by Wendy Vella
“What’s the world coming to when a woman comes to see pigs?”
“My sister has as much right to be here as you,” Charles said to the man who had spoken.
“It’s all right, Charlie.” Patience patted his shoulder. “Look in the pen,” she said as she urged him forward.
“Ohhhh,” he cried as he saw the five piglets that were all milling around the sow. Even he was not immune to such a display.
Patience had two loves in her life, other than her siblings: farm animals and poetry. The first her family was well aware of, as she always looked after sick animals and had spent the majority of her days outside tending their stock when they were in the country. The second was her private passion.
“Welcome to Advances in Animal Husbandry. My name is Squire Rawlinson.” A large, raw-boned man leapt nimbly onto the railing Patience was leaning against. “Shortly I will be joined by a colleague who is at present achieving a great deal of success in this field.”
“’Ere, Harry, you better watch your language. We have a lady present!”
Patience squeezed Charlie’s shoulder to reassure him that she did not mind the comment. Why was her presence such a shock? Surely she should be allowed to listen like everyone else.
“I assure you I am here to listen and observe like everyone else present, sir,” Patience said. “Pray do not let my presence deter you.”
“T’aint right, is all I’m saying,” another voice said.
“Don’t you fret, miss. It’s lovely to have a pretty face to look at when usually I have ugly ones,” the squire said, giving her a wink before he continued.
Charlie played with the piglets and scratched the sow as she listened. Paul moved forward to stop him from tumbling over the wood and into the pen while Patience took it all in and then asked a few questions as Squire Rawlinson’s speech drew to a halt.
“And now I will hand you over to a friend who will talk to you about his success in this field.”
Patience stood on her toes to see who was approaching and then felt her stomach drop as Mathew stepped up beside the squire.
“Charlie, Paul, we are leaving,” she said, looking about for the easiest escape route before Mathew could spot her. However, she was penned in on all sides.
“We have a special guest with us today, Lord Belmont,” the squire said, and Patience watched in horror as Mathew then looked down at her, the look of astonishment on his face no doubt mirroring hers. It was then replaced with a slow smile.
“I am acquainted with Miss Allender, Harry,” he said, his gaze holding hers steady. “Good morning.” Balanced on a narrow piece of wood, he managed to offer her an elegant bow, which made the men laugh and Patience grind her teeth.
“Good morning, Lord Belmont. If you will please excuse us, we have an appointment and must leave,” she said. “Thank you for the informative talk, Squire Rawlinson.”
“Do you know that man, Patience?” Charlie had moved back from the pigs to study Mathew.
“Yes. You remember the Belmont family,” she whispered in his ear. “Well, that is the eldest son, Lord Mathew Belmont.”
“Just stay for a while, Patience,” Mathew said.
“I-I was not leaving because of you, my lord.” Patience felt the words dry in her throat as Mathew raised a brow. “Well, perhaps we can stay for a few minutes,” she amended.
“I really do know what I’m talking about, I promise.”
“I never doubted that, my lord, as I remember you know a great many things.”
“I am not sure that is a compliment.” He smiled down at her, and her heart lurched.
“Are we leaving or not?”
“Just a few more minutes, Charlie. For now, go back to the piglets.”
Shrugging, her brother did as he was told, while she tried to still the thumping of her heart.
Stay calm, she warned herself. He is an acquaintance, and one who you will see occasionally during the season. Surely with exposure this ridiculous fluttering and silliness inside her would ease.
Unsettled, she tried to ignore his deep voice as he began to talk about the methods he used at his estates. She was soon impressed as he spoke about the implementation of several successful changes he had made to his lands.
“I hear you’ve changed your crop mixes, my lord?”
Patience felt Mathew’s eyes rest on her head briefly before he answered the question.
“Yes, to wheat and rye…”
The questions were varied and Mathew confidently answered each of them. She did not look at him, instead concentrating on scratching the back of the sow and watching Charlie with the piglets. Around her she felt the men’s concentration as they focused on his words and she had to grudgingly admit that he was very easy to listen to. His voice was as smooth as malt whisky.
She could see two big, black-leather-clad feet from the corner of her eye, toes and heels hanging over the sides of the railing. He was like a towering oak looming over her. Lifting her eyes, she saw muscled thighs encased in buff-colored breeches and the ends of his black coat, but refused to look higher. One glance at him had been enough to ensure Patience that his looks had not deteriorated overnight, so she kept her eyes averted. When she heard Mathew begin to conclude his talk, she quickly turned to Paul and indicated her intention to leave.
“Come, Charlie. We shall leave now.”
She would slip away before he finished. The men parted to allow her some room, and with relief Patience hurried through the warehouse, refusing to look back.
“Did you learn anything, Patience?”
Patience muffled a curse as Mathew drew alongside her as she neared the exit.
“Yes, thank you, my lord. It was very informative, and I am glad I stayed to listen.”
