“But I warn you, sir, Mrs. Talbot and Miss Mirren are also on that floor.”
Blackstone paused with his hand on the door and shot a questioning look back at the man. After one too many miserable nights spent sleeping on the battlefield, he couldn’t care less about the arbitrary rules that governed life in fashionable society, but it would take something extraordinary for his painfully correct butler to do something so risqué as put an unmarried woman on the same floor as Bailey and him.
“Mrs. Talbot apparently had a great deal to say on the matter.” Stanway looked pained. “She wanted a view of the back gardens, and you know the blue room up there is the best. Mrs. Sheldon thought—”
Ah, something extraordinary, indeed. Something extraordinarily annoying. “Ah, the housekeeper succumbed to Mrs. Talbot’s verbal onslaught. Completely understandable.” The butler looked even more pained, and as he began to speak, Blackstone held up his hand. “Don’t worry, Stan. We’re in the country. Everything’s relaxed here.”
Blackstone chuckled as he bounded up the stairs, imagining the silent Mrs. Sheldon finally meeting her match. Taking stock of the closed doors lining the corridor, he rapped on one with a sliver of light peeking out from under it.
“Open up. He’s coming tomorrow,” he whispered. “I want to have one more look at the beach before…” His jaw went slack as the door opened a crack and small, undeniably feminine hand snaked out.
The curls that came into focus as the room’s occupant pushed the door open inspired a thud of recognition in his gut—and an instant frisson of awareness in his cock. Of all the bloody rooms to mistake for Bailey’s. He should have heeded Stan’s warning and been more careful.
“My lord?” The candlelit room behind transformed her into a golden Medusa, wild unconstrained curls painted with warm light. She wore a simple white night rail, and the backlighting highlighted her figure beneath it. His eyes slid down long, shapely legs and came to rest on a pair of slender, bare feet, toes on one side curled under, as if with cold.
She leaned forward and looked both ways in the corridor, brow slightly furrowed, as if she were attempting to cross a busy London thoroughfare.
He closed his mouth and swallowed, his tongue suddenly dry. “I beg your pardon. I was looking for Bailey.”
One corner of her mouth quirked up. “I don’t believe Mr. Bailey is here, my lord, but let me check.” With that, she swiveled her head so she was looking over her shoulder, back into the room. He bit his lip as her tresses hit his chest on their way around, glad his untucked shirt covered the fall of his breeches. As she turned back, the other side of her mouth joined the first in an impish smile. He noticed for the first time that she was holding a book, one finger wedged inside it to keep her place.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed you.” He forced himself to keep his eyes on her face as he performed a half bow.
One of her hands shot out and touched his forearm. “Who’s coming tomorrow?” Her eyes shone with an intensity that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Mr. Manning?”
“Yes,” he said, not knowing how to dislodge her hand from his arm. He had the distinct sensation of being held back, constrained, which was ridiculous because her touch was light—and she was a slight twenty-three-year-old woman, for God’s sake. He cleared his throat. “Mr. Talbot, too. Perhaps you’ll convey the news to Mrs. Talbot at breakfast. Mr. Bailey and I have some matters to attend to in the morning and will, regretfully, have to absent ourselves.”
She removed her hand. “Sea bathing?”
“I beg your pardon?” Why couldn’t she act like any other woman would upon discovering a near stranger at the door of her bedchamber—with concern for her modesty, with horror even?
“Sea bathing. You said you and Mr. Bailey needed to go to the beach.”
“You should go inside. It won’t do for anyone to see us.” Please let that have done it.
She stared at him for a few moments before nodding. “Good night, my lord.” Without waiting for a reply, she closed the door softly.
He pressed his ear against the door. The clang of metal against metal. He imagined her poking the embers of her dying fire and, remembering the sight of her bare feet, had half a mind to summon a maid to build up the fire. But of course the request would be accompanied by an insinuation that he knew what was happening in her bedchamber at two o’clock in the morning. Next he heard the swish of covers being pulled back. A sweet little sigh. He remembered that feeling, from a time before the world had marked him, of sinking into a comfortable bed at the end of the day, surrendering one’s cares to crisp linen and soft down.
