Page 59 of Midnight with the Marquess (The St. Clairs 2)

The earl caught them up on all of the local gossip around his estate and the nearby village. Leah hung on his every word and she commented about several of the people she’d met at both the house party and the ball that he’d held at Fairfield. After several minutes, talk turned to Leah’s wedding gown and a last-minute change in the lace. Rachel saw Alex’s eyes start to glaze over so she decided to engage him in a separate conversation.

“Have you decided on where you will honeymoon?” she asked. “Leah said you are keeping her in the dark about where you plan to take her.”

“Are you the spy sent to wring the information from me?” he asked teasingly.

“No, just merely curious. You can tell me, you know. Although Leah and I may be joined at the hip, I do know how to keep a secret.”

“I’ll never tell,” he proclaimed laughingly. Then he grew serious. “You might be able to help me with something else, though, Rachel.”

“I’d be happy to,” she said eagerly.

“It’s Evan.”

She kept her features composed though her gut clenched painfully. “What’s wrong with Lord Merrick?”

“I thought with him being home from the war we would see each other frequently. Since the house party, I’ve only been to Edgemere one time. For dinner. And he hasn’t come to Fairfield at all.”

“I’m sure Merrick still has much to do to acclimate himself to civilian life and running his estate,” she said guardedly.

“It’s not just that. He drank at dinner. Evan has never been much of a drinker in the past. Some when we were at university and out carousing but not nearly as much as other students. In fact, he was already tipsy when I arrived and continued to drink heavily during our dinner. It’s not like him.”

“Maybe the ghosts of his past have caught up with him. The war may have affected him more than you know, Alex. Especially being wounded.”

“You know of that?” he asked, his surprise evident. “I didn’t think he’d shared it with anyone except me.”

“It came up while we were at your house party,” she said, wishing now that she hadn’t mentioned it for it would make Alex believe she and Merrick were closer than she wanted him to know.

“He must trust you a great deal to have spoken of it.”

“I think I caught him in a weak moment.”

Alex shook his head. “Weak isn’t in Evan’s vocabulary. He’s had to be strong from the beginning, the way Winstead treated him as a boy. And then when the duke cut ties with him, dumping Evan at Edgemere when he was thirteen. Still a boy—expected to do a man’s job and run an estate. Fortunately, he had an astute estate manager.”

“Yes, I met Mr. Finfrock.”

“I know he’s gone through more than most men have. His childhood, for one. Evan was more a second son to my parents than ever the first son of Winstead.”

“I met Winstead this past Season. He was cold and arrogant.”

“That describes him well, though I have heard he can be charming where the ladies are concerned. The war also stained Evan’s soul. That’s why I’d hoped that you and Evan might make a good match. Leah, too.”

Rachel gripped her hands tightly in her lap. “Leah did mention that to me. I’m afraid Merrick will need to deal with whatever demons have him in their grasps before he ever would be interested in marrying. Frankly, I didn’t think we’d ever suit.”

Alex frowned, his disappointment evident. “To top it off, I wanted him to come with me today to Eversleigh. He put me off. Sent a message that he had urgent business in London and that he wouldn’t arrive until the day of the ceremony. It’s so out of character for him.”

“War changes men,” Rachel said softly. “The Merrick who came home isn’t the boy you grew up with. Give him time, Alex.”

He nodded. “You may be right. I might be pushing too hard. Expecting too much from him that he’s not capable of giving yet.” He paused. “Would you at least try to talk to him after the wedding? See if you can break through his walls? He seemed to like spending time in your company when you were both at Fairfield.”

Knowing how Jeremy had forbidden Merrick from even speaking to her, Rachel didn’t see this happening. She couldn’t let Alex know, though, without revealing what had occurred in the Fairfield garden.

“I will see if I can help,” she said. “I make no promise, though.”

He smiled. “It’s enough that you’ll try. Thank you, Rachel. I will be happy having you and Catherine as my sisters-in-law.”

She sensed Catherine staring and turned. The duchess smoothed out the concerned look on her face and said, “I think we’ve talked enough of lace and wedding gowns. Alex has grown bored,” and once again included them in the conversation for several minutes.

“Perhaps my fiancé would care to take a turn in the Eversleigh gardens,” Leah finally said, mischief shining in her eyes. “It would do you good to get some exercise after sitting in your coach for so long and then at tea.”

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