sir!”
“An old bleater like me has to be a bit extravagant to land himself a prime young creature. I know Monteith has a prettier face and a less bagged one. I didn’t know he had you in his eye, though I should have known if I’d thought about it. I wouldn’t like to butt in if he is on the edge of offering for you. I’m all in favor of seeing the young bucks settle down. I had the notion it was young Teddie that fancied you. I figured I had a good chance against a younger son.”
“None of them fancies me, Howard. We are just friends. And are you quite sure you don’t fancy someone else more?”
“No one I’ve seen so far.”
She looked him in the eye and said, “I thought perhaps Mrs. Armstrong appealed to you.”
“There is nothing for me there. She ain’t the sort of gel I took her for.”
This admission of philandering was given without a blush, and so were the lies that followed it. “Don’t think anything of that sort would continue after I was married,” he assured her. “I’d be constant as the North Star.”
Before she had to reply, Lord Monteith joined them. And she was glad not to have to make any decision yet. In twenty-six years, no gentleman she liked any better than Lord Howard had offered for her. Despite his age and despite his peculiar manners, he was attractive. His incredible wealth imbued him with an aura that made manners unnecessary. He was extravagant and interesting and even handsome, to a certain extent. How much was she allowing her petty annoyance with Monteith and his mother to color her thinking? It would be folly to marry from spite. Or was it his fortune that lured her? To speak of “dropping a few yachts in the river” appealed to her. Though not poor, the Brights had never been rich in the way the Monteiths were rich.
A whole new world would be opened to her. Travel, society, living in a castle. But living with Lord Howard — who would soon be an old man.
As if reading her thoughts, Lord Howard suggested he and Monteith take a dart down to look at the water. The path led down a rocky cliff, which he executed with the agility of a mountain goat. Coming up, which was a deal harder, left him still unwinded. Hewas no more tired than Monteith.
“The ladies might find the climb a little arduous,” hesaid to Samantha. “It would be no trouble to have a staircase chiseled into the rock face, or an iron set of stairs put in.”
Monteith looked across the water, thinking. This lavish-handed way of living must appeal to someone like Sam, who had never been beyond Lambrook, except for a few trips to London. And why should that anger him? He knew his mother was foolish to think she could bear-lead the nabob. He would surely marry some young lady. Why not Sam? He looked over his shoulder and found her gazing at him.
“We should be leaving if we want to get home in time for luncheon,” he said.
Chapter 9
Lunch at Lambrook Hall held a few surprises for Samantha. The size and quantity of the jewels on view were not amongst them. After hearing Lord Howard’s views on a house, she expected the jewelry to be plentiful and ostentatious. She found that rubies and emeralds and even diamonds could be tiresome when they covered the surface of a whole table. Many of the stones had not been set yet and were held in little leather pouches. Those that had been mounted were poorly done and reminded her of the tawdry paste jewels seen in the village “everything” shop.
After the guests had said “Very nice,” and “How lovely,” and “I didn’t know emeralds-rubies-diamonds came in such a large size” half a dozen times, they ran out of compliments. It was for Lord Howard himself to show them the way.
“This little gem was given me by the nawab of Sutani.” He smiled, holding up an ugly length of diamond chain. “It is to be worn on the ankle. Every gem is perfect. Not a flaw in them, a diamond merchant told me. You’ll never guess what I got it for.” He
“An old bleater like me has to be a bit extravagant to land himself a prime young creature. I know Monteith has a prettier face and a less bagged one. I didn’t know he had you in his eye, though I should have known if I’d thought about it. I wouldn’t like to butt in if he is on the edge of offering for you. I’m all in favor of seeing the young bucks settle down. I had the notion it was young Teddie that fancied you. I figured I had a good chance against a younger son.”
“None of them fancies me, Howard. We are just friends. And are you quite sure you don’t fancy someone else more?”
“No one I’ve seen so far.”
She looked him in the eye and said, “I thought perhaps Mrs. Armstrong appealed to you.”
“There is nothing for me there. She ain’t the sort of gel I took her for.”
This admission of philandering was given without a blush, and so were the lies that followed it. “Don’t think anything of that sort would continue after I was married,” he assured her. “I’d be constant as the North Star.”
Before she had to reply, Lord Monteith joined them. And she was glad not to have to make any decision yet. In twenty-six years, no gentleman she liked any better than Lord Howard had offered for her. Despite his age and despite his peculiar manners, he was attractive. His incredible wealth imbued him with an aura that made manners unnecessary. He was extravagant and interesting and even handsome, to a certain extent. How much was she allowing her petty annoyance with Monteith and his mother to color her thinking? It would be folly to marry from spite. Or was it his fortune that lured her? To speak of “dropping a few yachts in the river” appealed to her. Though not poor, the Brights had never been rich in the way the Monteiths were rich.
A whole new world would be opened to her. Travel, society, living in a castle. But living with Lord Howard — who would soon be an old man.
As if reading her thoughts, Lord Howard suggested he and Monteith take a dart down to look at the water. The path led down a rocky cliff, which he executed with the agility of a mountain goat. Coming up, which was a deal harder, left him still unwinded. Hewas no more tired than Monteith.
“The ladies might find the climb a little arduous,” hesaid to Samantha. “It would be no trouble to have a staircase chiseled into the rock face, or an iron set of stairs put in.”
Monteith looked across the water, thinking. This lavish-handed way of living must appeal to someone like Sam, who had never been beyond Lambrook, except for a few trips to London. And why should that anger him? He knew his mother was foolish to think she could bear-lead the nabob. He would surely marry some young lady. Why not Sam? He looked over his shoulder and found her gazing at him.
“We should be leaving if we want to get home in time for luncheon,” he said.
Chapter 9
Lunch at Lambrook Hall held a few surprises for Samantha. The size and quantity of the jewels on view were not amongst them. After hearing Lord Howard’s views on a house, she expected the jewelry to be plentiful and ostentatious. She found that rubies and emeralds and even diamonds could be tiresome when they covered the surface of a whole table. Many of the stones had not been set yet and were held in little leather pouches. Those that had been mounted were poorly done and reminded her of the tawdry paste jewels seen in the village “everything” shop.
After the guests had said “Very nice,” and “How lovely,” and “I didn’t know emeralds-rubies-diamonds came in such a large size” half a dozen times, they ran out of compliments. It was for Lord Howard himself to show them the way.
“This little gem was given me by the nawab of Sutani.” He smiled, holding up an ugly length of diamond chain. “It is to be worn on the ankle. Every gem is perfect. Not a flaw in them, a diamond merchant told me. You’ll never guess what I got it for.” He
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