“Yes, my lord. I just want to make sure.” He paused and said, “There’s a cradle in the nursery.”
“I would like to take it and the rocker,” Colin said.
His father arched his brows.
Colin had surprised even himself. He’d made the request without a thought, but the rocker and the cradle now made sense. It was a tangible link to his mother, and the only one he would ever have.
“I’ll see myself out,” Faraday said. “Thank you for your patience.”
After he left, the marquess frowned. “What the devil are you going to do with a rocker and cradle?”
“I want to keep them for the day I start a family,” he said.
“When might that illustrious day be?”
“I don’t know.” But it would not be long. Otherwise, he stood to lose all.
“It appears no one can make decisions today,” the marquess said. “However, I can. Come with me to your mother’s resting place. I haven’t been in some time.”
The fallen autumn leaves crunched beneath their boots. The wind was up, and his father’s thinning hair blew about after they both removed their hats. “Your mother was a beautiful lady inside and out,” he said. “I fell madly in love with Elizabeth, and I was terrified because I had a competitor for her hand.”
Colin regarded his father curiously. “What happened?”
“I tried flowers, sweetmeats, and poetry. She remained unimpressed until one day I found a kitten. When I called on her, I feared the cat had stolen her affections from me. She laughed when I admitted it. She loved that kitten.”
“How did you win her?” Colin said.
“I told her the truth,” he said. “That I couldn’t sleep or eat, and I thought about her all the time. Then I told her that I didn’t have any pretty words, but I loved her so much it hurt to think of l-losing her.” His father’s voice broke. “I did anyway.”
Colin put his arm around his father’s shoulder. “I imagine you were very happy when you married.”
“Oh, yes. One day the kitten got out somehow, and I thought I’d never be able to console her. Not long after, she discovered that she was expecting—you. We were overjoyed. I thought I’d go mad while she labored to bring you into the world. Your grandfather, rest his soul, plied me with entirely too much brandy.”
He smiled a little. “I remember Grandfather well.”
“All I got for it was the devil of a head, but when I finally got to see her, I was so relieved. There you were, a wrinkled, red, squalling infant. I was afraid to hold you, but she insisted.
“It was a happy time. You were a healthy boy. She used to sit in that rocker in the nursery in a patch of sun and sing to you. I was so proud of you. I used to show you off to the tenants, the vicar, and all the parishioners. Elizabeth said I embarrassed her.”
Colin looked at his father wonderingly. This was a side of him that he’d never imagined.
“Elizabeth had two miscarriages afterward, and her health declined. She wanted another babe, but I was afraid and took care not to let it happen. She was determined, and we laughed afterward that she’d seduced me. Six months later, she passed away while giving birth to a little girl so tiny she could not have thrived. The babe was…buried with her.”
Colin briefly closed his eyes. “You must have been wild with grief.”
“Your grandmother had passed the year before, but your grandfather came to collect us both. I remember you cried and cried for your mother. It broke my heart.”
“I used to pray for a miracle that she would come home,” Colin said.
He sighed. “Life goes on, son. You were healthy and inquisitive. We spent a great deal of time together. You would sit on my lap while I read to you.”
“I remember,” Colin said. “The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes.”
“You made me read it over and over again. I was tempted to burn it, but I saved it for the day you have brats. I hope they make you read that book repeatedly.”
Colin laughed.
“When it was time to send you to school, I didn’t want to leave you at Eton, but I knew I had to do it. Two years later, I met Margaret’s father. He was in trade of all sorts and had pots of money. One day, the wily man let me see his daughter. I was smitten immediately.” He sighed. “I felt guilty for having feelings for Margaret. It felt as if I were betraying your mother, but you were at school, and I was lost until I met her.”
Colin could hear the melancholy in his father’s voice.
“It was an arranged marriage and hard for Margaret. Her father knew he was ill, and he wanted her to be safe and secure. Back then, she was shy and terrified of living in our world. I vowed then that I would earn her affections, but as it turned out, she earned mine.”
The marquess bowed his head. “I will love you until the end of time, Elizabeth.”
Colin’s eyes burned. He turned away and took out his handkerchief.
The marquess clapped his shoulder. “It’s time to return.”
Colin regarded his father. “Thank you for sharing memories of my mother. It helps.”
That afternoon, Colin managed to evade a group outing and took Angeline to the stables where he chose a mare for her. “We’ll only trot,” he said. “Those side saddles are dangerous. On second thought, I’ll take you up in front of me on Aries.”
“You know I have a good seat,” she said.
“Humor me. Your father will kill me if you fall.”
“Colin, no.”
“Yes, do as I say. Aries is waiting.”
Aries snorted as if he agreed.
The groom helped her up even as she continued to protest.
“Hush,” Colin said. “You’ll enjoy this.”
“I rather doubt it,” she said.
He walked the horse along the path.
“Colin, why even ride if we’re going along at a grandmother’s pace?”
He kissed her neck.
“Keep your eyes on the path,” she said, “or we’ll both fall off.”
