Already His (The Caversham Chronicles - Book Two) (25 page)

Never having been here before, she was enchanted by its charm. “Michael, this is beautiful,” she whispered in awe.

“Thank you.” Pride sounded in his voice. “The land has been in our family since the Invasion. William the Conqueror gifted the land to a faithful retainer who built his castle on the site. All that remains of that original structure are those crumbling towers and the sanctuary.” He pointed off to the left side of the circular drive, about eighty yards in the distance. “Other relatives have added to it through the centuries. Although I have no desire to add to the residence, renovations are currently underway throughout. Sections are closed off to guests for the work. I hope it won’t inconvenience anyone.”

Their caravan pulled into the drive just below the curving, terraced steps, and three little girls came running down to greet them. A woman—their mother perhaps—stood near the doorway. Elise suspected this was one of his sisters, though she was unsure which. She hadn’t seen either since her father’s marriage to Amelia when she was ten years old.

They rolled to a stop and Elise shuddered. She was sure to be bombarded with questions. How was she to answer them?

“There’s nothing to worry over, minx.” He rubbed her back reassuringly with his left hand, as his right hand held hers. “It’s just my second sister Christina and her brood. I don’t see him, but I wonder if her husband, Lawrence, is with her.”

A footman opened the door, and lowered the steps. Michael exited first, then extended his hand to her. Once her feet hit solid ground, the three little girls rushed forward and hugged him.

“You’re here! You’re here!” they shouted.

“I said I would be here this afternoon.”

“Good,” said one curly headed blond, the oldest of the three, “because Mama won’t let us ride our ponies unless you or Papa are with us, and Papa isn’t here yet. Can we go riding now?”

“Emily, what did I say?” Their mother gave the child a warning as she came down the steps, and the little one reluctantly backed away, muttering something inaudible under her breath. Her two younger sisters laughed. Seeing this interaction is what made Elise determined to have several children in succession. She hated that she had no siblings to play with as child, which is what led her to spend all those hours in the barn with the animals.

“Michael,” the woman hugged her brother, placing a kiss on his cheek. “How good to see you finally. You’re a horrid brother that you never come out to visit us.”

“If you didn’t live in the ends of the earth, I might visit more often.”

“Plymouth isn’t all that far,” his sister replied, then turned a smile to Elise.

Elise spied a glimmer of merriment and welcome in her eyes and relaxed. Michael’s sister appeared younger than him. She was a tall blond, unlike him, and very much still an attractive woman at almost thirty.

“You look familiar....” his sister began.

“Christina,” Michael interrupted, “this is Lady Elise Halden, Caversham’s sister.” He turned to her and said, “Elise, this is my sister Christina, Baroness Vance.”

There was no mistaking the surprise evident in her expression, as she realized Elise was the one and same hellion who’d tormented her brother for all those years. Michael took Elise’s hand and brought her closer to his side, placing his arm around her shoulder, the unspoken meaning of which was not lost on her or the Baroness.

“Christina is my sister closest in age to me. She’s almost two years younger.”

Michael and his sister shared a smile and a knowing look.

“How do you do?” Heaven help her, Elise thought to herself, she sounded simple-minded.

Then as the Baroness looked from her to Michael, she burst out in laughter. Elise looked down at her traveling dress, wondering if perhaps she’d buttoned the spencer incorrectly. Then she realized the laughter wasn’t directed
at
her. It was more of a release of mirth and excitement.

“This will be more interesting than I’d suspected,” the Baroness said to no one in particular. Then, as though suddenly remembering her manners, she took Elise’s hands in hers, and said affectionately, “Welcome, Lady Elise. Welcome to Woodhenge.”

Michael gave his sister a warning glare. “Christina, I trust you will see to Elise’s comfort for the duration of her visit.”

“For as long as I am here, Brother.” She turned a genuine, warm smile to Elise. “Should you require anything at all, just ask. I will do whatever I can to make your stay more enjoyable.”

Just then a tiny hand tugged at Michael’s coat, demanding attention. He leaned down and lifted the littlest girl, who looked to be about four years.

“Well now, who is this? It cannot be Sophia.” Michael looked at Christina and back at the girl in his arms. “For my Sophia was but a babe when last I saw her. This must be... Olivia?”

“No!” the child cried, shaking her head of blond curls.

“Emily, then?”

“No!” Elise watched as the little one giggled and squirmed in his arms.

Michael gave the infant an overstated look of shock. “Sophia? Really? Well, you certainly have grown into quite the young lady, my dear. Before you know it, we’ll be hosting your come-out.”

“Not before mine,” the oldest shouted.

“Mine either,” said the middle child.

Little Emily tossed her curls, and feigned an air of superiority. “You always have to agree with whatever I say. Can’t you think for yourself, Olivia?”

Emily’s target put her hands on her hips, stomped a foot and huffed. “Mama, she’s being mean to me!”

The Baroness closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made all the introductions with the children, and afterward attempted to usher everyone inside, so the servants could begin unloading the baggage. Elise reached into the coach and brought out her basket of kittens. When she lifted the lid and allowed the kittens out onto the lawn to stretch their legs, the girls squealed in delight.

“You’ve got three new best friends,” the baroness said to her.

“Are they for us?” Olivia asked. “Uncle always brings us treats, don’t you Uncle Michael?”

“Can we keep them?” asked Emily.

“I want this one,” chimed in Sophia.

The Baroness looked helplessly at Elise. “Children, these are Lady Elise’s kittens. You cannot want her to part with her pets. Just as you wouldn’t want to part with your goose, Olivia. Or your dog, Emily.”

“Well, while she’s here, we’ll take care of them. Can we?”

