hearing that decide for themselves if she was satisfied with making her way without his interference or not.
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “I see I have my work cut out for me. I do wish to be in your good graces, my lady.”
What in God’s name did he mean by that? Yet perhaps it was all playacting for the servants and, notwithstanding their loyalty, it would be all over town by to-morrow. She gave her attention to her food. At least she had given as good as she’d got and would continue to do so. Thankfully, the rector turned talk to the needs of the town.
It was not until they were in a lively discussion over how much the estate should contribute to additional repairs on the church and the local school that Mary realized she had no place at all in this conversation. Regardless of how attached she was to it, Rose Hill was not hers and probably never would be. Needed or not, she hated this pretense of being something she was not.
Through a haze of despair, she heard Mr. Featherton say, “Very well, it shall be as you wish, my dear.”
Any other woman would probably have smiled smugly, but this was all too much. The charade had been bad enough when he wasn’t here. Now that he was—and worse, was acting as if he were her husband when she didn’t know if that was what she wanted—the walls seemed to close in on her, and she couldn’t breathe.
She set her serviette by her plate and rose. “Thank you, sir. Aunt Eunice, we should leave the men to their port.”
As the final course had only been served moments before, Eunice gave Mary a startled look before rising. With a growing panic, Mary left the room, not even looking to see if her aunt followed. She strode back down the corridor, across the hall, and into the drawing room before stopping.
Eunice shut the door behind them with a snap. “Mary, I have never seen you act with such intemperance. Compose yourself this instant.”
“I cannot do this.” Mary paced back and forth across the room. She wanted to rant or run away. Why could no one understand? “Now that he’s here, I can’t pretend. I cannot even look the servants in the eye.” She had to leave before the gentlemen rejoined them. “I’m sorry.”
She fled up the stairs to her chamber, yet even there she was not alone. Her maid was laying out her nightgown. “Please undress me, then you may retire.”
Mathers began unlacing Mary’s gown. “You look as if a cup of warm milk wouldn’t be amiss.”
Her temples throbbed and her throat ached. “I’m not a child anymore.”
“No one said you were, my lady, but a bit of warm milk is good for calming the nerves. You’ve had a difficult day.”
That was one way of putting it. “I just want to go to sleep.”
Once she had donned her nightgown, she climbed between the sheets. All she wanted was to fall in love as her friends had done. Why was fate conspiring against her? With any luck she’d wake up to-morrow and this would have all been a bad dream.
Kit caught a glimpse of the back of Lady Mary on the stairs. Her skirts moved rapidly upward as she fled. “That didn’t go quite as I had planned.”
“Does it ever when dealing with women?” Doust said drily, shaking his head. “You didn’t really believe she’d simply fall into your arms, did you?”
She was probably one of the few ladies who wouldn’t. Kit gave a rueful smile. “I had hoped to show her that I am a reasonable man, and by marrying me she’d be fully involved in most of my decisions. I thought it would put this situation in a better light.”
The promise of a partnership had worked for Marcus and Rutherford.
The rector was silent for a few moments. “You know what Lady Mary wants. If you do wish to marry her, you need to find out how to give her at least as much of it as you are able under the circumstances.”
The devil! It wasn’t as if she had a choice. For that matter, neither did he. Yet did she realize it, or did she think he was trying to trap
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “I see I have my work cut out for me. I do wish to be in your good graces, my lady.”
What in God’s name did he mean by that? Yet perhaps it was all playacting for the servants and, notwithstanding their loyalty, it would be all over town by to-morrow. She gave her attention to her food. At least she had given as good as she’d got and would continue to do so. Thankfully, the rector turned talk to the needs of the town.
It was not until they were in a lively discussion over how much the estate should contribute to additional repairs on the church and the local school that Mary realized she had no place at all in this conversation. Regardless of how attached she was to it, Rose Hill was not hers and probably never would be. Needed or not, she hated this pretense of being something she was not.
Through a haze of despair, she heard Mr. Featherton say, “Very well, it shall be as you wish, my dear.”
Any other woman would probably have smiled smugly, but this was all too much. The charade had been bad enough when he wasn’t here. Now that he was—and worse, was acting as if he were her husband when she didn’t know if that was what she wanted—the walls seemed to close in on her, and she couldn’t breathe.
She set her serviette by her plate and rose. “Thank you, sir. Aunt Eunice, we should leave the men to their port.”
As the final course had only been served moments before, Eunice gave Mary a startled look before rising. With a growing panic, Mary left the room, not even looking to see if her aunt followed. She strode back down the corridor, across the hall, and into the drawing room before stopping.
Eunice shut the door behind them with a snap. “Mary, I have never seen you act with such intemperance. Compose yourself this instant.”
“I cannot do this.” Mary paced back and forth across the room. She wanted to rant or run away. Why could no one understand? “Now that he’s here, I can’t pretend. I cannot even look the servants in the eye.” She had to leave before the gentlemen rejoined them. “I’m sorry.”
She fled up the stairs to her chamber, yet even there she was not alone. Her maid was laying out her nightgown. “Please undress me, then you may retire.”
Mathers began unlacing Mary’s gown. “You look as if a cup of warm milk wouldn’t be amiss.”
Her temples throbbed and her throat ached. “I’m not a child anymore.”
“No one said you were, my lady, but a bit of warm milk is good for calming the nerves. You’ve had a difficult day.”
That was one way of putting it. “I just want to go to sleep.”
Once she had donned her nightgown, she climbed between the sheets. All she wanted was to fall in love as her friends had done. Why was fate conspiring against her? With any luck she’d wake up to-morrow and this would have all been a bad dream.
Kit caught a glimpse of the back of Lady Mary on the stairs. Her skirts moved rapidly upward as she fled. “That didn’t go quite as I had planned.”
“Does it ever when dealing with women?” Doust said drily, shaking his head. “You didn’t really believe she’d simply fall into your arms, did you?”
She was probably one of the few ladies who wouldn’t. Kit gave a rueful smile. “I had hoped to show her that I am a reasonable man, and by marrying me she’d be fully involved in most of my decisions. I thought it would put this situation in a better light.”
The promise of a partnership had worked for Marcus and Rutherford.
The rector was silent for a few moments. “You know what Lady Mary wants. If you do wish to marry her, you need to find out how to give her at least as much of it as you are able under the circumstances.”
The devil! It wasn’t as if she had a choice. For that matter, neither did he. Yet did she realize it, or did she think he was trying to trap
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