up the stack of letters and preparing to open the first one.
Geoff entered with a broad grin on his face, but schooled his features at the disapproving glare the butler sent him. He placed the plate down before her and while it smelt very appetising, Nellie’s attention was instead on the footman.
“What had you smiling like a boy smitten by his first crush?” she asked Geoff.
He opened his mouth to comment but paused and cast Parker a worried look. “Nothing, my Lady.”
“Oh do not try to fool me, young man,” she said, amused by her own schoolmistress tone. The boy was likely older than she was. “You cannot dismiss my interest with that poor attempt at foolery.”
His lips broadened into a smile. “I cannot tell you, my Lady. It is a surprise.”
That gave her pause. “A surprise? For whom?”
“You, my Lady.”
She blinked. “Me? From whom?”
He laughed once, but sobered as Parker coughed and looked meaningfully towards the servant’s door. Nellie waved at the butler with a dismissive hand and focused on the footman.
“From whom?”
“His Lordship, of course.”
Nellie sat back in her chair and pondered this, her mind running along several possibilities. Excitement sat at the forefront of her mind.
“Off with you, Geoff, or I am likely to ask more questions if you stay,” she said, amused, but as he reached the door she called to him. “Will I like this surprise?”
His lips broadened. “I believe so, my Lady.”
She gave him an answering smile and waved him off.
As the door closed, she looked back to the frowning butler. “Be careful, Parker. The wind could change and then your face would be fixed like that,” she said lightly as she lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth.
* * * *
The Earl of Combleton, with his greying hair, tobacco-stained teeth and protruding waistline, still had the dishevelled air about him that Thomas recalled from his youth. The Earl and Thomas’ father had been friends since their infancy and just as he had as a child, Thomas was quickly growing weary of the man’s presence.
“So, chap, your father tells me you are seeking a horse, and even went on to say ‘the friskier the better’.” The older man chuckled. “I believe I have just the beast for you.”
Thomas forced a smile. “Indeed I am. Though the horse will not be for me, but for my new wife.”
“Wife?” The man looked puzzled. “You wish to be rid of her already?”
“Hardly,” Thomas said with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
“Then why did your father say it needed to have fire in its blood? I recall him speaking favourably of the girl, so why do you wish to put her in harm’s way?”
“I do not wish anything of the sort,” Thomas said. “She is simply a very skilled horsewoman and I believe she will prefer a horse that will be a challenge to her. Lady Sterling has a stallion at her father’s estate, which is one of the finest beasts I have ever seen, but she fears he will not cope well with London life and seeks another.”
“Ah, well. Regardless, I am sorry to hear that it is not you who is seeking the horse, as this mare is not suitable as a lady’s steed,” the earl went on to say, as though he had not heard Thomas.
“Well, as you have ridden the horse all this way,” Thomas said, as he rose from his seat, “you may as well show it to me.”
“Oh, I did not ride,” the earl scoffed. “No, I had a groom bring it over.”
Yes, Thomas imagined the man would have a hard time riding, and would prefer to sit in the confinement of a carriage. He pitied the horse that would have to carry such a burden.
As they walked through the lobby, Thomas noted a footman was standing at the dining room door, which signalled that Nellie was still in attendance. Parker was clearing away her plate as he entered the room.
“Good morning, wife.”
She looked up and smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Good morning,” she said, and rose.
“Please allow me to introduce
Geoff entered with a broad grin on his face, but schooled his features at the disapproving glare the butler sent him. He placed the plate down before her and while it smelt very appetising, Nellie’s attention was instead on the footman.
“What had you smiling like a boy smitten by his first crush?” she asked Geoff.
He opened his mouth to comment but paused and cast Parker a worried look. “Nothing, my Lady.”
“Oh do not try to fool me, young man,” she said, amused by her own schoolmistress tone. The boy was likely older than she was. “You cannot dismiss my interest with that poor attempt at foolery.”
His lips broadened into a smile. “I cannot tell you, my Lady. It is a surprise.”
That gave her pause. “A surprise? For whom?”
“You, my Lady.”
She blinked. “Me? From whom?”
He laughed once, but sobered as Parker coughed and looked meaningfully towards the servant’s door. Nellie waved at the butler with a dismissive hand and focused on the footman.
“From whom?”
“His Lordship, of course.”
Nellie sat back in her chair and pondered this, her mind running along several possibilities. Excitement sat at the forefront of her mind.
“Off with you, Geoff, or I am likely to ask more questions if you stay,” she said, amused, but as he reached the door she called to him. “Will I like this surprise?”
His lips broadened. “I believe so, my Lady.”
She gave him an answering smile and waved him off.
As the door closed, she looked back to the frowning butler. “Be careful, Parker. The wind could change and then your face would be fixed like that,” she said lightly as she lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth.
* * * *
The Earl of Combleton, with his greying hair, tobacco-stained teeth and protruding waistline, still had the dishevelled air about him that Thomas recalled from his youth. The Earl and Thomas’ father had been friends since their infancy and just as he had as a child, Thomas was quickly growing weary of the man’s presence.
“So, chap, your father tells me you are seeking a horse, and even went on to say ‘the friskier the better’.” The older man chuckled. “I believe I have just the beast for you.”
Thomas forced a smile. “Indeed I am. Though the horse will not be for me, but for my new wife.”
“Wife?” The man looked puzzled. “You wish to be rid of her already?”
“Hardly,” Thomas said with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
“Then why did your father say it needed to have fire in its blood? I recall him speaking favourably of the girl, so why do you wish to put her in harm’s way?”
“I do not wish anything of the sort,” Thomas said. “She is simply a very skilled horsewoman and I believe she will prefer a horse that will be a challenge to her. Lady Sterling has a stallion at her father’s estate, which is one of the finest beasts I have ever seen, but she fears he will not cope well with London life and seeks another.”
“Ah, well. Regardless, I am sorry to hear that it is not you who is seeking the horse, as this mare is not suitable as a lady’s steed,” the earl went on to say, as though he had not heard Thomas.
“Well, as you have ridden the horse all this way,” Thomas said, as he rose from his seat, “you may as well show it to me.”
“Oh, I did not ride,” the earl scoffed. “No, I had a groom bring it over.”
Yes, Thomas imagined the man would have a hard time riding, and would prefer to sit in the confinement of a carriage. He pitied the horse that would have to carry such a burden.
As they walked through the lobby, Thomas noted a footman was standing at the dining room door, which signalled that Nellie was still in attendance. Parker was clearing away her plate as he entered the room.
“Good morning, wife.”
She looked up and smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Good morning,” she said, and rose.
“Please allow me to introduce
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