She turned in the chair. “Come in.” she called. She expected to see Clara or James but it was Earl Kipling. She stood up, looking at him in surprise.
“My… my lord. I did… not expect you.”
The Earl came into the room and stood a few feet away from her, clutching his hat in his hands.
“I wanted to check on you, my lady.” The Earl said. “Did you sleep well?”
“I slept well, yes, thank you.”
“You are… usually up earlier than this. I was afraid you had taken ill.”
Anne Marie shook her head, taking a step closer to the door. He was standing between her and the door. She wanted to get to the door without actually touching him to do so.
“May I escort you to breakfast?”
Anne Marie pressed her lips together and gathered herself together, looking directly at the Earl. After a moment of intense, quick thinking, she nodded. “Yes, Earl Kipling. You may escort me to breakfast. Thank you for coming to check on me. That was very kind of you.”
The Earl put out his elbow and she reluctantly slid her hand through it.
“It was my pleasure. I do hope that you consider me a friend, Lady Wiltshire. We could be much more than that, if you were willing to take a chance with me. I know that we would have a lot of things in common. We would be able to talk about many different interesting subjects.”
Anne Marie listened to him going on about what wonderful friends and partners they could be, wondering where he was getting his information. What made him think they would be a good couple? They had never really talked. He knew very little about her.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried. She knew that he had been trying. She had just not given him the opportunity to get to know her very well. She answered his questions with vague statements. She was certain he didn’t even know what type of wine was her favorite, something she had revealed to James after dinner one of the previous nights, and he hadn’t forgotten to set a glass of that particular wine down next to her plate every dinner since. He had told his mother and Judith had made sure to have the bottle available in case Anne Marie wanted to indulge during luncheon.
She hadn’t taken advantage of that but it was something she had definitely noticed.
The Earl walked with her down the stairs and into the dining room. The smell of bacon frying, eggs cooking, and bread baking had filled the hotel. Anne Marie suddenly realized how hungry she was. She thought she had lost her appetite after seeing James and Clara sitting on the swing talking. However, she was wrong. She was, in fact, very hungry.
She sat in the chair Earl Kipling pulled out for her, waiting anxiously for Katrina to set out the plates. The maid would bring out the food as soon as the rest of the residents arrived.
Anne Marie was impatient. She didn’t want to be the only one in the room with the Earl. She was relieved when Lady Saville swept in dramatically, announcing a loud “Hello, all!” as if she had stepped out on stage and was about to give a monologue to a large audience. The Earl stood up and waited for the Lady to sit before taking his seat once again. Anne Marie was happy they chatted for a bit, discussing their sleep the night before. Moments after Lady Saville came in, James and Clara entered the room.
“My lady,” Clara said, looking at Anne Marie. “I am sorry I did not visit you this morning.”
Anne Marie forced a laugh, not looking directly at either Clara or James. “I am perfectly capable of waking up and dressing myself, Clara. Thank you.”
“Oh, I meant no insult, my lady.” Clara sounded slightly hurt, which made Anne Marie feel embarrassed. She was making a fool of herself in front of everyone. She doubted any of them knew why she was being rude to her friend and companion. She gave Clara a smile.
“Come and sit. Let’s enjoy a good breakfast. Good morning, Sir James. I trust you are feeling well this morning?”
“I am, my lady, thank you.”
There was something new in his eyes, Anne Marie felt. Something had changed. She wasn’t sure whether it was a good or a bad thing. His demeanor was casual but cautious. Her heart thumped as she ran over the possibilities of what that could mean in her mind. She wanted to see him looking at her with the longing look he had given her on so many occasions. She didn’t know him well enough to understand what had changed in the way he looked at her.
He sat in the chair he always took next to hers and Clara sat on the opposite side of him. It was a new position for her, as she had always sat next to Anne Marie.
Anne Marie’s heart sped up. Her stomach turned over as she pondered what Clara’s new seat must mean. Were they already courting? Had she already lost her chance with James without even hearing back from her Uncle? The letter was set to go out with the post today. He would not receive it for at least a few weeks.
She didn’t want to wait for the return letter or for her Uncle to arrive, should he choose to visit instead. She wanted to take what little chance she might have left and indicate to James that she was interested.
She turned to say something to him, anything she could think of, but he wasn’t looking in her direction. In fact, his head was turned completely away. He was looking at Clara. Anne Marie realized Clara was talking to him. She came out of her thoughts and listened to what her companion was saying. Clara’s voice was soft and low, more feminine than Anne Marie had ever heard it. She was openly flirting with James. In front of everyone. James was reciprocating. He was smiling at Clara. He was chatting with her.
Anne Marie found herself fighting off tears. She scooted her chair back and stood up abruptly. James looked up at her when she did so with wide eyes. She looked down at him and their eyes met.
Without saying a word, James grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving.
“Everything is all right, Lady Anne.” He said, his voice commanding and caring at the same time. “You don’t need to leave.”
