Chapter 3 #3
“Papa!” Harry stepped away from the woman and the horse, then pulled at his sleeve.
“You have forgotten your manners. This lady didn’t do anything wrong.
It’s my fault. I am to blame.” He puffed out his chest and lifted his chin nobly.
“I’m sorry I ran toward the stables instead of trying to find Mr. Oswalt like you said I should. ”
Edmund looked down at his son, his face severe. “You should be sorry, Harry. We were very worried about you.”
Harry hung his head. “I know, Papa. I just wanted to see the horse.”
“And look what happened. You were almost killed.”
Harry’s bottom lip trembled as if he might burst into tears. “I’m sorry.”
Edmund’s fists clenched. “Harry?” Lady Archworth called.
In unison, they all turned to see the Dowager Marchioness hurrying towards them. Her punchy purple skirts made a light rustling sound as she hustled down the pathway.
“Where have you been?” she asked, coming to a stop beside them.
Harry jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I wanted to see the horse. He looked lonely, and I thought I might talk to him for a bit. But it got startled, and jumped in the air, and then that pretty lady saved me.” He pointed towards the woman.
Aunt Regina looked from Harry to Edmund to the lady. “I see.”
She blinked her big eyes twice, indicating that Edmund should add what he could to the tale, but he had nothing to say, so he kept his lips sealed.
Lady Archworth craned her neck slightly so she might peer directly at the woman. It was evident she could not place the young lady either, and for a moment, Edmund reveled in her continued anonymity.
How often do I meet someone who is entirely nameless and not my acquaintance?
He was seized by the giddy notion of hurrying his aunt and son away, only so he could circle back later and carry on his conversation with the mysterious woman.
It would be quite fun to…
Before Edmund’s musings could fully form into a plan, Regina released an exasperated sigh and introduced herself, “I am the Dowager Marchioness of Archworth. Since you have done my great nephew such a service, I know I should not ask for yet one more concession, but might I have the pleasure of knowing your name in return?”
“I am Daisy Murray.” The lady dropped into a swift curtsey, showing proper deference to Lady Archworth.
Aunt Regina’s brow wrinkled slightly. “Murray…You would not happen to be related to…”
“I am the daughter of the Earl of Claymore,” she said without further prompting.
Edmund frowned. He’d heard about the Earl. As of late, several reports had reached his ears. None of them had been promising.
“Lady Daisy, pleased to meet you.” Regina bobbed her head in a cordial acknowledgment, then her eyes darted towards Edmund.
He knew he ought to say something, but his tongue felt tied.
Should I mention her father? Would it be appropriate to ask after him? Should I send my regards?
Each thought that popped into Edmund’s mind was more tedious and vexing than the last. He had plenty of experience dealing with avaricious members of the peerage who sought his company because of his title and wealth.
But he knew precious little about interacting with a young lady whose father regularly disgraced himself publicly by engaging in drunken routs.
Lady Archworth cleared her throat loudly, then said, “Please forgive my nephew, Lady Daisy. Rarely have I seen him so dumbstruck. He must be recovering from the shock of finding his son nearly trampled by this magnificent creature.” Regina reached forward and gingerly patted the horse on the nose.
“The Duke is not usually so…speechless.”
Edmund recovered just in time to share his own name. “Blackvale,” he croaked, then shook his head at the way his voice cracked. Mortification flooded him, but he persisted and tried again. “I am the Duke of Blackvale, Lady Daisy. And this is my son, Lord Harry.”
“Yes.” A sweet, indulgent smile coasted over her lips. “You will be pleased to know that your son already introduced himself.” Her grin broadened. “He has such excellent manners.”
Harry beamed with pride. He continued to pet the horse while saying, “Thank you for saving me, Lady Daisy.”
She looked down at him. Her smile transformed her face from merely beautiful to almost ethereal. Her eyes shone like jewels, as her cheeks glowed with delight. “Oh, you’re welcome, Lord Harry. It is always a pleasure to meet a fellow lover of animals.”
Harry emitted a small squeak of elation. His brown eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Edmund and Lady Daisy. “You love animals, my lady?”
