cousin; therefore, I consider it to be very much my business.”
Theo went white beneath the gold of the sun’s bronzing.
“Yours?”
“Mine,” he affirmed quietly. “And I don’t accept riding dress at my dinner table.” Stretching his arm, he pulled the bell rope hanging beside the fireplace.
Foster appeared immediately in the stunned silence.“Would you ask Cook to put dinner back for fifteen minutes?” the earl requested politely.
He turned back to Theo as Foster left. “You have fifteen minutes, cousin … unless, of course, you’d prefer to have a tray in your room.”
“Mama?” Theo swung round on her mother, her eyes both enraged and appealing.
Elinor didn’t look up from her embroidery. “Lord Stoneridge is entitled to set his own rules in his own house, Theo.”
How could her mother betray her in this fashion? Stunned, Theo stared at Elinor’s bent head.
Lord Stoneridge glanced pointedly at the clock.
Clarissa came swiftly across the room. “Come, Theo, I’ll help you change. It won’t take a minute.”
Theo shook herself free of her numbed daze. Her eyes focused, flitting across the earl’s impassive countenance before she turned to her sister. Her voice was distant but even. “No, it’s all right, Clarry. I find I’m not in the least hungry.” Turning on her heel, she left the drawing room, her skirts swishing with her long, impatient stride.
Hotheaded gypsy!
He hadn’t intended to deprive her of her dinner, but it damn well
was
his house. Sylvester refilled his glass as Elinor calmly instructed Clarissa to pull the bell for Foster again.
“Foster, you may serve dinner immediately,” she said when the butler appeared. “Lady Theo won’t be joining us.”
“I hope she’s not indisposed, my lady.” Foster looked concerned.
“I don’t believe so,” Elinor said, laying down her embroidery. “Shall we go in, Lord Stoneridge?”
Sylvester offered his arm, following her lead.
T HEO’S EMPTY SEAT
glared at them throughout a miserably uncomfortable dinner. Elinor did her best to maintain a steady flow of small talk with her daughters and the earl but knew that she fooled none of them, although the earl at least kept up his end of the conversation in the face of his cousins’ reproachful eyes. Elinor found herself wondering why he persevered with Theo in the teeth of such violent opposition. The material benefits of this marriage would be all on Theo’s side. If she couldn’t see that, why didn’t the earl simply wash his hands of his generous impulse?
The meal finally wound to a desultory close, and Elinor, clear relief in her eyes, rose with Clarissa and Emily. “We’ll leave you to your port, Stoneridge.”
He stood up politely as they left the room and then with sudden decision picked up the port decanter in one hand, two glasses between the fingers of his other, and followed them out. He crossed the hall and ascended the stairs two at a time, unaware of Foster’s startled observation.
Outside Theo’s room he paused, raising his arm to knockwith his elbow, and then changed his mind. This was an offensive where surprise was probably his strongest weapon. Using the little finger of the hand that held the glasses, he lifted the latch and nudged the door open with his knee.
The light was dim, but he could see Theo sitting on the window seat, a hunched white figure with her knees drawn up, her chin resting atop them.
“Why are you sitting in the dark?” he asked, stepping into the bedroom.
“Since it’s your house, my lord, I imagine you’ve dispensed with such courtesies as knocking before entering,” she commented bitterly.
“Not at all,” he returned without rancor, hitching a chair with his foot out from the corner of the room. “But I assumed that if I had knocked, you’d have turned the key in my face.”
He sat astride the chair, facing her, his arms resting along the back, supporting his burdened hands. Deftly, he filled the two glasses
Theo went white beneath the gold of the sun’s bronzing.
“Yours?”
“Mine,” he affirmed quietly. “And I don’t accept riding dress at my dinner table.” Stretching his arm, he pulled the bell rope hanging beside the fireplace.
Foster appeared immediately in the stunned silence.“Would you ask Cook to put dinner back for fifteen minutes?” the earl requested politely.
He turned back to Theo as Foster left. “You have fifteen minutes, cousin … unless, of course, you’d prefer to have a tray in your room.”
“Mama?” Theo swung round on her mother, her eyes both enraged and appealing.
Elinor didn’t look up from her embroidery. “Lord Stoneridge is entitled to set his own rules in his own house, Theo.”
How could her mother betray her in this fashion? Stunned, Theo stared at Elinor’s bent head.
Lord Stoneridge glanced pointedly at the clock.
Clarissa came swiftly across the room. “Come, Theo, I’ll help you change. It won’t take a minute.”
Theo shook herself free of her numbed daze. Her eyes focused, flitting across the earl’s impassive countenance before she turned to her sister. Her voice was distant but even. “No, it’s all right, Clarry. I find I’m not in the least hungry.” Turning on her heel, she left the drawing room, her skirts swishing with her long, impatient stride.
Hotheaded gypsy!
He hadn’t intended to deprive her of her dinner, but it damn well
was
his house. Sylvester refilled his glass as Elinor calmly instructed Clarissa to pull the bell for Foster again.
“Foster, you may serve dinner immediately,” she said when the butler appeared. “Lady Theo won’t be joining us.”
“I hope she’s not indisposed, my lady.” Foster looked concerned.
“I don’t believe so,” Elinor said, laying down her embroidery. “Shall we go in, Lord Stoneridge?”
Sylvester offered his arm, following her lead.
T HEO’S EMPTY SEAT
glared at them throughout a miserably uncomfortable dinner. Elinor did her best to maintain a steady flow of small talk with her daughters and the earl but knew that she fooled none of them, although the earl at least kept up his end of the conversation in the face of his cousins’ reproachful eyes. Elinor found herself wondering why he persevered with Theo in the teeth of such violent opposition. The material benefits of this marriage would be all on Theo’s side. If she couldn’t see that, why didn’t the earl simply wash his hands of his generous impulse?
The meal finally wound to a desultory close, and Elinor, clear relief in her eyes, rose with Clarissa and Emily. “We’ll leave you to your port, Stoneridge.”
He stood up politely as they left the room and then with sudden decision picked up the port decanter in one hand, two glasses between the fingers of his other, and followed them out. He crossed the hall and ascended the stairs two at a time, unaware of Foster’s startled observation.
Outside Theo’s room he paused, raising his arm to knockwith his elbow, and then changed his mind. This was an offensive where surprise was probably his strongest weapon. Using the little finger of the hand that held the glasses, he lifted the latch and nudged the door open with his knee.
The light was dim, but he could see Theo sitting on the window seat, a hunched white figure with her knees drawn up, her chin resting atop them.
“Why are you sitting in the dark?” he asked, stepping into the bedroom.
“Since it’s your house, my lord, I imagine you’ve dispensed with such courtesies as knocking before entering,” she commented bitterly.
“Not at all,” he returned without rancor, hitching a chair with his foot out from the corner of the room. “But I assumed that if I had knocked, you’d have turned the key in my face.”
He sat astride the chair, facing her, his arms resting along the back, supporting his burdened hands. Deftly, he filled the two glasses
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