Page 65 of A Kiss to Stop a Wedding
‘My lord.’ She held out her hand. ‘I am sorry, my aunt and uncle have gone into Whilton, although I expect them back before very long.’
He came forward and kissed her fingers.
‘No matter, it was you I wished to see, my dear.’ He looked up at her, smiling, although there was a warylook in his blue eyes. ‘You came directly home last night, I hope?’
She inclined her head.
‘As I told you last night that I would.’ He was still holding her hand and she made no move to pull free. ‘However, I did order the coach to stop for a while on the road.’ A tiny sigh escaped her. ‘I was too angry to come back immediately, I needed to compose myself. I did not wish my aunt and uncle to know we had argued.’
‘Ah, Flora, you do not know how I regret our little…contretemps. I could not sleep last night, thinking of it.’
‘I, too, spent a restless night,’ she replied, with perfect truth. ‘I can only beg your pardon for my little outburst. Whatever your quarrel with Mr Talacre, it is no concern of mine.’
‘No, no, you were right to chide me, my dear. I fear I allowed my jealousy to override my judgement.’
‘Jealousy!’ Her eyes widened. ‘My dear sir, why on earth would you be jealous of Mr Talacre?’
‘Because you appear to regard him very highly.’
With another smile she freed her hand and moved away to sit down in an armchair, indicating with a gesture that he should do the same.
‘I admit he is very charming,’ she said, arranging her skirts more becomingly. ‘But, Quentin, he is hardly a gentleman. He makes his money from…pleasure gardens.’ She let the words hang there, knowing he despised anything that hinted at trade.
He sat down, his face losing some of that wary look.
‘I am glad you have not grown too fond of the man, Flora,’ he said, becoming serious again. ‘Because I have some bad news. Unless you have already heard?’
She shook her head, eyes wide and questioning. When had she learned to be so devious and deceitful? Heavens, her acting would rival the great Mrs Siddons!
He went on, ‘Mr Talacre appears to have left town.’
‘What!’
‘Yes. Without paying his shot, too, which is inexcusable.’
‘And you are sure he did not return to the hotel last night? Perhaps something has happened to him.’
‘I fear I am to blame.’ Flora’s eyes flew to his face at that, but her racing pulse steadied when he continued. ‘I refused to sell him that statue and now he is gone scurrying back to Gloucestershire, like a kicked dog.’
Voices could be heard in the hall. Flora looked around just as the door opened and Mrs Farnleigh hurried in.
‘Lord Whilton, this is a pleasant surprise!’
‘It is indeed,’ exclaimed her husband, following her close behind. ‘If we had known you intended to call, we should not have gone out.’
Flora listened as pleasantries were exchanged and refreshments ordered. She kept her eyes on theViscount. She wanted to know what steps he had taken to find Matt. She was wondering how she could introduce the subject again when her uncle saved her the trouble.
‘Goodness me, what a to-do in Whilton this morning, my lord, have you heard?’
‘Mr Talacre has absconded without paying his bill?’ said the Viscount, his countenance grave, ‘Yes, I had heard.’
‘No, no, worse,’ cried Mrs Farnleigh, sitting down and fanning herself vigorously. ‘The poor man was set upon!’
‘Indeed, ma’am?’ murmured Quentin, sitting very still. ‘Pray tell me more.’
Aunt Farnleigh was only too happy to oblige.
‘Well, we were visiting the Albrights this morning and on the way back we stopped off in the High Street. I needed a new pack of sewing needles, you see, and that is where I heard it. From Mrs Newsome, the haberdasher! Her son is an ostler at the Red Lion and he had it from one of the chambermaids. She said that someone had called on Mr Talacre’s behalf to pay his bill and collect his bag.’
