Page 46 of The Moonstone Marquess
The girls also held out their hands.
He grinned and bowed over theirs as well. “A pleasure, Lady Ella. Ever your servant, Lady Imogen.”
“Hold on, Lieutenant Brennan. I’ll walk out with you,” Cormac said. “I think we are all ready to take our leave.”
Phoebe tossed him a quizzical look.
“I’ll be along in a moment. Don’t wait for me. I’ll catch up to you.”
“All right.” She took the girls by the hands as they all left the church.
Chloe and the girls scampered into the wagon with cheerful greetings for Mr. Hawke. Phoebe hopped in after them. Mr. Hawke greeted them with equal cheer and listened to the girls chatter about the puppet show and the new friend they’d made as he drove them home.
Cormac’s expression was serious as he watched them ride off.
Phoebe wondered why he had remained behind to speak privately with the lieutenant. But it did not take him long to catch up to them, for his big stallion was a beast of a horse and could have galloped twenty miles without getting winded.
Cormac was quiet as he escorted them back to the cottage, kissed his nieces, and assured them he would see them later.
He merely nodded to Phoebe and Chloe. “Back soon.”
While the girls ran inside to show Mrs. Hawke their new art supplies, Phoebe and Chloe remained in the courtyard to watch him ride away.
Chloe shook her head. “What do you think he’ll find when he returns to his home?”
Phoebe shrugged. “I’m hoping he’ll find a peaceful, happy scene. But it is more likely he’ll encounter utter chaos. This new Earl of Crawford does not appear to be handling his brother’s death well, and his friends are only making matters worse.”
Chloe nodded. “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”
“Exactly. But the marquess is as much at fault for allowing those friends to stay. It is his home. Why can he not simply toss them out?”
“Would you?”
“I don’t know.”
“We should not pass judgment, Phoebe. We do not know the situation.”
They locked arms as they strolled back into the house.
Phoebe gave her sister a kiss on the cheek. “Help me change out of my gown. I’ve spilled lemonade down the front. I hope Mrs. Hawke can wash out the stain.”
“I’m sure she can. She’s a marvel. It is a pretty gown. The marquess must have thought so. He could not stop looking at you in it.” She cast Phoebe an impish grin. “Or was he merely trying to think of ways to seduce you out of it?”
“Chloe! It isn’t like that between us.”
“Really? Do you always kiss your friends as you did this morning?”
“It was nothing, just the marquess being his naughty self.”
“Oh, I see. You were being polite by holding on to him as though you never wanted to let him go? I’m sure I detected flames bursting between you. Admit it, Phoebe. You like him.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“Well, it is obvious he likes you.”
“He doesn’t really.”
“You do realize you are making no sense, don’t you? If you and the marquess do not like each other, then why do you keep looking at each other in that ridiculously breathless way?”