“Excellent. I am always happy when someone walks away having learned something. Now, I know we met when he was a babe, but will you introduce me to your brother?”
“Of course. Lord Belmont, my brother, Lord Charles Allender.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Allender.” Mathew bowed, as did Charlie, then they shook hands. “I feel you should call me, Mathew, Lord Allender, as you did sit on my knee a time or two when you were a babe.”
“I—” Patience began.
“And I am Charles,” her brother said, interrupting her before she could stop the familiarity from blossoming.
“And will you return for the second part of my talk next week, Patience?” Mathew then said, turning his green eyes to her now.
“If time permits, then I would love to return. Thank you, my lord.” Not if she could help it, Patience thought. Spending too much time in his company was not good for her fragile defenses.
“It is unusual to find a woman who likes cows and pigs.”
“Patience spends all her days in the country, Mathew, striding about the land, tending to cows, pigs, and all the other animals.”
“Does she, now?” Mathew said, looking at her as he answered Charlie.
“You may not remember, but I have always liked animals, especially pigs,” Patience defended herself. “They are intelligent animals whose needs are simply met, unlike other, more self-indulgent species.”
“The self-indulgent species concerned being man, or, more importantly, me, as I understand it?”
“I was merely making a point, my lord. It was not directed at you.” Patience managed to keep her words light. She kept walking fast, dragging her brother with her.
“Does your sister always walk everywhere at such a rapid pace, Charles?”
Mathew kept pace with her easily, his longs legs out-striding hers.
“Yes,” Charles sighed. “It was harder to keep up with her when I was ten, but now that I’m eleven I can manage, as I am nearly as tall as her.”
“You are not,” Patience said, ruffling her brother’s hair just to prove she could easily reach it. She never missed the opportunity to tease her sibling when it presented itself.
“Am so.”
“Children, please,” Mathew said. “There is no need to argue.”
“We love to argue,” Charlie said. “But Patience would rather we call it debating.”
“If my memory serves me correctly, your sister loves to debate.”
“I don’t believe I was alone in that,” Patience muttered as they reached the carriage. She and Mathew had spent hours gnawing over things in their youth, arguing, debating, and rarely finding success.
“Good Lord, that is the ugliest pig I have ever seen!” Charlie pointed to the animal tethered a few feet away. “Come, Paul, we must inspect it.”
“We will leave soon, Charlie,” Patience said as he moved away.
“He has grown into a handsome young man, Patience,” Mathew said.
“Yes, he is the best of brothers.” As soon as she said the words, she remembered Anthony. “I’m sorry, my lord—”
“Patience, because I lost my brother does not mean you cannot talk about yours.”
He took her hands in his as he spoke, and she could feel their warmth even through her gloves. It seemed to grow and slowly filled her body.
“I need you to listen to me now, while I attempt to explain why I behaved as I did during your debut.”
“There is no need, Mathew.”
“There is every need.” He placed a finger on her lips as she started to open them. “I treated you as I did because every time I looked at you I was reminded of the happy times we had, and those included Anthony. With those memories came pain, and to my shame I pushed you aside rather than confront them. It was badly done of me, Patience.”
“I understand,” Patience said. “But there really is no need to discuss this. Let us only move forward now.”
“We cannot move forward with my behavior hanging over us.”
“Yes, we can.” Patience tried to pull her hands free. “It was seven years ago, and I have no wish to remember that time of my life. Therefore, I would ask you to respect those wishes. Please, Lord Belmont,” she added.
“Can you not call me Mathew?”
“It would not be right.”
“Why?”
Mathew let the silence hang in the air between them after she spoke. Looking down into her startling blue eyes, he wondered what she would do if he kissed her. He’d never before felt the urge to kiss Patience, but since seeing her at the ball he had thought of nothing else. Something about her had touched him, and as a woman had not done that for many years, he was intrigued to know why now, why her?
He looked to where Charles was standing with the large footman. Good; they were not close enough to hear what he and Charles’ sister were discussing.
“There is a great deal you need to forgive me for, Patience, and I hope that in time you will do so, as I would like us to be friends again.”
Her breathing quickened as he spoke. She pulled her hands free and reached for the door handle of the carriage, but Mathew beat her to it and placed his palm flat on the door’s surface. Their faces were now inches apart.
“Can we be friends again?”
“Much has changed, my lord, and my life is now complete.”
“Therefore you have no room for renewing old friendships?”
“I of course wish for us to converse upon occasion,” she said quickly. “But I fail to see how we can lay claim to friendship again, when we will see so little of each other.”
Lifting her chin, he forced her to look at him. His eyes raked her pretty face, searching for answers to the questions he had about her, but he could read nothing. Like him, it seemed she had learned to hide.
“Your friendship once meant a great deal to me, Patience, and while it is my sins that drove us apart, be warned that I will do what I can to see the bond is reformed.”
“If I invoke memories of your brother, why would you want that?”
