Regency Romance Collection: Regency Fire: The Historical Regency Romance Complete Series (Books 1-5)

by Bridget Barton

  Her mother, Lady Constance Delbrook, had just had the most glorious new drapes made for the immense windows of the drawing room. They were a beautiful shade of teal with great swooping beige fabric pelmets hanging above them. The walls had been freshly painted in a deeper teal shade, with all the woodwork a brilliant white. It was a great improvement on what had previously been a rather dark and austere sort of a room.

  Lady Delbrook had commissioned one or two new pieces of furniture, including a circular couch which Clarissa thought rather clever. It was covered in rich velvet and had a great padded centrepiece that could be leaned back on by all who sat on it, wherever they sat on its great circumference.

  At the time, Clarissa wondered at her mother’s sudden love of modern things. However, her musings were answered in no time at all when, just days after the room was completed, Gabriel Farrington, The Duke of Calgarth, had been invited for afternoon tea.

  Looking back on it, Clarissa realised that the whole redecoration was simply a preamble to the matrimonial negotiations between her father and the Duke. Whilst she had not given a great deal of thought to it previously, her talk with Harriet made Clarissa rather annoyed at the idea that her father and Spencer’s brother had been the only people privy to the conversation. Surely, the two young people who were being edged towards marriage should have had more of a say in things?

  “Yes, I daresay there is a little relief in my father’s complete disregard. I just hope he does not suddenly turn me from his home or I really shall have to marry the first young man who comes along.” Harriet was determined to have Clarissa laughing and, this time, she hit her mark.

  “I am sure the Baron will not turn you out.” Clarissa leaned back against her armchair and laughed heartily. “Especially since he seems to have forgotten you are there.”

  “How very comforting.” Harriet’s eyes gleamed with mirth. “But let us return to you and your meeting with the handsome Lord Spencer Farrington. You were invited to afternoon tea at Calgarth Hall …” Harriet reminded her.

  “Yes, and it was wonderful. I do so love Calgarth Hall. It makes Delbrook Hall look so tiny.” Clarissa smiled.

  “It makes every other home in the County look tiny.”

  “And yet it is nicely done. It is not too extravagant but rather well decorated and appointed. I do believe that the Dowager Duchess had much to do with it all. It is rather understated than overstated, and I very much like the drawing room. It is all pale lemons and beautiful golden velvets.”

  “Delightful,” Harriet teased. “But you are not expected to marry the drapes. I am more determined to find out about Spencer!”

  “Oh yes! Of course.” Clarissa laughed.

  It had been a very fine and bright day for late January, and the drawing room at Calgarth Hall had been beautifully warm. The fireplace at the end of the drawing room where the little party sat was immense; at least three times as wide as the largest fireplace in Delbrook Hall.

  Clarissa had felt herself a little overwhelmed to be there on that afternoon just a week before. She had, of course, attended many an event at Calgarth Hall over the years, particularly when the old Duke had still been alive. Despite her familiarity with the place, still Clarissa could not quell her nerves. After all, this was the first time that a visit to Calgarth Hall had been so personal. It was, after all, about her. It was all about Clarissa and Spencer, and she felt a little weight of expectation riding heavily on her shoulders.

  “How pretty you look, my dear.” Daphne Farrington had been the first to speak to her, and she spoke so genuinely that Clarissa felt immediately calmed.

  “Thank you kindly,” Clarissa felt herself blush.

  “Yes, that shade of blue suits your colouring perfectly.” Daphne smiled warmly.

  “I do like to put her in blue,” Lady Constance Delbrook spoke with pride.

  As well meant as that pride was, something about it suddenly annoyed Clarissa. As if it was not enough that Clarissa would be seen to have her husband chosen for her, now her mother was claiming to choose her gowns for her. Clarissa felt suddenly diminished.

