“I thank you.” Spencer smiled.
“Well, the very moment I come up with the right man to trespass onto the Cunningham lands and sneak down into the pit entrance, I shall let you know. Once somebody has been down there, we shall have a better idea of how to proceed, or at least how and when to put your plan into practice.”
“And what of Lord Borden? Ought we still to go after him?” Spencer said, finding himself growing ever more interested as he rode a wave of praise such as he had never ridden before.
“Perhaps you ought to leave that one to me, Spencer,” Gabriel said thoughtfully. “After all, we are both attending the ball next week, are we not? I might choose, once we are there, to leave off the whole thing for awhile. You and I shall meet on the subject again before the ball and make a firm decision as to how we shall proceed with the list of interested parties. After all, perhaps we ought to maintain the low profile we have kept thus far until we have made a little more physical exploration. Your plan really does rather raise some very interesting points, and I do believe that how and when we approach the potential investors is certainly one of those points.”
“Then I shall await your word, Gabriel.”
“In the meantime, you shall be able to enjoy your evening chasing the rather lovely Lady Clarissa Kensington, will you not?” Gabriel gave a rather masculine chuckle.
“There are certainly worse ways to spend an evening,” Spencer said, enjoying the manly camaraderie.
“You find yourself interested in the young lady then?” Gabriel said, all interest.
“Oh yes, I am really rather interested. I think her very beautiful.”
“Yes, that great mane of golden hair is quite a draw, is it not?” Gabriel grinned. “And, of course, the Earl of Delbrook is very keen to continue with me in friendship as he did with our father.”
“And you are keen also, Gabriel?” Spencer said, thinking he ought perhaps to know a little more of his brother’s feeling towards the man who might well become his father-in-law.
“Indeed.” Gabriel nodded vigorously. “I must admit, I like Hector Kensington very well indeed. But I must admit to also thinking him a likely prospect in terms of investment in this copper mine, should it be needed. Whilst the Earl of Delbrook is not on the list of interested parties, his wealth is not inconsiderable. Were the list just a little longer, he would have certainly featured upon it. An alliance in that regard certainly would do us no harm.”
“Well, I shall see that I woo the lady.” Spencer gave a laugh.
In truth, he did not particularly want to woo her simply to secure her father as an investor in a copper mine. He had found himself really rather liking Lady Clarissa Kensington beyond simply finding her incredibly beautiful.
“I do not think you will have a moment’s trouble in wooing the young lady,” Gabriel said as he rose to his feet and made his way around the great oak table to place a hand firmly upon his young brother’s shoulder.
Chapter Three
Spencer Farrington rode over to the grand mansion of Lord and Lady Borden with his brother Gabriel and sister-in-law, Evelyn. He had found himself feeling rather pleased with his own performance and, to make things even better, he was very much looking forward to an evening spent with a beautiful woman.
The Duke of Calgarth had decided, in the end, not to make any approaches whatsoever to Lord Borden on that night. With that in mind, Spencer rather thought that he had been given a night of freedom in which to enjoy himself entirely.
Ever since the afternoon he had spent with his brother in the study, Spencer had found his spirits to be incredibly high. Suddenly, he felt as if he had a good deal of purpose in an otherwise privileged but uneventful life. Now, he had the ear and admiration of his oldest brother and the prospect of winning a truly beautiful woman. All in all, Spencer could not remember ever feeling better.
He had dressed with a good deal of care, driving his valet almost to distraction in the process. The poor man had taken outfit upon outfit out of the great wardrobe and had dressed him in at least four of them before Spencer had finally agreed upon immaculate black breeches, a long black tailcoat, an ivory waistcoat, and a brilliant white shirt with an elaborate necktie.
The valet had made sure that his black knee boots were gleaming and had been very pleased with the praise he had received from Spencer on account of it.
At the time they finally reached the great entrance hall of the Borden Mansion, Spencer was feeling supremely confident. He greeted Lord and Lady Borden with alacrity before making his way into the great Hall.
