The Pursuit of Lady Harriett (Tanglewood Book 3)

by Rachael Anderson

  “There is something you’re not telling me, my friend,” said Jonathan.

  “There are a great many things I have not told you and a great many things you already know, such as the fact that my father’s pockets are to let.”

  Jonathan nodded. “The reason you insisted on going to war, I believe.”

  Christopher rubbed the back of his neck, stretching it from side to side. “That’s what I told you and everyone else, but the truth is that I needed to get away. Mother began pressuring me to take on more responsibility, and when she informed me that Father was running the estate into the ground and I was their only hope of salvation, it scared me. For a man, or rather boy, who despised any sort of responsibility, it was too much all at once. While at school in Falmouth, I would sneak away from my studies to watch the ships come and go from the wharf, thinking how free the sailors must feel. I began to crave that freedom and eventually joined up, hoping that by the time I came back all would be resolved with Pencarrow.” He shook his head. “How stupid I was.”

  Jonathan said nothing. He only watched and waited, giving Christopher his full attention.

  “When Mother learned what I had done, she accused me of caring more about myself than my family. At the time, I thought such claims irrational. I would be earning a living, after all, and what act was less selfish than fighting for one’s king and country? But life as a midshipman and war in general was not at all what I had anticipated. The first time I came face-to-face with death, I realized how right she had been. Not long after I left, she wrote me that my father nearly risked our family home in a desperate game of cards. Did you know that? If not for your father’s timely interference, he would have lost everything. What would have become of my mother and sisters if I had died at sea? I shudder to think on it.”

  Even now, Christopher could still remember the chilling sensation he’d experienced when he’d read his mother’s letter. He would have left for home immediately if he could have, but he had been bound to the war efforts in the way he was now bound to his familial obligations.

  “After the war, I made a promise to myself and my mother that I would never shy away from responsibility again. Now it’s time to retire my childhood and become a man—and a married one at that.”

  Jonathan nodded, his expression contemplative. “Surely you must see yourself settled first. No father would allow you to marry his daughter if you cannot afford to do so.”

  “I am settled in a way. Our crew became fairly good at taking over enemy ships without too much loss or bloodshed. Every prisoner captured and commodity commandeered resulted in a fair amount of prize money earned—enough that I was able to pay off my father’s debts and have a little left over to begin anew. Trouble is, I don’t know a blasted thing about managing an estate. And obviously, Father doesn’t either.”

  Jonathan leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin, watching Christopher with what could only be described as consideration. “I would begin by dismissing your old land steward and hiring a competent one.”

  Christopher nodded, having had the presence of mind to take care of that at least. “Already done. Father has also recognized he’s made a mess of things and has signed over all estate management to me. Whether or not that was a wise thing for him to do remains to be seen, but I’m certain I cannot do worse than him. Which brings me to the reason I have come, aside from wanting to catch up with an old friend, that is.”

  Jonathan lifted a questioning brow and waited.

  Christopher sighed, hating that he needed help of any kind. He was not easily humbled, but he’d rather his pride take a beating in the privacy of his friend’s study than publicly, which was what would happen should he lose his home. “I knew before I even saw Tanglewood that it would be a thriving estate, and so it is. You’ve always had a head for business and numbers, and… well, I would very much like to learn from you.”

  Jonathan stood and wandered over to a large window, looking out across his property. “It’s a work in progress, my friend. Always will be, as will Pencarrow House.”

  “I realize that, but I would like it to be a work in progress for a long while yet.”

  Jonathan smiled a little as he turned away from the window. “It will take longer than a few days to teach you what I have learned.”

  “I didn’t intend to get started directly, only to see if you were amenable to the idea. I can return at the end of the season and stay for as long as it takes.”

  “Won’t you have a wedding to plan and attend by then?”

  Christopher rubbed the back of his neck again. Life used to be a great deal more fun. Perhaps that’s why he enjoyed Lady Harriett’s company so much. She distracted him from his concerns and made life interesting once more. “I will have chosen a bride by then. That will be enough. The wedding can wait until after I am better prepared to manage Pencarrow.”

  Jonathan walked slowly to his chair, pausing to rest his elbows across the back of it. “I have been wanting to repurpose some of my land for an agricultural venture for some time. At one point, I even had some interested investors, but after a harrowing day here at Tanglewood, they decided they would be better off not investing. So I placed my plans on hold for a few months, thinking I would begin my search again after the wedding. Thankfully, I no longer need to do that. Cora recently learned that her father did not cut her off as she thought he would. Rather, he settled quite a large dowry on her, making it possible for me to move forward without needing additional financial assistance. I’m only telling you this because I would be a willing investor should you have an interest in starting a similar venture at Pencarrow.”

  Christopher straightened, his curiosity piqued. From the time they were young, Jonathan’s nose had always been buried in various newspapers or books, reading about the market and current economic trends. Christopher had to use his powers of persuasion to lull him away from such studies, and they’d had a great deal of fun, but when all was said and done, Jonathan would return to his books and his studies.

