Page 8 of An Amiable Foe
Marianne’s little experience with men had led her to believe they were all of them rather self-absorbed, and Mr. Osborne only reinforced that belief. It had not occurred to him that perhapsshemight not be ready for his unannounced arrival either. Sarah and Charlie stood behind her, and their presence lent her courage. She was not the interloper. He was. She risked the question that had been burning inside of her ever since he’d arrived. “Now that you own Brindale, what do you plan to do with it?”
“Ah.” Mr. Osborne pulled apart his bread and brought a piece of it to his mouth. He glanced at her as he chewed, then drank more of his wine. Charlie stepped forward to refill his glass while Marianne waited in breathless anticipation.
“My immediate plan is to begin whatever repairs are necessary at Brindale. Lord Steere suggested I consider readying the castle so that I might eventually lease it out to a gentleman who wishes to have easy access to Ramsgate, since we are situated so nearby. Perhaps a military family of some sort. It is indeed the most logical step, as my own home is in London. But renting it out won’t be for some time yet, as there is much to be done first.”
The little Marianne had eaten turned sour in her stomach. “You wish to rent Brindale out? I hope you will reconsider the idea. This castle is meant to be lived in by someone who cares for it. It is not meant to provide convenient lodging for a carousel of random people who wish to live in proximity to Ramsgate.”
Mr. Osborne had finished his soup, and she would not be eating any more of hers. Charlie walked forward to retrieve the soup plates and handed them to Sarah, who set them on the sideboard. He brought fresh plates as the maid placed dishes of hot food on the table. Mr. Osborne pushed the fish toward Marianne, and she served herself for something to do with her hands. Something meant to look natural, although she was too agitated to eat.
When the servants had stepped back, Mr. Osborne caught her gaze and smiled at her in what she could only view as condescension.
“May I remind you that leasing is not an option I can consider at present, so you need not fret. I must have time to assess how much restoration is necessary, and that will, of course, take time. However, in the long term, no other choice presents itself to me than the one I have just proposed. The castle must be restored with the aim of it becoming inhabitable. Profitable. I hope you can understand that, Miss Edgewood.”
Marianne set down her fork and hid her trembling hands under the table. “I don’t understand it. I care not about profitability. I care about Brindale—its stones, its land, every windowpane and door latch, even the tapestries whose patterns I could trace with my eyes closed. This is my home.”
Mr. Osborne did not seem moved by her spirited outburst. He simply looked at her with his cool gray eyes that made her think he was used to getting what he wanted, and he would have his way in this.
“Your passion for Brindale is admirable, but surely you understand that I must handle the estate in the way I see fit. There are mercenary considerations that you can know nothing about. Perhaps we should instead turn our attention to what you plan to do next.”
He looked around suddenly. “Where is your companion? I believe I stumbled upon her sleeping in a sitting room when I was exploring the castle.”
“She’s likely still there,” Marianne said, crossly.
She fixed her eyes past Mr. Osborne, attempting to keep her temper under control. It would do her no good to lose it. And as ridiculous as it was to voice what her hopes for her future were, she felt she would be lacking in courage if she did not at least try.
“As for what is to come next, my goal is to continue to live in the castle, where I’ve spent my entire life. I will not hide that from you, sir.”
Mr. Osborne glanced behind him in the direction of the servants, then gave Marianne a wry smile. “Your loyalty to the place does you credit, but it is hardly reasonable. You will findmereasonable, however. I will allow you to stay here in the time it takes for you to find a suitable place to live. But I must insist that your companion begin to join us at mealtimes. Ours is otherwise a most unusual plight, and I must have a thought for your good name.”
He had heard nothing of what she had expressed, and Marianne felt something crumple inside of her. It would be folly to resist against such determined opposition.
“Very well. I will request that Miss Fife join me at mealtimes.” She helped herself to the peas that sat beside her untouched fish. “As for where I plan to go next, my uncle left the cottage on the edge of the property to me. So I suppose I will go there. But you will either have to move Buttercup to the cottage or allow me access to the pighouse behind the stables.”
Her statement, slipped into the conversation in such a casual way had all the effect of surprise she could have wished if such a thing mattered to her. Mr. Osborne lifted his eyebrows.
“Buttercup? I am sorry, but you have lost me. Are you speaking of a pig?”
“Brindale’s pig.” Marianne nodded. “She lives with two other sows, but she tends towards aggression. She doesn’t like men.”
“I see.” Mr. Osborne seemed to digest the information, then settled on another question. “You mentioned a cottage. You already have a place to live? This is news to me. My uncle did not mention a dependence on the estate property. Where is this cottage situated, and what is it like?”
“It’s only two hundred years old, but it used to be occupied by Brindale’s land steward when the estate was large and went beyond the castle walls.”
Marianne sighed, pushing the peas with her fork and watching them roll to the edge of her plate. “It’s a stone house with a clay tile roof similar to Brindale, and it has six bedrooms. It’s on the southeast edge of the property—before the lines were redrawn—so you would not have seen it when you rode in. Not unless you went out to explore the land.”
“I was about to, but I ran into a friend of yours. At least he said he was. A Robert Vernon?”
“Robert was here?” Marianne met his gaze, soothed by hearing a familiar name. She had been forced so out of her element since Mr. Osborne’s arrival that she quite thought she could throw her arms around Robert if he walked into the room at that moment. “Why did you not inform me that he had come?”
“I would not have known where to find you,” Mr. Osborne said prosaically. “Mr. Vernon said something about a female foal being born that you would want to see.”
Marianne nodded. Robert had been waiting for this event, and she was glad for his sake that the foaling had been successful.
“I will visit him tomorrow.” It might bring her relief to pour her heart out to Robert or Mrs. Vernon, and seeing the foal could not help but bring her pleasure. She fell silent, and even managed to eat a few bites.
“If you would accept my company, I would like to go with you.”
Marianne looked at Mr. Osborne in surprise, and he gave a little shrug, before adding by way of explanation, “You might show me around the castle grounds on the way, and I am hoping you will introduce me to our neighbors. Mr. Vernon led me to understand that his father is squire, so it would be useful to make his acquaintance, along with any other family in the neighborhood. Besides, you and I might further our acquaintance. In the future, it is likely our paths will frequently cross, and I am hoping you will look upon me as something of an ally.”
