by Ayles, Abby
Shaking her head a little then, Noelle turned her smile on Mr. Edwards’ mother. “No, indeed, ma’am. We have a house in Essex where we go in the wintertime. But it is another great, stone structure; not a homey cottage like this.”
Mr. Edwards was regarding her with keen interest. The smile surely hadn’t left his face once since she’d arrived back downstairs. “I’m glad you find Wildhill ‘homey’.”
“Oh, but I don’t mean to suggest that it would be preferable to my family’s home,” Noelle added. “Rather, it’s the sort of place that would be preferable to me. I think I should like to have a home like this for the season instead of living in a cramped old townhouse.”
Laughing, Mr. Edwards nodded his agreement with her. She didn’t quite know what she’d said that was so funny, but she appreciated that they seemed to understand one another. How tedious it would have been for her to discover that he was still, on the whole, much like the others.
“You see, Mother,” he said. “I told you that we didn’t need to rent out a townhouse. We’ve got quite a prime location right here.”
Though his tone was playful, Noelle just knew that he was serious. She didn’t think that one had to own a city property if one lived close enough to come to London whenever the need or desire arose. This way, the Edwardses could enjoy the comforts of home as well as the sights of the city whenever they chose to.
There was also, of course, the added benefit of living so near his cousin and uncle. He could spend as much time with Lord Edwards as he wished. She had a feeling they saw each other quite often.
But as for his uncle, the Earl of Montgomery… I wonder if we shall get the chance to meet him while we’re out here. He must be an amiable sort of gentleman as well, if he has a nephew and son as pleasant as Mr. Edwards and Lord Edwards are.
She had to wonder why he wasn’t there dining with them this evening. She supposed that the older gentleman had his own life to lead. There’d never been any rumors about him…
There’d never really been anything said about him.
Noelle couldn’t decide if that made him a mysterious individual or a boring one.
Chapter 14
Rodrick enjoyed having the two Fletcher ladies at his house. Noelle proved herself to be every bit as charming and witty as she’d seemed at the ball. It pleased him immensely, too, to hear her compliments towards Wildhill.
After they’d had a night to sleep and rest up fully from their travels, he thought it would be a good idea to show them around the Westwood estate. James supported this plan; it was just a matter of making sure Uncle Alexander, the Earl of Montgomery, agreed to see them all.
I don’t see why he wouldn’t, Rodrick thought in the morning before he planned for this to take place. He used to love entertaining guests at Westwood.
The earl had gotten a bit aloof in his later years, especially in the absence of James’s mother, who died some time ago after a brief illness. Rodrick couldn’t blame the man for being rather lonely without his wife. Rodrick was lonely in his want of a wife.
He got out of bed and quickly got dressed, going downstairs to see what was happening. He was amazed to discover his mother and the ladies already sitting at the table for breakfast, enjoying morning tea and eating cakes. “Well, good morning,” he said, chuckling.
“Rodrick!” his mother said to him with a smile. “I was just telling Lady Noelle and Lady Catherine about how delightful it was to see you grow up alongside your cousin as the best of friends.”
Blushing in spite of himself, he smiled back at his mother. “Indeed?” he asked her, coming over to take his seat at the head of the table. “And did you tell them about how Uncle Alexander had to ban us from his paddock because we were always disturbing his hunting horses while they tried to get a wink of sleep?”
The ladies giggled a little at the thought. “I’m sure you were just terrible to those poor horses,” Lady Noelle said, grinning and batting her long lashes at him. The white and blue day dress that she wore was quite becoming, though it was nothing compared to the lovely olive-green gown she’d worn the night before.
It was as if she chose it to somehow match my eyes, he thought. Normally, gentlemen didn’t think of such things but Rodrick knew that his unique shade of green was one of the few things that he had in his favor aside from his good humor and kindness. He always did his best to be affable.
“No, my lady,” he said with a laugh. “We were never terrible. We always made amends to them with sugar cubes and pats on their rumps.”
