“And if I don’t leave things to be as you like?” There was a challenge there, one Phin would be wise not to ignore.
“Then, my darling sister, I shall have to make certain you are caught out with Lord Snowly, and that, my dear, shall be that. You will wed him whether you wish to or not. We do have the old family chapel on the grounds, after all. Quick and easy, at the duke’s discretion, of course. And, as a reminder, I am still the duke.”
With that parting shot, Phin left Cilla fuming behind him as he walked out into Havenhurst’s grand foyer whistling happily.
For the first time in a very long time, he felt in control of his life. What could possibly go wrong?
“I wonder if something is amiss? Surely it cannot take this long to allow guests to depart from their carriages.” Across the seat from Josie, a young woman dressed all in grey peered out the coach window before sighing as she allowed the curtain to fall back into place. “I am sorry, my lady. This is my first assignment, and I’m afraid I am not very good at being a lady’s companion.”
Feeling surprisingly relaxed about the entire matter, Josie smiled indulgently at the other woman. “Have no fear, Miss Hadley. This is my first house party, so we shall both learn together.”
It really was surprising that Josie was so calm about arriving at Havenhurst without a proper chaperone, especially since doing so would likely result in even more gossip clinging to her name. However, the matter could not be helped as Julia had come down with a wretched stomach ailment last evening as they were packing the last of their trunks in preparation for the short trip to the country.
Julia’s husband, Benjamin, had been beside himself when his wife had taken ill. Although one would hardly call Lady Radcliffe a fragile sort, she had suffered many physical maladies over the years, including being scarred on her face with a fencing foil by Ben’s father when she was only a child, to being shot during a duel between Ben and another man hoping to win her affections. She was also a mother now and, unless Josie missed her guess, Julia’s affliction had more to do about being with child once more than something she ate.
So, it had been in the wee hours of the morning when a Miss Grace Hadley had timidly arrived at Radcliffe House’s servants’ entrance and presented herself. She had been accompanied by both Lord and Lady Berkshire, the couple that now owned and managed The Grey Ladies, a sort-of proper companion service to young society ladies in dire need of a chaperone.
Josie, who had been in the kitchen at the time, could still see the look that had passed between Lord Berkshire and Lord Radcliffe. It was a look that had nothing to do with Josie and everything to do with the young woman Berkshire had brought with him. That exchange had been lost on Miss Hadley, who was so jumpy that Josie wasn’t even quite certain how she had qualified to be a Grey Lady in the first place.
Those women were renowned throughout London for their grace and composure, as well as their exceedingly proper manners. Miss Hadley, however, seemed more like a lost sheep than a companion.
Not that it mattered to Josie. After all, she was very well aware that, though unpolished, she was far more worldly than most young women her age. That probably included baron’s daughters from Cornwall. Perhaps that was the difference.
“We are in good and capable hands, Miss Hadley.” Josie reached out to squeeze her hand. “I know Lord Fullbridge rather well and am more than passingly acquainted with his sister, Pricilla. Or Cilla, as she prefers to be called.” That last bit was a stretch, but the two women had been introduced so it wasn’t a complete fabrication.
“If you say so.” The other woman, older than Josie by only a scant three years, peered out the window again before turning back to Josie as she bit her lip. “I am a baron’s daughter, my lady. I was not trained to be a companion.”
“I know.” Josie offered the obviously terrified woman another smile. “We shall be fine. Do not fret.”
However, as the coach lurched forward and Josie watched as footmen scurried about as they prepared to open the door of Lord Radcliffe’s traveling coach, she was no longer quite so sure.
Though she was the daughter of an earl and had grown up in one of the largest homes in Cumbria, that humble abode had nothing on the sprawling manor house that spread out before her like something from a fairy tale. Multiple stories tall, there had to be well over a hundred rooms at Havenhurst, especially when one took into account the various wings that flowed backward from the main house toward lush gardens, immaculately tended grounds, what might have been a maze and, in the distance, a small lake.
The house boasted three different porticos and a central fountain in the middle of the crushed shell driveway that was lined with neatly tended trees and shrubs along with assorted statuary from a variety of different cultures.
Peeping up through the trees off in the distance, Josie could see the tops of buildings that looked like they might have been cottages or summer houses, and she was certain they had passed at least two gazebos after they had turned through the wrought iron gates and on to the main drive.
Josie was accustomed to a degree of luxury, but not anything close to this. Phin lived a far different life than she did, to be certain.
Oddly enough, Miss Hadley had a very different reaction once she saw the manor house. “This reminds me so very much of Dunwell Grange.” Her voice took on a wistful tone, as if she longed to be back at that house from her past. “But that was so very long ago. I wonder if he remembers those days as I do.”
Josie was about to ask Miss Hadley where exactly this Dunwell Grange was and to whom she was referring when the door to the coach was suddenly yanked open, allowing bright daylight to spill inside. She was about to ask the footman to close the door a bit so that she could regain her vision when a large shape loomed in front of her.
“Lady Josephine. It is a pleasure.”