Then, finally, the sliver of light at his feet disappeared.
…
Emily saw him coming before anyone else did. She was part of a group of guests that had decided to go for a ramble and explore the estate. Lord Blackstone was in his shirtsleeves as he and Mr. Bailey appeared on the horizon, no doubt having climbed the hill that led up from the shoreline. Despite the sharp contrast between his dark, serious countenance and the bright yellow buttercups studding the meadow he crossed, he seemed to belong in the landscape in an elemental way.
As the other guests saw him and he them, he shrugged into his coat and raked his fingers through his hair, which, as it curled up around his collar, he wore longer than most gentlemen.
With the addition of the coat came his signature half scowl. The man was a chameleon. Whereas a moment ago he’d seemed a creature at ease, fully in touch with the natural landscape as he strode across it unselfconsciously, now he was back to being the impenetrable, formal aristocrat.
It was Mr. Bailey who greeted them. “My friends!” he called, coming toward them with a smile. “Good morning!”
After everyone made their greetings, Mr. Bailey and Lord Blackstone joined the group on their walk. The sun was high in the sky when they approached the small hill that led to the lake. Here, Lord Blackstone, who had been leading the group, stopped. “Shall we turn back for luncheon?”
“Oh, but, my lord, I understand there’s a lake just on the other side of this hill,” Lady Hastings said with a coy pout. “We can’t come this far and not see the lake!”
His gaze landed on Emily’s face, but it was gone before anyone else noticed. “There’s nothing remarkable about the lake. It’s more of a large pond, really.”
“But isn’t this the lake where the previous Lord Bl—”
“Anne!” Mrs. Smythe shot a quelling glance at her daughter.
“I never did much care for lakes or swimming,” the earl said mildly. “So I’ll leave you lot to explore.”
“Oh, but you were a veritable fish as a boy!” said Mr. Smythe. “Your poor parents could never get you out of the water!” The outburst earned him his own icy look from Mrs. Smythe.
Lord Blackstone didn’t answer, just repeated his farewell and turned toward the house, leaving the assembly a little shocked. It wasn’t that he was ill-mannered, exactly. It was just that he lacked a social sense that allowed him to put people at ease. Or, she thought, perhaps it was more that he chose not to deploy it.
Regardless, Emily found herself oddly protective of the man. He obviously didn’t want to visit the lake with the group. Or maybe she was just feeling protective of the lake itself. It was a very nice lake.
“I find myself quite tired,” Emily offered. “The sea air on the estate is invigorating, but it does wear one out. I shall return to the house as well.” She turned to Sarah. “Perhaps your father and husband have arrived by now, Mrs. Talbot.”
That did the trick. Everyone began strolling back toward the house. Sarah caught up to Emily, who led the group at a pace fast enough to keep them on course but slow enough that they wouldn’t overtake Lord Blackstone. She thought he might need some privacy.
“His brother died in the lake, you know,” Sarah whispered, looking around as if she were relaying state secrets to an enemy of the Crown. “Drowned during a storm.”
Emily had to swallow a
gasp. She hadn’t known. Had he been thinking about his brother when they’d encountered each other at the lake?
“Died without an heir, of course,” Sarah went on, oblivious to Emily’s bewilderment, “which is the only reason our Lord Blackstone is Lord Blackstone.” With that, Sarah squeezed Emily’s arm, then slowed her pace as she sent her next sentence over her shoulder. “Lady Hastings! I promised to finish telling you the story of the Duchess of Devon’s modiste! And I can’t wait to introduce you to my husband! I’m so glad he’s arrived! I’ve missed him dreadfully.”
Emily walked a little faster to distance herself from the other women. Doubt began to gnaw at her. Perhaps instead of her distain, what Lord Blackstone actually needed was her sympathy.
…
Miss Mirren did not like Mr. Manning. It was abundantly clear from the pained expression on her face as she watched Mrs. Talbot embrace him. Blackstone had noticed that Miss Mirren often sported a slight crease on the otherwise-smooth skin between her eyebrows, as if she were perpetually thinking very hard. But this was something more than her signature furrow.
