Sweet Summer Kisses

by Erin Knightley

  The idea both saddened and insulted him. How ridiculous. He had no attachment to her, and she’d made it quite clear to anyone who’d enquired that she had no interest in marrying at all. Why should her lack of feelings toward him affect him at all? Well, he could quite easily continue their friendship on a more business-like level if that’s what she preferred.

  In fact, perhaps by helping her, he could get in the good graces of Lord Huntfield, and have a much better chance at breeding his mare with Raven. “How may I be of assistance in this scheme? What amount of money do you need?”

  “I’d actually hoped you’d speak to some of your friends. The school is for the poor children in Huntfield. My mother and several of the ladies in the village gather their castoff clothing to donate to those unable to afford much, and they offer somewhat generous donations to the vicarage to provide baskets of food to those suffering a hardship. Yet these are temporary measures, nothing more than applying a tourniquet to a bleeding limb.”

  She drew in a breath and continued on. “If the children in the village were given some skills that would allow them to work at better jobs than their parents, within a few years, the older children could add to the family income. They could eat better. The children would be less likely to succumb to illness. The improvement to their livelihood would benefit the entire village, as well. Not that we hope to gain anything from the increase in taxes, mind you, but don’t you agree a prosperous village is more beneficial to everyone?”

  Knightwick waited to see if she’d continue, studying her as he did. Her skin had warmed with the passion for her subject, her eyes brightened, and her smile was much more natural. She always smiled when she spoke to him, but most often it was the stiff, formal smile of polite Society. Lady Susan was normally a pretty woman, but now she verged on beautiful.

  When he was certain she’d said her piece, he said, “I see you’ve thought deeply about this. That’s very admirable of you. And I don’t mean that condescendingly. I will be happy to help you find the sponsors you need.”

  Chapter 3

  Late June

  Bibiry

  Susan enjoyed the briskness of the morning air as she and her mother walked to the racecourse. Mama had rushed her through the toast and tea they’d shared in their rooms at the inn so they wouldn’t miss the first race.

  At least, that’s what Mama claimed. Susan knew it was more likely so she could be certain to catch every word of gossip her friends uttered.

  Papa stood with Lord Knightwick and Mr. David Lumley as usual, and Susan joined them rather than hearing the descriptions of fine gowns, and which titled gentleman singled out which young lady for his special attentions. Talk of horses irritated her much less.

  “Good morning, Lady Susan,” Lord Knightwick said. He and his brother bowed.

  She answered with a curtsy. “Good day. Have you all come to an agreement as to which of your horses will win today?”

  Her father chuckled. “The day that happens, I should sell all my horses, as I must be in my dotage.”

  “I shall be there to relieve you of your entire stock, you may be certain,” Mr. Lumley said.

  “We could relieve you of Raven now, if it would be of assistance.” Lord Knightwick bit back a grin.

  “That will never happen,” her father barked good-naturedly.

  “Speaking of Raven, I have a full sister to Truffle who has produced some fine runners. I’d be happy to exchange a foal out of her for one out of Truffle.” Lord Knightwick gazed out where some three-year-old runners were being warmed up for the first race.

  “That offer is almost tempting, but not tempting enough for Raven. Would you consider Buster instead?”

  “You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you?” Knightwick responded. “Have you used Buster yourself? I don’t recall him winning often. Have his colts fared better?”

  Papa deftly changed the subject. “Is that McMillan’s Manuela at the line?”

  Hearing them was like reading an old favorite book. Well, perhaps not a favorite. Their rehashing the same banter at each event could be a script, with the only difference being what Lord Knightwick offered for the use of Raven to improve Fernleigh’s lines. Such a foolish notion, to think Papa would consider such a thing.

  “Lady Susan, I have a book you might enjoy reading,” Lord Knightwick said. “It’s one of my sister’s favorite horrid novels, Eliza Parson’s Castle of Wolfenbach.”

  He knew very well she’d never read such a book, but the idea warmed her that he’d share a secret with her, their discussion of Lloyd’s List and what followed that evening a few weeks ago. “It sounds quite charming. You’re so good to think of me.”

