by Gill, Tamara
"Is there a reason as to why Melvin has invited us? Does he have his sights set on Victoria?" Josh asked their mama in all seriousness, his gaze slipping to Victoria in question.
She groaned, rolling her eyes. "I danced with him at our ball last week. He invited us while we waltzed. I'm sure it was merely a means of conversation, so we did not dance in silence."
Her mama studied her a moment before sitting closer to her son, taking his hand. "Oh, I am so happy all my children are back on English soil. We have missed you, Josh dear. Tell us, did you meet anyone suitable for my boy?"
A light blush stole over his cheeks before he shook his head. "No, Mama. No one to report as yet, but next year I promise to search for a duchess. Only a lady will do for the Penworth name."
"You, dear brother, are a snob, but we have missed you." The door to the room burst open, and Alice raced inside. Josh stood, pulling his sister into his arms and kissing her cheeks.
"How did you know Josh was back, my dear?” their mama queried. “I have not sent a missive yet."
Alice sat on the opposite side of Josh, squashing all three of them on the lounge. "My gardener, returning from Petworth, told me he had seen the ducal carriage travel through the town. I came as soon as I could get our carriage hitched."
Lord Arndel and their two daughters followed soon after, saying a fond welcome to Josh. The pleasant afternoon turned into a dinner and night before the fire, enjoying one another's company. Victoria reveled in the comfort of having family around, of being so fortunate to have all that she did. The idea of Lord Melvin at Rosedale, alone, without family and very few friends, left her uneasy. She did not want to feel sorry for the man, but it was so very hard not to when he was so remote, so isolated, both personally and physically.
Maybe she could entice him to be more open, more available to people. If he were the famous author Elbert Retsek, then it would only help his career if he had a more public persona.
He would benefit from her skills, she was sure of it. Now, they just had to travel there so she could begin.
Chapter 6
Albert paced the front foyer of Rosedale, waiting to hear the sound of the Duke of Penworth's carriage. The very equipage that would bring Victoria to his estate. They had agreed to stay several days, not quite a week, and he was unabashedly excited about seeing her again.
That he would forget how to speak, how to act around her, he had decided to worry about another time. However, he looked forward to their safe arrival and seeing not only Victoria but also her brother, his good friend the duke.
"The rooms are ready for the guests, my lord," his housekeeper said, pulling his attention away from the window where he was trying to spot any carriage on the drive.
"Excellent, thank you, Mrs. Wigg." His housekeeper, pleased, nodded and started toward the back of the house.
He had planned everything for Victoria's stay, the dinners, all of which would be at least five courses. Nothing was too much for a duke's daughter. Horse rides about the estate, and boating, if she liked. His lake was one of the largest in the county, not to mention the Roman ruins that sat on an island within its center were always a location guests liked to explore.
Or would enjoy, should he ever invite any.
The sound of a carriage rumbling along the gravel pulled him back to the window, and he looked outside to see the black, highly polished carriage with the Penworth coat of arms on the door roll to a halt.
Albert looked down at his clothing, checking his attire was in order before heading outdoors. He met them at the carriage just as a footman was helping the duchess alight before the one person he seemed to be holding his breath to see once again came into view. Victoria placed her slippered foot on the carriage step, holding the footman's hand as she stepped onto the gravel drive. Her attention snapped to the house, and she looked up at it with what he hoped was pleasure before her direct, sweet gaze descended on him.
His breath caught at seeing her again and heat bloomed on his cheeks. He swallowed the unease, the fear of her rejection, and pushed past that gut-churning concern, stepping toward them all and bowing. "Your Graces, Lady Victoria, may I welcome you to Rosedale."
Victoria's mother gave him her hand, smiling. "Lord Melvin, it is lovely that you would allow us to stay here as we travel through Hampshire. We look forward to our stay, and please, call me Sarah."
Albert cleared his throat, unsure if he should follow such disregard to etiquette and forms of address that should be adhered to with a duchess. His friend, Penworth, stepped forward, shaking his hand. "Melvin, it is good to see you again. It has been too long."
Albert nodded in agreement. They had been friends since school, Eton to be exact, and as much as Penworth had tried to get him to be more outgoing, exuberant, and a charmer of anything in a silk skirt, Albert had never been able to be part of the boys’ club. His nerves simply couldn't allow him to be at ease, and so eventually, he had watched his friends go off on their jaunts, and he had stayed behind. Had learned to be content with his own company.
He no longer wanted such a way of existence. He wanted a wife. He wanted Victoria if she would have him.
The woman herself materialized before him, her wide smile and bright eyes leaving him a little speechless.
"Lord Melvin, thank you for your hospitality."
"It is my pleasure," he said, turning and gesturing to the house. "Come, I have your rooms ready if you would like to freshen up. Luncheon will be served within the hour."
They made their way into the house, and he quickly took them upstairs, pointing out the rooms visible from the staircase, which were many, the library, his office that he liked to keep separate just in case of guests such as he was hosting now. The dining room, downstairs parlor, game room, and ballroom.
