Chapter 17
Lady Lennox frowned at her husband across the breakfast table. ‘No news from Marguerite yet? I am becoming anxious.’
Lord Lennox had just come in and was pulling out his chair. ‘Actually, I have but two minutes ago received a message from the inn. Argyle is still alive, and she is ensconced in a private parlour. Everything is all right—but I do wish she would write.’
‘Yes, it has been four days.’ Her face was creased with worry.
‘Perhaps today…Ah!’ He took a small pile of letters from the silver salver the butler placed in front of his plate, and his face lit up as he recognised his daughter’s handwriting.
He quickly broke the wafer and scanned the sheet.
He said to his wife, ‘I have good news, my love. Argyle is much improved—it seems he will make a full recovery…’
‘That is indeed good news!’ Lady Lennox beamed. Two pink spots appeared in her cheeks.
Lord Lennox motioned to the butler to pour him some coffee and read on ‘… but of course that will take time, and our daughter is planning on staying on at the inn to look after him. He is not allowed to move.’
Lady Lennox put down her cup of tea, frowning. ‘Oh dear, is that wise? There will be such talk. And she is hardly qualified to be a nurse.’
Her husband, noticing the butler’s interested face, waited until he had left the room—then he smiled. ‘She has decided to marry him, after all. They are betrothed—she says we can announce it.’
Lady Lennox clapped her hands together. ‘Oh, quelle bonne nouvelle! She is to be a duchess, then. It is quite a brilliant match.’
Her husband smiled. ‘You know she does not care a jot for all that, do you not? I believe she has fallen in love with him.’
Lady Lennox sighed. ‘Je l’espère. I confess I seldom know what my daughter is thinking, but she did say she loved him before she left, and I hope she has made the right choice.’
‘Well, I have the feeling I will get on famously with my future son-in-law. Here, my dear, take the letter, she has put a few lines for you at the end.’ Lord Lennox passed the sheet to his wife, then poured himself a cup of coffee and unfolded the newspaper.
He rang the bell for the butler and asked him to bring some foolscap and a pen, so that he could answer Marguerite’s letter.