She didn’t take her eyes from his. She sat down. He stood up and pushed her chair in gently. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. Chills ran over her body and she closed her eyes.
“There is never a reason for a beautiful flower to wilt, my lady. Blossom so that you can be seen.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A WALK WITH NICHOLAS
A WALK WITH NICHOLAS
When Anne Marie opened her eyes the next morning, she remembered her dreams. Vivid memories floated through her mind as if they were real. She lay in bed, staring up at the soft fabric above her head, thinking about them. Her mother and father sitting with her in the drawing room of the house she had grown up in until their deaths, James and Clara walking with her in the park, her uncle coming to visit her at the hotel…
She ran through them in her mind, wishing she could go back, wishing they had been real. Finally, knowing she was not going back to sleep, she slid out of bed. She glanced at the desk but there was no flower this morning.
Another day, she thought. Another day of watching Clara getting closer to James, wishing she could switch places with her companion. She would give up the title of Viscountess, trading with Clara, if she could. As she prepared for breakfast, she resisted the temptation to go across to Clara’s room to see if she was there. She didn’t particularly need Clara’s help to get ready. She just wanted to see if the woman was in her room or if she had already met up with James, like she had the day before.
She brushed her hair and got into a comfortable spring dress. She wore the slip on shoes she was most comfortable in.
She opened her door at exactly the same moment Clara opened hers. They looked at each other for a moment before stepping out and closing the doors behind them.
“Good morning, Miss Anne.” Clara said. “Did you sleep well?”
Anne Marie nodded. “And you?”
“Yes, I slept fine. I am looking forward to breakfast. It’s going to be a fine day.”
The plan had been made at dinner the night before to go to the park. Although he had business to attend to in the morning, James planned to mee
t up with them.
“I’ll bring along the Cornwall's.” He had said, glancing at Anne Marie pointedly. It irritated her a bit but she said nothing.
Anne Marie wanted to get through breakfast quickly. The normal spread looked appetizing but there was an underlying tension in the room that made everyone quieter than usual. She chided herself, sure that she was the only one feeling it. She didn’t want her sour mood to bring the rest of her companions down, so she ate just a little and excused herself, saying she was going on a walk.
“We’ll be doing a lot of walking in the park later, Lady Anne.” Earl Kipling said, standing up when she did. “Be careful not to wear yourself out.”
Anne Marie nodded at him and at James, who had also stood up. “I will be very careful not to wear myself out, my lord. Thank you for your concern.”
She left the group behind, stepping out into the bright sun, thankful it was not a rainy day. The talk at the breakfast table had focused on the search for the flower shop vandal. She glanced down the street in the distance, where men were working on the front of the store. They were taking measurements by the look of it. Some were just standing around, their arms crossed in front of their chest, watching.
She decided to walk in that direction and get a glimpse of what the store looked like now that the mess had been cleaned up. As she approached, she could hear the men talking about it. They were just as confused as everyone else.
“Have you ever seen anything like this before?” One of the men asked. She passed behind the group of four men, staring at the broken window and inside the store.
“No. I can’t imagine who could be so angry and destructive they would want to do something like this.”
She recognized the man’s voice and stopped.
“Good morning.” She heard. One of the men had turned to see her passing by.
She nodded at him. “Good morning.” When she spoke, the rest of the men turned to look at her. As she had suspected, one of them was Nicholas Cornwall.
“My lady,” he said cordially. “It is a fine morning for a walk. How are you feeling on this bright sunny day? Good, I hope?”
She smiled at him. He was a very handsome man. “I am feeling fine, yes, my lord. And you?”
“I’m always in good spirits,” Nicholas replied, returning her smile, “Whether or not I am physically well.”
“That must be a nice thing for your family.” Anne Marie joked.
The men laughed, making her feel appreciated. She bit her bottom lip and blushed.
“That it is!” Nicholas said, laughing loudly. “That it is! You have made quite an impression on my mother, Lady Wiltshire. She mentioned that you might be coming over for dinner this week.”
“Yes, I had planned to, my lord.”
“I know you will bring your lovely companion, won’t you? We will ensure that Ellingham is there, as well. I noticed they are bonding quite nicely. If you plan to leave, you might be leaving alone.”
It wasn’t what Anne Marie wanted to hear but she smiled anyway. “I am not planning to leave anytime soon.”
Nicholas raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Would you like company on your walk this morning, my lady?”
Anne Marie thought about it quickly. Did she want to give the impression she was interested in the young lord? He was certainly a better candidate than the Earl, who still made her feel uncomfortable when she was forced to be around him.
“That would be lovely, if you have time, my lord.”
“I can make time for a delightful woman.” Nicholas turned to his companions. “I will return later to check on your progress. I’d like to have as much of this done today as possible.”
“My lord, the replacement window pane will not be here until tomorrow afternoon.” One of the men said. Nicholas nodded at him.
“Yes, I know. There is still some work to be done here, though. Just do what you can. I will be back later.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Nicholas turned to Anne Marie, giving the impression he was dismissing himself from the men. He offered his elbow to Anne Marie. “Shall we go?”