Spencer had, of course, attended many an event at the home of Lord and Lady Borden. It was well known throughout several counties that they were rather an ostentatiously wealthy family who chose to display their wealth at every opportunity.
Their ballroom was a study in extravagance with great heavy deep red velvet drapes everywhere, and every piece of scrollwork picked out in golden paint. The overall effect was rather regal and something that Spencer always found most amusing whenever he was in attendance. And, of course, there was enough food laid out to feed three times as many people as could actually fit into the great ballroom.
“Ah, Lord Farrington, how very good to see you.” Suddenly, as if he had been fired out of a cannon, the Earl of Delbrook was at his side. Spencer could not help thinking how very keen the man must be to maintain strong ties between his family and their own.
“Good evening, Lord Delbrook. It promises to be quite a charming evening, does it not?” Spencer said cordially. “But I do not think that we shall lack for sustenance.” He turned to eye the immense buffet tables significantly.
“Indeed not. I must admit, it all looks rather good. I think it is rather a shame that women do not currently carry much larger bags than they seem to. The silly little velvet things on a piece of string would be barely enough to fit a small sandwich inside.”
“Quite so.” Spencer laughed heartily. The very idea of the Earl of Delbrook pilfering food struck him as quite funny. In truth, he rather liked the man and his curious way of stating things quite plainly. He certainly preferred that approach to life much more than the extravagant aspirations of Lord and Lady Borden.
“Papa!” Spencer had not realised that Clarissa Kensington was standing just a little behind her father. She was laughing at her father’s comment, and Spencer thought he had never seen her look more beautiful.
Clarissa was wearing a beautifully fitting gown in a rather deep shade of peach. The sleeves were short and puffed at the shoulder, and there was much lacework around the neckline and bust. A beautiful satin sash in a slightly deeper shade than the fabric of the gown seemed to shine a little in the light of the many chandeliers in the ballroom. She wore pristine long white gloves which extended far beyond the elbow, and her golden hair, so thick and glossy, had been wound into a thick pleat at the back of her head. The few ringlets which framed her face were long, each one of them hanging well below the shoulder.
But, above all things, Spencer thought her laugh and smile the most beautiful. Clarissa Kensington had a very wide smile and extremely generous and rosy pink lips. When she laughed, her blue eyes, much brighter than his own, seemed to twinkle.
“Your father would have you stealing sandwiches, my dear Lady Kensington.” Spencer laughed as he bowed his greeting to her.
“Then you might not be surprised to discover that it is not the first time that my father has suggested such a thing.” She continued to laugh. “You would think that we had nothing to eat at Delbrook Hall.”
“Ah, here comes the Duke.” Lord Delbrook fixed his gaze upon Gabriel as he approached with his wife, Evelyn.
“Good evening, Lord Delbrook.” Gabriel smiled warmly. “You know my wife, of course.”
And there followed a raft of greetings and introductions throughout which Spencer found himself staring at the vision of beauty that was Clarissa Kensington.
“It is so very nice to see you again, Lady Kensington,” Spencer said quie
tly as Clarissa’s parents contented themselves in conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Calgarth. “I have been very much looking forward to this evening.”
“As have I.” She smiled. “And the food really does look wonderful.”
“What do you say we help ourselves to some? After all, it very much looks as if our chaperones have found themselves engrossed with one another.” Spencer grinned.
“Chaperones?” Clarissa began to laugh. “Well, perhaps you are right. But if they are our chaperones, will they not be in distress to find us wandering off alone?”
“I rather think that is their lookout, my dear woman. After all, they have rather left us to our own devices and have taken their eyes off us. Either that means that they think we are to be trusted or that they have simply allowed their attention to wander. Either way, I do think we ought to take advantage of the situation.”
“Yes, I would tend to agree.” Clarissa nodded vigorously and took the arm he had cocked in her direction.