After kissing Mrs. Talbot, Mr. Manning greeted Miss Mirren. “Emily might as well be another daughter,” he explained to the group.
The ties between them clearly were not of blood. Where Miss Mirren was slender, Manning was plump. Her graceful limbs and smooth skin stood in marked contrast to his ruddy complexion and sturdiness. There was also the matter of the hair. Manning had very little, and she…. No, he’d given Miss Mirren’s hair enough thought for one lifetime.
“How is Sally?” Manning asked Miss Mirren.
“Fine, thank you, sir,” she answered through pursed lips.
Blackstone glanced around. Was he the only one who noticed how uncomfortable Miss Mirren seemed? He wanted to ask who Sally was, but everyone’s attention was diverted when Mr. Talbot stepped through the front door.
“John!” Mrs. Talbot flung herself at her husband. Though muscular, Mr. Talbot was a good head shorter than his wife. She looked as if she might smother him with her enthusiastic embrace. The man seemed to inspire affection—even Miss Mirren’s face lightened as she greeted her friend’s husband.
Finally, the men who would lead him to Le Cafard had arrived. Blackstone’s heart raced when he thought of his enemy. True to his name, the Frenchman was an unkillable insect. After apparent eradication, he always popped up again, somewhere they least expected, leaving his taunting notes. But unlike his namesake, the Frenchman carried secrets, secrets that got men killed and changed the outcome of battles.
“End this war,” the captain had said. Le Cafard was the key. And this time, Blackstone was going to stamp on the cockroach himself, grind him into the earth, and witness his utter extinction.
The butler’s arrival pulled him from thoughts of revenge. As Stan showed the newcomers to their bedchambers, the group convened for tea on the terrace that overlooked the back gardens. Rows of rose trees mingled with plants of every size and color in a display that managed to be both formal and exuberant at the same time.
As he stood leaning on the stone balustrade, Miss Mirren came to stand beside him. Before he could speak, their attention was drawn by Mrs. Talbot, who once again, and with no less joy, launched herself into her husband’s arms when he appeared, having returned from unpacking.
“A devoted wife,” he observed.
“Yes,” Emily said. “My friend may lack a certain social polish, but her heart is big—and true.” A wistful look drifted across her face. “And hers is a love match.”
He turned to her. “A true love match is rare.”
“Did your parents have one?”
Her forwardness no longer took him aback. In fact, he was surprised only by the fact that the question hadn’t angered him. Most mentions of his parents did. He answered honestly. “No.”
She regarded him with her signature furrowed brow. One question was enough, so he changed the subject. “My garden is nearly as nice as my lake, I daresay, if you’ll forgive the immodesty.”
That earned a smile as she contemplated the vista. “Yes, I think it’s the nicest garden I’ve ever seen.”
“It has been extraordinarily well maintained. I find myself a bit surprised, in truth. I’m never here to enjoy it.”
“And you don’t think your servants are capable of enjoying it?” she said. “Perhaps the gardeners take pride in their work. At least they’re doing something useful.”
“Are they? I’m not sure I see what utility there is in a garden, to be perfectly honest.”
“A thing of beauty is always useful.”
Was there a rebuke in her words? He hadn’t meant to give offense and, uncharacteristically, found himself caring whether he had, wanting to maintain this cordiality between them. “A noble sentiment,” he said. The others were sitting down, so he escorted Miss Mirren to the table and proceeded to watch her watch Manning.
She seized the first lull in the conversation. “I trust your business in Bristol is concluded, Mr. Manning?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“It must have been a very important transaction…” She trailed off, as if hoping he’d take up the narrative.
“So many men of business here,” said Lady Hastings, glancing at Bailey as she, the highest-ranking woman present, poured the tea. “What sort of business are you in?” she asked Manning, with just the slightest sniff. Of course what Lady Hastings misunderstood was that Bailey and Manning were each far, far richer than her husband. And, more critically, that none of their wealth was tied up in entailed land. The world was changing, regardless of whether Lady Hastings and her ilk chose to acknowledge it.
