Page 65 of The Dreaming Beauty
The smells of summer wereeverywhere at the Bellvues’ lawn party. Floral perfumes rose from the large varieties of blossoms lining the brick house, while long tables with baskets of fruit and finger sandwiches carried different scents, of cucumbers, strawberries, oranges, and lime. Tansy had even heard word that there was to be grape ice cream. This was just the distraction her family needed.
Her aunts filled their plates without a word to each other. Things had been tense at the cottage since Marcus had left yesterday. Actually, it had been especially so since the night of the dinner party. Of course, Daisy and her opinion held little sway for Aster and Iris when considering selling the property. It had been in the family for years, and as the elder siblings, they had the greater authority. When it came down to it, Iris and Aster were divided. Iris was for selling, and Aster wanted to wait to make a proper decision at the end of the summer.
At least the offer on the cottage kept their attention off His Grace. No one had said a thing about him, but they all knew he had grown attached to Tansy. If his flirtations and lessons had not been enough, the roses and visits had given him away. Despite her attempts to avoid him or politely push him away, he kept coming. Just yesterday he had arrived in his phaeton and her aunts had insisted she accept a ride down the lane. Any other time in her life, it would have been a thrilling experience, but not with his hints about marriage. And not with her mind spinning about other things. About her parents. About Marcus.
The thought of Marcus made her search the Bellvues’ grounds for him. He was nowhere to be seen. His Grace and their mother were missing too. Tansy stood on her tiptoes and scanned the grounds once more, eager to be near Marcus, for so many reasons. Whom else could she tell about the second threat she had received since she last saw him?
You were not meant for here. Go back to Yorkshire, where you belong.
She shivered despite the warm day. Like last time, her name had been written across the front. Somehow the writer knew she had moved from Yorkshire, even though they had few friends or acquaintances in the area who could have been aware of such knowledge. Tansy found it interesting that her antagonist apparently knew where she belonged when she herself did not. Rose Cottage felt more like home than anything she had known before. The memory of her mother was there, and she was so close to finding her father there too. But if the people of Whitfield did not want her there, how would it ever truly feel like home?
A tap came on her shoulder, and she nearly dropped her plate.Marcus. Please let it be Marcus.She turned and her mouth gaped. “Mr. Robinson?”
The crooked smile she had once told herself she was half in love with stretched into view.
“Surprise.”
Surprise indeed. “What are you doing here?”
“Mr. Bellvue invited me. He has followed my career very closely, I would have you know.”
“Miss Tansy!” a voice called.
Oh dear. His Grace was striding toward her. Her old life and her new were about to collide. She wanted to call for Marcus, as she always seemed to do when her world was falling apart, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about her situation. She forced a smile at His Grace, hoping she could handle the two men without help.
The duke dipped a bow, his exuberance at seeing her exceeding what she had observed from him thus far. “What a picture you make today, Miss Tansy.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. Did your family accompany you today?”
“My mother is not here to greet you, as she has a headache, but my brother promised to come. In the meantime, I am looking forward to enjoying this gorgeous day with you by my side.”
Mr. Robinson cleared his throat.
Tansy motioned to him. “Your Grace, may I present Mr. Robinson? He is a pugilist.”
His Grace seemed to see the man beside her for the first time. He stared for a moment, then pointed his finger at Mr. Robinson. “Of course. I saw you two years ago when you took on that champion Scot.”
Mr. Robinson chuckled. “A fight to remember. He got me with a right jab that still makes my head spin if I think on it for too long. It was a miracle I won.”
Tansy wished she could retreat from the conversation, but before she knew it, her aunts had formed a semicircle around her. Iris was none too happy to see Mr. Robinson again. There was murder in her eyes. She’d carried her irritation over recent events with her for so many days that now she was about to explode into a full-fledged fire.
“Would you like some ice cream, Iris?” Tansy asked desperately. If anything would quench her ire, it would be the cool delicacy.
“Mr. Robinson,” Iris growled, interrupting the congenial conversation between the two men. “How dare you show your face here!”
The volume of her accusations drew a few stares from those in the vicinity of their group. Tansy wanted to whimper, but begging was probably more helpful. “Iris, not here, please.”
Aster put her arm around Iris, attempting to calm her too, but Iris shrugged off her sister’s touch.
“Do you know what you are? You’re a sorry excuse for a gentleman, that’s what. If I were a man, I would call you out this instant.”
Marcus stepped into the rim of the circle then, just between his brother and Mr. Robinson, and Tansy wanted to cry with relief. But was it too late for him to work his peacemaking abilities?
“Mrs. Palmer, what has you so upset?” Marcus asked.
“Mr. Taylor, you have saved me from a crime indeed. As our friend, I demand you uphold Tansy’s honor and rid this party of such filth.”
Tansy winced at her bold words.
