though she didn’t appreciate his comment. “I wish you wouldn’t speak so carelessly about marriage and death,” she said, tugging her hand away from him as soon as she was on the ground.
Tristan laughed, still hoping to make light of the situation. “Well… it’s true, isn’t it? It’s not just an issue of health. I don’t have a modicum of Andrew’s charm or good looks. Any woman would think he's a much better catch than me.”
“I have no idea why you would think such a thing. Come on, Mary. Let’s go.” She looked over at Andrew and nodded politely. “Good afternoon, Mr. Lamb. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”
“Definitely, my lady…” Andrew answered, bowing to her as she fled. When she was gone, a suppressed chuckle flew out of his mouth. “ Not dead yet? Rather marry Andrew? I knowyou’ve never been good with women, but that was a colossally stupid thing to say!”
“I know, I know…” Tristan was pouting and scowling, which made him look like he was trying to imitate a gorilla. “She’s angry with me, isn’t she? I’m not cut out for this wife business, am I? Why did I even bother?”
“Well, I can think of one benefit of having a wife, and I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. It’s been eight years since you--”
Tristan held a finger in front of Andrew’s face. “I know what you’re going to say. Do not complete that thought, Andrew. Our wedding night was a disaster, if you really must know.”
“Oh!” Andrew stuffed his hands into the pockets of his greatcoat. He didn’t know what else to say. “Oh, dear… you mean… you didn’t…?”
Tristan shook his head.
“Well, do you think… you will ?”
Tristan shrugged.
“Well, at least we can celebrate celibacy together, my friend,” Andrew said with a chuckle. “Because there isn’t a woman around here to tempt me. You really need to employ a pretty maid, Randall.”
“By not hiring any pretty maids, I’m doing them a favor.” Tristan gave his friend a dubious glance. “I wouldn't want to subject them to Andrew Lamb!”
Chapter Fourteen
“Andrew Lamb!” It was Mary who uttered his name, breathily and dreamily. “If heaven split open and spat out an angel, it would look like Mr. Lamb. Have you ever seen such a handsome man?”
Leona, who’d been fighting off the doldrums since their afternoon outing, lifted her head. “Who is handsome?”
Mary’s hands were busily tidying her mistress’s hair, which had become disheveled by the wind. “Andrew Lamb, my lady! I think he might be the handsomest man that ever lived. I know I don’t have any right to notice such a thing, but… it’s true, isn’t it? Isn’t he handsome?”
“Well… I suppose so,” Leona said with a sigh. When she tried to picture Andrew’s face, no image came to mind. She didn’t know why she failed to notice Andrew’s good looks, as she was usually the first person to recognize a handsome face. “That is… I, um… I didn’t really notice. Now that I’m married, I must be blind to that sort of thing.”
“You didn’t notice?” Mary gasped. “Married or not, young or old, maid or lady… I can’t imagine any woman wouldn’t feel the air sucked out of her lungs at the sight of that man’s face. He makes me wish I was a lady, so I could be courted by him. But… I suppose I’d have to be young, wouldn’t I? A young lady? And I’d have to be pretty, of course… to catch the attention of a man like that.”
“But, Mary!” Leona protested, “You are pretty!”
“You don’t have to be so kind, my lady. I already know I’m plain.” She finished pinning Leona’s hair and sat beside her on the bed. “Besides, it isn’t as if I’m seriously considering Mr. Lamb for a beau. I just think he’s handsome. It doesn’t hurt to look, does it?”
“No, it certainly does not,” Leona agreed with a chuckle. “Although... sometimes… the act of looking can get you in a great deal of trouble. I wish I
Tristan laughed, still hoping to make light of the situation. “Well… it’s true, isn’t it? It’s not just an issue of health. I don’t have a modicum of Andrew’s charm or good looks. Any woman would think he's a much better catch than me.”
“I have no idea why you would think such a thing. Come on, Mary. Let’s go.” She looked over at Andrew and nodded politely. “Good afternoon, Mr. Lamb. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”
“Definitely, my lady…” Andrew answered, bowing to her as she fled. When she was gone, a suppressed chuckle flew out of his mouth. “ Not dead yet? Rather marry Andrew? I knowyou’ve never been good with women, but that was a colossally stupid thing to say!”
“I know, I know…” Tristan was pouting and scowling, which made him look like he was trying to imitate a gorilla. “She’s angry with me, isn’t she? I’m not cut out for this wife business, am I? Why did I even bother?”
“Well, I can think of one benefit of having a wife, and I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. It’s been eight years since you--”
Tristan held a finger in front of Andrew’s face. “I know what you’re going to say. Do not complete that thought, Andrew. Our wedding night was a disaster, if you really must know.”
“Oh!” Andrew stuffed his hands into the pockets of his greatcoat. He didn’t know what else to say. “Oh, dear… you mean… you didn’t…?”
Tristan shook his head.
“Well, do you think… you will ?”
Tristan shrugged.
“Well, at least we can celebrate celibacy together, my friend,” Andrew said with a chuckle. “Because there isn’t a woman around here to tempt me. You really need to employ a pretty maid, Randall.”
“By not hiring any pretty maids, I’m doing them a favor.” Tristan gave his friend a dubious glance. “I wouldn't want to subject them to Andrew Lamb!”
Chapter Fourteen
“Andrew Lamb!” It was Mary who uttered his name, breathily and dreamily. “If heaven split open and spat out an angel, it would look like Mr. Lamb. Have you ever seen such a handsome man?”
Leona, who’d been fighting off the doldrums since their afternoon outing, lifted her head. “Who is handsome?”
Mary’s hands were busily tidying her mistress’s hair, which had become disheveled by the wind. “Andrew Lamb, my lady! I think he might be the handsomest man that ever lived. I know I don’t have any right to notice such a thing, but… it’s true, isn’t it? Isn’t he handsome?”
“Well… I suppose so,” Leona said with a sigh. When she tried to picture Andrew’s face, no image came to mind. She didn’t know why she failed to notice Andrew’s good looks, as she was usually the first person to recognize a handsome face. “That is… I, um… I didn’t really notice. Now that I’m married, I must be blind to that sort of thing.”
“You didn’t notice?” Mary gasped. “Married or not, young or old, maid or lady… I can’t imagine any woman wouldn’t feel the air sucked out of her lungs at the sight of that man’s face. He makes me wish I was a lady, so I could be courted by him. But… I suppose I’d have to be young, wouldn’t I? A young lady? And I’d have to be pretty, of course… to catch the attention of a man like that.”
“But, Mary!” Leona protested, “You are pretty!”
“You don’t have to be so kind, my lady. I already know I’m plain.” She finished pinning Leona’s hair and sat beside her on the bed. “Besides, it isn’t as if I’m seriously considering Mr. Lamb for a beau. I just think he’s handsome. It doesn’t hurt to look, does it?”
“No, it certainly does not,” Leona agreed with a chuckle. “Although... sometimes… the act of looking can get you in a great deal of trouble. I wish I
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