  As Daphne Farrington and her mother continued to talk, clearly both very much at ease with one another, Spencer Farrington caught her eye. He gave her a little grin; almost a smirk of recognition at their shared circumstances. As Clarissa tried to hold his gaze, Spencer gave an almost imperceptible roll of his eyes in the direction of their respective mothers. The tiny movement summed up her own feelings entirely, and Clarissa had to cough to hide the little laugh which burst out.

  “Do you like to ride, Lady Kensington?” Spencer asked, turning in his seat a little to effectively split the little group of four into two little groups of two.

  “Indeed, I do, Lord Farrington. Especially at this time of year when the snowdrops are all out and blooming. It reminds one that spring is but weeks away, does it not?”

  “Indeed, it does.” He smiled at her, and Clarissa found herself instantly attracted.

  Spencer had a broader smile than she would have suspected, and his teeth were so wonderfully straight and white. Spencer was as tall as his brother, but perhaps just a little less broad and imposing in his build. He looked lean and taut and rather strong and capable. Clarissa thought it likely he had many outdoor pursuits since he was quite tanned in complexion.

  “And do you have many outdoor interests, Sir?” Clarissa asked, calming a little.

  “I do indeed, but I do rather enjoy the countryside when I have the chance of it.” He continued to smile as Clarissa looked into his pale blue eyes. How well they complemented the dark ashen blond of his hair. “But I should like the countryside all the better for having a beautiful companion to ride out with. I should make more of an effort, I imagine.” He grinned and once again let his eyes roam to their mothers, both of whom were now deep in their own conversation.

  “Oh,” Clarissa said and knew her cheeks were flushing. “Well, that sounds most agreeable.”

  “How glad I am to hear that. Perhaps you might consent to join me at some point. I rather think it easier to converse without …” He tailed off conspiratorially and once again looked at their mothers.

  “Oh, I have no doubt,” Clarissa said firmly, still smarting at her mother treating her like a child.

  “I believe you and your family shall be attending Lord and Lady Borden’s ball the week after next? It is a winter ball or something similar.” He grinned.

  “Yes, we have accepted their invitation. I must say I am rather looking forward to it.”

  “As am I.” His pale blue eyes fixed hers firmly. “Now.” He grinned again.

  Clarissa thought there was something rather exciting about the handsome young man with tanned skin and pale eyes. He seemed to be just a little different, almost as if he would not entirely go along with all the tiresome conventions of the age. But there was something else too; something Clarissa could not exactly name, but something which made her heart beat just a little faster than normal.

  “I say, Clarissa …” Harriet had grown more and more excited in the telling of the afternoon. “I think this Spencer of yours seems a little, well, exciting? Irreverent? Imagine being able to gently mock your mothers whilst the pair of them sit but a few feet away from you. I rather like the sound of this young man. Perhaps he is a little out of the common way.”

  “Yes, he certainly is out of the common way. Still, time will tell if we are suited.”

  “But you thought him handsome at least?”

  “Oh yes. Lord Farrington is a very handsome man indeed.”

  Chapter Two

  “I think it is time for us to act upon the list of interested parties.” Gabriel Farrington, the Duke of Calgarth, paused in his pacing and retook his seat behind the desk in his study.

  “You mean the list of potential investors in the copper mine that Davina Marfont found for you?” Spencer Farrington was already seated on the opposite side of the immense oak desk from his brother.

  “Precise
ly that. There are eight names on the list, and they are just about the eight wealthiest men for three counties across. Cornelius Cunningham certainly has done his work in that respect.” Gabriel Farrington spat his enemy’s name as if it were a curse.

  “I have no doubt that Nigel Pettigrew and Wallace Marfont had the lion’s share of the work in that respect, brother. After all, I do not truly see the Duke of Horndean performing his own inquiries and compiling the list himself.”

  “Either way, we shall need to do what we can to worm our way in with all eight of them. Borden is one of them, so you and I shall both see what we can do when we go to their winter ball next week. I do not think that he will be too difficult to persuade.” Gabriel stretched his arms high above his head and yawned.