He released her and rubbed his chest.
“Are you in pain?” She lifted a hand towards him, but Mathew shook his head.
“’Tis nothing.” He stepped back away from her as he tried to ease the burning.
She watched him intently, and then she turned away. “Charles, we are to leave!”
Mathew opened the door and took her elbow as she prepared to climb inside the carriage. “I meant what I said, Patience.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It is better for us both if we do not reform our friendship, as neither of us wishes to endure any more pain.”
She climbed inside before he could question her further.
“Good day to you, Charles.” Mathew shook the boy’s hand once more, then stepped back as Charles climbed into the carriage. “It was a pleasure to meet you again.”
“And you, Mathew.”
He closed the door, then stood back as it rolled away.
Walking to where he’d left his horse, Mathew knew Patience was right: a friendship with her would cause him pain. It would bring back memories of his brother, and he had spent years keeping those locked deep inside him—but maybe it would be worth it.
He’d realized one thing today as he looked down at her from his place on the edge of the pen. There was something about Patience Allender that made his heart beat a little faster. He wanted to know what had changed in the girl he had once known, the girl who had laughed freely, and had given herself openly. He wanted to find out what had caused the shadows of worry he saw in her eyes, and once that was done, he wanted to get to know the woman she had become.
He had realized something else as well: that it wasn’t just friendship he felt towards her. Exactly what he felt, he was not quite sure, as it had been quite some time since he’d felt anything at all.
CHAPTER THREE
“Oh, dear,” Patience whispered as she read the note that had just been delivered.
“What?”
“What?”
Both Lucy and Charles looked at her. Lucy was reading a story for them, and foolishly, Patience had decided to open some of the letters that had been delivered that day. Most were for Lucy; however, this one had her name on the front.
“Nothing,” she said, closing the note. “Go on with your story, Lucy.”
“Why did you say, ‘Oh, dear’?” Charles was making his way to her side with a determined look on his face.
“It is not your business. Charles, please return to your seat.”
“No.”
He made a grab for it, but Patience was quicker, and got to her feet holding it aloft. “Not quite as tall as you boasted, are you, brother?”
“I, however, am taller than you.” Lucy had snuck up on her, and stole the note away.
“That could be private!”
“Is it?” Lucy looked at her before opening it.
“No.” Patience could never lie to her siblings.
“It is from Lady Belmont and Claire, inviting us to take tea at the Belmont town house tomorrow, and we are all to go.” Lucy frowned. “Why do you not wish to attend, Patience? They were once friends of ours.”
The siblings were seated in a small, cozy parlor in the Allender town house, spending the afternoon reading and talking, as they often did in the country. Tea things were scattered about the room, along with Charlie’s footwear, which he had removed earlier.
“I do wish to attend. I was very fond of the Belmont family. It is just that you have so many engagements, I wondered how we could fit this in also.”
Patience kept her face expressionless as Lucy studied her. Her reaction to the letter had been because of Mathew, not his mother and sister. She did not want to see him in such an intimate setting. Evenings were somewhat easier, as they were surrounded by people, but a family gathering would be harder.
“We have time to visit old friends, Patience, and I shall write to Lady Belmont at once to accept.”
“If you are sure.”
“Do you know, sister, I think it is Mathew that you are trying to avoid, but as yet I am not sure why.”
Her sister was far too astute, Patience thought. “I am not.
I was merely thinking of you, as I have no wish for you to grow exhausted and ugly. Then my job of finding you a suitable husband will be harder.”
“Unlike you, I could never be ugly because I have excellent bone structure.”
“You’re both ugly,” Charles piped in.
“But, seriously, Patience, we will only go to the Belmonts’ if you wish it,” Lucy said, ignoring her brother.
“Of course I wish it. I long to see Claire.”
Lucy smiled, then settled down to reply to the note from Lady Belmont, and Patience sank into a chair and let her thoughts run wild.
Would Mathew be there? She had thought about him and what had happened after the animal husbandry talk. He had said he wanted friendship with her, but then when Anthony’s name was brought into the conversation he had seemed to change before her eyes. He had rubbed his chest, almost as if the memory of his brother caused him physical pain. How could he want friendship when being near her caused him discomfort? She certainly felt discomfort being near him, but hers was of a different kind.
The Belmont town house was in the smartest part of town, and had six white front steps that the Allender family climbed to reach the front door. Lucy and Charlie were excited, while Patience was looking forward to seeing Claire and Lady Belmont, and hoped Mathew was absent.
“Good afternoon. We are expected,” Patience said to the butler who opened the door.
“Of course, Miss Allender. Please allow me to take your things, and then I shall take you to the family.”
The house was large and grand, with a tiled entranceway leading to a circular stairway. The walls were cerulean blue, with delicate lemon-colored scrollwork around the edges and a large gilt mirror offering new arrivals a glimpse of themselves, to check that their appearance was as it should be.
