Chapter Six #2
‘Bartholomew has an estate in this county.’
‘Yes. What of it?’ she asked with an impatient tap of her toe.
Reuben chuckled. He couldn’t recall when, if ever, a young lady had lost patience with him. ‘I don’t like mysteries,’ he said, ‘so I asked my mother if she knew the reason for the estrangement.’
‘And?’ Lady Farrah huffed. ‘Are you going to enlighten me or leave me to guess? You clearly think it has something to do with Papa’s whereabouts, otherwise you would not have mentioned the matter.’
Reuben rather enjoyed her irritation but decided not to keep her in suspense. There was no telling how much longer they would be left alone before Lady Sophia and her mother imposed themselves. And so, preparing Lady Farrah for a shock, he related everything that his mother had told him.
‘Good heavens.’ She raised a surprised brow but showed no other reaction.
‘To bear a grudge all this time over the favours of a gentleman and never speak again.’ She shook her head.
‘How ridiculous. Sophia and I are not close. Our personalities are too different for us ever to have interests in common. Even so, she is my sister, and I would not like to go through life without ever speaking to her again.’
‘Quite so.’
‘Maintaining a feud must be exhausting, I have always thought. I mean, there are two sides to every story. Why not allow tempers to cool and then conduct a rational conversation in an effort to mend bridges?’ She tilted her head in a considering fashion.
‘But then, it is my mother we are talking about, and she does so enjoy feeling put upon. If my aunt is equally stubborn, there is no hope. Given that I am now conversant with the cause of their dispute though, I can better understand why they have never been reconciled.’
‘You are very different to your mother as well. That much is immediately obvious to me. Were it not so then we would not be having this conversation. My point is that your mother feels cheated, if you’ll pardon me speaking bluntly.
I suspect that it is she who has maintained the feud, not Lady Bartholomew. ’
‘Very possibly, but I still do not understand its relevance to my current problem.’ Lady Farrah folded her arms across her torso and walked towards the window, russet skirts that closely matched the colour of her hair swishing about her legs.
‘As I say, we have learned never to mention my aunt’s name in our household, and although I have seen her in London, we have never spoken. ’
‘I do not understand its relevance either, but you must admit that your father heading for Hampshire and Lady Bartholomew being in the same county at the same time is an extraordinary coincidence.’
‘Why?’ Lady Farrah turned away from the window and faced him again, her expression challenging. ‘We have been down dozens of times, and our paths have not crossed Lady Bartholomew’s. Besides, Mama is her relative, not Papa.’
‘Everything you say is true, but my mother tells me that Lady Bartholomew regretted the rift and tried to heal the breach on several occasions. It was your mother who refused to let bygones be bygones.’
Lady Farrah rolled her eyes. ‘That does not surprise me. There is nothing anyone can teach my mother about bearing a grudge. Even so …’
‘Even so, why do I not drive you to the Bartholomew estate so that you can make yourself known to your aunt?’ Reuben surprised himself by suggesting.
The idea had only just formed in his head, and he hadn’t reached any conscious decision about whether or not to act upon it.
He blamed Lady Farrah for his impetuosity.
His desire to be of service to her and, if he was honest, to spend a few hours alone in a carriage with her, had caused him to throw caution to the wind, it appeared.
Lady Farrah swallowed. ‘For what purpose?’ she asked.
‘Humour me,’ he replied, unsurprised when she didn’t leap upon the invitation, as any other single female undoubtedly would have done.
‘We have to start somewhere, and I sense that your aunt might be able to throw some light on the matter. Please don’t ask me why I feel that way, because I actually don’t have the first idea.
All I can tell you is that my instincts don’t ordinarily play me false. ’
‘If she is to be confronted, I ought to be the one to do it. Alone.’
‘Ah, of course, you are concerned about your reputation. Forgive me, I did not stop to consider.’
‘Foolish man!’ She let out an impatient huff. ‘It is not my reputation that is likely to suffer.’
Reuben guffawed. ‘Did you just call me foolish?’
She sent him an impish smile. ‘If the cap fits, your grace. I don’t suppose anyone has ever dared to insult you quite so openly before, at least not in your hearing.’
‘Regardless of the risk to my reputation, Lady Farrah, I dare you!’
