Page 10 of An Amiable Foe
“I’ve known Joe much of my life. He lost his wife when she was brought to bed with little Beth. Now he must raise two children on his own.” She kept her eyes trained ahead. “His grief caused his business to suffer so that he lost his smithy and is now dependent on another blacksmith, but he is a good man. Why should I not care for him?”
“It’s just that he appears to take liberties.” Mr. Osborne’s stiff voice showed his disapproval. “He speaks with great familiarity to a young lady who is unrelated to him and above him in station. He should not do so.”
Any vestige of good opinion she’d had concerning him vanished. “There are no liberties taken, I assure you. None that I have not freely given.” They rode on in uncomfortable silence, and she pointed ahead to a sandy gravel path that cut between two rows of trees. “This road leads to the Vernons’. We are likely to find them all at home, as it is early yet.”
They continued on without speaking until they reached the stables. Robert came out as soon as he spotted them. “You came, Mary. Morning, Osborne. I hope you have slept comfortably.” Mr. Osborne nodded but did not respond. Marianne suspected that he had not slept comfortably at all.
She looked around the stables. “Where is she? And what have you called her?” She then spotted the mare in the birthing pen with the foal at her side.
“I was hoping you would help me choose a name.” Robert led them over to the small caramel-colored hackney that had a large star on her forehead. She was nursing from her mother but was solid on her feet.
“Oh, she is a darling. You must have a name with the word star in it, of course,” Marianne said to the foal, refraining from caressing her while she nursed. “Stardust? Starlight?”
“Whatever you wish. I told Father I would let you choose.” Robert stood close by her, and although Marianne was glad to see him again, especially after a length of time spent in a stranger’s company, his proximity caused her to shift away.
“Why not Cassiopeia?” Mr. Osborne suggested, surprising her enough to meet his eyes directly. “The constellation named for a queen famed for her beauty.”
“And who was punished by Poseidon? I think not,” Marianne responded, laughing. After a moment’s reflection, she added, “But Cassie is a pretty name. I like it.”
“It’s a good name,” Robert said with a brief glance at Mr. Osborne before turning to her. “Cassie it is, if you like. Come inside, both of you. Marianne, my mother will want to see you. And, of course, I must introduce you as well,” he added, nodding in Mr. Osborne’s direction.
He led them to his half-timber, half-brick house, dominating the conversation in his usual way with the birthing of the foal, the great catch he’d had at the pond on their property, and the puppy that would be added to their kennel and trained for the hunt. Mr. Osborne responded when called upon but had resorted to being standoffish. He did not show quite to advantage the way he had when it was just the two of them. Well, except for that unfortunate remark about Joe Dobson. Mr. Osborne must learn that he would not do well in the village if he were to be high in the instep.
As Robert led the party indoors with a great commotion, Mrs. Vernon came toward them with her arms out. “Marianne, you’ve come at last to visit us! I was thinking it must be about time. The last visit was after church two Sundays ago, and that is just too long.”
Their voices resounded in the entrance, and the squire came out of his study into the main hall, where introductions were made. Mrs. Vernon invited them to sit down to tea, and the squire engaged Mr. Osborne in conversation, asking him questions about the castle. Full of curiosity as to his responses, Marianne attempted to listen, but Robert was in rare form and entertained her with a steady stream of words while his mother looked on fondly. When there was a pause in the conversation, Mrs. Vernon lifted her hands with an exclamation about having something for Marianne. She stood and went to the escritoire.
“I had almost forgotten. The Belfords are to serve as hosts for a public ball in the oast house in two weeks’ time. Those who are not on the subscription list may attend with a voucher.” Mrs. Vernon turned to her with a determined air. “Now, Marianne, you have managed to evade every social opportunity held in the area, and this time I really think you must come. You are not getting any younger and must see to your future.”
“Oh, yes, you must come this time,” Robert interjected. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I will see that you receive a voucher, my dear,” Mrs. Vernon added, before turning to Mr. Osborne. “And that you do, as well, sir.”
Marianne turned her gaze to him, curious how he might react. As for herself, she could not accept this invitation any more than she could have each of the previous times Mrs. Vernon had tried to invite her. She had not been raised knowing how to go about in society and would only make a fool out of herself. But Mr. Osborne… Whether he decided to accept would say a lot about him and how well he would fit into local society. He must show them he did not consider them beneath his notice.
He set down his teacup. “I would be much obliged to you if you might procure for me not one, but four vouchers. Three of my friends from London are expected to arrive within the week.”
“Within the week? This week?” At the shock of his pronouncement, Marianne could not have held back her words if she tried. “You are entertaining at Brindale?”
CHAPTERSIX
Perry glanced at Miss Edgewood, surprised by her outburst. She was clearly displeased at learning the news that his friends were coming, but he couldn’t figure out why it should concern her. After all, he was the one who had to worry about housing them in less-than-ideal conditions. And she had already made plans to remove to the cottage. It had been a boon to discover she actually had somewhere to live. He had not hoped for such luck.
He answered in vague terms, allowing Mrs. Vernon to come to his rescue and direct the conversation to easier subjects. Eventually, he and Miss Edgewood spoke their farewells to the Vernons and climbed back into the gig to return to Brindale. Perry was not sure why he had proposed to join her on the visit, except that he thought it important to be on good terms with the squire, even if that meant consorting with the squire’s son. It had been the right decision. The father seemed to be a reasonable man, and his son was like any other gentleman Perry might find in London. The main difference was when it concerned Miss Edgewood.It’s jealousy. That was what made him behave like a boor, Perry thought.
Miss Edgewood had left the path through the row of trees on the Vernon estate and turned the gig toward home. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to tool her around inhisphaeton with two of his horses setting a spanking pace, as opposed to riding in this creaking carriage pulled by a nag that could barely put one foot in front of the other. If they had been in London, he would have offered to take her riding in Hyde Park. That was a fanciful notion, however, as she had likely never been to London and probably never would. Perry decided to broach the subject of his friends visiting. No sooner had he opened his mouth to speak than she beat him to it.
“When were you planning to tell me of your visitors, sir?” Her lips were pinched tight, giving her a prim look that he found oddly adorable.
“To be perfectly frank with you, Miss Edgewood, the news of my London friends visiting did not strike me as the most pressing bit of information to share with you. After all, may not a gentleman invite whom he pleases to his own house without having to beg permission?”
As soon as the words were out, Perry could have slapped his hand over his mouth. That biting piece of truth was a most unfortunate thing to have left his lips, and quite unlike him. He may not have the greatest social address of all his friends, but he had learned a thing or two in his years as a gentleman.
Miss Edgewood’s face blanched except for two distinct spots of color on her cheeks. “No, why should you think to inform me of anything at all, when up until yesterday, Brindale Castle has been exclusivelymyhome? After all, if you did not think to warn me of your own arrival, why should the inclusion of three extra guests disrupt my comfort in any way?”
Perry owed her an apology. “I beg your pardon, Miss Edgewood. That was most unhandsome of me. Of course you have every right to know—” He broke off suddenly. “Dash it! My uncle should have been clearer about your presence in the castle when he handed me the deed. He was vague concerning the details, and I’m sure it was to test how I would handle it. It’s his way.”
Miss Edgewood seemed to soften at his words, and she glanced at him sideways as the nag moved steadily forward. “Is your uncle so fearsome?”
