Page 19 of Falling for a Forsaken Marquess
“The devil take it!” he muttered angrily, spilling some of his brandy.
This mindset just wouldn’t do for him. Charlotte’s treachery was partly behind this fear, and William would be damned if he allowed it to take over his life. That would be admitting the woman had emotionally maimed him, and that was too much weakness to handle.
Spilling the rest of his brandy into a nearby plant, William left his seat to stretch his body and shake away the dulling effect of the drink. If he was going to go into battle for his freedom, he needed his wits about him, not the mind of a man into his second glass of brandy.
He knew better than to indulge and cursed his weakness, seeing he was no better than a man nursing his emotional wounds in a cup of spirits. A knock on his door stopped him midway, but William was already starting to feel better at that point.
“Come in,” he barked.
Stevens appeared at the door and bowed. “Your visitors have arrived, My Lord. Your mother requests your presence.”
“Well, I suppose it’s off to war I go, Stevens.”
“I hope you do not mean that, My Lord. The young lady seems a likeable sort.”
William raised his eyebrows at the man. “Has she won you over already? You could have only spent a minute or two with the woman!”
“Perhaps you should go down and see for yourself, My Lord,” the man replied.
“Oh, I mean to do just that, but I guarantee that I shall not be taken in by her.”
Stevens bowed. “As you wish, My Lord. Shall I inform the duchess you shall be down soon?”
“No, that is not necessary. I will go down straight away and handle the situation as it should be handled.”
William strode past the butler and made his way downstairs, pausing briefly outside the parlour before he knocked politely and entered the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to a woman with rosy skin, dark, wheat-coloured hair, and large green eyes with flecks of grey. William quickly took in her physical appearance and pronounced her attractive, but that wouldn’t change his mind.
“Dear, this is Miss Agnes Humphries,” his mother announced. “Miss Humphries, this is my son, Lord Hampton.”
Agnes curtsied gracefully, her smile wide and bright. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, My Lord. I have heard so many wonderful things about you that I feel I already know you!”
William blinked, taken aback by the woman’s babbling. “Uh, pleased to meet you, as well, Miss Humphries.”
“Oh, I do not mind if you call me Agnes or Aggie,” the young woman declared. “Although perhaps it might be too soon to use our Christian names. I find these rules about names rather severe at times. What do you think, My Lord? Should it not be up to personal preference?”
William shrunk back a little, overwhelmed by the woman. He had never met such a loud and talkative person in his life and longed to put a hand over her mouth.
“Why don’t we all sit down, my dear?” his mother suggested to Miss Humphries. “The tea tray should be along soon.”
“Oh, yes, of course, Your Grace,” Agnes replied, her cheeks turning a light pink. “There is no use standing about talking.”
Mrs Mellors chose that moment to greet him, but William could only mumble a brief response as he was still in shock.
“How was the journey, Mrs Mellors?” the duchess asked.
“It rained most of the way, but Miss Humphries and I were warm in our carriage,” the matchmaker replied.
“It was a refreshing rain, Your Grace,” Agnes added. “The sort that makes one wish to stand outside and feel the droplets hit your face.”
“Oh, dear me!” the duchess exclaimed. “Would that not make one sick?”
“I am rarely sick, Your Grace,” Agnes answered. “I have enjoyed good health throughout my life and accredit it to the crisp country air. I once travelled to London a few years ago and was disappointed by the lack of greenery in many areas. While it had its charms, I much prefer the countryside.”
“As do I,” said Jacob, walking into the room. “Please excuse the abrupt interruption, but I wondered if I could join you, Mother? I find myself terribly lonely.”
William observed Agnes to see if she would react to Jacob as other women did, but her friendly expression never changed. She seemed surprised, but that was as far as it went.
“This is my son, Lord Jacob Sculthorpe,” the duchess introduced. “He has just returned from a long trip away from home.”
