmed spectacles came forward from the back, balding pate shining as brightly as his smile. “Mrs. Todd. How nice to see you again. And you brought friends.”

  Hester didn’t quibble the word. “Lord Peverell and his sister are visiting us for a time. I thought they would enjoy seeing your collection.”

  Like a magician on the stage, he stepped aside and waved his hand. “It is all at your disposal.”

  The fellow had no idea what he offered. Rob could spend considerable time and money here. That brass-rimmed telescope, perhaps, for peering out at strange lights at sea? Or that set of tiny building blocks, which might be assembled into the shape of the Tower of London? Elizabeth was clearly enthralled with a mechanical parrot that made rough noises and bobbed its head when wound by a key.

  A shame Rob hadn’t come into Mr. Carroll’s Curiosities out of, well, curiosity. He was here as a peer of the realm, seeking to honor the wedding of another peer of the realm. And he couldn’t imagine Howland beaming over a set of blocks, worse luck.

  The dapper shopkeeper brought Hester a tiny cloth bonnet adorned with silk roses. “For Esmeralda?” he suggested.

  “Oh, perfect!” Hester opened her reticule and handed him a coin.

  “Esmeralda?” Rob asked, joining her even as Mr. Carroll went to pull down a book for Elizabeth.

  “Rebecca’s favorite doll,” Hester said, smiling at the little bonnet.

  For a moment, he remembered a similar fond smile being directed at him. Rob shook himself.

  “Do you see anything that might please the earl and your sister?” he whispered.

  She lowered the bonnet. “Many things, but nothing useful.”

  Useful. Was that her criterion? He’d thought wedding gifts to wealthy earls should be about beauty, enjoyment. At least, that’s the sort of wedding gift he would have preferred. He could imagine Hester opening the gilt paper, eyes wide as she beheld crystal goblets from Ireland or a fine tooled leather portfolio from Morocco.

  And when had he started picturing Hester as his bride?

  He focused on their task. He knew little of the earl, but Mercer had mentioned Howland might be in financial trouble. If that were true, what need had the earl for more baubles? Rob must consider something of more substance.

  He kept his eyes open as Hester continued their tour of the village, package holding the bonnet swinging from one hand. Bascom already carried packages Elizabeth had purchased from Mr. Carroll, though Rob had convinced her to leave the hippopotamus in its corner.

  All the Colors of the Sea, across the street from Mr. Carroll’s Curiosities, offered handcrafts from local families along with a stunning set of paintings by the physician’s wife, Mrs. Abigail Bennett. Hester took a moment to speak to the lady privately, then lingered over the landscapes, until he was highly tempted to buy her one. If only he could convince himself it wouldn’t cause a scandal.

  But the earl hardly needed paintings either.

  The village boasted a tailor, a barber, and a jeweler as well as a shop that specialized in ladies’ bonnets. His sister purchased a carnelian ring from Mr. Lawrence, the jeweler, and a flowered hat from Mrs. Rinehart, the milliner. Elizabeth also insisted on visiting the linens and trimmings shop, where two older ladies, sisters by the looks of them, fawned over her. His sister fingered the goods with longing and came away with some ribbons and a length of Merino wool the color of plums, which only added to the teetering pile in Bascom’s slender arms. Still, Rob saw nothing that might interest Lord Howland or his bride.

  Hester kept glancing at him, and he couldn’t tell if she thought him too fastidious in his choices or wondered whether he simply didn’t care.

  “Did nothing pique your interest?” she asked as they neared the harbor, where fishing boats bobbed at anchor alongside a few pleasure craft.

  Elizabeth turned her gaze from the view, lips downturned, and he knew she must be thinking of the ill-fated boat that had sank under their parents.

  “Not yet,” Rob told Hester. “Tell me, what have you heard about the earl’s current situation, his reason for residing in Grace-by-the-Sea.”

  Her gaze went out over the waves as well. “It is not spoken of in public, but I understand the previous earl’s death may have caused some financial constraints. The current earl is working hard to rectify them.”

  Which meant that economies were being made. The dowager countess wouldn’t like that. Neither would Howland’s daughter.

  Just then Rob’s gaze lit on one of the shops closest to the harbor, and inspiration struck.

  “Ellison’s Bakery,” he said, eyeing the sign over the half door. “I seem to recall Father praising its wares.”

  “Wasn’t it cinnamon buns?” Elizabeth asked, fond smile reappearing.

  “Mr. Ellison is rather famous for them,” Hester acknowledged.

  “And is there something in particular your sister or Lady Miranda favors?” Rob asked her.

  “Rosemary has mentioned a particular bread with caraway seeds,” she said, frown gathering as if she wasn’t sure why he had asked.

  “I’ll take that as a recommendation.” Rob headed for the door. “Give me a few moments, then I’ll join you. Bascom, stay with the ladies.”

  Mr. Ellison, a broad fellow who could as easily have been the village blacksmith, readily agreed to Rob’s plan. And he added six of his succulent cinnamon buns for Rob to take home.

  As they started up the street for the carriage, Elizabeth lagged behind with Bascom, sniffing deeply, as if she would inhale the buns in the box he carried.

  “I know you’ll enjoy those,” Hester said beside Rob, “but it’s a shame you didn’t find a gift to your liking.”

  He could leave her with that impression, perhaps inveigle another trip for the purpose of finding a present, but he could not bring himself to lie to her again. “Actually, I found just what I was seeking. It’s unconventional, but then, so am I.”

  Hester glanced his way again. “Do I dare ask what you’ve done?”

  Rob smiled. “Thanks to your recommendation, Mr. Ellison will be delivering fresh bread and sweet treats to the castle for the next year on behalf of the Peverells.”

  She stopped, forcing him up as well. Elizabeth nearly collided with them before catching herself. Even Bascom stumbled, juggling the packages to keep them from dropping.

  Hester’s blue-green eyes were shining, like sunlight
reflecting off the waters of the cove. “Rob, that is beyond kind. It will mean so much to Rosemary, Lady Miranda, and the earl. It’s a clever gift that helps without shaming them for their current situation. Thank you.”

  Was that heat in his cheeks? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d blushed. “I would hope for the same kindness should I be in a situation not of my making.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll remember that.”

  Elizabeth pushed past him with an arch look. “So will I.” She lowered her voice as Hester started forward. “Because the last time I checked, Brother, you are in a situation not of your own making. Have some patience with yourself.”

  Perhaps when he’d grown into his role. He might not have inherited Howland’s financial troubles, but he had a long way to go to fill his father’s place.

  ~~~

  Hester kept glancing at Rob as the coach carried them back toward Upper Grace. He sat beside her, swaying with the coach’s movement, his broad shoulder bumping hers, his trousers brushing her skirts. She knew when he sighed and when his gaze dropped to his gloved hands on his thighs. When he aimed his smile at her, her heart felt the hit.

  Yet, who was he? The man she’d known seven years ago would not have thought of that kind gesture of delivering bread to a family too proud to admit openly it was in need. Was it possible he truly had changed?

  She roused herself as they came into Upper Grace and had him direct his coachman around the back of the house after they had alighted, where her family coachman would help him see to the horses and provide some refreshment. She sent young Ike Bascom, who was apparently acting as footman during Rob and Elizabeth’s visit, to the kitchen for refreshment as well before escorting her guests into the sitting room.

  Her mother rose from the sofa to greet them. “Lord Peverell, Miss Peverell, you honor us.”

  “On the contrary,” Elizabeth said, moving to join her. “You honor us by your invitation. You are the very first to think of including us.”