  “I thought of you the moment I saw it lying next to the morning paper at Fernleigh yesterday.” He smirked at her.

  She longed to ask him if he’d spoken to any of his friends about sponsoring the school. She couldn’t do so with Papa nearby, he’d never approve of her approaching his friends to ask for money. That would probably be the act that drove her father to choose a husband for her. Mama might tolerate her idea. In fact, Susan wouldn’t be surprised if one of the matrons she’d spoken to had mentioned it to Mama.

  “You are too kind.” She turned to his brother. “Mr. Lumley, will Lady Joanna be attending Mrs. Grimstock’s evening of cards later? I haven’t had the chance to visit with her in some time.”

  “I believe she mentioned doing so. Will you also be there? We could make a foursome.”

  That would give Susan the chance to speak to Lord Knightwick without either of her parents overhearing. “Excellent idea. I look forward to it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should join Mama.”

  For a change, she looked forward to the evening. Normally she’d be partnered with whichever gentleman the hostess was certain no one else would sit with, which usually meant for a very dull time. Lady Joanna was quite enjoyable company, and the two Lumley brothers were proving to be, also. She’d never actually consider marriage for herself, but if she were to do so, someone like Lord Knightwick might not be too unbearable.

  ~*~

  Knightwick entered Mrs. Grimstock’s drawing room with a lighter step than usual for an evening of cards. He enjoyed wagering on cards with other gentlemen when avoiding the ballrooms at assemblies, but these polite matches with the ladies present seemed to last for an entire week rather than a few hours. He looked forward to spending time with Lady Susan, seeing what other interesting qualities he could discover hidden beneath her genteel mask.

  Walking behind David and Joanna, he glanced about the brightly lit room to see if Lady Susan had arrived. He didn’t see her, and feared if she arrived too late he might be partnered with some other woman.

  Mrs. Grimstock noticed them and called out a greeting. It was too late to slip away unnoticed. “Lord Knightwick, Lady Joanna, Mr. Lumley, how good of you to join us. We await just a few more guests before we’ll find our partners.”

  Knightwick smiled in relief, but kept an eye on the doorway. He found several horse breeders gathered in a corner and joined them.

  Another fifteen minutes passed, and Mrs. Grimstock rang a small bell to draw their attention. “Let’s take our places, everyone. We’re playing vingt-et-un, so the number at your table doesn’t matter.” She moved about making certain everyone had a place to sit. “Miss Millway, come sit with Lord Knightwick and his family.”

  And so it began. Single young man, meet single young woman. This was exactly why he preferred to avoid this sort of entertainment. He waited for Miss Millway and Joanna to sit.

  “Who will deal first?” he asked.

  “I shall.” David picked up the cards and shuffled, dealing out the first round.

  “Where is Lady Susan, I wonder?” Joanna said. “I understood she’d be attending.”

  “I had that impression also,” Knightwick said. As the evening wore on and no one from that family arrived, he grew more than curious. There were few entertainments in the summer, so it was unlikely they chose
another place to go. He hoped no one was ill.

  As curious as he was about Lady Susan’s whereabouts, he was more upset with himself for feeling her absence so strongly. What a foolish sap he was becoming. The angrier he grew with himself, the gruffer he became. He worked hard at keeping his attitude to himself.

  Eventually, Mrs. Grimstock rang her small bell again. “Finish your games and we’ll have refreshments.”

  Glad for the excuse to stand, Knightwick helped Miss Millway from her chair. “Thank you for joining our table. We enjoyed your company,” he said.

  David and Joanna walked about the room a bit and Knightwick strode to the doors leading to the terrace. The air was still warm, the sky aglow in pinks and oranges. If he were home in Bridgethorpe he’d be walking in the paddocks, watching the horses play as the evening cooled. Instead he was here at this home, with people he barely knew, playing a game he didn’t enjoy.

