He looked at the signature for a moment, then tossed the letter into the fire. It would be like Simon or his grandmother to try to discover what Desiree was up to, for he had never been able to convince them that his relationship with her was none of their bloody business. He didn't want to see her again. There were too many other things he was trying to deal with.
He found some of those things occurring at supper that evening, and they served to brighten his mood considerably. Percival had apparently been unaware that children were present at Abbonley, and he was obviously having a difficult time reconciling this with his view of the Devil. When they all repaired to the drawing room, Alcott suggested the children be sent to bed.
At that Henry stood, drawing himself up to his full height. "I won't have a fop telling me what to do in Lord James's house," he declared.
"Henry!" Lady Niston admonished, and his father threw him a stern look.
"You told me not to lie," Henry protested to his parents. "He is a fop."
Percival pinned James with an indignant look. "This is your doing. You've corrupted these infants."
"We're not infants!" Henry shouted.
"They're not infants," James echoed mildly.
Angelique was busily engaged embroidering another handkerchief. She looked up at James, her eyes sparkling.
"I think he's a fop, too," Helen chimed in, coming to her brother's aid. "And Lord James is slap up to the echo, just like Henry says."
This time Angel's choking sounded suspiciously like laughter. James leaned forward. "Are you all right, Lady Angelique?" he asked solicitously.
"Yes, I'm fine," she managed, and covered her face with both hands.
The Graham and Stanfred parents were finally able to restore order, and exiled the children upstairs. James looked from Angelique to Simon, who was plainly displeased with her behavior, and smiled to himself. It was about time his cousin began to realize exactly what lay in store for him.
As he made his way up to bed much later, he was waylaid by his grandmother. "What's gotten into you, Jamie?" she queried as he reached the top of the stairs.
"Whatever do you mean, Grandmama?"
"It's beginning to look like a regular rout here," she stated, linking her arm through his. "I keep wondering who's going to arrive next."
He chuckled. "Shall we lay wagers?"
"Don't change the subject, you scalawag. What's going on?"
James looked down at her and shrugged. "I find it all rather domestic, in a mad sort of way."
"Jamie," she warned.
He smiled. "I don't know what you want me to tell you," he replied. "Even I must have a few scattered moments of propriety."
"But the Alcotts? You never would have tolerated them here for a moment before..." She trailed off. "Before you came home," she finished.
"Perhaps I've learned patience," he said quietly.
"Perhaps," she replied, equally softly, and reached up to touch his cheek. "And perhaps you know their presence amuses Angelique." She stepped into her room and shut the door behind her.
He stood looking after her for a moment. Grandmama Elizabeth was right. If he had been here alone when the Alcotts called, he would have thrown them and their baggage out in a cold Yorkshire minute. They weren't here because they annoyed Angelique. They were here because they made her laugh.
***
"Thank God you're here," Simon panted, throwing open the library door.
"What's happened?" James asked, hoping no one else had fallen, or had been thrown, into the lake.
"It's Percival and Henry. Alcott caught the boy riding India and proceeded to lecture him on the proper mount for a youngster. Henry apparently told him to go to Hades, and then pulled off Percival's hat and had India ride over it."
James grinned. "And what am I to do?"
"Percival's threatening to have the boy horsewhipped if he doesn't apologize, and now Helen's gone after Alcott with that wretched doll of hers. Their parents are gone so I fetched Angel, but she only stands there laughing, and now she's got that damned slobbering Brutus baying at everyone." He threw himself into a chair.
James chuckled. "So that's what I was hearing." He had wondered when his cousin would have enough of the high-spirited Graham family, and it seemed he'd just found out. "Simon," he chuckled, "you have the temperament of a clergyman. You also have the rather short tolerance of one, m'boy."
"And you have the temperament of a wet cat and the tolerance of a barmaid expecting a fat vail," Simon snapped back at him. James burst into laughter, but his cousin scowled. "Lily tried to help, but only Jeremy listens to her. She's the only one with any manners around here, I'm beginning to believe." He flushed, then stood abruptly to pace.