They made the first-floor landing, and he led them to the guest wing where two maids waited to help the duchess and Lady Victoria. Albert then led Penworth toward his room. "I hope you will be comfortable here."
Penworth glanced into his room, one of the largest and most opulent in the house, and nodded, seemingly pleased. "Of course. I'm always happy to stay with one of my oldest friends, but there is something that I do wish to discuss with you if you have a moment before lunch."
"Of course," Albert said, unable to think of what that could be, while also curious. "I shall meet you in the library whenever you're ready."
Albert did not have long to wait. Within twenty minutes, dressed in a fresh shirt and cravat, buckskin breeches, and knee-high polished boots, the duke strode into the library, his jacket idly folded over one arm.
"Rosedale is looking wonderful." Penworth walked over to the decanter of whiskey before Albert had a chance to offer him a drink, picking up the crystal decanter. "Drink?" he asked.
"It is I who should be offering you a glass, but yes, thank you."
"Do not concern yourself. I have been traveling the last year, and let me tell you, I have learned to be quite self-sufficient, which is never a bad thing, I would say."
Albert took the glass, taking a sip. "I couldn't agree more." The duke walked about the library for a few minutes before seating himself across from Albert, pinning him with his stare.
"I wanted to speak to you about the invitation that you forwarded to my family. I cannot help but ponder that there is a purpose for you doing so. Are you wanting to court my sister?"
Albert, having been taking a sip, sucked in the whiskey and choked. He coughed for several moments as he gained his equilibrium. Should he tell Penworth the truth? That he would like nothing more than to court Victoria and see if her affection for him ran deeper than mere benign fondness.
He supposed he would have to get Penworth's approval if he wished to marry his sister, so honesty was always best.
"While I have no illusions to marry Lady Victoria, I do welcome the opportunity to get to know her better. I have always liked your sister and would like to wait and see if we suit, if you agree."
Albert
's stomach twisted into knots. If Penworth disagreed and did not wish him to court his sister, he was unsure what he would do. Would he go against one of the highest-placed peers in England? Would he court Victoria anyway? A rod of steel threaded up his spine, and Albert knew the answer to his own question. Yes, he would.
"We have been friends for many years, and I would welcome your suit toward her. Victoria, however," Penworth grimaced, "is of a mind never to marry again. After Armstrong, I’m sure I do not need to explain that he injured her most severely, both her heart and in society. She has grown more outspoken since the scandal, is lively, and with many hobbies. She has dogs, did you know that?"
Albert knew she had a dog, but he had assumed that it wasn't plural. "I was under the impression she had one."
Penworth chuckled, leaving his chair to pour himself another glass. He offered to Albert, and he shook his head, still drinking his first.
"She has two wolfhounds and seems to think it appropriate that both of them sleep indoors. Not to mention her horses. She has six of those. Are your stables even large enough to house her animals along with yours?"
Six horses. Two dogs. Albert felt his mouth open and close several times before a vision of her entered his mind's eye, and the numbers no longer became a concern for him. "I can always build larger stables, and as for her dogs, I can allocate a room should she wish for them to sleep indoors."
Penworth raised his brow, a wide grin lifting his lips. "Let me assure you the dogs are housetrained. Even so, what of Victoria? I would not like her to be tucked away in the country, away from town every season simply because you prefer your own company. I know we are friends, and I understand that you are not always comfortable in large crowds, but she is. You would not try to keep her here, isolated with only you for company."
"I will tolerate town if that is what she hopes for, but your assumptions are traveling a little too far ahead. I have not declared any intentions toward Victoria, and she hasn't in any way shown an interest in me in a romantic sense. I will breach the conversation with her, but not until I'm certain that there may be some hope for me."
"What will you do if she isn't looking at you with a romantic bent? Armstrong duped her before all society. Married her and fled within weeks of saying ‘I do’. I fear such treatment may make others courting her difficult," the duke stated, finishing his second glass of whiskey.
"I shall be content to be her friend, as I have been, if not a very absent one." Not that Albert wanted to be such a benign gentleman to Victoria, but she was so vivacious, so different to his character, that the thought of them together even made his head spin at times.
Would they suit? That he did not know and could not say, but with her here a few days, he could gauge if there was a possibility for them. He certainly hoped that was the case.
Penworth stood, coming over to the desk and reaching out his hand. Albert shook it in turn. "Then I wish you well, my friend, and I’d be very happy should you secure my sister's affection. Victoria is a wonderful sister and will make a superb wife. You could not have picked better for yourself. Armstrong was a fool to have let her go."
Albert smiled, hope filling him at Penworth's words. Now he just needed to push down the little voice that told him he was imagining such a match and learn how to court a lady. And not just any lady, but the one for him.
Lady Victoria.
Chapter 7
The following day Victoria walked out onto the grounds of Rosedale, heading toward the lake where Lord Melvin was preparing two boats to go out on the water. The day was warm, the air fragrant, no doubt from the beautiful garden that grew off the terrace. She looked back at the house and saw that her mama was comfortably positioned on a small wrought iron chair in the shade of the wisteria, drinking tea and reading the morning's paper.
"Lord Melvin," she called out, waving to him.
