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Authors: Amanda McCabe

BOOK: Rogue Grooms
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“If Lady Elizabeth has—has ...”
Before she could choke out the rest of her sentence, there was the soft sound of slippers pattering along the upstairs corridor. Elizabeth appeared at the top of the stairs, looking rather pale in her sky-blue dressing gown, but alive and whole.
Her hand rested atop the growing mound of her stomach.
“Georgie!” she cried, starting carefully down the staircase, her hands on the banister. “You are back.”
“Of course I am back! Did you think I could stay away after receiving your letter?” Georgina pushed her gloves and bonnet into the butler’s hands, and hurried up the stairs to Elizabeth’s side. “Should you be out of bed?”
“I have been up all day,” Elizabeth replied, kissing Georgina’s cheek in welcome. Her shoulders felt rather thin and frail to Georgina as she hugged her. “I thought I would go insane, laying about up there all alone! I have not seen a soul except Nick all week.”
“Here, let me help you down these stairs. We can sit in the drawing room, and you can tell me everything.” Georgina slid her arm about Elizabeth, and guided her carefully down the rest of the stairs. “Where is Nick?”
“At Gunter’s. I sent him there to fetch some pastries.” Elizabeth gave a sigh of relief as she sank down onto the chaise. “I am quite famished.”
“Shall I ring for some tea?” asked Georgina. “I could use some myself.”
“Oh, yes, please do.” Elizabeth smiled up at her. “Oh, Georgie, I am so very happy to see you! But you should not have interrupted your holiday for me. As you see, I am quite well. It was merely a twinge.”
“Nicholas said it was
not
a twinge.”
“That husband of mine! I told him he must not worry you.”
“Of course you should ‘worry me’! You are my dearest friend, Lizzie. If you are ill, I want to know about it.” Georgina settled into the chair next to her chaise. “And you are not interrupting anything. Alex had to leave Fair Oak; something about an emergency at his other estate.”
“He left you all alone?” Elizabeth cried.
“Hardly all alone. I was with his mother and sister, who, by the way, are quite charming. So all was well.” Georgina grinned mischievously. “Though I confess, I did rather miss Alex.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Of course you did! As I am sure he was desolated to leave you. Tell me more about his family, now. They must not have been such high sticklers as we feared.”
“Not at all! They were very welcoming. His sister, Lady Emily, is a very pretty girl. Just the right age to make her bow.”
The tea had arrived, and Elizabeth busied herself with pouring and arranging. “Are you thinking of sponsoring her, then?”
“Perhaps. She is certainly in need of a sponsor. We would have such fun shepherding her about, you and I!” Georgina sipped thoughtfully at her tea. “But then, if she were my sister-in-law, I would be quite obliged to sponsor her, would I not?”
Elizabeth’s cup clattered in its saucer. “Sister-in-law? Are you—did Wayland ... ?”
Georgina laughed. “Oh, no! Nothing of the sort. Not yet. But I have received a few proposals in my time, as you know.”
“A few?” Elizabeth snorted. “Only fifty or so.”
“And thus I can tell when one is imminent. Usually. I do not think Alex took all the trouble of introducing me to his family, and kissing me in his ancestral garden, if he only meant to offer me
carte blanche.”
“Indeed not! Shall you accept?”
“I think it—very likely I shall. I have not felt at all this way in a very long time,” Georgina mused. “Perhaps never. He is so ...”
“Handsome? Brave?”
“Oh, yes! And such a divine kisser. It would be such a shame to let those things slip away simply because he is a duke and I should make a most odd duchess.”
“Indeed it would be a shame! And you would not make an odd duchess, you would make a fine one. The finest in the realm!”
Georgina smiled, a bit shyly. “Do you really think so?”
“Of course I do! He will be the luckiest man in England to have you,” Elizabeth said stoutly. “Oh, I feel I should be bowing and scraping, and calling you ‘Your Grace’!”
Georgina giggled. “You should
not!”
“Should not what?” Nicholas entered the drawing room just then, his arms full of boxes fragrant with cinnamon and sugar.
“Oh, darling!” Elizabeth cried. “Georgina is back, and she is to be a duchess.”
“Is she indeed?” Nicholas deposited the boxes in his wife’s lap, and grinned at Georgina. “Well, I did say that only the fiery La Beaumont could be a match for old Hotspur Kenton. And I was right, wasn’t I?”
