Chapter 15
MARGARET HAD BEEN FORCED to turn her callers away that day, and there had been a slew of them.
Even the dowager duchess had come by for a look at her new husband.
The news had traveled fast through the neighborhood, and, according to Florence, everyone was asking who was Henry Raven, where was he from, and how had he won an earl’s daughter’s hand in marriage?
But she refused to lie any more than she had to.
It had stormed through the night and briefly at midmorning.
There was a new bank of storm clouds on the horizon late that afternoon.
There was no telling which way they’d blow, but she hoped they’d blow back out to sea before reaching shore.
Visiting in the rain wasn’t just unpleasant, it was in bad taste, putting one’s host on the spot to offer accomodations until the weather cleared.
Edgewood wasn’t on the cliffs, but it was close enough that the sea could be seen from its upper floors with an unobstructed view.
Margaret had enjoyed those views while she lived there, especially in the early morning when she could watch the sun rise on the water.
White Oaks was farther inland, with no view of the coast at all.
Margaret sighed, sitting on the seat across from Sebastian in the coach. “All this subterfuge is quite distasteful,” she remarked. “There’s still time to reconsider and simply make a clean breast of it.”
“The truth isn’t always successful. In this case it won’t wash a’tall.
You said it yourself, Maggie, that my father considers his accidents just that, accidents.
If you try to tell him his life is in danger, he’ll laugh at you.
If he hears it from me, he’ll see it as an excuse for me to get back in his good graces.
I’m not about to be accused of that, when it bloody well isn’t true. ”
She winced at his new tone, detecting the underlying bitterness in it.
She’d heard it before. He usually concealed it, but occasionally it slipped out.
Did he really see himself as the condemned innocent in the tragedy he’d set in motion?
Or did he despise himself for the chain reaction that followed his dalliance with Juliette?
A crack of thunder accompanied their arrival. Margaret frowned and glanced at the sky as Sebastian helped her from the coach. “We should beg off, come back tomorrow. It’s really bad form to call when it’s raining.”
He raised a brow. “Getting cold feet, Maggie?”
“No,” she said with a huff. “But I don’t want to muck up their entryway, or have them feel obliged to ask us to stay over due to the weather.”
“Your shoes aren’t muddy, and you do want an invitation to stay.
Kindly keep in mind why you dragged me back to England.
I need more than a brief visit to observe what’s going on in there and determine if your suspicions are accurate.
The weather we’ve been experiencing these last two days couldn’t have been more ideal if I’d ordered it. ”
Before she could reply, the front door opened.
Henry Hobbs, Edgewood’s butler, stood there.
Oh, dear, another Henry. And Mr. Hobbs wasn’t new, he’d been the Edgewood butler for more than thirty years.
He was a tall man with a beaked nose and sharp gray eyes.
He recognized Sebastian immediately, no doubt about it.
Which was why Margaret quickly announced, “Mr. Hobbs, I believe you know my husband, Sebastian Townshend.”
“Husband?” Mr. Hobbs said incredulously, and then he cracked a slight grin. “Very well, we’re due for a new storm.”
He opened the door wide. Margaret chose to ignore the storm remark as if she didn’t know what it implied and asked as she entered, “Is Abigail receiving today?”
“She’s in the music room. Lord love her, she thinks she still knows how to play the pianoforte, when she can’t see the keys anymore.”
The music could be heard now, and indeed it was quite a discordant racket. “And Lord Townshend?”
“Not back from his afternoon ride yet, rather late, actually. I wasn’t informed of any detours he had intended to make, but he was aware you were stopping by, so I expect him soon.”
“We’ll visit with Abbie, then, until Douglas returns.”
“Tea, Lady Margaret?”
“That would be pleasant, thank you.”
Margaret moved on toward the music room. Sebastian hadn’t said a single word yet, but he didn’t follow her immediately. Hobbs hadn’t walked away to order the tea, either.
Sebastian said quietly, “It’s good to see you again, Hobbs.”
“And it’s very good to see you as well, my lord.”
“Bring some brandy with that tea. I have a feeling I’m going to need a stiff drink this afternoon.”