He was laughing at what he thought was a clever remark, and Cecilia could not help but feel a surge of frustration at this. Does he not understand how carefully we must manage our budget? No. Of course, he doesn’t. He has never had to worry about finances for a moment in his life.
“Oh, how clever! I shall have to tell Father right away about your ingenious business strategy!” She snapped at the Marquess. “Why have we never thought to charge prices for our work that would recover the cost of our materials!”
The Marquess of Clive looked taken aback by this sudden change in the tone of their conversation. “I…” he stammered, “my apologies, Miss Baxter. I was merely jesting.”
Cecilia wiped a hand across her brow and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She sighed, and in a calmer voice, said, “I’m sorry, My Lord. I know you were only jesting. I should not have snapped at you. Please forgive me for losing my temper.”
“There is nothing to forgive, Miss Baxter,” the Marquess said, kindly, “in fact, it is quite the opposite. I hope that you will forgive me for jesting about something that is obviously quite serious.”
“Of course, My Lord.” She replied with a smile.
“Miss Baxter,” The Marquess continued, “I am so glad to have run into you today. There is something that I was hoping to discuss with you. Might I walk with you to the blacksmith’s shop?”
“Oh!” Cecilia replied, feeling quite surprised. What on earth could he want to discuss with me? Could Archie possibly be right that he has improper intentions? “My Lord, I am afraid that it would not be proper for us to walk together without a chaperone.”
“Of course,” said the Marquess, “I quite understand, Miss Baxter, but I do wish to speak with you, if I may.”
“What did you want to speak to me about, My Lord?”
“Ah, yes, well it might be easiest to explain if you could come to Huxley Manor in the next few days.”
“My Lord?” Cecilia said, wondering if she might have misunderstood him. “Do you mean that you would like my father to come to your home to discuss the ongoing work?”
“No, Miss Baxter,” he replied, “it would be best if you were to come on your own.”
Surely he could not be suggesting that an unmarried young lady come to his home by herself?
“My Lord,” she said, feeling scandalized, but intrigued, “that would be…quite improper, don’t you think?”
The Marquess turned his head to look directly at her as they rode on. His expression was inscrutable, and he was silent for several seconds before responding to her.
“I am quite sorry, Miss Baxter. It was never my intention to suggest anything untoward. I give you my word, as a gentleman, that my intentions for this meeting are entirely proper. In fact, my sister Isobel will be present at the meeting.” He smiled kindly as he said this. “I will send my father’s carriage to bring you to the manor and ensure that you are chaperoned at all times.
“I see,” Cecilia said, knowing that she ought to feel relieved, but also feeling a slight pang of disappointment. “And what are these entirely proper intentions?”
“Have you solved the problem of the bookcase proportions yet?” he asked.
“I have come up with a design that I expect will work, but have yet to begin construction,” she said, “just as we discussed at the workshop the other day.”
“Good.” Nicholas said.
“So this meeting will be to discuss the bookcase?” she asked, feeling very curious.
“Yes,” The Marquess responded, “or rather, the wall behind the bookcase.”
“The wall behind the bookcase, My Lord?” Cecilia asked, sounding confused.
“It really will be easier if I show you,” he replied. “Now, I must leave you here, but will you consent to come to Huxley Manor tomorrow at noon?”
“Yes, My Lord, as you wish.”
“Then I bid you good day, Miss Baxter.” And with this, the Marquess of Clive rode off, leaving a very confused Cecilia behind.
Chapter 12
Cecilia sat down to dinner with her father and Archie later that evening. She told them about her trip to the blacksmith’s shop over pot roast, explaining that she had been able to negotiate a small discount on the large order of supplies she had placed.
“Well done, Cece!” her father said, smiling at her with pride.
“Yes, well done,” Archie agreed. “We shall be able to continue our work thanks to your perseverance.”
“Thank you, Papa, thank you, Archie. You flatter me.” She felt uncertain of how best to broach the next subject she must bring up; I suppose there is nothing for it but to tell them.
“I ran into the Marquess of Clive in town today,” she said, making sure to keep her voice casual.
“Oh?” said her father, clearly wondering where this line of discussion would bring them.
“He requested that I meet him at Huxley Manor tomorrow at noon.”
“Did he say why he wanted to meet with you?” Archie asked.
“He actually said that his sister wanted to meet with me regarding the bookcase in the library.” This was stretching the truth a bit, but the Marquess had said that his intentions were entirely proper and that his sister would be present for the meeting.
Both her father and Archie seemed to relax slightly at the announcement that the meeting would be with Lady Isobel rather than Lord Clive.
“Perhaps I should go to the meeting instead?” her father said.
“I think that Lord Clive felt it would be more proper for Lady Isobel to meet with me, as she is an unmarried lady.” Cecilia said quickly, not wanting to risk being told to stay home.