She shrugged. ‘No dare is necessary. I am desperate to discover what has happened to my father, and if you honestly believe that my aunt might be able to throw some light on the situation then I will gladly accompany you. Besides, if she does not flat out decline to receive me, I shall enjoy finally making her acquaintance. Although of course if I am escorted by a duke, then she would not dare to slam the door in my face.’ She chuckled. ‘Or yours.’
‘That’s settled then.’ The prospect of spending an entire afternoon in Lady Farrah’s alluring company brought Reuben fully back to life. ‘Will tomorrow afternoon be too soon for you?’
‘The sooner the better. But how ? er …’
Reuben smiled, wondering if anyone had ever told her that she looked enchanting when she was embarrassed. ‘If you can bear to walk to the edge of your tenants’ cottages once again, I will collect you there.’
‘A mile’s walk is nothing to me.’ She smiled at Reuben, her enthusiasm for the expedition clearly growing. ‘I shall meet you there at two if that suits?’
‘Perfectly, but you will have to invent a reason for an afternoon’s absence that will satisfy your mother.’
Lady Farrah’s responding smile lacked humour as she shook her head. ‘Trust me, she will not even notice that I am gone.’
‘Then she is a blind fool,’ Reuben muttered beneath his breath.
‘Tomorrow morning I will run Freeman to ground and ask for an explanation about the rent increases, and everything else.’
‘Don’t give any indication that you are suspicious.’
‘Why ever not?’ Lady Farrah asked indignantly. ‘If he has exceeded his duties then I shall demand that he rectifies the matter.’
‘The word locally appears to be that he is running some sort of fiddle.’
‘And you have only just thought to mention the fact?’ She glared at him, arms akimbo. ‘What sort of fiddle?’
Reuben chuckled, enjoying being put in his place. ‘There seemed little point, at least not until we can discover more. As things stand, he will only deny it and insist that the rent increases were a direct order from your father.’
‘Who is not here to speak for himself.’ Lady Farrah nodded as the air left her lungs in an extravagant whoosh.
‘Point taken. We should allow … or rather I should allow Freeman to think that I am taken in by him, so that he continues to do whatever it is that he does – if indeed he is doing anything. I find it hard to believe. I have known the man all my life and considered him to be as honest as the day is long.’
‘Even honest men can be led astray if left unsupervised for too long.’
‘True, I suppose. How I shall find out what’s he’s up to is the question, but I dare say I shall think of a way. I cannot abide duplicity.’
‘You are not alone,’ he said softly. ‘This is my affair also. I have a responsibility for law and order in this part of the world, and I shall not allow Freeman to risk the stability of the district if he is indulging in criminal activity.’
‘The duke’s responsibility.’ Lady Farrah nodded. ‘Yes, I suppose that in some respects it must be. Your duties must seem burdensome at times.’
He smiled at her, wanting to say something more; something that had little to do with her father’s disappearance, but now was not the time.
‘Come,’ he said. ‘Let’s find the others before they come in search of us.’
She turned to face him as he was on the point of opening the door for her.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘You are entirely welcome, Lady Farrah.’ He paused. ‘May I enquire what it is that I have done to earn your gratitude?’
‘You have taken on the responsibility for my father’s disappearance and put yourself out on my behalf far more than is necessary simply to satisfy your sense of responsibility.
I expect it is obvious to you that I am the only member of my family who takes the matter seriously and is willing to face up to the unpalatable consequences if the situation endures.
Papa’s creditors will not wait indefinitely, I know that very well, and eventually the estate will have to be sold to satisfy their demands if Papa cannot be run to ground.
’ She sighed. ‘I should hate for that to happen.’
Their bodies were a hand’s width apart and he could feel her breath peppering the side of his face as she spoke. He inhaled her light floral fragrance that made him think of sunshine and the outdoors. Their gazes locked, and held, and he was momentarily lost for words.
‘Let us hope it does not come to that,’ he said eventually, placing his hand on the small of her back as he guided her from the room.
Chapter Six
Farrah felt concerned that her ten-minute sojourn alone with the duke would be frowned upon by her mother and sister.
Indeed, when she joined them in the duchess’s charming orangery one glance at her sister’s mutinous expression was sufficient to confirm that fear.
It seemed that the attentions of the handsome and charming Lord Ezra were insufficient to assuage Sophia’s dented pride.
Foolish child!