  If only Christopher had been as interested in books and news back in those days.

  He was certainly interested now. “Tell me more.”

  Jonathan walked around the chair and took a seat. “If you truly are interested, I will need you to stay longer than a few days. You can help me work out the final details and perhaps see a field or two drained, plowed, and readied for planting.”

  In the silence that followed, a clock could be heard ticking down the seconds. Christopher thought of his anxious mother, his vow to find a wife, and the ever-shortening season ahead of him. “How much longer?”

  “Another fortnight at least.”

  Christopher whistled. The season would be well underway by then, and his mother would not countenance that late of an arrival. But Jonathan was practically handing Christopher an opportunity that he would be a fool to let pass by. Besides, what difference would another week or two make? There would still be enough time to find a bride and keep his promise.

  “Now that Cora and I are back, of course you’re welcome at Tanglewood,” Jonathan added.

  “What the devil am I going to tell my mother?” Christopher muttered, more to himself than to Jonathan. He could already anticipate her irate response. He’d lost count how many times she’d written to him during the war, saying, If the unthinkable happens and your imbecile cousin becomes heir, I shall never forgive you.

  And she wouldn’t. Christopher knew that with absolute certainty. His mother could carry a grudge to her grave if she wished.

  Jonathan grinned. “Tell her you are pursuing a woman here—and a lady to boot.”

  Christopher had to concede that it would be the perfect solution if it were true. “But I am not.”

  “Aren’t you?” Jonathan asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “There are different reasons to pursue a person, you know, and they don’t all end in matrimony. Weren’t you in constant pursuit of your enemies during the war?”


  Christopher laughed. “If that is the way we are choosing to think of it, then it is Lady Harriett who is in pursuit of me and not the other way around.”

  “Even better,” said Jonathan. “What mother wouldn’t love to hear that her son is being pursued by the beautiful and intelligent sister of the Earl of Drayson?”

  Christopher couldn’t help but chuckle at this reversal of roles. It had always been him who’d concocted the duplicitous schemes and Jonathan who attempted to talk him out of them. “I think I have finally rubbed off on you, my friend. Your plan is most devious. I own myself rather surprised. You’ve always been so upstanding.”

  Jonathan chuckled. “My wife has always said that sometimes a person can have a good reason for behaving badly. I think this is one of those times.”

  Christopher’s grin widened. “The more I come to learn about your wife, the more I like her. However did you convince her to marry you?”

  “Sometimes a man simply gets lucky.”

  Christopher couldn’t argue with that, considering that luck was also on his side at the moment. After all, if he had not encountered Lady Harriett or the Biddings upon his arrival, he would have returned to London directly and waited until after the season to approach Jonathan. But he had encountered them, he’d found a reason to stay, and now his friend was offering to not only teach him a thing or two about estate management, but invest in what could become a lucrative agricultural venture. It felt like an answer to many prayers.

  “Very well, my friend.” Christopher pushed himself out of his seat and glanced around. “If you have a quill and some parchment handy, I shall write to Mother straightaway.”

  “Will you tell her you are being pursued?” Jonathan teased, opening a drawer in his desk to produce the requested parchment.

  “It is the truth, is it not?”

  Jonathan laughed. “Indeed it is.”

  Christopher took a seat at the desk and wrote his letter, feeling a return of the excitement that he and Jonathan had often experienced once upon a time, back when life was not as complicated. It was good to have something hopeful to smile about again. When he thought about Lady Harriett and how she’d react when she learned that he would be remaining in Askern a few more weeks—and as a guest at Tanglewood, no less—his grin widened.

  Christopher arrived in the drawing room to find Lady Harriett already seated on the sofa, the toes of her slippers bouncing up and down. Other than that small indication of anxiousness, she appeared her usual self—composed, impervious, and beautiful, the light blue of her gown matching the color of her eyes almost exactly. Jonathan and Cora had yet to make an appearance, so Christopher took a seat next to her.

  “Can you tell me which Lady Harriett I am addressing tonight?” he asked, attempting to dispel the awkward tension. “Will you attempt to be bird-witted, dull, a bluestocking, or your charming and headstrong self? I’d prefer to know now so that I might better prepare my defense.”

  A light blush appeared on her cheeks—the only indication his comment had affected her. “I have decided to cease battling with you, Lieutenant, so let us begin anew, shall we?” She held out her hand. “I am Lady Harriett Cavendish, daughter of the dowager Lady Drayson in Essex.”

  Christopher wasn’t sure what to make of this new approach. What game was she playing at this time? He accepted her hand, taking note of how soft it was. “Are we to disregard everything we already know about each other then?”

  “That’s just it, Lieutenant.” She slipped her hand away. “I don’t feel as though I do know you—not well, at any rate—and I would like to change that.”

  This definitely was a new approach and one Christopher would enjoy figuring out, but not before he disclosed something she would likely not want to hear. “It relieves my mind to hear you say that, my lady. I was worried that I would incur your displeasure once you discovered that I am now a guest at Tanglewood and plan to stay for another fortnight.”