Phin’s voice rumbled through her, and Josie couldn’t help but feel just a bit tingly inside. Although she was hardly an experienced London lady, she didn’t think lords of the manor came out to greet each guest individually. That was what footmen were for. Even in Cumbria.
“Lord Fullbridge.” Somehow, Josie found her voice. “How did you know we had arrived.”
He chuckled, and once again, she felt that same tingle. “The Radcliffe crest on the side of your carriage, of course. I was outside helping my grooms see to a spooked horse when I noticed you were next in line. I thought I would come over and see if I could be of any assistance, as we are breaking protocol a bit as it is.” He jerked his head back a little. “As I said, one of my guests is having trouble as his mount was spooked upon arrival in the courtyard by a small grass snake. That led to his carriage horses attempting to bolt with the vehicle still attached. His coach is now half on its side and, while I think the situation is well in hand as the horses are currently being unhitched, one can never be too careful. Especially where ladies are concerned.”
“Thank you, my lord.” Immediately, Josie felt stiff and awkward and out of sorts. This wasn’t the Phin she knew, but then, what had she expected? They were hardly alone, and any other sort of behavior would be the height of impropriety.
“Er, where is Julia?” Phin asked quietly as he handed Josie out of the carriage, proving that the man she knew from Lady Chillton’s was still in there somewhere.
“Ill,” Josie whispered as she glanced around to make certain no one overheard their exchange. “Too ill to travel and likely with child again, if I had to guess.” While that was not exactly something that was proper to discuss amongst strangers, Phin was hardly a stranger. “Instead, I brought Miss Hadley with me. She is a Grey Lady.”
Phin was about to reach into the carriage when he paused. “A Miss Grace Hadley?”
“I think so. Why?”
Phin never had a chance to answer that question, for as Miss Hadley was being handed down by a footman, she put her foot down and let out a sharp cry, her ankle turning on the pebbly drive. Her cry of distress and flinging of hands
managed to knock the footman off balance while at the same time further spooking the already upset horse from earlier. That, in turn, frightened the horses pulling Josie’s coach, causing the entire conveyance to lurch forward awkwardly.
Before Josie was truly aware of what was going on, she found herself yanked tightly into Phin’s arms as he spun her around and out of the path of danger – well away from horses, carriages, and anything else that might harm her.
She was, however, extremely aware of Phin. She was aware of the heat of his body and the way his heart thundered in his chest as he held her close. She was aware of the spicy male scent of him and the feel of his arms as they tightened around her, much as they had back in Lady Darby’s library. She could also feel his arousal pressing into her leg, and once more, she wondered at the reason. Her or just the fact that there were a number of unwed females running about, some with their ankles showing. She wasn’t certain she wished to know.
“That was close. Too close,” Phin whispered in her ear, pulling her ever so slightly closer for one glorious moment before untangling her from his arms and setting her away from him, as was proper.
Once he seemed satisfied that she was safe, Phin turned back to the scene before him where two grooms were still struggling to bring the wild horse under control and where, to Josie’s amazement, Miss Hadley was safely tucked into the arms of a man she had never seen before.
“Griggs! Tyson! What the devil are you men about? I told you to take Lord Warwick’s horse to the sables and see what is wrong with the beast before he causes a stampede!” Phin was thundering now, and this was a side of him that Josie had never seen. It both thrilled and terrified her at the same time.
“It’s fine. No harm done.” That came from the other man whom Josie assumed to be Lord Warwick, who was also busy directing the grooms on how to control the horse as a set of finely matched carriage horses were being led away, still prancing about nervously. “Though please see Miss Hadley into the house and make certain she is well. She did turn her ankle, and she might need medical attention.” Though how Lord Warwick knew Miss Grace Hadley was another matter entirely.
For her part, Miss Hadley looked utterly embarrassed and yet – somehow not. Actually, she was looking up at Lord Warwick rather adoringly, and when he brushed aside one of the maids in order to offer his own assistance when he clearly felt they weren’t moving fast enough to suit him, there was something that looked suspiciously like love mixed with an equal measure of despair on the other woman’s face. That was a look Josie knew well, for she’d seen it often enough on the faces of desperate young debutantes back in London.
Was this the mysterious “him” that Miss Hadley had referred to in the carriage moments ago? Did she share a history of some sort with Lord Warwick? Was that why Phin had recognized her name? Were all of these people linked together in a way that she could never hope to be with any of them? Was this attempt to find a husband pointless? Did it matter if she did secure a match? And what of Phin? Was he regretting his decision to issue her an invitation? After all, the first calamity had occurred only after she had arrived, which would be nothing more than additional fodder for gossip in the coming days.
So many questions and no answers would be forthcoming, Josie decided as she watched two footmen come out and, along with Lord Warwick, hustle Miss Hadley into the manor house, not even bothering to look over at Josie. She also wondered if, after this, she would even see her companion again. Something told her that if she did, it would only be sparingly.
“Come. Let me see you settled. This is hardly the welcome I had envisioned for you.”
Looking up, Josie realized that, even when he was barking orders as the duke, Phin had not left her side. He had taken his arm from hers – as was proper – but he still stood beside her as if he had nowhere else he wished to be just then.