"I'm pleased you like her," James said, sobering and watching his cousin closely. "I thought perhaps I'd speak to her parents at the end of the week." In truth the time James had painstakingly spent with Lily Stanfred reminded him of why he generally avoided schoolroom chits. The lady was beautiful in a classical, delicate way, and where Angel reminded him of a fox easily outwitting the hounds, Lily was like a fawn, shy and timid and heeding to be protected. And, unfortunately, quite dull in comparison to the spitfire with the large mastiff who refused to leave his thoughts.
"James..." Simon trailed off, then abruptly stood and yanked the door open. "Go do something, will you?"
James strolled out to the stables to restore order. As he reached the yard, he motioned for Henry and India to approach. Percival was glowering, a rumpled lump of what must have been his hat on the ground beside him. The mastiff stood several yards back, all four feet braced so it could bark at full volume.
"Brutus, quiet," he ordered, and the dog gave a wag and subsided, apparently agreeable to letting James take over. "What's all this, then?" he asked.
"He says I can't ride India," Henry returned, jabbing a finger at Percival.
"I said the beast was not a proper one for a young boy to be riding, and that you should have lent him a more suitable mount," Percival corrected. "The insolent whelp then destroyed my hat."
James crossed his arms, seeing Angel off to one side shaking with laughter. "I did not lend Master Henry anything," he said flatly, keeping his expression carefully stern. "He has proven his competence, and India is his to do with as he pleases. If you touch either of them, I shall have you horsewhipped."
"Hurray!" Helen seconded, holding Millicent aloft like a trophy.
Percival Alcott looked rather as though he had just swallowed an insect, and after a stunned moment he stalked off to the garden, likely to help his brother kill more of the flowers. Henry dismounted and walked up to James, leading India behind him.
"Is it true?" he asked softly, his eyes shining. "Is India mine?"
James nodded. "Of course."
The boy stepped forward and hugged him around the waist. "Oh, thank you, Lord James."
James returned the embrace. "On one condition."
"Anything."
The marquis put a finger under the boy's chin and tilted his face up, so that he could look Henry in the eye. "Promise me that you'll learn how to swim."
Henry smiled and nodded. "I promise."
James led the way back to the manor while the children retold the events of the morning. He found himself once again cast in the role of their rescuer, and while Simon glowered at him, he accepted their undying admiration and gratitude good-naturedly.
"Angel, are you coming?" Simon queried.
Angelique lagged behind them, her attention on the stable yard. "Where did Brutus go?"
James stopped. "He was over by the stable a moment ago."
"I'll be along in a moment," she said, and turned around.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Angel, he's as big as a cart. He'll turn up on his own." Simon frowned and motioned her to accompany them into the manor.
She looked at Simon, her expression hurt. "I'll be right back, Simon," she said firmly.
"Angel—"
"I'l
l help you look for him," James interrupted, unable to keep silent, and started back down the path with her. In a moment the rest of them, led by a scowling Simon, followed. They searched the stable and the yard, but Brutus was nowhere to be found.
"You must have hurt his feelings," Angelique accused James.
He emerged from the pile of hay he'd been digging through, and put a hand to his chest. "Me? I only asked him to be quiet," he protested.
"You two are completely mad," Simon put in from the doorway where he leaned with his arms crossed. "It's a dog. A large, loud dog. It has no feelings."
James frowned at him. Simon knew perfectly well how fond Angelique was of Brutus, and even if he believed it, it seemed a rather unkind thing to say.
"Brutus does too have feelings," Helen piped up, sticking her lower lip out in a pout.
"Simon, it will never do if Brutus thinks you don't like him," Angel pointed out with a smile which to James's eyes was obviously forced.
"It won't matter, because Brutus will not be coming to Turbin Hall."