This caused the two young ladies to break out into further giggles.
Rodrick winked at them impishly and poured himself some tea. “As a matter of fact, I was just thinking that it might be a good day to pay a visit to James’s estate house,” he told them. “He’s had more than enough time to alert his father of it.”
His mother brightened. “Oh, what a wonderful idea! I suspect that Alex – the Earl of Montgomery – would greatly appreciate the company.”
He wasn’t so sure of that, but it did give him confidence to know that his mother shared his opinion. The old man had pined alone in his castle long enough. It was time for him to greet the new day.
Lady Noelle and Lady Catherine seemed quite delighted at this idea as well. There was quite a lot more to do and see at Westwood, and they would have a better time of exploring the grounds there than they would at Rodrick’s home. As nice as Lady Noelle found it, it was smaller than his cousin’s home and as such her sister would grow bored of exploring its land.
As soon as they were finished breaking their fast together, they prepared for their departure. “Shouldn’t you call for a carriage?” his mother asked him as he put on his boots and top hat for the walk through the fields and hills that separated the homes.
“Whatever for?” Rodrick asked her with a gentle laugh. “It’s not very far, and Lady Noelle did express a desire to explore the land here.”
His mother seemed uncertain, but she rushed off to change from her slippers into her more suitable, outdoor shoes.
To his delight, when Lady Noelle appeared, she was already wearing her little, dainty nankeen half-boots. She’d clearly packed her valise for walking in the great outdoors. Her sister, on the other hand, walked down the stairs beside her in delicate slippers.
“Oh! Are we going riding?” Lady Noelle asked him excitedly as soon as she noticed the boots and hat on his person. “I thought we might just as easily go for a stroll.”
Rodrick smiled and nodded at her. “I was thinking the same thing. It’s nice weather for it, and this way you can better familiarize yourself with some of the features of Westwood.”
He knew as well as anyone that the real attraction to coming to stay at his home was that it lay on his uncle’s property. He wasn’t fooling himself.
She smiled a dimpled smile at him. “That will be lovely,” she agreed. Aside from her half-boots, she was also wearing a dark green spencer jacket and some pale-yellow gloves.
She really does manage to look beautiful in everything she wears…
As soon as his mother returned in her own little boots, they were off into the green and in the direction of Westwood. Rodrick did so hope that they would find the mansion appealing, but he believed that they would. There was very little to not like about it, with the exception of the grumpy old man who lived inside it.
Rodrick walked beside Lady Noelle as much as he could, of course keeping his eye on his mother as well as retaining an appropriate amount of space between him and the young lady. Whenever he hazarded a glance over at the lady, she was grinning in delight, seemingly fascinated by everything she saw.
“Do you like what you see?” he asked her.
“I can’t remember the last time I was in a place so verdant,” Lady Noelle said to him in answer. “Everything looks and smells so fresh and alive here.”
He gazed at her affectionately. Like you, he thought, wishing he could say it without shocking her and injuring hi
s reputation. A gentleman never remarked upon the scent of a lady, even as a compliment.
Soon, they were on the front porch of Westwood. Rodrick knocked on the door and they waited. He hoped that they’d be greeted by one of James’s friendlier butlers.
The door opened and they were invited inside. The butler – Giles – bowed low when he saw Lady Noelle and Lady Catherine among the group that waited there. “Welcome to Westwood, my ladies,” he said.
He led the party into the expansive drawing room and the ladies all took a seat on the couch while Rodrick stood in anticipation of greeting their host. Rodrick hoped that James would appear and they wouldn’t be forced to awkwardly meet with Uncle Alexander instead.
The butler left them there to go and find one of his lords. Rodrick cleared his throat softly and smiled at Lady Noelle, who was looking up at him curiously. She then looked around the room, admiring the decorations and furnishings.
“This is a beautiful house,” she complimented. “Sometimes I wonder if a home will be as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside, but this one certainly is.”