“I’ll not let that happen. Hence the slow pace.” He didn’t mention the enticing feel of her bottom against his groin. “You can enjoy the scenery much better at a walk.”
“If I wanted to walk, I would use my legs,” she said.
He laughed. “Relax.”
“What else can I do?”
“That’s better,” he said. Lord, her soft bottom felt too damned good.
“Do you have a destination in mind?” she asked.
“Nothing in particular.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said.
“Just a few more minutes,” he said. Ahead, he saw a spot beneath one of the barren oaks. He halted the horse and slid off the saddle. Then he reached for her and let her slide down his torso.
“You did that on purpose,” she said.
“Did what?” he said, pulling off the rolled blanket.
“If you’re thinking of rubbing down Aries, you are wasting your time. He’s probably put out that you forced him to a sedate walk.”
Aries snorted again and cropped the grass.
Colin took her hand. “Come along.”
“Where?” she said in a snippy tone.
He liked it when she got feisty. “Trust me.”
“Hah!”
He spread the blanket and pulled her down onto it with him.
“Why do I suspect you are scheming?”
“Because you’re smart.”
“If I were smart, I would walk back to the house.”
“Don’t be a spoilsport.” He lay on his side and propped himself up with his hand. “Relax.”
She sat on the blanket and wrapped her arms around her shins. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said, “but it will not happen.”
“What do you think will happen?”
“You want to kiss me.”
“Will you let me?”
When she didn’t answer immediately, his hopes leaped in his chest. “Do you want to kiss me?�
��
“What I want and what I should do are two different things.” She looked at him. “What happened with Faraday?”
“He’s trying to decide between Sommerall and another property.”
“What is he like, this Faraday?” she asked.
“He’s a gentleman. Arrived rather late.” He told her about Faraday’s wife.
“Has she seen the house?”
“Apparently not. My father thinks she would make up her mind quickly one way or the other, but she obviously wasn’t feeling well enough to join him.”
“So it ended up to be a waste of time,” she said.
“No. My father asked me to accompany him to my mother’s mausoleum. He told me quite a bit about her.” When he told her the rest, she sighed.
“What?” he said.
“It must be wonderful to be so in love.”
She sounded wistful. Angeline wanted hearts and flowers, after all. He supposed most women did hope for love and happily-ever-after. It would be so much easier if she only wanted to repair her reputation and see her sister make her debut in the spring.
“I’m glad your father told you about his relationship with your mother. You were so young, but now you know more about her. I’m glad you found out they were happy.”
“It helps.” He told her about how his father had met Margaret.
“She has been good for him. He would be lonely without her and the girls.” Angeline took off her jaunty little hat and lay on her side to face him. “What will you do if Mr. Faraday makes the offer in six weeks?”
Her words felt like a kick in the gut. “There is nothing I can do unless you decide to make an honest man out of me before then.” He’d spoken in a joking manner, but his nerves were on edge.
“We have three weeks to make that decision—well, two and one-half weeks, I suppose.”
He didn’t have much time. After meeting Faraday, the threat of losing Sommerall had become all too real. What could he do to persuade her? Desperation caught hold of him like talons. He took a deep breath and forced himself to ask the question. “Are you having doubts?”
She shrugged one shoulder, the way she’d done the first night he’d seen her at Deerfield. “I suppose it is only natural for us to have doubts under the circumstances.”
Given her skittishness, he feared she would decide that she couldn’t marry him, even to ensure her sister’s debut. If that happened, he would lose Sommerall.
“Do you like living in London?” she asked.
“I suppose. Harry is always up for a lark.” He remembered his friend’s reaction to the actress upon seeing her in his rooms and grinned.
Angeline huffed. “He’s like a little boy, always wanting to pour spirits in the punch bowl.”
“Do not let Harry fool you. He may like a lark now and then, but no man crosses him and walks away unscathed.”
“I’ve never seen that side of him,” she said.
“Few do.” Colin grinned. “Did I tell you he almost drowned last year?”
“That’s horrible. Why are you smiling about it?”
“We were foxed from one too many bottles at Vauxhall, and Harry was supposed to pay the waterman to take us across. My purse was empty from paying for all the bottles, but Harry discovered he had pockets to let. Somehow or another, he fell into the Thames. I jumped in to save him, and then another fellow dived in to help. That’s how I met Bellingham.”
She laughed. “That’s awful.”
“Good memories,” he said, smiling.
“Men,” she said, rolling her eyes.
He smiled. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t appreciate it.”
She regarded him with an intense expression. “Was there a reason you brought me here?”
“Yes.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, and then with more intention. When she opened for his tongue, he grew aroused and thought at least in this they would be more than compatible. He cupped her face, and for a rash moment, he considered lying and telling her he loved her. With a deep breath, he started to form the words, but she spoke first.
“I’m reluctant to leave, but we had better return.” She sat up and pinned her silly hat to her hair. He helped her up. Say the words. Lie to her. Make her believe you. His breathing was too fast and he couldn’t force the words out.
“Colin, what is it?”