Angelique gasped. "But—"
"I won't have that beast destroying half the Talbott family heirlooms every time he wags his tail."
James thought that some of the Talbott family heirlooms could stand to be destroyed, but he said nothing as he watched Angelique's stunned and hurt expression. His cousin was a fool to deny Angelique the simplest of the freedoms she so obviously craved, and if Simon wasn't careful he was going to lose the most exquisite thing he'd ever had in his life. A small tear began to gather in one corner of her beautiful eyes as she continued to look at his cousin.
"Lady Angelique?" James said quietly.
She looked up at him, and it was physically painful to keep himself from stepping forward and kissing the tears from her eyes.
"Yes, my lord?" she said, blushing slightly at his unguarded expression.
"There's plenty of time to worry about where Brutus will be living." He glanced again at his idiot of a cousin. "In fact, if your parents don't wish to keep him, he may stay here at Abbonley, with me."
"Then I'm staying, too," Henry said stoutly. "To make certain Brutus eats."
"Me, too," Helen chimed in. "And to make certain he gets bread. Brutus loves bread."
"I shall remember that," James commented with a slight smile.
"That's kind of you, my lord," Lily put in unexpectedly. "I have to admit, I agree with Simon. Such a large dog about makes me nervous."
Angelique's lips twitched, and for a moment her expression became amused. It seemed that neither of their intendeds wanted anything to do with the mastiff.
"Well, it's a large house," James commented carelessly. "I'm certain you and Brutus can manage to avoid one another for the remainder of your stay here."
"That's rather unkind, wouldn't you say?" Simon said shortly.
James hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, quite. Apologies, Miss Stanfred."
"Of course, my lord."
Angelique, though, was looking over at him, a question clearly in her eyes. He could guess what it was. Did he still intend to offer for Lily Stanfred, when he clearly found her so dull? Well, he didn't know yet. There was still time to decide. And since Abbonley was such a large house, they could probably manage to avoid one another as well for most of the time, if they wished.
"Oh, I don't care who wants Brutus next year," Angel said. "I just want to find him now."
"Jeremy and me took him walking down by the lake yesterday," Henry offered. "We saw rabbit tracks."
"He didn't want to come back to the house with us," Jeremy noted.
James nodded and rubbed his hands together. "Well, it's as good a place as any to start."
Immediately Angel stepped past Simon, who sighed and pushed away from the wall to follow her. "Henry, show me where," she instructed her brother.
The boy nodded and hurried toward the path. "This way," he said over his shoulder.
Something touched James's hand, and he looked down to see young Helen slipping her fingers around his palm. With a surprised grin he tightened his grip and let the girl lead him down the path. Angelique turned to look behind her, and smiled at him as she noted his companion. Before he could make any comment, she and Henry disappeared into the woods. Simon and Lily lagged behind, the two of them obviously reluctant to join the hunt.
In only a moment the three groups were out of sight from one another along the twisting path, though every few minutes Henry or Angelique would call Brutus's name.
"There were more tracks over here, Lord James," Jeremy informed him, and with a nod James led the children in the direction the boy indicated.
"Brutus!" He pushed through the bushes, the children spread out on either side of him. Something tangled in the brambles caught his eye, and he squatted down. "Jeremy, Helen, stop," he ordered, and the children froze.
"Lady Angelique?" he called in a carrying voice.
"My lord?" came the response a moment later from some distance away.
"Watch Henry. There are rabbit snares here." He turned to the other two youngsters. "You two head back to the path the way we came, and watch for anything that looks like this." He indicated the thin wire and noose at his feet. An adult's foot was too large to trip one, but the children could be hurt.
"We'll be careful," Angel's reply came. "Actually, though, Henry said Hastings had told him there were bears in this area?"
James gave a short grin at the anxious tone of her voice. "Not since one escaped from the carnival ten years ago," he returned, watching as his charges carefully made their way back to the trail.
"Oh. Splendid."