“If there is need of an assistant,” Archie said to Cecilia, and then turning to her father, “or a chaperone, I could go along as well.”
Cecilia knew that Archie meant well, and it would be better for him to be present for the meeting than her father, but she could not help feeling frustrated by his interference. Why should I need a chaperone when Lady Isobel will be present, as well?
“Hmmm…” said her father, thinking about this proposal. “Perhaps. Although we do have quite a bit of work to do. It would be difficult to spare both of you for half the day.”
“As I said, Lady Isobel will be present for the meeting,” Cecilia said, “and the Marquess of Clive has ensured me that we will be appropriately chaperoned at all times.”
“Excellent!” said Archie, who did not seem to mind in the least that his proposal had been rejected. “I shall have plenty of work to do here.”
* * *
Later that evening, Cecilia paced in her bedchamber. She was once again unsure of what to wear the following day. In her role as carpenter, she would be meeting with the Marquess of Clive and his sister, so she supposed that she need not wear anything fancy. However, she was going to the home of a duke and she might encounter the Duchess. It would not do for her to wear shabby work clothes.
Try though she might to keep her thoughts proper, she could not help but consider how she might look to the Marquess. He had seen her in work clothes earlier today and a few days ago when he had visited the shop. On neither occasion had he seemed bothered by her attire. Still, no doubt he would find her more attractive in a beautiful gown.
I must stop thinking this way. The Marquess of Clive is not attracted to me, no matter what I wear. And even if he were, it would make no matter. I am not a suitable wife for a lord who will one day be a duke, and I will not be an aristocrat’s mistress.
In the end, Cecilia chose a simple gown of blue cotton. It bore no embroidery or lace, and she would wear no ornaments with it. The gown was of a flattering cut, and she knew that the color of the fabric complimented her eyes. But there could be no doubt that the gown was meant to be functional, rather than beautiful.
Cecilia felt that this gown reflected her nature, and Lord Clive might appreciate that or not, as he preferred. It is of no importance to me what he thinks about my gown.
*
* *
Nicholas woke early the next morning. He would have to wait several hours for Miss Baxter to arrive, and he spent some time pacing in his bedchamber before joining the rest of his family downstairs. He had spoken to Isobel last night to ensure that she would remain at home for Miss Baxter’s visit.
Of course, he would have liked to meet with Miss Baxter without a chaperone, but she had made it quite clear that she would not be open to the possibility. And of course, she was correct that such a meeting would be entirely improper. Still, proper or not, Nicholas was determined to ask for Miss Baxter’s hand in marriage at some point in the future.
Nicholas had given the matter a good deal of thought. His mother would not approve of his choice, but he suspected that his father could be convinced to accept a carpenter’s daughter as a daughter-in-law. It would not be easy to convince the Duke, but in the end, Nicholas felt sure that his father would prefer that Nicholas marry a carpenter’s daughter than no one at all.
Once the Duke was convinced, Nicholas was confident that the Duchess would agree with her husband. She might never approve in her own mind, but she would not publicly contradict her husband.
For the sake of family harmony, Nicholas had decided that he would wait to make any announcement of his intentions until after Isobel’s debut. He hoped that his father’s health would also improve in the intervening weeks. Perhaps if the Duke felt less physically unwell, he would be more likely to agree to his son’s proposal of throwing away the family’s reputation.
Nicholas grimaced at himself in the looking glass as the thought of his family’s reputation. Isobel will make a fine, respectable marriage. And I will be a competent duke and a productive member of the peerage when the time comes, no matter who my wife is.
After some time, Nicholas had convinced himself that his marriage would have no bearing on his family’s future prospects. Feeling relieved at this thought, he called for his valet to help him dress, and then went downstairs to breakfast.
The Duke of Huxley was present at breakfast this morning, but Nicholas felt that he looked pale and more tired than usual. The Duchess showed no sign that she noticed this and announced that she would be calling upon various acquaintances that afternoon. Both Nicholas and Isobel declined to accompany her on these visits.
“I think I shall remain at home and work on my sketches today, Mother,” Isobel said casually. She understood instinctively, without Nicholas telling her, that she ought not to mention their meeting with Miss Baxter.
* * *
After breakfast, the Duke retired to his study, where Nicholas expected that he would stay for the remainder of the day. The Duchess summoned her carriage and set out to call upon her various acquaintances about town, and Nicholas and Isobel retired to the library.
Isobel pulled a small book from her pocket and sat down to read, while Nicholas paced about the room. He took books from the shelves at random, scanning a few pages before returning them. Twice he went so far as to sit in his favorite chair with one of the volumes for a few minutes before standing up and pacing again.
“Really, Nick,” Isobel said, in a tone of complete exasperation, “must you pace about like that? I’m exhausted just watching you!”
