Fate's Intervention (22 page)

Peter stood to stretch, and Marcelle rang the summoning bell.
A
moment
later,
the maid appeared again.

“
Yes, Miss.
”

“
Pour
Father
a glass of port and then escort him to his chambers.
”

“
Yes, Miss.
”

“
Well,
I had better
go entertain our guest, or maybe escorting her to the real
reason
behind her visit would be better,
”
Marcelle said, heading toward the study door.

“
Manners,
”
her
father
warned again.

“
Oh, pooh!
”
Marcelle huffed, smiled at him, then turned on her heel and exited the room with a swish of her skirts.

“
S
he may not think she has a notion to marry Matthew,
”
her
father
murmured after she had gone,
“
but she
’
ll be damned if any other woman gets her claws into him.
”
He shook his head in bemusement and slowly followed
Nancy
from the room.

Marcelle placed an oversized, vapid smile on her face, and glided airily into the parlor
.
“
W
hat
a pleasant surprise. What brings you round to my door, Miss Blackwarth?
”

Carol
Ann
spun with a gasp from her perusal at the French doors, her cheeks tinted pink. Her hand flew to her flat chest, Marcelle noted with a pleased glimpse at her own well-filled-out gown.
She stole a quick glance over Carol
Ann
’
s shoulder and grinned. Matthew was visible off to the far left, training one of the new horses they
’
d purchased, which they
’
d scheduled for delivery next week. His shirt was off, and even from this distance, she could see the sheen of
sweat glistening in the sunlight on his bare chest. His well-toned muscles rippling with each swing of the whip.
The sight made even
her
pulse
race
.

“
Heavens, you scared the wits out of me,
”
Carol
Ann
said in a rush of air, and moved to sit on the couch.

“
If you had any wits in you,
”
Marcelle murmured under her breath.

“
I
’
m sorry, I missed that.
”

You were supposed to
, Marcelle thought, but instead said,
“
I
t
was nothing, just making a mental note about the dinner menu, which I need to be seeing to in the next few minutes.
Anyway,
you were going to tell me why the social
visit
.
”

“
Yes, well, we are neighbors after all and now that I
’
m a woman
full-grown
, I thought I would enjoy visiting other women in the area of like age, but since there aren
’
t any . . . I mean . . . well . . . ,
”

“
I understand more than you realize, Carol
A
nn,
”
Marcelle
offered
sweetly, scoffing
in silence
at the
‘
woman
full-grown
’
bit, nor did she miss the unintentional insult to her own advanced years
,
o
r was it intentional
? She wondered.
“
You haven
’
t touched your refreshments.
A
re
they not to your liking?
”

“
Oh, dear heavens me,
”
Carol
Ann
exhaled and reached over for a sugar biscuit.
“
The
y are
delicious
,
”
she muttered nervously through a mouthful of cookie,
“
a
nd
I would have probably finished them off by now had I not been . . . well, that is to say, I, um . . . ,
”

“
Was distracted by our
rather
attractive new employee?
”
Marcelle asked, and grinned
mischievously when Carol
Ann
choked, spewing crumbs all over the Oriental carpet.
“
A
re
you quite all right? Perhaps you
’
d better drink something.
”
Marcelle lifted the glass of lemonade and shoved it under her nose.

Carol
Ann
waved the glass away and continued coughing until all of the crumbs had exited her throat. She reached for the glass and downed half the contents before speaking again.
“
Why ever would you think I would do something so tastelessly as to stare openly at your employee?
”
She gasped.
“
I would hope my
father
raised me with better manners than that!
”

“
Oh, come on, Carol
Ann
. I saw the way you were staring out the door, and no tree could put that kind of look on a lady
’
s face.
”
Marcelle winked and grinned even wider when Carol
Ann
’
s already pink complexion turned a mottled red.

