butler, Weston, fast on his heels.
“My lord,” Weston cried, “I told him you were busy, but he barged past!”
“A word, Freese.” Ditman cut his eyes to Clara, then back to Jordan. The mud splatters on his boots and cloak indicated he’d not taken the time to change since his arrival. “It’s urgent.”
Jordan nodded. “If you’ll excuse us, Clara. I’ll see you at supper.”
Clara treated him to a mocking curtsy. “As you say, my lord.” Her voice was treacly sweet, but he read annoyance in her eyes. He’d not been in the house ten minutes and already, his wounded-feelings tally was up to two.
When they were alone, Jordan took in the intense lines of his friend’s posture. “What is it, Fitz?”
“I stopped at the tavern as I passed through Lintern Village,” he said. “Thought I’d get a feel for where we stood.”
Jordan frowned. “And?”
Ditman shook his head. “Bad news. Two Frenchmen were in the village yesterday, making inquiries about Lintern Abbey, wanting to know whether or not you were in residence. They’re here.”
• • •
After depositing Aunt Janine in her room, Lady Kaitlin led Naomi to the next room over. It was a very pleasant bedchamber. Ivy-patterned wallpaper and vases of late-summer blooms made the room feel like its own secluded garden. Naomi pulled aside the curtain. Her window overlooked the east garden, which featured pretty little puffs of lavender contained in a grid by a low hedge. Box cones stood at regular intervals along the walk, green sentinels at attention.
“Does the room suit, my lady?” Lady Kaitlin’s voice was timid and still hovered in the timbre of girlhood.
Naomi turned around and smiled. “It suits me well, thank you. His lordship has a lovely home. I should very much like to see more of it.”
Now, where had that sudden enthusiasm come from? Naomi frowned inwardly as she realized that it was true. The tiny portion of Lintern Abbey she had seen pleased her immensely. She could not understand Lord Freese’s dismay at his own home.
Kaitlin smiled shyly. “I should like that, as well, my lady. I didn’t grow up here, you see. This is my first visit to Lintern Abbey.”
“What do you think of it so far?”
The younger girl’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it’s
marvelous!”
she declared. “Jordan is the very best of brothers, and I knew he must have the very best of homes. We only arrived yesterday, you see, so I haven’t seen much, either. What I have seen is grand, though, just grand!”
Naomi found Kaitlin’s zeal infectious. She grinned as the girl continued her animated praise of the estate and its master.
“There are ruins nearby,” Kaitlin said, “of the abbey that used to be here. I suppose that’s why the estate is still called Lintern Abbey. It’s so very clever of Jordan to have his very own ruins. I can’t think of anything more romantic.”
Chuckling, Naomi wondered whether Kaitlin believed Jordan to have hung the moon in the sky, as well.
Probably
, she thought. She’d once been a young girl, too, who’d worshiped her older brothers.
“That
is
exceedingly clever of Lord Freese,” she agreed. “Perhaps we can explore the ruins together.”
Kaitlin nodded her eager acceptance. Naomi liked the girl already. She was bright and well comported for a child of … what? Thirteen or fourteen, Naomi supposed. Just on the cusp of womanhood. She couldn’t imagine what had sparked Jordan’s earlier fury at finding this inoffensive girl in his house. Most peculiar.
In the corridor, a pair of ladies passing by stopped. “Oh, hello,” said one. Her large figure filled most of the doorway. “You must be our late arrivals,” the woman said. “I’m Gertrude Price.”
Lady Kaitlin gestured. “This is Lady Naomi Lockwood.”
Naomi nodded. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Price.”
The woman bobbed a curtsy. “Likewise. Please call me Trudy. My friends do, and I’m sure we shall all be friends before
“My lord,” Weston cried, “I told him you were busy, but he barged past!”
“A word, Freese.” Ditman cut his eyes to Clara, then back to Jordan. The mud splatters on his boots and cloak indicated he’d not taken the time to change since his arrival. “It’s urgent.”
Jordan nodded. “If you’ll excuse us, Clara. I’ll see you at supper.”
Clara treated him to a mocking curtsy. “As you say, my lord.” Her voice was treacly sweet, but he read annoyance in her eyes. He’d not been in the house ten minutes and already, his wounded-feelings tally was up to two.
When they were alone, Jordan took in the intense lines of his friend’s posture. “What is it, Fitz?”
“I stopped at the tavern as I passed through Lintern Village,” he said. “Thought I’d get a feel for where we stood.”
Jordan frowned. “And?”
Ditman shook his head. “Bad news. Two Frenchmen were in the village yesterday, making inquiries about Lintern Abbey, wanting to know whether or not you were in residence. They’re here.”
• • •
After depositing Aunt Janine in her room, Lady Kaitlin led Naomi to the next room over. It was a very pleasant bedchamber. Ivy-patterned wallpaper and vases of late-summer blooms made the room feel like its own secluded garden. Naomi pulled aside the curtain. Her window overlooked the east garden, which featured pretty little puffs of lavender contained in a grid by a low hedge. Box cones stood at regular intervals along the walk, green sentinels at attention.
“Does the room suit, my lady?” Lady Kaitlin’s voice was timid and still hovered in the timbre of girlhood.
Naomi turned around and smiled. “It suits me well, thank you. His lordship has a lovely home. I should very much like to see more of it.”
Now, where had that sudden enthusiasm come from? Naomi frowned inwardly as she realized that it was true. The tiny portion of Lintern Abbey she had seen pleased her immensely. She could not understand Lord Freese’s dismay at his own home.
Kaitlin smiled shyly. “I should like that, as well, my lady. I didn’t grow up here, you see. This is my first visit to Lintern Abbey.”
“What do you think of it so far?”
The younger girl’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it’s
marvelous!”
she declared. “Jordan is the very best of brothers, and I knew he must have the very best of homes. We only arrived yesterday, you see, so I haven’t seen much, either. What I have seen is grand, though, just grand!”
Naomi found Kaitlin’s zeal infectious. She grinned as the girl continued her animated praise of the estate and its master.
“There are ruins nearby,” Kaitlin said, “of the abbey that used to be here. I suppose that’s why the estate is still called Lintern Abbey. It’s so very clever of Jordan to have his very own ruins. I can’t think of anything more romantic.”
Chuckling, Naomi wondered whether Kaitlin believed Jordan to have hung the moon in the sky, as well.
Probably
, she thought. She’d once been a young girl, too, who’d worshiped her older brothers.
“That
is
exceedingly clever of Lord Freese,” she agreed. “Perhaps we can explore the ruins together.”
Kaitlin nodded her eager acceptance. Naomi liked the girl already. She was bright and well comported for a child of … what? Thirteen or fourteen, Naomi supposed. Just on the cusp of womanhood. She couldn’t imagine what had sparked Jordan’s earlier fury at finding this inoffensive girl in his house. Most peculiar.
In the corridor, a pair of ladies passing by stopped. “Oh, hello,” said one. Her large figure filled most of the doorway. “You must be our late arrivals,” the woman said. “I’m Gertrude Price.”
Lady Kaitlin gestured. “This is Lady Naomi Lockwood.”
Naomi nodded. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Price.”
The woman bobbed a curtsy. “Likewise. Please call me Trudy. My friends do, and I’m sure we shall all be friends before
Similar Books
