dresser will also not be seen for yet a while,” said Victoria, thinking of that lady’s ill humor.
“The second carriage bearing the ladies’ maids and their baggage, not to mention Doro’s two little dogs, turned back last night for the village. After witnessing their mistresses’ plight I doubt that they will be in any great hurry to brave the crossing,” said Lord Damion. He grinned suddenly at Victoria. “May I assume that Margaret was distressed by her maid’s continued absence?”
Victoria chuckled and a mischievous twinkle lit her dark eyes. “Quite, my lord. And Evelyn’s odd sense of gallantry did not make matters better. He remarked that rusticating became her.”
Lord Damion gave a shout of laughter. “Breakfasting early has its advantages,” he observed. He noticed that she shivered. “I believe the wind is growing stronger. Shall we return to the manor, Lady Victoria?”
Victoria agreed to it and they walked back in companionable silence. She felt more in charity with him than she had at any time since their first meeting. She glanced up at his lean face. Victoria thought it would not be difficult to like Lord Damion if he were to remain as approachable as he had been that morning.
When she and Lord Damion reentered the hall, they found Sir Aubrey setting up a shout. He glared at Lord Damion. “There you are, sirruh! I was just sending for you.” He thrust a crumpled sheet at his nephew. “Chatworth brought that around with him. I have but just finished it. What do you make of it?”
Lord Damion calmly scanned the closely written sheet and looked up. “It appears straightforward enough. The solicitor writes us that he will join us when he is able.”
Evelyn, Margaret, and Lady Hortense had all been brought to the hall by Sir Aubrey’s angry voice. Margaret spared a dagger glance for Victoria when she saw her with Lord Damion and quickly positioned herself near that gentleman’s elbow.
Sir Aubrey pointed a shaking finger at the offending letter. “The solicitor mentions another beneficiary to Lord Robert’s estate in his letter, Damion. And he proposes to contact this upstart before he comes to preside over the reading. The only heirs to Lord Robert are already gathered under this roof!” There were general exclamations and excited speculations.
Amid the confusion Victoria quietly excused herself to Lord Damion and made her way upstairs to change out of her boots. Lord Damion looked after her thoughtfully, puzzled by her seeming lack of interest in the situation when even Margaret Giddings, who had nothing to gain, was expressing an opinion.
When Victoria returned downstairs some minutes later, she found Lady Hortense alone in the sitting room, quietly embroidering her altar cloth. Lady Hortense smiled at her in welcome. “We have had such excitement, have we not? At the last Evelyn could stand no more and has gone out riding and Margaret went up to sit with Doro. As for poor Sir Aubrey, he is still beside himself. I was never more grateful than when Damion took him off to the library for private speech.”
“Lord Damion appears well able to handle any disturbance with a calming authority,” said Victoria, sitting down beside her on the sofa. She picked up the yarns to hold them so that they would not tangle. Lady Hortense nodded to her in appreciation.
“I daresay it is Damion’s military training. The army steadied him amazingly, I am happy to say,” said Lady Hortense. “You would never have recognized him a few years ago. Damion was a wild young man of a very quick temper, very much like your Charles was.”
“Forgive me for saying so, ma’am, but I have observed that a hasty temper is a common trait in this family,” said Victoria dryly. “And I have yet to see any member bother to bridle it.”
“Oh, I think it nearly impossible to bridle it, my dear. And only Evelyn seems to have escaped what I call the heart of fire. Of us all, he is least likely to burn
“The second carriage bearing the ladies’ maids and their baggage, not to mention Doro’s two little dogs, turned back last night for the village. After witnessing their mistresses’ plight I doubt that they will be in any great hurry to brave the crossing,” said Lord Damion. He grinned suddenly at Victoria. “May I assume that Margaret was distressed by her maid’s continued absence?”
Victoria chuckled and a mischievous twinkle lit her dark eyes. “Quite, my lord. And Evelyn’s odd sense of gallantry did not make matters better. He remarked that rusticating became her.”
Lord Damion gave a shout of laughter. “Breakfasting early has its advantages,” he observed. He noticed that she shivered. “I believe the wind is growing stronger. Shall we return to the manor, Lady Victoria?”
Victoria agreed to it and they walked back in companionable silence. She felt more in charity with him than she had at any time since their first meeting. She glanced up at his lean face. Victoria thought it would not be difficult to like Lord Damion if he were to remain as approachable as he had been that morning.
When she and Lord Damion reentered the hall, they found Sir Aubrey setting up a shout. He glared at Lord Damion. “There you are, sirruh! I was just sending for you.” He thrust a crumpled sheet at his nephew. “Chatworth brought that around with him. I have but just finished it. What do you make of it?”
Lord Damion calmly scanned the closely written sheet and looked up. “It appears straightforward enough. The solicitor writes us that he will join us when he is able.”
Evelyn, Margaret, and Lady Hortense had all been brought to the hall by Sir Aubrey’s angry voice. Margaret spared a dagger glance for Victoria when she saw her with Lord Damion and quickly positioned herself near that gentleman’s elbow.
Sir Aubrey pointed a shaking finger at the offending letter. “The solicitor mentions another beneficiary to Lord Robert’s estate in his letter, Damion. And he proposes to contact this upstart before he comes to preside over the reading. The only heirs to Lord Robert are already gathered under this roof!” There were general exclamations and excited speculations.
Amid the confusion Victoria quietly excused herself to Lord Damion and made her way upstairs to change out of her boots. Lord Damion looked after her thoughtfully, puzzled by her seeming lack of interest in the situation when even Margaret Giddings, who had nothing to gain, was expressing an opinion.
When Victoria returned downstairs some minutes later, she found Lady Hortense alone in the sitting room, quietly embroidering her altar cloth. Lady Hortense smiled at her in welcome. “We have had such excitement, have we not? At the last Evelyn could stand no more and has gone out riding and Margaret went up to sit with Doro. As for poor Sir Aubrey, he is still beside himself. I was never more grateful than when Damion took him off to the library for private speech.”
“Lord Damion appears well able to handle any disturbance with a calming authority,” said Victoria, sitting down beside her on the sofa. She picked up the yarns to hold them so that they would not tangle. Lady Hortense nodded to her in appreciation.
“I daresay it is Damion’s military training. The army steadied him amazingly, I am happy to say,” said Lady Hortense. “You would never have recognized him a few years ago. Damion was a wild young man of a very quick temper, very much like your Charles was.”
“Forgive me for saying so, ma’am, but I have observed that a hasty temper is a common trait in this family,” said Victoria dryly. “And I have yet to see any member bother to bridle it.”
“Oh, I think it nearly impossible to bridle it, my dear. And only Evelyn seems to have escaped what I call the heart of fire. Of us all, he is least likely to burn
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