He met her gaze and the guilt got hold of him again. “It’s nothing.” He rolled the blanket. Then he mounted Aries and gave her a hand up in front of him. He kept his eyes on the path, but the entire time he was aware of her scent, her sweet bottom, and her trust in him. She deserved better, and he wasn’t sure how he could convince her to marry him. He needed to prepare himself mentally first. Now was not the right time, but he didn’t have much time left.
After leaving Aries in the care of a groom, Colin offered his arm to Angeline and escorted her along the path. He knew what he had to do, but his chest tightened. The devil. Surely there was another way to ensure she would marry him, but he’d racked his brain and could not think of an honorable way.
When they walked inside Deerfield, Wycoff and his father were standing in the hall in muddy boots as usual. The marquess was scowling at Bianca and Bernadette.
Colin noticed tear tracks on his sisters’ faces and the dog sitting there lolling his tongue. “I take it something is amiss.”
Bernadette sniffed. “Papa means to give Hercules away to one of the tenants.”
“Hercules didn’t mean to have an accident in the water closet.” Bianca dabbed a handkerchief at her eyes. “H-he is still a puppy.”
“Thus far, he has ruined a pair of boots, several legs on the tables, and to top it all off, he breaks wind,” the marquess said gruffly.
Colin burst out laughing.
Angeline clapped her hand over her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking.
Margaret hurried down the stairs. “What is all this commotion about?”
“Papa is making Hercules an orphan,” Bianca said.
“Oh, for pity’s sake,” the marquess said. “I rue the day that dog set foot in our house. Enough is enough. Margaret, I know you side with the girls about the dog, but he is damaging our home and is uncouth.”
“Lord Chadwick,” Angeline said. “Hercules is a smart dog. The girls have already taught him how to shake hands. He only needs to be trained properly. I will gladly help the girls with his training.”
“You know how to train dogs?” Colin said.
She nodded. “I had a dog, but he died before we left for Paris.”
Colin met his father’s gaze and then looked at his sisters. “If you want to keep Hercules, you should demonstrate to our father that you will teach him how to behave.”
“You must be consistent,” Angeline said. “When he does well, reward him. That is how he will learn.”
“Papa, will you give us another chance with Hercules?” Bianca said. “We promise to train him.”
“I don’t know,” the marquess said.
Margaret walked over to her husband and patted his arm. “Perhaps we could train you to remove your muddy boots before you walk in the house.”
Colin shared a smile with Angeline and then he turned to his sisters. “You might thank Angeline,” he said.
They put their arms around her. “Thank you,” they said in unison.
The marquess sat on a bench in the great hall and removed his muddy boots. The marble floor was a mess.
Margaret held her hands up as if beseeching a higher power. “I give up.”
Late that night in bed, the marquess sighed. “You have never failed to make me a happy man, Margaret.”
“You are a lusty man,” she said, laughing.
He kissed his wife gently. “I do love you, my dear.”
“And I you.” She sighed. “What do you make of Colin and Angeline?”
“What do you mean? They haven’t killed each other. We’re safe from violence.” He chuckled.
“Chadw
ick, you know very well what I mean. He took her up on the horse to keep her safe. I find that very chivalrous.”
“For a married woman, you are remarkably naïve, my dear.”
“What do you mean?” she said.
“Chivalry had nothing to do with his decision. No doubt my son was enjoying the close proximity of the lovely Angeline.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is noticing,” Margaret said.
“He’s a man, Margaret. Put a curvaceous beauty in front of a male, he will look.”
“Chadwick, you had better not look at any other woman or you will sleep in one of the guest rooms.”
“But I have no reason to look elsewhere when I have my own beautiful, curvaceous wife close at hand.”
“Good answer.” Margaret sighed again. “The girls are so excited about their debut next spring. It is all they talk about. Even sweet Penny is enthused.”
“I fear society is not prepared for our twins. No doubt they will create mayhem wherever they go as they’re wont to do.”
“Be serious, dear. I worry that our efforts to champion Angeline will not succeed.”
“You have not said anything to the duchess, have you?”
“No, dear, I would never presume to do so. If it does not work, it would be very hard on our girls as well as Penny. I know Angeline is worried on her sister’s behalf.”
“Margaret, we must leave this to Angeline and my son. If it is meant to be, it will be.”
She snorted inelegantly. “I should have known better than to consult you. Do you think I will leave this up to Providence?”
“My dear, you are determined to play matchmaker, but I suspect Lady Angeline is far too practical to fall for our roguish son. Any woman with half a brain would avoid him.”
“Chadwick, he is our son. You ought to be ashamed.”
“I am, Margaret. Ashamed that I didn’t curb him years ago. You know I could have done it by withholding his funds, but I didn’t. Something must be done. I am taking care of it.”
“Chadwick, please be kind to him. He is our only son.”
He cupped his wife’s cheek. “That is what I love about you, Margaret. You champion everyone, including our rakehell son.”
“Underneath his rakish exterior, he is a good man. He only needs a good woman to help him see it.”
What a Reckless Rogue Needs Page 18