  He watched her closely for signs of distress, but her lips did not pinch, her jaw did not harden, and her eyes did not flash in annoyance. On the contrary, they brightened as though the prospect actually delighted her—something he found very hard to believe.

  “Not at all, sir. That is happy news indeed. Only think of how much better we will come to know each other by then.”

  If Christopher had known her during the war, he would have been tempted to enlist her aid in strategizing. The best attack was to catch one’s enemy by surprise, after all, and she certainly had a way of surprising him on a daily basis. But what was she hoping to achieve with this latest endeavor, or did she truly wish to let bygones be bygones? Christopher could scarce believe it, though she appeared in earnest. Or perhaps she only wanted him to think she was in earnest. There was no telling with her.

  “What—or rather, who—has convinced you to stay in Yorkshire, Lieutenant?” she asked, the interested smile still on her face.

  Christopher settled more comfortably against the sofa and casually draped his arm across the spine behind her. Her posture stiffened, and she leaned slightly forward, probably to ensure that the exposed skin of her back did not graze his arm. He found it both aggravating and intriguing. If she was that repelled by him, why go to the effort of getting to know him?

  “Jonathan wishes to discuss a business proposition with me,” he answered.

  “Ah,” she said. “That sounds… interesting. Are you at liberty to share any of the particulars, Lieutenant?”

  He eyed her quizzically, wondering what she was about. She couldn’t possibly want to converse about such a dull topic.

  “Lady Harriett,” he suggested, “if we are to become great friends, might we dispense with your title and my rank? I would be honored if you would call me Christopher.”

  She hesitated only a moment before nodding. “I’d like that, Christopher.”

  And he liked the way his name sounded on her lips. “And I will call you Harry,” he teased.

  She did not seem to care for that idea at all. “You may call me either Lady Harriett or Harriett, sir, and that is all. I was not blessed with a name that can be shortened.”

  “’Tis a shame,” he said, shaking his head as though saddened by the fact. “If we are to become bosom friends, Chris and Harry has a good ring to it, don’t you think?”

  She must have thought the comment not worthy of a reply. “Do many people call you Chris? I rather like it.”

  “No, as a matter of fact. You would be the first, Harry… ett.” He grinned the moment her eyes narrowed.

  She was quick to drop her gaze to her lap and began dusting off her gown with one hand, probably in an attempt to hide her annoyance with him. After a time, she said, “I do love to be the first at things.”

  Did that mean that she intended to call him Chris from this point forward? Christopher didn’t know how he’d take to the shortened version of his name. Every time he had tried it out in his head, it had always sounded feeble, weak, and unsubstantial, but if she began calling him that, he had no one to blame but himself. He’d been the one to plant the idea in her mind, after all.

  “What are you two discussing so intently?” Cora’s voice broke through his thoughts. Christopher glanced up in surprise as she sank down in a nearby chair while her husband took another not far away.

  Hopefully Cora would realize that Christopher had not meant to slight her by not standing at her entrance. His years in the war had made him a little lax when it came to social niceties, and it was taking some time for certain things to become second nature again. “I was simply telling Harriett the good news that I have relocated to Tanglewood and plan to remain for an additional fortnight.”

  “And I was just telling Chris”—Harriett smiled pointedly at him—“that I am delighted to hear it. Only think how cozy our group will be during the upcoming days. That is…” She frowned. “What about your parents, Chris? Will they not be angered by your continued absence? I thought they were most insistent that you meet them
in London by the end of the week.”

  Christopher exchanged an amused look with Jonathan before answering. “I wrote to my mother only this morning, informing her of my new… plans, and, well, I'm quite certain that once she, er… understands the situation, she will agree that it’s in my best interests to stay.”

  Jonathan covered his chuckle with a cough, and when his wife cast him an inquiring glance, he shrugged. Christopher had to resist the urge to smile. It brought back memories of all the good times they had shared over the years. How he'd missed his friend. No one had ever understood him the way Jonathan did.

  Judging by the quizzical way Harriett watched him, she must've thought his answer a trifle odd. Christopher thought it best to change the subject before either of the ladies began to question them further.

  “Cora,” he said. “I hear you recently returned from the coast. Did you see anything of interest while you were there?”

  Cora dismissed his inquiry with a wave of her hand. “Nothing worth mentioning, I assure you. I am much more interested to hear about you. Jonathan has told me about a few of your escapades, like the time he lost a wager, and you made him write a poem and recite it in front of a large gathering.”

  Christopher laughed. He had not thought about that wager in years. “What a dreadful poem it was. If those in attendance had not already known we were close friends, I would have denied any association with the man.”

  Jonathan nodded. “It was dreadful. But I did get the thing to rhyme, so there was that.”

  “Yes, two whole times if I remember correctly.”

  “I take it the two of you have been friends for a long time?” asked Harriett.

  “We grew up on neighboring estates,” explained Jonathan. “We used to spend a great deal of time catching frogs, snakes, lizards, mice, and any other creature we could find. Christopher has five younger sisters, you see, and they were a great deal of fun to tease.”