Spencer rather liked the way that Clarissa Kensington took his arm quite firmly. She was not a wisp of a woman as so many young ladies seemed to be, but rather a tall and quite vital sort of a girl. She was certainly not the sort of female who would be carried off to her grave on the back of a bout of influenza, at any rate.
“I say, do you think there will be enough?” Clarissa said comically as they looked at the vast array of food.
“Perhaps it is a good thing that you and I decided to feed ourselves early on in the evening before it is all gone,” Spencer said, thoroughly enjoying Clarissa’s sudden and unexpected humour. “Now, would you care for me to fill a small plate for you?”
“How very kind.” Clarissa smiled. “The little pastries look rather nice,” she said, pointing.
Dutifully, Spencer put two of the tiny pastries onto the plate. He then looked at her and raised his eyebrows for her next instruction.
“And perhaps one of the small meat sandwiches,” Clarissa said as if she were reading from a list. “And a slither of game pie,” she added before finishing. “oh, and I would quite like a tomato.”
“Will that be all?” Spencer said with a broad smile; he would not have expected her to take much more than the two small pastries.
“For now,” she said with a smile before taking the plate. “Thank you kindly.”
Spencer hurriedly loaded his own plate in the hopes that the two of them might take a seat out of the way for at least a few minutes before Clarissa’s mother flew over in a panic.
“Perhaps we could take a seat on the end of one of the tables over there?” Spencer pointed to an area that was not exactly secluded but also not close enough to the woman’s parents to be quite without comment.
“Yes, why not? It will be at least ten minutes before my mother realises I am gone and another five at least before she is able to locate me,” Clarissa said as if reading his mind.
Clarissa Kensington gave him a rather knowing sort of a look, and Spencer realised, with some relief, that she was perhaps not quite as prim and obedient as her mother might have liked her to be.
With a smile, Spencer placed a hand in the small of her back and gently guided her across the room to the tables. The simple act of touching her had more of an effect on Spencer than he had imagined it would. She really was so very beautiful and, suddenly, all thoughts of the copper mines and any potential investment by Lord Borden seemed to drift right out of his head.
“I have never seen you in this place before. I mean, given that Lord and Lady Borden hold so many events, I might have thought to have seen you at one of them before now,” Spencer said after eating the first of the small and delicious pastries.
“I am no stranger to the immense buffet tables of Lady Borden,” Clarissa said with a smirk. “And I have never noticed you here either.”
“Perhaps you might not have regarded me,” Spencer said, clearly fishing for any information as to how she truly viewed him.
“I think I would have noticed you, Lord Farrington.” Clarissa was smiling in a way which suggested she knew exactly what he was doing. “For one thing, you really are quite tall and, for another, your colouring rather sets you apart.”
“And I would have noticed you, Lady Kensington. My eye always flies to the most beautiful woman in the room.”
“And now you are flattering me, Sir.” Clarissa laughed, and Spencer could see that she was more than halfway through her plate of food already. “And yes, I suppose I do eat rather heartily.” She smirked.
“It had not occurred to me for a moment to mention it.” Spencer threw his head back and laughed; there was something rather forthright about this young lady, and he was enjoying her personality perhaps even more than her beauty. “But it is clear that you suspect me.”
“Forgive me, Sir.” She smiled at him again, and he was mesmerised by her generous lips. “But it is a suspicion born of much experience. It has been mentioned before, and yet I do not particularly let it bother me. You see, I do not think much of this fashion for ladies barely picking at the food that has been laid on specifically for them at every event they attend. I think it is rather a shame, especially when I think food is best enjoyed in good company. Quite why a woman should be ashamed to be seen eating in public is beyond me, and I have no intentions of picking at nothing more than one tiny pastry as if I were as small and slight as a sparrow in the garden.”
“Well, good for you, Lady Kensington. I must admit, it is rather refreshing to see a young lady with a hearty appetite. Tell me, what activities do you partake of besides horse riding?”
“I enjoy many outdoor pursuits, Sir. I wonder why you ask?”