  “Maybe he will, and maybe he will not. I realise that he has never made a distinct choice between our family and the Cunninghams down the years, but if he has been approached by the Duke himself, I rather think that Lord Borden might have been made very grand by it. And he does like to display his wealth to any and all available to see it. Perhaps Cornelius Cunningham has appealed to the man’s vanity? If he has, I rather think that you and I might be a little too late, brother.”

  “I am inclined to agree, Spencer,” Gabriel said with a sigh. “Lord Borden really is a most tedious sort of man. It is just a shame that he is one of the wealthiest of our acquaintance. Pettigrew once let it slip that the man has a vast fortune that is entirely unrelated to his title. It is a personal fortune, and it is that which he spends to impress.”

  “Still, I daresay that we have nothing to lose by approaching him. After all, it is not as if they are not now fully aware of our interest in the mining rights, is it?” Spencer said thoughtfully.

  “Well, the only information we can be absolutely sure they are aware of is the fact that Hugh openly questioned Nigel Pettigrew. I have heard nothing in chattering circles that they have yet discovered Davina’s theft of the information. They might not yet know that we are aware of the list of men who might be interested in investing. Furthermore, there has been no activity around the pit entrance of any note, so it might seem as if they are not entirely aware of the fact that we now know the location of the entrance.”

  “And yet I cannot think, given the time that has passed, that it is very likely that they do not know how much we have discovered. I think we ought to work in such a way as to assume that all is known,” Spencer said thoughtfully.

  “Yes, I would agree with that sentiment. We must always assume the worst case.”

  “But what is the worst case? Currently, we would seem to be at some sort of unofficial stalemate.”

  “Yes, I am waiting for Cornelius Cunningham to make a move of some sort in the proper sinking of the mine. So far, he has only that small entrance into the earth.”

  “Perhaps we ought not to wait for the Duke of Horndean to make a move of some sort, Gabriel. Perhaps we ought simply to make some moves of our own.”

  “Such as?” Gabriel said with interest.

  As his elder brother leaned across the desk and regarded him, Spencer felt suddenly a little elevated. It was not that Gabriel did not particularly listen to him, rather that Spencer, being just one man up from the status of youngest brother, often kept his ideas to himself. In truth, he had long wondered quite where he could fit into things. He had not been particularly interested in the age-old feud between the two families as a young man growing up because his own father had never particularly included him in such discussions.

  Always, Wentworth Farrington had made his finest speeches to Gabriel and Hugh and, just occasionally, Lucas. But Spencer had been just a little young in the beginning and had often been left with his mother and his younger brother, Philip.

  Spencer had always felt the thing a slight of sorts as if he had not been deemed good enough to fight the good fight on behalf of dear old Aunt Verity. Of course, Spencer had no more real interest in the almost fictional character of Aunt Verity than any of his older brothers. Still, if they could stand upon the idea and ride on its back with impunity, then so could he.

  And yet, just of late, Gabriel had begun to give the young man his ear on occasion. It had made Spencer suddenly feel like he was truly a part of things. Perhaps Gabriel was simply missing Hugh and Lucas, both of whom were happily wrapped in well-made marriages and just a little distracted.

  In many ways, Spencer had seen his chance to shine; to gently nose his way up to the front of things.

  If he was completely honest, before that, he would have had absolutely no interest whatsoever in the business dealings of the Duchy and certainly none in copper mining. However, when the interest he had shown had been greeted enthusiastically, it had rather spurred Spencer on somewhat.

  In a very short space of time, Spencer had learned everything he could about copper mining and the funding of such schemes. And, slowly but surely, he was learning what he could about the legal implications of sinking a mine which bordered on the land of another. Of course, he knew that that would be the province of their own attorney but, if he possibly could, Spencer was keen now to have every bit of knowledge available to him.

  All in all, Spencer had rather decided that he wanted to be to his oldest brother what he had never been able to be to his father. He wanted to be important; he wanted to be worthy.

