Page 63 of Pursuing Mr. Mattingly

“You have my word.” Slowly, he rose to his feet. “Where is she?”

Some of Hannah’s enthusiasm faded. “I honestly don’t know. She’s been scarce since luncheon. Hiding from all of us, I suppose.”

“I shall locate her. Have no worries.” Oliver forced a grin for her benefit. “Will you accompany me downstairs? I need to cancel the carriage I ordered.”

“Yes!” She caught at his hand and practically tugged him from the room.

Then minutes later, Oliver returned to the entry hall after explaining to the driver that he wouldn’t need the carriage or the man’s services after all. Hannah trailed behind him, talking an unending stream of information regarding the kittens’ growth and maturity, and telling him that the one called Gilbert had caught a mouse and left it in Hannah’s bed, but the rodent had still been alive. Obviously, she assumed everything would come out right.

“How dare you!”

Fury rang in the earl’s voice as he strode through the entry hall and didn’t stop until he’d landed an unexpected punch to Oliver’s right cheek. The force of the blow knocked him backward. He stumbled, crashed against the opposite wall with his spectacles hanging askew from one ear. But Ettesmere’s temper hadn’t abated. “You promised that you would take care of my sister, and now you are running away when there is a chance you could have a lifetime with her instead of a few weeks.” His expression resembled a thundercloud, and his hand had curled once more into a fist.

“That’s not well done of you, Ettesmere,” Gilbert said in a droll tone as he joined everyone in the entry hall. The tip of his cane thudded on the marble floor. “But I understand the sentiment.”

Oliver lifted a hand to ward off another attacked while the side of his face throbbed with pain. “Hold, Your Lordship. Let me explain.”

“I should toss you out on your lying arse,” Ettesmere threatened with all seriousness. “My sister asked for my help in securing a divorce. What the hell did you do?”

“Nothing!” Oliver shook his head. The situation kept moving from bad to worse. “Why do you assume it was me who cocked everything up?” That was quite aggravating.

“Uncle Arthur, stop!” Hannah sprang between the earl and him with her arms outstretched. “Oliver hasn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he is going to talk to Mama and make things right again.”

“Hannah is correct.” He put his spectacles back onto the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I had intended to remove to London, but not because I’m running away.” With a tug to the hem of his jacket, he explained further. “I wished to engage the services of as many surgeons and physicians and midwives as I could muster to explain your sister’s health worries.”

By increments, the earl’s ire began to fade. “Then you are not abandoning her?”

His brother snorted and crossed his arms at his chest, his cane leaning against his hip. “Not that anyone would blame you. Women are often nothing but trouble, as you’ve had cause to witness. It was just a matter of time.”

“While I understand you are bitter due to your own martial difficulties, that doesn’t mean the rest of us are in the same way.” Quick anger cut through Oliver’s chest, but he tamped down the urge to lash out further. “I love your sister more than everything, but Sophia is laboring beneath a misconception given to her from a physician. She’s also trying to make sense of what life might be for her now. I can’t blame her for the confusion.”

To say nothing of moving through murky emotions.

“Or she’s got some maggot in her brain, and everything is twisted,” Gilbert replied with a roll of his eyes. “This is why no one in their right mind should ever ask for a woman’s hand.”

“Enough!” Oliver’s patience snapped. “I won’t have you disparaging women and my wife especially. Whatever is between us is a private matter. While I attend to my own affairs, perhaps you should do the same with yours.”

Slowly, Hannah lowered her arms. She glared at her uncles but then rested her gaze on the earl. “Do you promise not to hit Oliver again?”

A red flush rose above Ettesmere’s cravat. “I promise.” He extended a hand to Oliver. “My apologies for planting you a facer. I’m afraid you’ll have a rather ugly bruise tonight.”

Gilbert scoffed. “And you will have no doubt invoked Sophia’s wrath. Providing she wishes to keep the ambassador on.” But a flush of red had risen above his collar.

“I understood the reasoning behind it,” he said to the earl as he shook the man’s hand. “Hopefully, I can convince your sister to forgive you.”

“Thank you.” Embarrassment remained in the earl’s expression. “You make your living talking to people, Ambassador, and hopefully you can sway my sister over to your way of thinking. She is still a bit lost, I’d imagine.”

“Let us hope the task ahead will be as easy as you say.”

The earl nodded. “Don’t be late for my nuptial ceremony on the morrow. That I won’t forgive you,” he said with a smile.

“Of course, I won’t.” Though he feared it might take until eleven o’clock tomorrow morning to convince Sophia they had always been meant to be wed. “Now, do either of you know where your sister is currently located?”

Both of the brothers shook their heads. The earl frowned. “Honestly, I have been preoccupied with wedding details and haven’t looked for her since breakfast.”

Gilbert shook his head. “I arose late this morning and must have missed her.”

“I shall find her.” Oliver raised a hand to his throbbing cheek. “Perhaps once she sees me partially battered, she’ll be more apt to listen to what I have to say.” Though, he didn’t want her pity.

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