“
Well,
”
Carol
Ann
huffed indignantly,
“
it
’
s no wonder that you haven
’
t married yet. There
’
s not a man alive who would approve of that kind of bold speech from a lady. That
’
s right! I
’
ve heard rumors about your mental state
,
and
I must admit, I found them hard to believe
–
until now.
”

“
Well, you
’
re right about finding a man able
to
persevere against my
‘
bold speech
’
, was it?
”
Marcelle said.
“
The
re do appear to be very few gentlemen that are willing to put up with someone like me, and quite frankly . . . ,
”

“
I don
’
t think you know another method but frankly,
”
Carol
Ann
interrupted and Marcelle laughed.

“
Bravo, Carol
Ann
!
”
Marcelle clapped,
“
I do believe there
’
s hope for you yet.
”

“
What do you mean,
‘
hope
’
?
”

“
You were just berating me about being too bold in speech and yet you appear to have no problem attempting to put me in my place.
”
Carol
Ann
blushed again and Marcelle laughed.
“
Speaking
your mind is not the evil that people would have us believe it is. The way you responded to me just now, tells me there
’
s hope for you yet. I couldn
’
t imagine that you would want you to walk around with that stick lodged in your derriere for too long, you know?
”

“
A
re
you always this crass?
”

“
Most of the time, yes, but that
’
s a trait you
’
ll have to accept if you wish to continue your pursuit of Matthew, since you
’
ll be using me in your deception. Unless, of course, you develop enough honesty to make your intentions known directly to him on your own. It would be convenient if you did, you know. Then you wouldn
’
t have to pretend friendship with me when we both know perfectly well where your true interest lies.
”

“
I
am
a lady,
”
Carol
Ann
replied indignantly, squaring her shoulders.
“
Ladies do not pursue men.
”

“
The
n how in blue
blazes
are you going to catch him?
”
Marcelle asked.

“
A
lady also knows how to control a wayward tongue,
”
Carol
Ann
continued to admonish.
“
Which is something you obviously never mastered
,
and
I don
’
t agree with you in the slightest that there is
‘
hope
’
for me in becoming anything like you.
”

“
I do believe you just insulted me. Oh well, no matter, I am a lady,
”
Marcelle defended lightly, far from offended by her inference,
“
only my tongue never realized that. It seem
s determined
to
form
its own
opinions
.
Although
I don
’
t believe Matthew much cares for ladies, wayward tongue or not.
”

“
What man doesn
’
t want a lady?
”

“
I guess I misspoke. What I meant was that I perceive that Matthew prefers a lady that knows how to be a woman,
”
Marcelle answered
,
“
a
nd
if you ever intend to catch Matthew
’
s eye, you
’
re going to have to stop behaving like a fourteen
-
year
-
old girl and start acting like a woman, which means getting to know him directly without using me as an excuse to come calling.
”

“
I see,
”
Carol
Ann
said, rising.
“
Well, perhaps I should be going, since spending too much time socializing with you would definitely be a poor influence on my young mind
; and
as you put it, there is no way to become acquainted with Mr. Matthew except through you, so perhaps my decision to come here today was not a good one. Good day to you, Miss
Weatherman
.
”

Marcelle stood, following yet another rapidly fleeing visitor to the front door. She definitely had an adverse affect on people. Usually suitors were the one who ran away. She had to give Carol
Ann
credit, though, the young girl may not have even been aware of it, or more likely willing to admit it, but she
’
d managed to hold her own against Marcelle
’
s twisted wit. Maybe there was hope for her yet.
“
Wouldn
’
t you like me to introduce you to Matthew before you leave?
”

Carol
Ann
halted in her tracks, startling Marcelle. She hadn
’
t expected her to consider it. Interesting.

Carol
Ann
t
urned, a strange, thoughtful expression on her face,
“
I haven
’
t a mother, you know.
”

“
Neither do I, and I hope you
’
re not suggesting that I marry your
father
in order to give you one.
”

“
No, no,
”
Carol
Ann
said, smiling,
“
I wasn
’
t suggesting that.
Although
my
father
is looking for a new wife.
”