  If he were in Town, he’d have slipped into the library, or avoided the event entirely. That was difficult to do at these race meetings. The brief ones were over in a day and he could retire to the inn and leave the next morning. These longer events included several days of races, which meant several nights in the village near the racecourse. Everyone knew who was in attendance at the races, and those of any standing in society were expected to appear at the evening entertainments.

  It was the part of owning runners that he liked the least.

  “Lord Knightwick, congratulations on your win today.” Mrs. Taylor, the wife of a prominent horse breeder, approached him from behind, two of her daughters in tow. “You remember my girls, Mary and Kezia.”

  He bowed. “Of course. I hope you ladies are enjoying your time in Bibury.”

  “We so love the races,” Miss Kezia said.

  Her sister simply giggled.

  Knightwick bit the inside of his cheek, once more wishing he’d never come. “The weather is lovely this year, don’t you think, Miss Mary?”

  She nodded, her large brown eyes like those of a calf, wide and staring.

  Thankfully David appeared in the doorway. “Knightwick, I must speak with you.”

  “If you’ll excuse me, ladies.” He hurried across the terrace. When they were safely away, he asked, “What’s amiss?”

  “Nothing…now. You appeared to be in some distress.”

  “Did it show? I must school my emotions much better.”

  David chuckled. “I’ve known you all my life. I’m sure no one else noticed.”

  “I believe it’s time I took my leave. I’ve had more entertainment than I can endure for one evening.”

  “Joanna grows tired, too. We’ll walk back to the inn with you.”

  When they arrived at the inn, Knightwick was surprised to see Lady Susan rushing down the stairs. He caught her arm as she reached the foot of the staircase. “Why do you hurry so? Are you unwell?”

  Her eyes were wide as she peered up at him, her complexion pale. “I am well, thank you. It’s my father. He’s complaining of pain in his chest. I’m to send for the doctor.”

  “Let me help you.” He crossed the entryway into the tavern, where he called to the innkeeper. “We require the doctor. Please have him come to Lord Huntfield’s rooms.”

  “Thank you, my lord,” Lady Susan whispered.

  Joanna took Lady Susan’s hands. “You must come to our room to wait. We’ll send for some tea.”

  “I mustn’t. I should stay with my parents. Mama is quite distressed.”

  Leading Lady Susan toward the staircase, Joanna said, “Knightwick will assure her the doctor has been sent for, and that you are with us. Won’t you, Knightwick.”

  He was following their small party up the staircase behind David. “Of course. You will help your mother more by taking a moment to calm your fears.”

  Lady Susan seemed to hesitate before answering. “Very well. But my fears won’t be calmed until Papa is well.”

  “Of course,” Joanna said.

  The innkeeper’s daughter stepped out of one of the rooms down the hall.

  “Please have some tea and biscuits sent to my room,” David instructed.

  “Yes, Mr. Lumley.”

  Knightwick continued down the hall when the others went to David and Joanna’s room. He knocked on the door where Lady Susan’s parents stayed. “Lady Huntfield, it’s Lord Knightwick.”

  She pulled the door open, her features pinched in concern, a handkerchief wadded in her hand. “My dear Lord Knightwick, I shall lose him,” she said, weeping.

  “I’m certain it’s not as bad as that.” He stepped into the room. “The doctor has been sent for.”

  “It’s his heart. I’m sure of it,” she said.

  “Is that Knightwick?” called Huntfield from the next room.

  “It is.” He strode toward where the earl lay in the large bed beneath a pale counterpane.

  The man clutched a fist to his chest, his features twisted in pain. “The loss today was too much for me.”

  Shaking his head, Knightwick said, “Don’t be silly. I’ve beaten you many times and you survived to win again.” He prayed it wasn’t serious, but wasn’t going to give in to panic. A calm manner would help both the earl and the countess.

  Lady Huntfield continued to sniffle from a nearby chair. The earl placed his arm over his eyes and moaned. “I should have insisted Susan marry before now. I know she’ll never do so on her own. She’ll end up a spinster, dependent on her sisters’ husbands to support her.”