  “I have been looking into the legal issues, Gabriel, and although I am not yet entirely sure of all of the issues surrounding the rights to the copper should it veer away from one’s own land, I think it might be a sensible idea to sneak somebody down into that pit entrance and see if they can find any indication of the direction in which the seam of copper would tend to run.”

  “In truth, I had thought of the thing before and had rather shied away from it because of the risk of discovery. However, as you have already rightly pointed out, the chances that our interest is entirely unknown are very slim and, therefore, I do believe we have nothing to lose.”

  “And do you have a man trustworthy enough to send down? I mean one you are absolutely sure would not speak of the thing in wider circles? After all, we would certainly be trespassers in this instance.”

  “I have not yet found myself such a person, or rather I have not decided upon one. I must admit I had rather let the idea slip away, but I do think it bears considering now. Leave that to me, Spencer. I shall ruminate a while and settle upon just the right man for the job.”

  “And in the meantime, brother, I shall continue to look at the legal implications. But I do have an idea at the back of my mind which I think bears sharing, even if it is not one that might come to fruition.” Spencer decided to risk his biggest idea of all. Being with his brother in the great study at Calgarth Hall had suddenly filled Spencer with a confidence and an incredible sense of worth such as he had not particularly felt before. Whatever the feeling was, it rather encouraged him to keep going.

  “I have a certain worry that whoever sinks the mine owns the rights, and that does not depend on which direction the copper runs in. Of course, as I have already intimated, I am not stating that is firmly the legal case, rather it is my early assessment from the legal volumes I have read. However, if we assume that is the case, then the moment that Cornelius Cunningham successfully sinks the mine and has it working, all that is beneath belongs to him, even if it runs under our very own lands.”

  “Good heavens, I had absolutely no idea. In truth, it had not even occurred to me.” Gabriel sat bolt upright in his seat, and something about the movement gave Spencer a tremendous feeling of excitement.

  “At this moment in time, it is more something to think about, something that ought to be considered, rather than something that is set in stone. However, it will, of course, not be an easy thing for Cornelius Cunningham to sink a mine without our knowing it. It is a task that will take several days in the doing, and we would, of course, be instantly alerted to his actions. I have a suspicion that that is why he has not yet made such a move. Perhaps he is as ye
t himself planning quite how he might get away with such a thing in complete secrecy.”

  “But what is your plan, brother?” Gabriel looked at him earnestly.

  “If we can find a way to trespass unseen and perhaps discover what we are hoping to discover, that the copper also runs in our direction, then we can make ready to sink the mine first. Not from the pit entrance that they themselves have created on their land, but rather from a new one on our own. I grant you, the survey of the mine such as it is would need to be really rather detailed. That way, we shall ensure that we have discovered the perfect place upon our own lands to begin the work.”

  “But will we not suffer the same problems as Cornelius Cunningham? We have no cloak of secrecy to hide behind.”

  “Indeed, that is true, brother. But we might very well have the element of surprise. If we can quietly draw up the plans required for the sinking of such a mine on our own land and bring in the necessary building materials, then we are one step ahead. Obviously, once we had decided to make that move, it would need to be all hands on deck. We would need to work extremely quickly to be able to have the mine sunk and our rights to it declared before Cornelius Cunningham managed to do the same.” Spencer paused for a moment to swallow. “It is difficult, I grant you, but far from impossible. Unfortunately, the area is so exposed that when one or other of our families finally makes a move, it will have to be made swiftly and with great preparation.”

  “You have put a good deal of thought and hard work into this matter, Spencer, have you not?”

  “Indeed, I have, Gabriel.” Spencer felt suddenly very proud.

  “I must say that our father would have been immensely gratified to see you take such a keen interest. And you have such skills to offer. You do have rather a good head for facts and figures, and I daresay you have already learned a great deal about the art of copper mining. All of this is very impressive, Spencer. Very impressive indeed.”