Page 9 of Marigold and the Marquess
“And this satisfies your curiosity?”
“Yes. It is fun trying to spot who will make a love match and who won’t. The game is not always enjoyable, however. It pains me to see a gentleman and lady thrown together when they are clearly mismatched. Sometimes the parties do not care, both quite content to marry for purposes of advancement and will not shed a tear over what the other one does so long as they are discreet about it.”
He nodded. “That is usually the way of things.”
“It breaks my heart when one party is clearly in love with the other and that affection is not reciprocated. A marriage should be a thing of happiness, but with such couples, one is doomed to misery.”
“Miss Farthingale, the world on the whole is not a happy place. Sometimes, people must lower their expectations and be grateful they have a roof over their head and food on the table. When one is in fear of starving, it will not matter very much to them if the one providing the food and a warming fire has a wandering eye.”
“I know. You must think me quite foolish for holding onto the hope of love for myself or wishing it for others. By the way, I was raised in comfort but not in wealth. In fact, I come from the poorer side of the Farthingale family. I was orphaned young and raised primarily by my mother’s family in Little Mutton, Lancashire. Do you know it?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Well, it is a quiet village. It is only due to the generosity of Uncle John and Aunt Sophie that I am in London at all. They have provided me with new clothes and introduced me to a wonderful circle of family and friends that includes Duchess Adela, the Duke of Huntsford’s wife.”
She had also met Adela’s friends, Lady Sydney Harcourt and Lady Gregoria Easton who were considered bluestockings. This is what she wished to be. But other than her accidental find of that dragon-lizard skull, she had no real bluestocking credentials.
Her looks and young age were also an impediment to anyone taking her seriously.
“May I ask how old you are, my lord?”
He grinned. “Much older than you, my pet.”
She sighed. “I really do wish I was twenty already.”
“I am a cynical and sarcastic man of twenty-eight years. I have seen too much of the world and done too much in those years to ever restore my faith in mankind. In fact, my experiences have completely destroyed my faith in everyone and everything. You probably thought I was older.”
“Yes, in fact I did. It isn’t that you look older…you are very handsome and quite vigorous-looking. But it is your attitude toward life that hardens you. Still, there is much to like about you. I would refer to my cousin Lily’s monographs on baboon colonies again and say that you would clearly be the dominant male in any gathering, be it picking berries on a rocky, equatorial outcropping, or attending atonparty, or fighting on a battlefield.”
“Some of thosetonparties can be battlefields,” he remarked. “The tables are turned on the dominant males and we become the prey for the highly skilled, marriage-minded mamas and their eager daughters.”
“Oh, I think you are too clever for them. You have managed to elude their schemes so far.”
“Only because I have been away from London for quite a while.”
“Yes, you mentioned it earlier. May I ask what kept you away?”
“No, Miss Farthingale. You may not.” He sighed, no doubt realizing his abrupt tone had startled her. “It is not anything I wish to discuss.”
“I’m sorry. Of course. I did not realize it was a sensitive matter for you.” She now felt awful about stirring up the bad feelings he obviously struggled to suppress. “Look, we have arrived at the Huntsford Academy. Give me a moment to summon the staff. They’ll assist us with the crate.”
“All right.” He stepped out of the carriage ahead of her and took her hands to help her down.
Standing as close as they were for the moment, he looked quite splendid. In fact, as sleek and powerful as a lion. “I won’t be long,” she said quietly. “I do apologize if I made our ride uncomfortable for you. If you wish to deposit me and my crate here and leave, I–”
“I have enjoyed our time together.” He gave her hand a light caress before releasing it. “Having brought you here, I am now responsible for getting you safely back home. Besides, I do wish to see your treasured finds, and would not mind a tour of Huntsford’s museum. I owe you the apology for being abrupt with you. Shall I escort you inside?”
“No, my lord. I would rather you remained here to protect the crate. As I’ve warned, these relic hunters are a dastardly lot and cannot be trusted. They will stoop to any means, even thievery, to get their hands on these prized fossils. I have seen them in action firsthand.”
He frowned. “Someone stole from you?”
“Not from me, but villains from the Royal Society attempted to steal from Duchess Adela and her friends. Is it not shocking and a sad commentary on the narrow minds of our scientific community that knaves such as these are permitted into the ranks of the Royal Society and women as worthy as my cousin Lily and Duchess Adela are denied?”
“Indeed.”
“Oh, you must think I am ranting now. It is just a comment on the deplorable state of our scientific societies. Well, I had better summon the staff before the museum closes and we are locked out. Watch that crate closely. Ruthless villains may be lurking close even now.” She hurried inside and went in search of the head curator, Mr. Smythe-Owens.
He noticed her first and rushed toward her. “Miss Farthingale, I have been expecting you. His Grace’s letter reached me yesterday about your find. Is this not the most exciting news?”
