Page 80 of How to Cross a Marquess (The Way to a Lord's Heart 3)

She would have preferred that her husband did not return to a shouting match in his drawing room, Fenella thought with a mixture of amusement and irritation. Surely her sisters’ husbands would have provided him with enough friction for one day? But here was Roger back to find a sullen, near tearful John Symmes refusing to hear that he could not come to stay at Chatton Castle without consulting his father.

“Mebbe your dad would be glad for you to make a visit,” said Tom, who had, reluctantly, reported John’s presence to Lord Macklin, who had brought both of them along to Fenella. It seemed that her nephew had tried to persuade Tom to go back to his rambling life and take John along. And when he could not, he’d tried to convince Tom to hide him at Chatton, like a stowaway on a great ship.

“He won’t be!” said John. “He doesn’t care about anything I want. He brought Wrayle, who’s been prosing on and on about all the things I do wrong. They’ll drag me home and shut me up in my room until school begins. With Wrayle therepersecutingme.” Hands tightly clasped, he gazed up at Fenella. “I’m to be in the pageant next week. I promised. With the mud and all. Can’t you make him let me stay?”

“I doubt he would listen to me,” she had to tell him. “He’s rather angry with me just now.”

“Because you got married? Why does he mind about that?”

Fenella tried to form an answer that John would understand. She wanted to help him, but she was certain that his father would refuse requests just to spite her at this point. And Greta would go along with him because apparently she always did. She hadn’t gotten rid of Wrayle, for example, despite Fenella’s warning about him.

While she was still searching for a reply, John turned to Roger. “Couldn’t you ask him, Lord Chatton?”

She watched Roger ponder the problem. He was so kind; he’d try to find a way. But there wasn’t one. “What about Colonel Patterson?” he asked.

Everyone gazed at him in surprise.

“He’s overseeing the pageant,” Roger went on. “He’s got John all prepared for his part. He won’t want to lose him. And he’s a hard fellow to refuse.”

“A highly influential man,” said Macklin. “In London and the country. Far more than his military title suggests. Any sensible person would be glad to do him a favor. A good idea.”

If Sherrington Symmes saw an advantage, he would jump to take it, Fenella thought. She caught Macklin’s eye. “But will John’s father know this?”

“Someone will have to drop a word in Symmes’s ear,” the earl replied. “I can attempt it, if you like.”

The adults in the room exchanged doubtful looks. Symmes was not pleased with Macklin after their earlier encounter. He was unlikely to listen to any of them.

“Ought to hint about it to that Wrayle fella instead,” said Tom. “He likes to winkle things out. Secrets, like. And then tattle about them to his master.”

John, who had been looking back and forth anxiously, nodded. “He does. Better than anything.”

“Very clever,” said Macklin. “Could you find an opportunity to speak to him, Tom?”

“Easy. He comes ’round the village tavern, poking and prying, asking what’s happening up at Chatton. Driving the barmaid distracted.” Tom looked disapproving.

“But how would you bring the talk around to Colonel Patterson?” Fenella asked.

“People must be discussing the pageant,” said Macklin.

Tom nodded. “I could say as how I’m in it, and everybody praises the colonel.”

“I will give you some details that might be mentioned,” the earl added. “And would definitely impress.”

It was agreed that Tom would foster an awe-inspiring image of Colonel Patterson in Wrayle’s mind. And that Roger would ask the colonel to intervene. The plan was explained to John, who hadn’t followed all of it. “We’re supposed to go in two days,” he objected. “There’s no time.”

“I’ll find Wrayle today,” Tom said. “Right now. Go over to the house and hang about the kitchen if I have to.”

“And I’ll go and see the colonel later,” said Roger.

Fenella wondered if the older man would fall in with their scheme. He seemed a high stickler and was not acquainted with her brother-in-law, as far as she knew. On the other hand, he was militant about the success of the pageant. He treated it like a campaign over which he had been given command, and did not intend to lose.

Tom took John away, the younger boy having promised that he would go home. Macklin soon followed them, saying he had letters to write. Roger sat beside Fenella on the sofa.

“Is it right to hope this works, I wonder?” she asked. “I should wish, rather, that John was happy with his family. And we could find a way to reconcile him and his father.”

“That may well happen on its own. Fathers and sons butt heads and then reconcile.”

“Do they?”

---