“No sugar, thank you!” All eyes turned to Miss Mirren, who held up a hand as Lady Hastings prepared to drop a lump of sugar into the tea she was pouring for the younger woman.
“You haven’t a sweet tooth?” Bailey asked.
“I prefer not to consume products produced by those in bondage,” she said coolly.
Lady Hastings looked confused.
“What Miss Mirren means,” said Mr. Talbot, patting his wife’s hand before she could speak, “is that she boycotts sugar, as some of the reformers do.” He glanced at her. “Probably unless she knows its provenance. I imagine sugar from the East Indies is acceptable?”
“I thought that was all settled,” said Mr. Smythe.
“While abolishing the slave trade was of course a welcome step, I personally believe that England’s moral debts will not be settled until we achieve emancipation,” said Miss Mirren, oblivious to the dropped jaws of not only Lady Hastings, but all of the Smythe women.
“Emancipation!” Mr. Manning, whose complexion had been turning increasingly red, sputtered.
“Shipping,” Blackstone interjected, loudly. “To answer your question, Lady Hastings, Mr. Manning is in shipping.” Now was as good a time as any to begin his campaign of flattery. “Mr. Manning runs quite a successful shipping business, in fact.”
“And what do you ship?” Miss Mirren asked, turning to stare at Mr. Manning.
Mr. Manning composed his features into a mask of calm before replying. “All manner of things. I’ve recently had a ship back from India, laden with spices and tea.”
Lady Hastings sniffed again and turned her attention to a scone.
“And do you have any ships leaving soon for distant ports?” Miss Mirren asked.
“Oh, come now,” said Mr. Talbot. “This is hardly exciting enough to be the topic of luncheon conversation for such a fine group of people.”
“It’s just that I find it all so…fascinating,” Miss Mirren said, looking anything but fascinated. Blackstone glanced at Bailey. Why wasn’t anyone else noticing the gap between what Miss Mirren said and how she appeared?
Blackstone cleared his throat. It was neither socially nor strategically wise to allow Miss Mirren to start a row over tea and cucumber sandwiches. “What does everyone say to a picnic on the shore tomorrow? And for this afternoon, perhaps
some lawn bowling after our tea?”
There was a general murmur of assent, with the exception—of course—of Miss Mirren. “Thank you, but I must see to some correspondence this afternoon.”
“Please feel free to use the library,” he said. “It gets sun in the afternoon. And for that matter, visit anytime and borrow whatever you wish.”
“That’s our Miss Mirren,” said Mrs. Talbot. “Always holed up indoors reading instead of enjoying the sunshine.” It didn’t seem to be a barb. Mrs. Talbot smiled affectionately at her friend as she spoke. But it did cause Lady Hastings to smirk, which in turn caused the Smythe twins to titter.
He felt compelled to defend Miss Mirren. “I, for one, think Miss Mirren’s devotion to her correspondence does her credit.” Blackstone ignored the quizzical look Bailey shot him and sipped his tea, steeling himself for an afternoon of work.
…
Emily laid down her quill and shook out the cramp in her hand. It was always the final paragraph that gave her trouble. She wanted to summarize her argument and rouse her audience to indignation and action. Generally, she preferred to write a column over the course of two days, giving herself time to come back to it and revise. But she would need to post the column today for it to arrive in Mr. Todmorden’s office in time for the next edition of the paper. She’d been holding off, hoping she could begin a series on the actions of an illegal slaver she was secretly investigating. She’d planned to build anticipation, to reveal facts as she uncovered them, spinning a web that would leave her readers salivating to know the identity of her target. Once she had incontrovertible proof, something concrete that would stand up in court, she would expose Mr. Manning.
But she hadn’t been able to extract anything of use. Worse, she’d allowed her emotions to get in the way, drawing unwelcome attention. What was a little sugar if it helped with her larger cause? It wasn’t as if Billy himself had picked that sugarcane.
Staring at the oak paneled ceiling, she blew out a frustrated breath. How to end? Nothing came.
The Miss Mirren Mission Page 5