Elizabeth bit into a cream cake. “You are always right, darling.”
Nicholas looked down at her in surprise. “I thought
you
were always the right one, Lizzie.”
“Um, see, there you are. Right again.”
Georgina only laughed at them.
 
Over the next few days, Elizabeth grew stronger and stronger. She was able to come downstairs every day, and even to accept visitors and go for short drives.
One fine, sunny afternoon, Georgina set up her easel near the tall windows of the drawing room to work on Emily’s portrait. Elizabeth sat nearby, a book open on her lap. But she was fidgeting and sighing so much that it was obvious she was not reading it.
“What is amiss, Lizzie?” Georgina asked, mixing a bit of golden yellow on her palette. “Are you feeling ill again?”
“Quite the opposite!” answered Elizabeth, closing the book with a snap. “I am feeling very well again. So well that I want to go shopping, or even to a ball. I have so much work to finish up in the studio, as well.”
“You heard what the physician said. No dancing, and no standing at your easel for long periods of time.”
“Yes, and Nick is quite fastidious about making certain I follow those orders. As are
you
, Georgie!”
Georgina laughed, and dipped her brush into the paint. “We only want you to be well.”
“I am well! So is the baby. I can feel her kicking, as strong as ever. We both want some fun! Do you not think a small party would be all right, Georgie? If I only sat and talked?”
Georgina shrugged. “Perhaps a
small
party. Nothing that would turn into a great crush. Lady Ellersby’s card party on Thursday, maybe?”
“I am sure we could persuade Nick that whist is quite unlikely to harm my health!” Elizabeth opened her book again, but she did not look down at it. “Are you not bored, Georgie? We have been so quiet here of late.”
“I have not been bored at all. I am enjoying having the time to work.”
“Well, it is not much like you to be so sedate! But I am very glad you are here. I should have gone quite out of my mind without your company.”
The butler came into the drawing room then, a pair of cards on his silver tray. “You have callers, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Oh, delightful!” cried Elizabeth. “Who is it today?”
“Hildebrand Rutherford, Viscount Garrick, and Mr. Frederick Marlow,” answered Greene.
“Alex’s friends!” Georgina said. She hastily put down her brushes and palette and wiped her hands on a paint-stained rag.
“Do show them in, Greene,” said Elizabeth. “And have some refreshments sent in.”
Georgina smoothed her hair back, and went to sit beside Elizabeth, smiling in welcome as Hildebrand and Freddie came in. Their arms were full of posies.
“We heard you were ill, Lady Elizabeth,” said Hildebrand. “So we brought you these to cheer you.”
“And we heard you were back from the country, Mrs. Beaumont,” said Freddie. “So we brought these to welcome you.”
“How very sweet!” cried Elizabeth, accepting the bouquet of pale yellow roses. “I am quite recovered now, but these are sure to make me feel even better.”
Georgina took the mass of white lilies. “And I have never had such a dear welcome back! Won’t you sit down, and tell us all the delicious gossip we have been missing?”
“If you will tell us how you enjoyed rusticating, Mrs. Beaumont,” said Hildebrand.
“I found it delightful,” answered Georgina. “The country air is so
bracing
, you know.”
Freddie and Hildebrand looked at each other with matching, gleeful grins. “Oh, yes, we do know,” said Freddie. “Did our friend Wayland not return to Town with you? We had not heard he was back.”
“Oh, no. He had an emergency to see to at his other estate, so he left Fair Oak a few days before I did.”
Freddie looked deeply disappointed. “Do you know when he means to return? Has he written to you, Mrs. Beaumont?”
“Only a note to let his mother, his sister, and me know he had arrived safely at his destination. You seem quite interested in Lord Wayland’s doings, Mr. Marlow. And you, too, Lord Garrick.” Georgina laughed. “Never fear, though! I am sure he will return to London soon enough.”
“Well, that is a relief!” Freddie sighed. “There was that wager, you see, and I owe my tailor . . .”
Georgina’s gaze sharpened as she looked at Freddie. “A wager, Mr. Marlow? Of what sort?”
Hildebrand smacked Freddie hard on his shoulder. “Now you have done it, you careless puppy!”
“Ow!” Freddie clutched at his shoulder. “Why did you do that, Hildebrand? I thought she knew of it.”