Rodrick nodded at her. “My uncle would love to hear that you said so,” he replied sincerely. “I personally find it a bit too cavernous for my taste.”
Lady Noelle giggled softly. His mother, meanwhile, looked shocked.
“Rodrick!” she said with a gasp. “You shouldn’t say that about your uncle’s home – your cousin’s home. It’s been in the family for years,” she added as an aside to the ladies beside her on the couch.
“I don’t mean to disrespect its owners or its history,” Rodrick said. “I merely mean that it is a bit like a museum rather than a place where people live.”
“That’s not such a bad thing,” Lady Noelle replied. “It’s a testament to the staff here, to be sure. They do a wonderful job of keeping things neat and lovely.”
Just then, two gentlemen appeared in the doorway of the drawing room. James smiled and bowed in greeting to his guests. Rodrick was surprised to see Alphonse standing there at his side.
The two men didn’t normally get along that well. They were cordial towards each other, of course, but it struck him as odd that they were apparently spending time together without him. What’s going on?
“Ladies, please allow me to introduce the Marquess of Fairfax,” James said, addressing Lady Noelle and Lady Catherine.
Rodrick noticed at once that Noelle’s expression became rather cool and uncomfortable at the sight of Alphonse. Her sister, on the other hand, lit up when she heard his name. She turned her head towards Lady Noelle and whispered something into her ear.
“It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance,” Alphonse said, primarily to Lady Noelle. He moved to the couch and offered his hand to her.
She rose from the couch and received his hand, watching curiously as he bowed low before her. “Lord Drake,” she said. “I was beginning to wonder if we should ever meet face-to-face.”
Lord Drake laughed at this, throwing his head back. Rodrick continued to watch him anxiously. “I know, I have been horrid when it comes to meeting with you and attending the requisite balls. But I assure you that it has been because of a good reason.”
Lady Noelle arched an eyebrow, clearly curious about what his reasons might be. But then Fairfax’s attention was drawn to Lady Catherine. He grinned at her.
“And who is this lovely young lady?”
Lady Catherine stood up.
“Lady Catherine Fletcher,” Rodrick formally introduced her.
Alphonse bowed a bit, not taking his eyes off her. Rodrick was uncomfortable. James, too, had a rather horrified look on his face that he was doing his best to mask. Rodrick knew his cousin too well to fall for any sort of mask he might employ.
“I thought that I ought to bring the ladies over to explore your estate,” Rodrick announced, letting his loud voice distract Lord Drake from his staring at Lady Catherine. “After all, my own house and land are nothing compared to Westwood.”
James blushed a little and smiled at the ladies now, keeping his attention on Lady Catherine. “My cousin is awfully modest, I assure you. But we do have quite a fine house here. It was built in the late sixteenth century.”
Lady Noelle’s eyes lit up and Rodrick couldn’t quite tell if she was truly interested in the history of the mansion or if she was interested in steering the subject away from the marquess and her sister…
“Shall we go for a bit of a tour?” Rodrick suggested. “It has been quite a while since I last explored the depths of this beautiful house. Is your father in today?”
The two men began to lead the ladies out of the room. “He is here, sir,” James replied. “But you know him – he’s out back with his dogs and his hunting rifle, hoping to catch some quails.”
“Ah.”
As they walked out of the room, Rodrick looked back and noticed that Lord Drake hadn’t left Lady Catherine’s side since he’d introduced himself to her.
Chapter 15
Noelle was quite taken aback when the Marquess of Fairfax decided to appear before her. She never imagined that he’d show up at Westwood of all places. Mr. Edwards hadn’t mentioned it, and he seemed quite familiar with everything else about the estate.
She got a rather unusual feeling when she was greeted by the marquess, and this feeling only grew when he greeted Kitty in an even more enthusiastic manner. Now that she was in the same room as him, she really could tell that she hadn’t been missing out on much.
Mr. Edwards seems to share my feelings, she thought as she watched his face. He appeared even more shocked than I was at the sight of the man.