“Thank you.” Josie took Phin’s arm once more when he offered it – properly this time. “I am sorry I have made such a scene.”
“You didn’t make a scene, Lady Josephine. The horse did.” He glanced over to where Lord Warwick was just disappearing through the double doors of the manor house. “And if you are worried about scandal? Don’t be. I have a feeling that there will be more than enough scandal at this house party to fill two and twenty gossip rags. Your arrival was a minor incident at best.”
Josie laughed, only this time it was not her usual snort, but rather a more delicate and proper laugh. That earned her a frown from Phin, but rather than comment on the matter, he instead escorted her toward the manor house. It would have felt good to laugh as she normally did, of course, but if she wished to find a suitable husband? She needed to sedate. Proper. Perfect.
She could not be herself. She was an unpolished girl from Cumbria. At this party, she needed to pretend to be a diamond from London. That was the only way she would be successful in snaring a husband.
She also needed to avoid gossip at all costs. Then again, she was also attending a house party hosted by Phin and his sister. Was such a thing as avoiding gossip even possible? Maybe. But more than likely, maybe not.
Chapter Six
“Your Lady Josephine made quite an entrance this afternoon, Phin.”
“Her? Ha! Did you see Miss Hadley and the way she all but fell out of the coach? Well, of course, you did, Warwick. Isn’t she your old childhood friend? Why was she in Radcliffe’s carriage anyway? Worse, why was she wearing grey?”
“I was more interested in Lady Tabitha. I was surprised she is even here given the rumors that she is terrified of men. However, if the rumors about her running about London with cutlasses and knives are true, then she is very surprising female, indeed.”
“You are mad as a Bedlamite, Warwick. Those rumors can’t possibly be true. Utter poppycock! I’d put more stock in the rumors about Lady Deborah finally being in the market for a husband.”
“Watch it, Queensbury. That’s Cleary’s youngest sister, and I don’t think he’d appreciate your panting after her.”
“I am doing no such thing, so do not go starting any rumors, Sutton!”
Phin was standing amongst a group of some of the most esteemed peers of the land and, rather than talking of politics or the state of the world or even, God forbid, relations with France, they were instead speaking of the one thing common to all men – women. Which was a very good thing indeed, at least in Phin’s opinion, for it meant their heads were in the correct places. Especially if he wanted one of them (preferably Snowly) to swoop in and snatch Cilla away from Lord Cleary.
Well, it wouldn’t be Warwick, even though Phin had considered him a prime candidate to vie for Cilla’s affections. When the man had clapped eyes on Miss Hadley earlier, that particular hope had been lost. There were few bonds stronger than those formed so early on in childhood, and it was evident that whatever bond those two shared? It went well beyond that of mere childhood friends.
Phin was still holding out hope for Viscount Sutton or perhaps even Eli Queensbury, heir to the Duke of Lymington, but Sutton appeared captivated by Lady Tabitha and Queensbury? Well, there was obviously something amiss with him despite his comment about Lady Deborah Cleary possibly seeking a husband. Which, of course, left Lord Snowly, who was, at present, off sulking in a corner as he watched Cilla and Lord Cleary laugh and carry on as if there was no one else in the room.
Despite Phin’s objections, Cilla had insisted on a cold supper on a running buffet this evening, and now, he could see why she had done so. That was the only way she could keep her eye on Snowly and make certain she was nowhere near him while fawning all over Cleary – while still remaining in Snowly’s line of sight so that he might take notice of how she was carrying on like a lightskirt. Well, she might get away with such machinations tonight, but not the rest of the evenings he had planned for the house party. At least not if Phin had anything to say about the matter, and, as the duke, he had quite a bit to say.
Cilla just didn’t always recognize his authority. But she wou
ld for the remainder of this house party. He refused to allow her to do otherwise.
Phin was just about to go over and prod Snowly into action when Cilla laughed just a bit too loudly, the sound ringing false throughout the ballroom that had temporarily been converted into an over-sized, make-shift parlor at Cilla’s direction. For whatever reason, that sound seemed to prod Snowly into action, and Phin watched as the other man rose, stalked across the room and all but shoved Cleary out of the way before hauling Cilla off in the general direction of the music room, his hand wrapped securely around her upper arm.
A proper brother would go after the pair and possibly demand satisfaction after his sister was treated so roughly and with such disrespect. A good brother would simply let them be and hope his stubborn sister came to her senses before it was too late.
“Are you going to stop her?”
Phin didn’t even need to turn around to know that Josie had come up beside him. Even though he had known her for only a very short time, he knew her voice intimately.
“I would,” he replied slowly, “if I wasn’t hoping that the two of them might just decide to do the right thing and run off to Gretna.” Then, aware of what he had just said, he winced. “I’m sorry. I know that is what your cousin Penny did and why you were left alone with only the Radcliffes to take you in. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I encouraged her to make the trip to Gretna.” Josie didn’t seem particularly bothered by Phin’s comments. “She and Harry were in love. Who was I to stand in their way? Especially when a marriage by way of a more traditional means might have taken too long.”
Loving the Wrong Lord Page 7