“Indeed,” she replied as her fingers worked their way down the animal’s neck before stroking long lines through its mane. “When I was your age, my older sister taught me to ride a horse much like this one.”
“Truly, my lady?”
“Oh, yes,” Lady Daisy assured him. “She thought it best that I learn to ride on a horse that was docile and easy to manage.”
“Can this horse be easily managed?” Harry asked.
Lady Daisy’s smile went crooked. “Horses are just like people, Lord Harry, in that sometimes, we all get frightened. This fellow had a fright because of those fireworks, but you can see that he’s just fine now.”
Edmund had been listening to this exchange intently. He was hanging on Lady Daisy’s every word, just as Harry was, but when Edmund caught himself doing it, he turned away.
Unfortunately, that was when he saw his aunt watching him expectantly. Cocking an eyebrow at her, he inclined his head to wordlessly ask what she could possibly be expecting from him.
She flicked her eyes significantly at the woman. He tipped his head further, still not understanding.
“Did you thank the lady, Edmund?” his aunt asked admonishingly.
He scouted through his memory, trying to recall exactly what had been said a few moments before. “I believe I did.”
Harry turned to give him a stern look. “But you were yelling at her, Papa.”
Edmund shook his head. “That was unintentional. I apologize.”
“And?” Aunt Regina prompted.
“And I thank you for saving my son,” Edmund said slowly, enunciating each word so that there could be no mistaking or forgetting this moment.
Lady Daisy bit her lip as if to hide her amusement. She nodded to him. “You’re welcome, Your Grace.”
Edmund held out his hand to his son. “Harry, come. It’s time to go.”
“No, Papa. I still want to talk to the horse. I do not know its name, and I should like to spend more time with Lady Daisy.”
Harry suddenly darted away, running towards a small flower patch and bending over to pick up a few just as Edmund opened his mouth to call him back. Before he could utter a word, Lady Archworth placed a hand on his forearm, silently urging him to stay quiet and allow the scene to unfold naturally.
Harry returned a second later with a huge grin on his face. “Look, Lady Daisy, I brought you a daisy!”
The lady’s face lit up with happiness. “Oh, how sweet. Thank you, Lord Harry.”
Edmund shook his head even as he mused dryly about his son’s knowledge of flowers. Clearly, Mr. Oswalt was doing an excellent job.
“You’re welcome, my lady,” Harry said.
Edmund raised an eyebrow, suppressing a proud smile at what a charmer his son was becoming.
“Oh!” Lady Archworth clasped her hands together.
“That was well done, my boy. It is important to learn at a young age that ladies love to receive small tokens,” she instructed.
Then, she sent Edmund a sidelong glance as though she meant for him, too, to rush to the flower patch and pluck a fistful of posies.
Edmund sighed, taking hold of his son’s wrist. “All right, enough. It’s time to go, Harry. Say goodbye to the lady.”
Harry’s mouth turned down, and Edmund narrowed his eyes at his son in an attempt to prevent a tantrum.
“You must come to dinner,” Lady Archworth said to Lady Daisy.
Edmund turned to stare at them. While he would like to think that his aunt was merely attempting to smooth over the moment and appease Harry, Edmund could feel more at play in the invitation.
He was well aware of what his aunt was thinking.
She obviously thought that Lady Daisy was the perfect candidate for his potential wife.
Indeed, Edmund could not dispute that she was particularly good with his son, and her looks were certainly pleasing, and there was something compelling about her.
Something that called to him…
He was not interested in taking on a wife. There was no need; he already had his heir.
“I don’t know if I should,” Lady Daisy replied.
Edmund frowned. Even if he had no interest in her, it was rather rude of her to turn down a dinner invitation without offering some sort of excuse.
“Oh, but you must,” Regina insisted. “I want to hear your thoughts on a series of events I intend to hold for the ton. I think you’d have some pertinent thoughts on it. Are you in the marriage mart or has some lucky man already picked you?”
She smiled coyly. “I thought it was the lady’s prerogative to choose the man.”
Aunt Regina lit up. “Oh, a woman after my own heart. You must dine with us.”
Lady Daisy gave an exaggerated sigh of resignation. “Very well, my lady, I shall come to dinner.”