  That was highly unlikely, given the investing she was doing and the income she had from her great aunt’s legacy. Huntfield had his moments of melodrama, and Knightwick prayed that was the case now. If the doctor would only arrive, they could make certain of it.

  “I beg of you to watch over her when I’m gone. She needs a firm hand to prevent her from giving away all her allowance. Perhaps you can find her a companion and help her get settled in a small cottage.”

  “Huntfield, you’re acting ridiculous. When you die, which will not be tonight, Lady Huntfield will need Lady Susan’s comfort and companionship. There’s no need to relegate her to spinsterhood at this time.”

  A knock on the door signaled the arrival of the doctor. After a brief examination, which included a listing of what foods the earl had eaten, the doctor gave his diagnosis. “I believe it’s merely dyspepsia, your lordship. Nothing that some sodium bicarbonate won’t cure. Let’s raise your head and shoulders, which will also ease your discomfort.”

  Knightwick sighed with relief. As certain as he’d been at the cause of the earl’s complaints, a small doubt had lodged itself, a fear of the loss of his father’s longtime friend who’d become a friend of his own. He grinned at the earl. “You see, I said as much. You will live to breed many more horses that will lose to Fernleigh’s. I will inform Lady Susan.”

  When Knightwick entered David’s room, Lady Susan jumped to her feet. “How is he?” Her eyes were rimmed in pink, and glassy.

  “He is fine. Likely he consumed too much Yorkshire pudding with his dinner, or too much wine.”

  “Oh, thank heavens!” She burst into tears and threw herself into Knightwick’s arms.

  He pulled her to his chest, not quite certain how to comfort her. His sisters weren’t known for hysterics or weeping spells. Her form was soft beneath his hands. The top of her head reached his chin, and the sweet scent of some oil or perfume in her brown hair wafted up to his nose, somehow comforting him as he sought to do something for her. “Shh, your worries are over now.”

  “All those worries must spill out now,” Joanna said softly, pressing a hand to her friend’s back. “She’ll recover shortly, won’t you Susan?”

  “Yes,” Susan warbled, her hands covering her face. She stepped away from Knightwick. “I apologize, my lord, for throwing myself against you. In the moment of relief I forgot myself.”

  “Do not trouble yourself. I’m only glad to have been able to bring you such happy news. Would you care to return to
your parents now?”

  Joanna shook her head. “Why don’t you sit a moment and compose yourself. You wouldn’t wish to cause your parents any distress by seeing how worried you’ve been. Would you care to wash up in my room?”

  Lady Susan returned to her chair. “No, I shall be fine in a moment. Is my face a horrid mess? I can feel how flushed I must be.”

  “You will be able to hide it well, I’m certain. Let me bring you a glass of water.” Joanna poured a glass from a pitcher on a side table and sat next to Lady Susan on the settee after handing her the drink.

  “Thank you. I feel so foolish for overreacting so.”

  “You were much less dramatic than your father,” Knightwick said. “He can have nothing to say to you after his own behavior.”

  She laughed, her voice still a bit shaky. “I will remind him of that when the occasion arises.”

  After fifteen or twenty minutes, looking composed once more, Lady Susan rose. “I shall return to my parents now. Thank you for your comforting words.”

  Knightwick hurried to the door. “I will walk with you.”

  She took his arm when he closed the door. “I am so grateful to all of you. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d had to bear this alone. I was certain I was going to lose Papa.”

  “You would have been strong for your mother. You are always strong. It’s something I’ve admired about you.”

  Looking up at him through her lashes, her disbelief was apparent in her narrowed eyes. “You admire me? But your sisters are exactly what Society wishes them to be.”

  He couldn’t contain his loud laugh. “They are far from it. Hannah was often seen with Lord Oakhurst when they shouldn’t have been alone together. I’m certain they were moments away from scandal. Madeleine and Patience are more rebellious than Hannah, so I fear for their debut in a few years. You might not be what your father claims to wish from his daughter, but if he only knew how you could have truly shocked him these past few years, he’d be grateful for your quiet temperament.”