Several minutes later he pushed into a small glade. Brutus sat there, one paw caught in a rabbit snare. At the sight of James, the mastiff uttered what sounded like a pained and embarrassed woof.
"You big lummox," he said affectionately, and knelt down to free him. "I don't know how competent a guard dog you are, but your hunting skills leave something to be desired." The skin above the mastiff's paw was cut a little, but he'd had enough sense to sit and wait for help rather than struggle and pull the wire tighter. James straightened and ruffled the dog's ears.
Those same ears swivelled toward the east, and at the same time James heard something that sounded very like sniffling. He wrapped his hand around Brutus's garish collar and crept slowly forward. At the edge of a small clearing he stopped, the mastiff quiet beside him.
"... cry, Lily," came Simon's voice, and James frowned.
"But this is so wrong," Miss Stanfred answered between sniffles.
"We couldn't have known this would happen. It's not as though we planned it."
"I know, Simon, but she's my dearest friend."
At another sound James glanced quickly over his shoulder, but it was only a breeze in the leaves. He had the distinct feeling that this was a conversation Angelique should not be overhearing.
Simon sighed. "I know. And... well, it's worse even than that."
"What is it?"
"James," his cousin said shortly. "He's looking for a wife, and for some damned reason he seems set on you."
"Me? No!"
James raised an eyebrow. Her reaction to news of his interest seemed rather extreme, given that he had been polite and charming toward Lily Stanfred from the moment he had set eyes on her.
"I tried to convince him that the two of you would never suit, but how could I tell him that I've fallen in love with you? And how could I ever tell Angel? She's so anxious for the two of us to marry."
"It would break her heart, Simon." Lily sobbed again. "And you gave your word to marry her. Oh, it's hopeless."
"Nothing's hopeless, Lily, as long as I know you love me.”
"Of course I love you, Simon. From the moment we met, I've known."
That was followed by more sounds that James immediately identified as kissing, and he backed away from the clearing. His first, immediate inclination was to charge in and hand Simon his fist for being so stupid as to find Lily
Stanfred more attractive than Angelique Graham. Only secondarily was he angry that Simon would pursue Lily, knowing his own cousin intended to marry her. But he would be foolish to try to make his intentions toward Lily into something more than what they were. If he wanted a proper wife there was a plentitude of others to choose from, despite the peculiar bunch Angelique had rounded up for him.
Only then did it hit him—Simon didn't want Angelique! His mind began running in a hundred directions. He'd put himself in a hole by telling Angelique that he didn't believe in love. It would take some work to convince her otherwise. There was another problem, though, in that Simon had not yet broken the engagement. Duty bound as his cousin was, it was entirely likely he wouldn't back out of the marriage regardless of whose happiness would be ruined.
James gave a short grin. That actually could work to his advantage. At the moment, he was expected to continue flirting with her until her parents decided to save her from ruin by marrying her off to his cousin. Hopefully Simon wouldn't give in to his guilt over Lily, because if Angelique knew the truth, she might very well back away from the Devil before he had a chance to win her. She would also be hurt, knowing that Simon didn't think her proper enough to wed. If there was anything James didn't want, it was to see her hurt.
"Brutus!"
Henry's voice came from close by, and the dog gave a happy woof.
"Angel, he's over here! I heard him!"
"I have him," James called, and dimly heard the other children cheer.
This was a careful hand he'd have to play, keeping both her parents and Simon at bay. If he went too far in either direction he'd lose her. The Duke of Wellington had once told him he had a remarkable gift for strategy, but he had the feeling that this would be the most difficult battle of his life—for the simple reason that he'd never so desperately wanted, or needed, to win.
Chapter Eleven
“I told you, Angel, if you see a bear, climb a tree."
Angelique grimaced and glanced about. "That's easy for you to say," she returned, pushing after her brother as they followed the sound of James's voice. "You're not wearing a dress. Besides, bears climb trees, don't they?"
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