“I ask because you have a grip of similar strength to a coal miner.” Spencer grinned. He was hedging his bets, rather thinking that the beautiful young lady sitting opposite him would be very much more interested in a witty, if somewhat cheeky, man, rather than one who was easily bound by all the rules of etiquette and modern manners.
“Ah, that will be the archery, Sir.” Clarissa smiled broadly, and Spencer breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he had judged, she was amused and not offended.
“Now that explains it,” Spencer said with confidence. “Because I must admit it came as rather a shock to find so delicate-looking a young lady to be so very strong.”
“You are mocking me, Sir.” Clarissa laughed as she cut a small piece of the slice of game pie. “But I do not mind. I could, of course, have taken your arm very much firmer still had I a mind to do so.”
“I have no doubt.” Spencer was thoroughly enjoying himself. “Tell me, how long have you been interested in the sport of archery?”
“Oh, since I was a young girl. Papa had set up an archery target at the back of the grounds for my brother, but he had little interest in the thing. He used to leave his bow and arrow simply lying around whilst he went off to do other things, mainly tree climbing and apple stealing and what have you.” Clarissa laughed. “Anyway, by the time any of my family realised that I used to help myself to the bow and arrow, it was all too late; I had become quite proficient, and I think they thought that it would cause more problems than not to try to stop me.”
“And you continue to play to this day?”
“Indeed, I do. Of course, these days it is quite acceptable for young ladies to take part in archery competitions.” Clarissa shrugged.
“Yes, but I rather think it is only so that they may find an acceptable method of mingling with young men of their own age and perhaps flirting just little,” Spencer said and, although he was largely joking, there was some truth to what he said.
“Without a doubt, Sir,” Clarissa said before popping the small piece of game pie into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully.
“So, tell me, is that why you play?”
“Oh no, Lord Farrington.” Clarissa fixed him with her bright blue eyes. “I play for the love of the sport itself. And I always play to win.”
“And do you often win?”
&n
bsp; “I win very much more than I take second place, although I realise how very immodest I must sound.” She smiled at him and continued to cut the game pie into little bite -sized pieces.
“No indeed. I think if one has a talent, they must be quite open about it.”
“And what is your talent?”
“Predominantly talking.” He grinned at her. “And occasionally, I involve myself in the running of the Duchy and the business interests of my family.” Spencer knew that he was, perhaps, painting the peacock just a little in that respect.
However, he had come up with rather a winning plan in respect of the copper mining prospect so felt himself just about justified enough in talking in such terms.
“That sounds incredibly serious.” Clarissa smiled. “Although, I suspect, rather rewarding. I think I should like something of interest to do. Some sort of purpose, do you see?”
“Yes, I do see. In truth, I have rather lacked such a thing for many years and have recently come upon such diversions to assist my brother and find that I enjoy it.”
“And what of archery? Would you, perhaps, care for a game one afternoon?” Clarissa spoke a little mischievously.
“I should most certainly care for a game with you, despite the fact that I am sure to be quite roundly beaten.” Spencer had never expected that Clarissa Kensington would be forward enough to suggest an afternoon of entertainment in each other’s company and found himself most pleasantly surprised by it.
“Then it is settled, Sir. Perhaps one afternoon next week?”
“Shall we say Wednesday?” Spencer said with a smile. “And shall we say it now, since your mother approaches at some speed?” And with that, they both laughed.
Chapter Four
“Oh, do come along, Clarissa. Lady Marston will be here at any moment, and I should much prefer her to find us already in the drawing room ready for afternoon tea.” Lady Constance Delbrook was entirely flustered.
“Oh, Mama, you have taken tea with Lady Marston more times than I could possibly count. I do not understand why it is that you end up in all this state over a simple afternoon tea.” Clarissa spoke with the most loving exasperation.
Regency Romance Collection: Regency Fire: The Historical Regency Romance Complete Series (Books 1-5) Page 21