He stood, waving back, and for a moment, she studied him. He was dressed in tan buckskin breeches and highly polished hessian boots. His shirt and cravat were highly starched, but the jacket seemed to make him appear casual due to his lack of a waistcoat.
Victoria had long thought him attractive, but seeing him outside of London, outside of everyone's grand home, there was something different about him. His casual appearance, his welcoming smile made her question keeping him as merely a friend. She had known him for several years, her brother's friendship with him had enabled that, but she'd never looked at him with anything but banality.
She hoped to find out if he were the famous writer Elbert Retsek. She wasn't here to try to win a husband, Paul had put paid to such absurd notions, but that did not mean there were not other things she could do. Other options open to her as a widow…
"Lady Victoria, I hope you slept well and enjoyed your breakfast."
Victoria had slept in late and had decided to break her fast in her room and had not seen anyone in the morning. "I did, thank you. The guest beds are very comfortable. I almost forgot where I was sleeping."
He smiled at her, placing two oars in the boat. "I thought we could go boating today if you wish. I have already asked your mama, and she said I might escort you over to the island."
Victoria glanced at the island, thankful it was not too far away, having never been too fond of deep water. Certainly not when attired in the dress and stays she currently wore. “You needn’t ask my mama for permission. I’m a widow, my lord. Have you forgotten?”
Lord Melvin cleared his throat, a blush rising on his cheeks. “No, of course not. I was merely being polite.”
She smiled, amused. “I forgive you. Now, what would you like me to do?”
“Ah,” he stammered, “I shall help you into the boat if you like.”
She strode over to the craft, pushing it into the water. She jumped in before it went too far off shore. "Are you coming?" she asked him. Lord Melvin chuckled, the sound gravelly and deep, and Victoria decided she liked the sound. It was warm and honest. So different from how the ton and its elite members often behaved. There had always been something about Paul’s laughter that she never trusted, never thought it quite genuine.
"Right behind you, my lady," he said. He jumped into the vessel, and it wobbled precariously for a moment or two.
Victoria clutched at the sides, not wanting to particularly go for a swim, not in one of her new gowns at least. Her mother would be cross for a week if she did such a scandalous thing. Lord Melvin grinned at her, taking up the oars, and soon they were rowing across the pond toward the island.
"What is over here?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the tree-filled island. The banks were grassed, and it looked like his lordship's gardener also kept the island grounds well-maintained.
"Roman ruins, as a matter of fact. Quite the find many years ago when my grandfather was planting the oaks. They excavated the site and decided to leave them exposed. The trees, of course, were planted around the site so as not to disturb their history.
"How wonderful. I look forward to viewing them." A few rows farther and the boat scraped along the shore, and they were docked on the island. Lord Melvin helped Victoria alight, surprising her when he swung her up in his arms, carrying her to the grassy bank.
Victoria gasped, having not expected him to do such a thing. No gentleman ever manhandled her in such a way other than her husband and he’d only touched her for six weeks before moving on to someone else. Her stomach fluttered at his sweetness.
Lord Melvin was more unpredictable than she thought him to be, but then that should not surprise her, not really. If he was indeed the gothic romance author she adored so much, then he was well-versed in how to swoop a lady off her feet, keep her from harm.
"Thank you," she said when he set her down. Her hands slid down his arms, strong and surprisingly muscular. He had masculine hands too, some fingers callused as if he held a quill for long hours. She had never particularly liked men having soft hands, they had always reminded her of dandies in London. Paul had been a dandy. She sh
ould never have married him.
She glanced back at the house and saw Josh now in conversation with her mama. "You may call me Victoria, Lord Melvin. With Mama giving you leave to call her Sarah, I see no harm in dropping titles when we're rusticating in the country."
Pleasure crossed his features before he schooled his reaction. Even so, she had seen his joy. What an odd gentleman he was, possibly one of the most intelligent and clever she knew, and yet he blushed, stumbled on his words, and shunned social events—an enigma.
"I would like if you called me Albert in return, Victoria," he said, using her given name and making her miss a beat.
She smiled and took his arm, letting him lead her into the small forest and toward the ruins. Through the trees, she could see them now. Foundations really were all that was left. A stone wall here and there, cobbled flooring, but no mosaic. What a shame the ancient tile did not survive the centuries.
"We're here." He stopped them at the side of the ruins. They were rectangular in size and large.
"The family who lived here must have been powerful. The dwelling is quite large, and no doubt there would be others still unearthed, I would assume."
"You are right. My grandfather left those buried, and you can see the trees are planted away from the ruins to keep them preserved. He did not, however, take into account the root system of the Oak tree, and we have had a little damage over the past few years."
"Well," Victoria said, stepping down into the ruins. "At least you have tried your best. That is all anyone can do."
They strode about the space for a few minutes. Victoria kneeled down and ran her hand over a stone, rubbed smooth in a circular way at its center as if it were used for grounding flour or different foods. How wonderful that such things were possible to see even now, after all this time.
"This makes me want to travel and see all the wonderful historical sites around the world." She stood, coming back to stand near Albert, who was leaning against one of the walls, content to let her explore.