Page 34 of The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter
Of course, he loved the man.
But he was not going to bow to whatever ridiculous demands he had come to lay upon him.
Viola gave a little sigh of dismay. “Oh, I suppose this means you cannot stay for supper. What shall I do with your pies? Would you like to invite your father to join us?”
Alexander had been looking forward to dining with Viola and her father, especially being in Viola’s company. “No, do not invite him here.”
“Yes, of course. I see. We would be shabby company for Lord Trent. I–”
“There is nothing wrong with your company or the vicarage or the meal we were planning to share.”
“Shall I send two pies up to Ardley Hall once they have cooled?” She began to wring her hands, obviously feeling Wilson’s intensely curious gaze on her as well as his own.
“No, we’ll have them here. I am staying.”
Her eyes rounded in surprise. “But–”
“My father does not get to arrive unannounced and expect me to drop everything I am doing to bow and scrape to him.”
She was still giving him that gorgeous, big-eyed stare. “But he is your father.”
“I am not a little boy, Miss Ruskin.”
The little apple in her throat bobbed up and down.
Lord, this was the first part of her he was going to kiss.
“Wilson, let my father know I shall return in the early evening and that he should not await supper for me.”
The man stared at him in disbelief. “But, my lord!”
“You dine with him, Wilson. That is an order.”
“I deserve battle pay for this,” his estate manager muttered with a groan.
Alexander grinned. “I know. Send word if he is here for something truly serious. But if I know him, he is only here to badger me into doing my duty as earl’s heir.”
Viola now regarded him in confusion. “Why would he come here to bother you? Surely, he must be aware of your house party. Would your grandmother not tell him? Oh, perhaps not the details, but that you were holding one.”
“I’m sure she did, and this is why he jumped on his horse and galloped all the way up here. He wants to be in control of who I invite.”
“Well, the invitations have not yet gone out, have they?”
“No.” He took Viola gently by the shoulders. “And you are not to say a word to him about the guest list if he asks.”
“Why would he ask me? He won’t even know I exist.” Her eyes widened and she gasped. “You don’t expect me to come up to the manor house while he is here?”
“Yes, I do. Did we not agree to have you cook a meal in my kitchen tomorrow? The fish have already been ordered.” He had no idea if this was true, but he was not going to have Viola go into hiding as though there was something shameful about her assisting him. “You are to come to my front door, as usual.”
He released her and took a moment to stride out with Wilson who also looked ready to admonish him. “You are putting too much strain on the girl, my lord. She has enough worries with her father’s failing health. Do not force her to also confront your father when he will assume the worst about your friendship with her.”
“I will make it clear to him.”
“All he will understand is that you may not have touched her yet, but you sorely want to. I know the sort of man you are and trust you will never do anything to hurt her. But others do not know this, especially your father who may have grown a bit jaded by London society ways. He adores your mother and I am sure he has always been faithful to her, but he is one of the rare ones. How is he to know what you are doing or thinking when you’ve kept to yourself for so long?”
“I will not have Miss Ruskin demeaned.”
“Which is exactly what will happen if you demand she comes to your front door. Let her come to the manor tomorrow but enter through the kitchen since this is where she needs to be for the afternoon. Servants hear everything. You will completely undercut her authority in the kitchen if you and your father are overheard fighting over her.”