Elise laughed. She leaned over and petted the head of Tiger, in Sophia’s lap. “Well, it’s supposed to be a secret, but I guess since your grandmother isn’t here, I might tell you, but only if you promise not to say a word.”

All three girls nodded. “We promise!”

“This is Tiger,” she said, then pointed to the other kitten in Emily’s arms. “And that one is Naughty. They are your grandmother’s birthday presents from me. I want to surprise her when she opens her basket Saturday.”

“We won’t say a word,” Emily said, then looked to both of her sisters. “Will we?”

“We won’t tell.”

“Thank you, then, for caring for the kittens during this week. I’m sure they’d love to have some children to play with. Just be careful not to get them too tired. They’re still babies and need lots of sleep.”

Michael watched as she managed his trio of nieces just as easily as she managed the two children in the park. He looked at his sister who shared an approving smile.

“How did
this
happen?” she whispered. “I want to know all the details.”

“It just...” Michael shrugged his shoulders. “It just did.” His gaze never left Elise’s slender form as she crouched next to the girls.

“Are they boy kitties or girl kitties?” Sophia asked.

“These are little boys,” Elise replied. “And as everyone knows, boy kitties are more affectionate than girl kitties. So I hope your grandmama will adore them as much as we do.”

Michael wanted to tell Elise that this boy kitten had a great deal of affection for her. Thinking on it, perhaps he would do just that later tonight.

B
aroness Vance spent the afternoon in her room writing a short letter to her sister, Lady Knebworth. In this missive, she stated that she’d just met the next countess and approved of their brother’s choice. She added a post-script as well, telling Sabrina she would never in a hundred years guess who the young lady was.

Once she sealed the letter, she sent a courier to Bath with instruction to place the note in Lady Knebworth’s hands personally.

C
HAPTER
T
EN

L
ater that afternoon, after she had unpacked and had some tea, Michael sent word asking Elise if she would meet him in the library and perhaps take a walk with him. She’d changed from her traveling dress to a summer day dress of fine muslin and felt more suitably attired for the unusually warm weather they were experiencing. As she entered the foyer, she wondered where the library might be. A gray-haired liveried footman stood near a doorway, so she asked, “Could you tell me where I might find Lord Camden?”

The man nodded and moved with a slight limp down the hallway. “Follow me, my lady. I was to bring you along when you came down.”

Elise was happy to see that her family wasn’t the only one who kept on elderly retainers in service if that was their wish. The trend of having only handsome young footmen was a rather shallow one she thought as she followed the elderly footman down a long hall. The man stopped and knocked on a door, then opened it after they heard Michael bid Elise enter. She thanked the servant, then stepped past him into a long, dark paneled library with several reading tables, each with comfortable, deep chairs positioned around it, and three separate alcoves with sofas and chairs arranged so that each cluster offered privacy of conversation within the grouping. Michael stood near the enormous fireplace with wood stacked for the evening fire if it became necessary. He had one booted foot on the brass tinderbox and one elbow resting on the mantle. When he turned his lazy smile to her, she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She hoped that looking at him would always take her breath away.

She noticed he had changed into his country attire and was wearing tan breeches with a plain white shirt and unbuttoned waistcoat, having dispensed with the formality of his jacket in this warm weather. He looked comfortable here in this setting, the embodiment of a country gentleman. No artist could have painted a more perfect setting for this man. Her heart gave a lurch inside her chest.

If only
, her heart sighed. He felt something for her he said, asking for time to figure out what it was. She wondered if it were possible to help persuade him in his discernment? But if she did, would he resent her if, at the end of the week, he decided they did not suit. That was reason enough not to manipulate the situation.

“I hope you’re finding everything to your satisfaction.” His smile broadened as she neared. “Is your room comfortable?”

“Very,” she replied. “Not even Bridget can find anything to complain about.”

“High praise indeed.”

“Indeed.” She suddenly felt as foolish as a fresh-from-the-schoolroom miss, without the wit about her to converse adequately. Where was her tongue now? Did it just disappear with his declaration of feelings—such as it was. “I seem to have lost my words.”

“Me too, minx.”

“Why, I wonder? Until this morning, I had no problem communicating with you.” His cynical hazel-eyed gaze melted her. She conceded, “Oh, all right, granted, it was more like ranting, raving, and nagging. But still, I was never at a loss for words.”

“True.” He held out a hand to her and she went to him. Leading her to a table with open ledgers, he said, “These are my uncle’s breeding charts and pedigrees, but before you delve into them, perhaps you might like to go out to the barns with me and see some of the horses yourself. Also, I thought we might ride in the morning—if you’d like.”

“I’d love to.” He then led her out the open French-style doors and across the lawn, following a path around the side of the house and down a terraced lawn. Three long buildings lay ahead. Layed out in a large U-shape and built of brick with slate roofs, the buildings were set near each other, yet many yards apart, forming a large stable yard in the center.

“I like the arrangement of the barns.” As they approached, she noted the efficient and organized layout. “It’s convenient and safe enough in case of fire. You wouldn’t have all your livestock in one building, and the structures themselves wouldn’t collapse, only the roofs.”

“You’ve a good eye. For that’s exactly what happened to my uncle when he first started out—a fire burned the original barn down to the stones. It devastated him. Hay is kept in a separate barn, a safe distance away, and only enough to feed is carried in each night.”

He introduced her to his head groom and his stable manager. Both men welcomed her, and answered her questions. Elise found both men to be very knowledgeable. Soon they were leading forward the stallions, discussing which traits each tended to pass on to their get. In the next barn they saw the mares, some with foals at the side, and again they talked about the select conformation and traits they bred for. In the third building, they saw the end product—two and three year olds. At this stage in their maturity, a horseman with an educated eye could see what well-bred animals these were and estimate with some accuracy how they would finish out.