Georgina set her teacup down with a clatter, and stood up, her hands planted on her hips, to loom over them. “Thought I knew about
what
? Tell me. Have I been the object of some sort of sordid speculation?”
“Georgie!” Elizabeth reached out to tug at Georgina’s skirt. “My dear, do sit down. He can hardly explain with you looming over him like that.”
Georgina reluctantly sat back down. “Well? Do tell, Mr. Marlow.”
“It—it was not
sordid
, Mrs. Beaumont,” Freddie protested. “I—or maybe it was Hildebrand—merely said that Wayland would—would offer for you before the end of the Season. That is all!” He shrank back in his chair.
Georgina pursed her lips. “I see. And what about you, Viscount Garrick?”
Hildebrand, who had been smirking over his friend’s cornering, blanched. “M-me, Mrs. Beaumont?”
“What was your part in the wager?”
“I—or maybe it was Freddie—said it would take him at least a year. Or something of that sort.”
“Hm. And did Lord Wayland take any part of this?”
“Oh, no! Never!” Hildebrand and Freddie chorused.
“He said we were fools to make any sort of wager on something as unpredictable as people,” said Hildebrand. “And he refused to take any part of it. It was only us, Mrs. Beaumont, and I swear we are heartily sorry for it!”
“Well. At least Wayland showed some sense.” Georgina looked at Elizabeth, and grinned.
They both burst into laughter, much to the shock of Hildebrand and Freddie, who stared at them open-mouthed, like landed fish.
“Oh!” gasped Georgina. “You two really are so very funny. It is no wonder that Al—Wayland likes to keep you about!”
“Funny, and dear!” Elizabeth wiped at her eyes. “You have quite brightened our day, I do declare.”
Freddie and Hildebrand looked at each other, still bewildered. Then they looked back at the giggling ladies.
“Well,” said Hildebrand. “I am only glad I could be of service.”
“Oh, you have,” said Elizabeth. “We have been quite shut away here, with nothing to amuse us for days.”
“In that case, you should come with us to Vauxhall on Friday!” said Freddie.
“To Vauxhall?” said Georgina, with a prickling of interest.
“There is to be a masquerade,” Hildebrand said. “Freddie and I have reserved a box, where you would be quite safe. Lady Fitzgerald and her niece are to accompany us. And your husband must come, too, Lady Elizabeth. It will be such a merry evening! You must come!”
“Oh, I should so like to,” Elizabeth said wistfully. “I have not been to a masquerade since last we were in Venice. Would you not like to, Georgina?”
“Yes, of course,” said Georgina. “I adore a masquerade! But are you certain you are quite up to it, Lizzie?”
“Of course I am! I will not dance, or wander about. I will only sit in the box, and watch. It will be good for us to get out of this house.”
“Wonderful, we accept your kind invitation,” Georgina said. Then she added, “As long as there is no more talk of wagers!”
“Oh, no!” cried Freddie.
“Never again, Mrs. Beaumont,” said Hildebrand. “We
promise.”
Chapter Eighteen
Alex’s heart was filled with excitement—and trepidation—when he at last turned down the lane that led to Fair Oak.
He had been gone for several days, trying futilely to solve the many problems at the Grange, an estate that was even more ramshackle than Fair Oak. There had been many problems indeed, and he had been busy from sunup to sundown every day.
But even all that activity, all those worries, could not erase thoughts of Georgina. They would come to him at the oddest times. As he inspected a drain, he would see her green eyes, sparkling with some mischief. As he repaired a roof, he would see her slim, pale hands, deftly wielding a piece of charcoal over an open sketchbook.
As he would drift into sleep at night, he would imagine they were dancing again, floating across a ballroom, his arms about her. He would relive their kiss in the summerhouse, just before he would fall asleep with a smile on his face.
He wondered often how she was faring with his mother and Emily. Perhaps they had given another party, or attended a
soirée
at some neighbor’s home. He envisioned her walking in the gardens with Emily, or going to the shops in the village.
He also envisioned her, with a cold pang, examining the house more closely—seeing all the flaws in it, the shabby draperies, the missing artwork and ornaments. Finding it wanting; finding it not at all the sort of place she would want to live in after all.
Alex longed to see her, yet he half feared it, as well. Would she rush out to greet him, to kiss his cheek and say she had missed him? Or would she look at him with reproach, with pity?

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