Regency 05 - Intrigue (9 page)

The young baronet sat in brooding silence for the majority of their long journey to Yorkshire. Gideon wondered what was going on in his head and then decided he’d rather not know. The boy would soon be under Samantha’s control. Even with the scarring, she was still a very beautiful girl and full of life. He admired her but he avoided her as much as possible.

Gideon shoved his mind away from his sister and focused on his newest problem. Malvina. He had had the devil of a time when he questioned the head groom. The task was made more difficult by the fact that he’d had to be as vague as possible to avoid alerting the man to his real purpose. It had gotten him exactly nowhere.

“When will we arrive, my lord?” Malvina asked days later.

She had a vague, questioning look on her face that indicated how she was distancing herself from him and the entire situation in which she found herself. Gideon told himself he was pleased.

He stared out the window as if something in the passing scenery would tell him. Then, in as offhand a tone as he could affect, he replied, “As it is a distance of well over one hundred and seventy-five miles, the entire journey will take a few days at least, my lady. And as we have already been traveling for just over three days, I suppose we will arrive at Moorview Park presently.”

“Well, that would explain why you are unknown in Gloucester,” muttered Malvina, her tone just barely civil.

Gideon gave her a long look from beneath hooded lids. “You are correct, of course. Though, I should point out, I spend most of my time in London. I haven’t visited in many months.”

“Why not?” asked Wolf, betraying he had at least a modicum of interest in what was going on.

Gideon smiled. “Personal reasons.”

The young baronet resumed his silent appraisal of the passing countryside. Malvina pursed her lips and stared moodily out the other window. Gideon had to repress a smile of amusement.

His amusement was swiftly killed when Wolf looked at him and said, “This is kidnapping, you know.”

“Excuse me?”

“Did I stutter? Or do you just not understand the King’s English?” queried the boy nastily, ignoring the warning pinch from his mother. “I told you, my lord earl, that you are kidnapping us. It is still illegal, I’m sure, even for a peer.”

“Indeed it is,” agreed Gideon easily enough. His brown eyes met Wolf’s blue ones. “Unfortunately for you, young Master Beowulf, I am not kidnapping you.”

“Just because you’re not forcing my mother to do horrible things in exchange for your silence does not make you any better than that other scoundrel!” Wolf snapped, beside himself with rage. A look of suspicious horror crossed his young face as a sudden thought occurred to him. “Or are you? Do you take your payment from her body?”

“Wolf!” Malvina’s face heated at her son’s scandalous suggestion. “Please!”

“What, Mother? Do you want me to apologize to him for what he’s done? Do you think he deserves it, the way he’s been treating you? And what about my accusation? Look at how he sits there with that stupid smile on his face as if he has not a care in the world beyond exploiting you. What of it?” he demanded, his gaze locking with Gideon’s.

Gideon had his temper under tight rein. He wanted nothing more than to soundly thrash the boy for suggesting such a thing of an honorable man and having the bad manners to do so in front of his mother. He glanced out the window, noting with relief the line of rowans that heralded the border of his estate. For the first time since Sammy’s mishap, he was glad to be home.

“We’ve arrived,” he announced as the coach turned between two large oak trees flanking the drive. He eyed them both impassively. “If I had anything to be ashamed of, I assure you, I’d leap to my own defense since both actions are that of a dishonorable man.”

The carriage fell into an uncomfortable silence, each occupant mulling over different things. Gideon noticed the death-like grip Malvina had on her son and he wondered if perhaps the lad was itching to attack him. What made the young baronet so angry, in general?

Something flashed by, catching Gideon’s eye. His sharp gaze caught the tail end of a horse and rider as they shot through a field located a few hundred feet from the house. He supposed it was Sammy, out taking her usual afternoon run on Goldenrod.

The incident was pushed from his mind when the carriage drew to a halt. The steps were let down, the door opened, and Malvina was helped from the conveyance by one of the earl’s own servants. Gideon climbed down after Wolf, and stood looking at his childhood home with the same weary feeling of bittersweet memories he’d always experienced. It was a lowering thought to realize it may always be so.

Offering Malvina his arm, he said, “Shall we? I am sure Mother received my message and has prepared for our arrival.”

The servant who’d assisted them signaled the earl a trifle nervously.

“Yes, Samuel, what is it?” asked Gideon, smiling.

His smile was impatient and the servant, a fairly new one who did not know the earl very well at all, took a huge breath and said, “Welcome home, my lord.”

One brow quirked and Gideon’s smile became genuine. “Thank you, Samuel. It is good to be back.”

The servant bowed and shuffled off for the Lord only knew where.

Gideon, who watched the servant depart with a look of serious thought upon his face was abruptly brought back to the present when Malvina tugged gently on his arm.

“My lord? Are we to stand out here all afternoon? I must confess to being a good bit tired after such a long journey.”