As they strolled through the Earl of Montgomery’s home, Noelle found herself wondering more about the older man whom she had yet to meet. He was apparently an avid hunter, which explained his absence from the house thus far. I wonder if he is a very old and stern man.
“What brings you to Westwood, Lord Drake?” Catherine asked the gentleman at her side. Noelle had been wondering the same thing. She knew that he and Mr. Edwards were on friendly terms but based on the latter gentleman’s reaction to seeing him there, she believed that it wasn’t a usual occurrence.
“I was visiting my dear old friends Lord Edwards and Mr. Edwards and making some preliminary plans for the theatre,” Lord Drake explained. “Do you like the theatre, Lady Catherine?”
Kitty blushed and giggled. Noelle did her best not to roll her eyes. Her sister did carry on so much…
“We don’t often go to the theatre,” Noelle answered for her. “Our parents aren’t particularly fond of it. Especially not the actors.”
Roderick was looking at her with a curious sort of smile. She blushed under his gaze. “What do you think of the theatre, Lady Noelle?” he asked her.
“I like it,” Noelle said in answer to Mr. Edwards’ question. “From what I could tell, it is enjoyably imaginative. I think that’s what my mother most dislikes about it.”
He chuckled appreciatively at her, nodding his head a little. “No offense meant to your mother, but she does seem the serious sort.”
She laughed and nodded at him. “That’s a fair assessment. She is rather serious and constantly worried about things that I think are silly and not worth the energy.”
This seemed to amuse Mr. Edwards a great deal. Noelle thought that the Westwood mansion was lovely, but as soon as they were strolling along outside again she really felt happy and at peace. The land on which the mansion rested was what she loved the most.
I really think I would love to live in a place like this, she thought. Our home in Essex is lovely as well, but of course we leave it every season and don’t look back. If I ever marry a gentleman, I hope that he shall have a vibrant and verdant home such as this.
And she knew full well that Lord Edwards adored Catherine just as well.
Though, when she turned her head to look back at her sister, she noticed that Kitty was still chatting happily with the Marquess of Fairfax. He, on the
other hand, was supposedly Noelle’s intended. However, by the look of things, he didn’t intend to be with her in the least.
Mother isn’t going to be very happy if she finds out that he was here and completely ignored me, she thought.
She quit Mr. Edwards’s side and walked back to be beside her sister. “What was the reason for your absence from our ball that evening, my lord? You never told us. Is all well with you?”
Lord Drake appeared a bit taken aback at this question. He looked from Catherine to Noelle and then he gave a reluctant smile. “My father is an old man, you see, and he is often ill these days.”
“Oh dear, what a poor man,” Catherine cried out at once, bringing one of her porcelain white gloves to her mouth.
“Yes,” Lord Drake agreed. “He often wishes for me to be at his side, keeping him company in his moments of malaise. And I do not wish to be neglectful, even if I do wish that I could come out and see you ladies more often.”
Kitty accepted this excuse with great showiness, but Noelle caught Rodrick’s eyes and smirked a little when he rolled his eyes. None of this was noticed by Lord Drake, who was still quite distracted by Noelle’s sister.
I wonder why he doesn’t believe him, Noelle thought curiously. He does know him far better than we do… Oh, I feel terrible for how little it displeases me that the marquess should choose Kitty over me.
Though, as she thought it, she realized why indeed it should be a problem. Kitty and Lord Edwards were supposed to be a match. Was the marquess trying to get in the way of that?
She had to wonder why on earth the other man had appeared on today of all days. Surely, he knew that Lord Edwards was going to be entertaining guests with his cousin. Could it be that he was trying to see the Fletcher ladies here at Westwood where there should be far less of a consequence for him?
Noelle didn’t like that. A man who didn’t wish to be seen at a ball with a lady was no man that she wanted to know, truly. As far as she was concerned, this Marquess of Fairfax was nothing more than an interloper.