“My apologies, Izzy,” he said, with a slight bite in his voice. “I’m merely eager for our meeting with Miss Baxter.”
“Yes, Nick, I can see that you are!”
Isobel began to laugh at this, and Nicholas could not help laughing along with her, even as he felt annoyed by her tone. He could never stay angry with Isobel. She knew him better than anyone else, and in spite of the being nearly a decade younger, she was as protective of her brother as he was of her.
“You really do fancy her, don’t you?” Isobel said, in a kinder voice.
“I’ve told you that I find her charming,” Nicholas attempted to sound as casual as possible.
“Yes, I’m sure that she is, Nick,” her arms crossed over her chest, “but I think that you find her more than just charming. Am I mistaken?”
Nicholas paused for a moment to consider this. Of course, he found Miss Baxter to be more than just charming. She was beautiful and charming, as well. He felt certain that he could talk to her for hours about almost any subject without growing bored. Not to mention the way my heart beats faster at the mere thought of her.
Seeing no reason to hide the extent of his true feelings from Isobel, he answered honestly. “I believe that I am falling in love with her, Izzy!”
Nicholas found that it was a relief to say this out loud, and he felt a broad smile spreading across his face.
“Then I am very happy for you, Nick!” Isobel said, a sincere smile upon her face.
A few moments later, the butler entered the library and announced, “Miss Cecilia Baxter to see Lord Clive and Lady Isobel.”
“Thank you, Mr. Campbell,” Nicholas said, “you may show her in.”
Chapter 13
Cecilia stood in the foyer while the butler announced her arrival. She took advantage of this moment of solitude to look around in earnest. The building was quite old but had obviously been built with the highest-quality materials available. The large windows allowed natural light to reflect off of the highly-polished surfaces.
Cecilia found her mind wandering, and she tried to imagine herself living in a space such as this. She would certainly enjoy being surrounded by such beauty, but could she ever fit into this world? Stop it, Cecilia, you are never going to live in a space such as this! You are here to discuss a bookcase with the son and daughter of a Duke and Duchess.
After a moment, the butler returned and bade Cecilia to follow him into the library. Taking a deep breath, Cecilia steadied herself and followed him.
“Miss Cecilia Baxter,” the butler announced, as they entered the room.
The Marquess of Clive stood up from his chair when she entered. “Miss Baxter, thank you for coming.”
“It is my pleasure, My Lord,” she replied, with a slight curtsey. Cecilia focused on keeping her breath even and her hands steady. It would not do to appear nervous.
Cecilia saw a pretty young lady standing opposite Lord Clive. Her face was framed with soft brown curls, and she was tall, though not nearly so tall as her brother.
“May I introduce my sister, the Lady Isobel?” the Marquess said, gesturing toward the young lady.
Cecilia curtsied once again, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, My Lady.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Baxter,” Lady Isobel smiled reassuringly. “My brother tells me that you are a most fascinating person, and I am very eager to learn more about you.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened at this, and she felt her breath catch for the slightest moment. She hoped it was not obvious to anyone but herself.
“Is that so?” her brows lifted in surprise. “Well, I hope that I shall live up to your expectations, though I fear that your brother has rather too high an opinion of me, My Lady.”
“Come now, I’m sure that you shall be every bit as interesting and charming as he has led me to believe,” Lady Isobel’s smile was warm and appeared to be genuine, and it put Cecilia somewhat at her ease.
“Well, I shall certainly try, My Lady,” she replied, now smiling warmly herself. “Lord Clive tells me that there is something we must discuss with regards to the bookcase that my father and I will be building, but he was most reluctant to explain further. Can you enlighten me, My Lady?”
“Yes, Miss Baxter, I can,” Lady Isobel said with a slight chuckle, “in fact, it was I who requested that he discuss the issue with you. If you would please follow me over here, I shall show you.”
Intrigued, Cecilia followed Lady Isobel to the blank stretch of wall that would be home to the bookcase in question. As she approached it, she saw that Lady Isobel was pressing on the wall at what appeared to be the edge between two panels of the fabric wall covering. As she did so, the panel shifted back, revealing a narrow opening.
Cecilia stepped
closer to look at this remarkable discovery. Behind the dark-red panel was narrow stone passageway. It was dark at the moment, but brackets on the walls held torches that Cecilia suspected would cast ample light when ablaze.
As though she had read Cecilia’s mind, Isobel said “This passage leads to the garden at the side of the house. It is extremely convenient for coming and going unnoticed, as long as one is careful in their timing.”
“Remarkable!” said Cecilia, who was truly amazed to see such a thing in person. She knew that large estates often had hidden passages that allowed the servants to move about the house without disturbing their masters, but had never really been able to imagine such a thing. Of course, she had lived her whole life in a house with two bedchambers and a large kitchen and living space and considered that luxurious.
The Marquess In Her Bed (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 9