“Yes, of course.” He led them up the wide stone steps to the front doors, which were standing open with Keeley, the aging butler, wringing his hands in obvious agitation.

The earl’s brow furrowed. “Keeley, whatever has you in such a pother?” he asked with all the informality of one who’d had many of the same servants since birth.

“Oh, Master Gideon, I am that upset, I am,” the family retainer uttered in a distressed whisper. “Her ladyship, your good and kind mother, has ordered that certain rooms be made up for your guests and I cannot bring myself to do so. It would be the height of rudeness and I know it would displease you immensely. But I cannot simply tell my mistress that I will do no such thing, my lord, I cannot. I like to think I am far better trained than that.”

“Indeed, you are, my good man. And which rooms has my mother deemed worthy of my future wife?”

“
The
rooms, my lord,” replied the butler in a tone of foreboding.

Gideon frowned. “What was she thinking? She knows how depressing those rooms are. Anyone staying in them would take to their heels within moments of setting foot in them… Ah, I begin to understand.” He turned to Malvina. “It seems my mother’s reception of you might be even chillier than I expected. I apologize in advance.”

Malvina, who heard this entire exchange with mingled astonishment and confusion, did nothing more than nod her acceptance. What else could she do? If she refused to meet his mother it would make for a most uncomfortable two weeks.

Wolf was more inclined to voice his opinion. “Why should she not like Mother?” he demanded.

“It is nothing personal, I assure you,” replied Gideon, neglecting to add more.

A trim little figure of equestrienne superiority erupted into the house. She twirled her shako hat on one finger, her smile of utter delight encompassing all those assembled in the great entry hall.

This was Gideon’s sister, Malvina realized. The way she carried herself would have been indication enough but the rippling scars covering the young lady’s cheek confirmed her identity.

Malvina was intrigued to note the disappearance of the charming smile as the young lady’s eyes lit upon the earl. Indeed, it was as though the light in her had been extinguished. They were suddenly faced with the epitome of a well-bred English lady.

“Hello, Holt. I hope your journey was without mishap?”

Her voice carried a distant note that was not lost upon Malvina and her son. Lady Brackney gave the earl a questioning look that he ignored and she had to pinch Wolf before he said something embarrassing, like mentioning the young girl’s scars.

“Our journey was uneventful, was it not, my dear?” he said in reply to his sister’s question. His brown eyes settled on Malvina, awaiting her agreement.

“Very pleasant,” she murmured.

“Sammy, love, this is my betrothed, Lady Malvina Brackney, and this is her son, Sir Beowulf. My sister, Lady Samantha de Witt.”

Samantha curtsied politely, smiling at his companions in an unselfconscious way that Malvina found curious.

“Where is Mother?” Gideon asked.

Samantha looked up at him. “She has sequestered herself in her apartments, Giddy.”

Malvina’s lips quirked. What an oddly disarming pet name, she thought. It didn’t suit the earl in the least.

His response was unaccustomedly curt. “Why the devil has she done that?”

The girl threw an uncertain look at Malvina, telling that lady succinctly that it was all her fault and Samantha did not want to seem rude by saying it aloud.

“Oh, the old bat doesn’t want us here,” blurted Wolf in a particularly abhorrent display of bad manners. “That’s easily solved. Mama, we will leave.”

“Wolf!” said Gideon and Malvina together, both thoroughly exasperated with him.

“Oh my,” murmured Samantha, her eyes round with wonder as she took in the monstrous splendor that was Sir Beowulf Brackney. “You are something, are you not?”

Wolf seemed unsure how to take her remark. He gave her a rather odd look, frowned, then snapped, “What happened to your face?”

A faint tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks, the rippled scars standing out in stark relief against the unmarred portion of her face. “A mishap,” she replied, giving her brother a quick glance that no one seemed to understand but that particular man.

“You don’t truly want to leave, do you?” she asked suddenly, returning her gaze to the young baronet. “I mean, it is rather lonely being the only young person here and I would really appreciate the company. Do you ride?”

“Of course I do,” he snapped. “Everyone does.”

“Not everyone,” contradicted Lady Samantha. “My mama doesn’t and my governess, Miss Pymm, doesn’t, either. They are both afraid of the horses.”

“But they’re
females
,” retorted Wolf, as if he had just uttered the most dreadful of insults. “All men ride.”

“Perhaps you can take Wolf out to the stables so he can select a mount to use while he is here,” suggested Gideon.

Wolf reluctantly left with Lady Samantha. Gideon ushered Malvina into a small morning room just off the front hall and closed the door. He turned to her and smiled in a rather self-deprecating fashion. “I realize it is not proper for us to be closeted alone together like this, and if Mother knew, she’d be inconsolable, but I feel the need for private conversation with you.”