Page 22 of Falling for a Forsaken Marquess
The marquess’ words meant one thing, but his body language said another. He did not wish to take her on a tour of the garden, but he would never admit it.
“I would be happy to see the garden, My Lord,” Agnes told him, smiling sweetly.
Lord Hampton’s mouth thinned as he stood up. “Please, come this way.”
He went to the door and waited for her, his body rigid with displeasure. The man was not going to make anything easy, but Agnes was now more aware of his cold and stiff manner. She approached him, waiting for the man to hold out his arm, but he never offered it.
Agnes could have laughed, but she wisely kept a straight face and passed him into the hallway, waiting for him to follow and direct the way.
“Do you have any favourite animals, My Lord?” she asked, saying the first thing that popped into her mind.
The man gave her a side look. “No.”
“Neither do I,” she admitted. “How can I choose one animal when they are all beautiful? Fluffy, slithery, scaly, hard shell, no shell— they are all beautiful in their own way. Do you not think so?”
The marquess didn’t answer but pointed at a doorway, indicating their exit. It was a rather rude gesture, but Agnes had met worse people and come away unscathed.
“I do not have a favourite flower, food, beverage, item of clothing, or season because—”
“You think them all beautiful in their own way?” he interrupted, his tone mocking.
Agnes pursed her lips for a moment, not caring for his tone. “Yes, you are right, My Lord. I’m afraid I’m a simple person and might bore you.”
The man said not a word and took a right once they had left the house.
“I take it this is the way to the garden?” she asked unnecessarily.
“That may be a silly question, but one can never be sure. I heard of a young woman who had been promised a ticket to the theatre and told to follow a cobbled footpath, only to be snatched away by bandits. Fortunately, many people saw them and were able to stop the scoundrels. Not that I am accusing you of being a bandit, My Lord.”
“My many thanks,” the marquess replied.
The hint of sarcasm in his voice was no better than the mocking tone, but at least he had variation.
“You might not be a bandit, but you could secretly be a privateer or pirate. Of course, you would have to spend a significant time at sea. Unless you are a reformed pirate who has retired in the countryside!”
Lord Hampton came to an abrupt stop, forcing Agnes to step back. “How old do you think I am?” he asked.
“Old enough to have had several adventures,” she answered. “You are certainly older than I am, but I am not a good judge of age, My Lord.”
The marquess seemed mildly insulted as he continued walking, now forcing her to do a little run to match his strides.
“I do not mean to say you are old, My Lord,” she said in earnest. “It is a compliment to say you are a well-travelled man. You do not look above ten years older than me.”
Lord Hampton’s eyes bulged slightly, alerting her that she had said the wrong thing yet again. It was difficult to know what to speak about when the man offered nothing in return, so it could not be her fault entirely. The marquess was just as much to blame for the direction of their conversation.
Agnes wished she could give him a stern talking to and walk off, but she was here for Lavinia’s sake. Taking a deep breath, Agnes looked around for the first time, delighted by the bloomed flowers that covered almost every inch of the garden.
“Some of these are wildflowers,” she said. “I like that the duchess has included more than the usual roses and tulips. Everyone wishes to have a rose garden and fails to understand the glory of the wild.”
Agnes bent down to smell the flowers, wriggling her nose when a ladybug landed on the tip.
“I am not a good resting place, my pretty one,” she told the insect. “You need a prominent nose to perch upon.”
Her eyes went to Lord Hampton’s nose, but he quickly turned away and subtly scratched it.
“You have a good nose, My Lord,” she told him. “It reminds me of the statue of Ares I once saw many years ago.”
“Thank you, Miss Humphries,” he replied, not sounding grateful at all.
