The Lady's Second-Chance Suitor, Scott, Regina [e novels to read online .TXT] 📗

during the autumn before,” Elizabethconfessed as she doled out teacups with the amber brew. “Is this sort of thingusual?”

“We do get our occasional storms,” Hester’s mother allowed.

“Mrs. Tully would probably have a tale about the gale of ’98or some such,” Hester agreed with a fond smile. “I shouldn’t expect it to lastlong.”

But as they talked, Rob could hear the rising noise, theshudder that went through the house at a particularly hard gust. The fire wasgutting in the hearth, and the chimney let out a moan, as if it too bore thebrunt of the storm.

“That sounds serious,” Lord Featherstone said, setting downhis cup. “We may have to cut short our time with you, Miss Peverell, to ensureour own safety returning to the village.”

Elizabeth glanced toward Donner. “Oh, must you?”

“Bascom,” Rob called, and the young footman stepped closer,brows up in question. “Would you ask Mr. Fitch his thoughts?”

“Right away, my lord.” He hurried from the room.

“The Downs should be fine,” Mrs. Denby said to no one inparticular. “There are few trees to blow across the road.”

“But a fine fetch to build up a wind,” Lord Featherstone argued.“I’ve heard it can sweep through with the force of an Indian hurricane.”

“Well, you are all welcome to spend the night,” Elizabethsaid. “We have plenty of rooms.”

Spend the night, with Hester just down the corridor? Howeasy to slip to her chamber, offer to comfort her. He could take her in hisarms and kiss the fear from her face. Who knew where such intimacies mightlead?

He knew. Such intimacies had been inappropriate the summerthey’d first met and were even more so now. He would do nothing that mightcause her dishonor.

“Surely it won’t come to that,” Hester said as if she hadheard his thoughts. “Your coachman seems quite skilled, and he must know theseroads well by now.”

But when Bascom returned a few moments later, it seemed shewas wrong.

“Mr. Fitch is concerned, my lord,” he reported. “If he couldstay on the headland, he might have no trouble, but he has to cross the Downsto reach either Upper Grace or Grace-by-the-Sea. He’s worried the coach couldoverturn by accident.”

Both Hester and her mother shuddered at that. He could understandwhy. He’d had enough taken from him by an accident.

“Then it’s settled,” he said. “Bascom,tell Mr. Fitch there will be no more travels tonight. I trust the stables andcoach house are secure.”

“They seemed solid as a rock, my lord,” Bascom said.

“Good. Off you go, then.” As the footman strode from theroom, Rob turned to his sister. “Elizabeth, I’ll need your help to determinehow many of Mrs. Catchpole’s staff are still in the Lodge and where we canhouse them tonight. We’ll need them to set up rooms for our guests as well.”

She rose. “Of course. Mr. Donner, perhaps you could assistme.”

“At your side,” Donner vowed.

“I’d like to help as well,” Hester put in as Rob narrowedhis eyes at the two leaving the room.

He looked to her. “Excellent. I propose a treasure hunt.”

Lord Featherstone and her mother stood.

“A treasure hunt?” Mrs. Denbyasked.

“You may have noticed that this house spreads in multipledirections,” Rob explained. “We’ll need to find four bedchambers, preferablyclose together so staff can be available should anyone need assistance duringthe night.”

“I’d suggest two bedchambers, with large beds,” LordFeatherstone put in. “The temperature will likely drop tonight, and it wouldn’tbe right to ask anyone to venture to the coal shed in this weather. The fewerfires needed, the better.”

“Excellent thought,” Rob agreed. “Two bedchambers, then: onefor you and Donner, one for Mrs. Denby and Mrs. Todd.”

And that ought to keep any amorous wanderings at a minimum,for either Donner or him.

~~~

A treasure hunt, he called it. Hester shook her head buttook the candelabra Rob lighted and followed him from the withdrawing room. Hermother and Lord Featherstone came behind with their own light.

“The first floor holds mostly function rooms,” Rob explainedas they gathered by the stairs. “Among them, the withdrawing room and galleryyou saw, a library, a study, and an exercise room that stretches over most ofone wing.”

“I take it your forebears were particularly manly,” LordFeatherstone mused with a smile.

“Fencing, pugilism, even some Eastern art that involvedusing your feet,” Rob agreed. “My brother Thomas was a devotee. Give me a goodpistol and a knife.”

Hester could imagine him facing down an opponent, knifebetween his teeth.

“Unfortunately, none of those rooms will do for ourpurposes,” he continued. “This floor isn’t much use either, which leaves thethird story, where we generally housed our guests. I propose Mrs. Todd and Itake the west wing, and Mrs. Denby and Lord Featherstone take the east. We’llreport back at the stairs in a half hour. All agreed?”

Her mother and Lord Featherstone nodded, but Hester couldn’thelp the chill that went through her. “Are you certain there isn’t a way for usto return home? Rebecca will be frightened.”

Her mother touched her hand. “We must rely on Nurse Peters.She won’t fail us.”

“And I will do my utmost not to fail you,” Rob promised.

By the determined look on his face, she could believe that.

They started up the stairs. Shadows danced away from the lamps,but darkness was never far distant. To make matters worse, the wind whistledthrough windows, howled down chimneys. And the entire floor creaked as if anarmy were sneaking up on them.

Hester found herself walking closer to Rob as they separatedfrom her mother and Lord Featherstone and headed down the west wing. The darkpaneling swallowed the light and the thick carpetmuffled their steps. If her hands hadn’t been braced on the candelabra, sheknew she would have reached for him.

Instead, she tried to focus on their task. “How many roomsare there, all told?” she asked him as he paused to open a door.

“Somewhere between thirty and forty,” he said, lifting hislamp to reveal furniture shrouded in Holland covers, as if sheep squatted onthe fine carpet. “Depending on whether you count dressing rooms and quartersfor the servants. Elizabeth and I tried to count the rooms once. We got rathermuddled and had to shout for someone to come find us.”

“You’re teasing me,” she accused as he glanced around.

“No, indeed,” he vowed. “As I