Page 84 of The Nature of a Lady
“Your brother’s most gracious. Also, there was the fact that we—or Telly, rather, I like to think I didn’t do it—boxed him into a bit of a corner. Or, no, we boxed Libby. Well, Telly did. And Tremayne here thought to unbox her. Because, as I said. He’s most gracious.”
Beth had turned back to Sheridan during that explanation, if it could be called such. She blinked at him. Gave her next blink to Oliver, which clearly said,Where on earth did you dig this one up?Andthen, with a shake of her head, she took off again with a muttered, “Do excuse me. I must see my grandmother.”
Testament indeed to her worry. In days past, Beth would have been all too eager to make a good impression on any visiting nobleman—not that they’d ever had many of them in their house, other than an occasional distant relative of Mamm-wynn’s.
Perhaps whatever she’d gotten herself involved in this summer had rubbed away a bit of that yearning for that Something Else.
Oliver cleared his throat, three different cords tugging at him. He wanted to follow Beth, greet the girls, and get Sheridan tucked safely away in the library and didn’t know which to do first. It might be a bit obvious if he shoved Sheridan down the corridor with the front door still hanging open, so he decided to wait. He’d give Beth a moment with their grandmother before following her, and then he would explain everything to her. For now, he held the door open for Benna and Libby, who were at the gate already, and sighed a bit when he saw Casek Wearne alter his trajectory toward them as well. He was still in his rowing clothes, coming up the hill at a jog. Must have spotted Mabena.
Oliver was apparently going to have a houseful this morning.
His cousin’s eyes were blessedly clear of pain. And Libby’s full of it, though more the emotional sort than physical. She smiled at him, but the smile stiffened and faded when she glanced past him and presumably spotted Sheridan.
Though Oliver of a Week Ago would have taken a bit too much pleasure in closing the door before Casek could reach it, Oliver of Today left it wide as he welcomed the girls inside. “You have a shadow, Benna.” He nodded toward Casek, noting the way her cheeks flushed when she noticed him.
It barely even made him sigh. He was making progress.
His fingers found Libby’s elbow of their own volition, and he smiled down at her. “I suspect that isn’t a picnic in the basket.” A woeful meow was his answer, making him chuckle. He tapped a finger in greeting upon the wooden lid. “Good morning, Darling. We’ll letyou out once the door is closed, and you can come and meet Mamm-wynn.”
Mabena didn’t seem to know whether to step back outside or dash down the hallway. “Beth?”
“She’s gone to see her.”
“How is she? Mamm-wynn?” Libby leaned a bit closer to him as she asked—something he might not have noticed had he not been keenly aware of Lord Sheridan standing half a step away and her brother lurking in the dining room.
He ought to let go of her arm, probably. But couldn’t convince his fingers to obey. So instead he led her a few more steps into the entryway so they could make room for Casek. “She stirred a bit overnight. Opened her eyes a few times.”
Libby frowned at him. “Did you get any sleep at all?”
“Here and there.”
Her frown only deepened. “Oliver, you mustn’t—”
“Oliver?” Lord Telford’s voice, gruff and surly, intruded upon them.
Sheridan spun to face his friend with an overly bright look of surprise. “He speaks! And it’s before nine! Note it on the calendar, Lady Elizabeth.”
Libby just let out a long breath. “Good morning, Bram.”
“Remains to be seen.” Scowling and clutching his teacup as if it contained the very elixir of life, Telford stepped into the hallway and motioned at Oliver and Libby. “You’ll not call him that.”
Oliver wasn’t certain at first if she’d drop her eyes or roll them. She surprised him entirely by ignoring her brother’s directive altogether and turning her gaze back on Oliver. “You need your rest, or you’ll be no good to her. Don’t neglect your own health.”
“I won’t. I promise. Especially now that Beth’s home—I imagine she’ll take a shift tonight.” Because if his sister thought she was going to blow in like the wind, spend a few minutes with Mamm-wynn, and then vanish again, she was in for a surprise. He’d bar every door and window if he must, but she wasn’t leaving until he had some explanations and their grandmother was back on her feet.
Behind him, he heard Mabena asking how the race had gone, and then the closing of the door. Casek, obviously not shutout, laughed. “You ought to bow out more often, Tremayne. My lads routed yours rather handily.”
Since facing Casek was no worse than the continued glare of Telford, Oliver turned to the newest addition. “I do hope you didn’t gloat in front of Mr. Menna.”
“Saved it for you.” And he was smiling again. Genuinely. No doubt because he was standing so near Mabena, but still. “Besides, it wasn’t Mr. Menna’s fault. Enyon looked fit to fall over.” His gaze flicked to Sheridan and Telford and back again. “Must have been fairies or goblins in Piper’s Hole keeping him up again.” He said it with a straight face.
And with a flash in his eyes that Oliver had no trouble deciphering. It wasn’t fairies or goblins they needed to watch out for in the sea cave—but whoever had attacked them there before could well still be lurking about. He nodded. “I’ll have to pay him a visit later. For now, allow me to show you to the library, Lord Sheridan.” With a bit of luck, Telford would follow, and the rest of them could slip out to the garden, where Beth could join them.
He didn’t intend to wait much longer for the answers he needed.
23
Libby crouched down in the corner of the small library, placing the basket gently upon the floor. She’d yet to really explore this room and would love the chance to do so, sometime when Sheridan—and her stewing brother—weren’t in here. But for now, it seemed like a good place to let Darling out. No open windows or doors for him to fly through. She was a bit nervous that he’d go streaking out of the room and the house and she’d never see him again.