Anne Marie took his arm and they walked away from the store.
“Have you been to see the garden?”
“I have. James took Clara and me there a few days ago.”
“It is a lovely place, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I thought so.”
“It’s one of the things that keep people here in Bainbridge.”
“There are many interesting things about your village, my lord. James has mentioned the great tree. Someday I would like to see that. And the gardens. The streams are beautiful. The buildings are unique, unlike most that I have seen, especially in London. The sundial in the middle of the street especially.”
Nicholas nodded. “My father is an amazing architect.”
Anne Marie looked up at him in surprise. “Was it he that constructed these buildings?”
Nicholas chuckled. “He didn’t construct them alone, I’ll tell you that much. He designed most of the buildings here in Bainbridge. We’ve had men working the construction for us since we came to this village.”
“It is a very young village. Very modern, I think. Unique, as I said.”
“What do you think of the sundial in the middle of the street? Isn’t that something?”
Anne Marie smiled up at him. “Quite.”
“I would love to show you around town, to the places you have not yet been.”
“Surely you are a busy man,” Anne Marie didn’t want to sound unappreciative. She was enjoying walking with Nicholas. In the back of her mind, however, she couldn’t help feeling like she was betraying James, though logic told her that feeling was silly. “Do you have time to show me around?”
“I make time for beautiful women.” Nicholas spoke in a deep, firm voice.
“I would be grateful for a tour, my lord. I am supposed to meet my companion, Clara, and some of the other residents of the hotel in Central Park in about an hour. They are finishing their breakfast right now.”
“Is James still at the hotel?”
“He is, as far as I know. Unless he has already left for the business he had to take care of.”
Nicholas nodded. “I was hoping he had not forgotten that he was to meet Tyler at Bloomberg’s Bank. They have business to discuss with several of the men from town.”
“I suppose they will be talking money and finances.”
Nicholas grinned at her. “Why yes, how did you guess?”
Anne Marie giggled. “That is typically what men do at a bank. I am personally glad that I do not need to talk about business and money. I am not business-minded, in the least.”
“Women are not meant to deal in business, though I am not saying they couldn’t. Women are commonly much smarter than men, if you ask me. I have dealt with some very shrewd wives in the past. They struck me as much smarter than their husbands. I would seek out their advice before I would speak with their husbands.”
“It seems to me that would not go over very well with the men.”
Nicholas laughed. “You would be right. It often did not.”
Anne Marie joined him in his laughter. “Men can be very stubborn when it comes to working without the restraint of dealing with women.”
“When do you think your companion will be going to the park? If you would agree, I will walk you back to the hotel and we can meet up with them before they leave. That way we can all go together. I will send one of the men back at the flower shop for my coach so there will be enough room for everyone. Who is going?”
“I believe it is all of us, apart from James, who has probably already left to meet Tyler. I would assume so. He does not seem like the type to make a promise and not keep it.”
Nicholas nodded. “Yes. He is a trustworthy partner when it comes to business. He will make a fine husband for the woman he marries. I’ve seen some hard workers in my time. I’ve also seen some lazy workers. But he is harder working than any man I�
��ve met before. Surprising he is not a foreigner, as they tend to work harder to make a better impression with the natives of the village.”
“I hope that my presence has not caused any trouble in your village, my lord.” Anne Marie’s thought went back to their discussion the day before.
Nicholas shook his head, resting one hand over the one she was clutching his elbow with. “You must not think that. I know it was brought up yesterday but really, as Earl Kipling said, it is very unlikely it has anything to do with your visit.”
They had turned around and were at that moment passing the men at the flower shop. They all nodded in acknowledgment but no words were spoken. Two of the men tipped their hats to Anne Marie and she smiled at them.
“Have you actually examined the sundial?”
Anne Marie’s eyebrows lifted. “I have not.”
He grinned. “Would you like to? It’s kind of hard to miss, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“It was put there by my father. He wanted to make sure anyone in the hotel or the surrounding buildings would be able to tell what time it was without a timepiece.”
“I have found it useful in the mornings when I was unsure what time it was after waking.”
Nicholas took her to the huge sundial. They stopped to gaze at it.
“It is quite majestic, isn’t it?” He said in a low voice.
“Yes, my lord. Whatever could have given your father the idea?”
“That is a question you would need to ask him.”
“You have never inquired into it?”
Nicholas shrugged his shoulders. “My father has many unique ideas. He is a creative to the very depths of his soul.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
Beyond the sundial, Anne Marie and Nicholas could see people emerging from the hotel.
“It looks like we may be too late if we do not hurry and catch them. Were they planning to walk?”
“I believe so.”
“Do you think they would like to take a coach?” Nicholas glanced over his shoulder at the men in front of the flower shop they had passed. “I forgot to request it. I can always go and fetch it myself. I have driven buggies, coaches, hackneys, whatever transportation you can think of.”
The Trouble With These Gentlemen (The BainBridge - Love & Challenges) (The Regency Romance Story) Page 13
