“Then I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” she said with a grin.
Barclay opened the door, and Anne gave George one more glance before heading inside.
George merely gave the butler a nod and hurried back to his mount,
When the Trenton’s groom appeared to retrieve Anne’s mount, George was tempted to ask why he hadn’t joined them on the ride. When he saw the groom give him a wink, though, George tipped his hat.
Despite the falling snow, George took his time getting back to Worthington House. For despite having sent a note to the Earl of Trenton asking if he might be allowed to take Lady Anne for a ride in the park, he hadn’t exactly asked for permission to court the young lady.
Once he was back in his study, he would have to see to writing a letter. He had until then to sort just what he was going to include in the letter.
Just how much should a man admit to his future father-in-law?
Chapter 25
A Spy Knows
The hour before, on the top floor of Worthington House
Angelica glanced out the window of the small servant’s room in an effort to determine how much of the park she could see from her high vantage. Although there were trees scattered throughout the park, she could make out the Serpentine in the distance as well as the straight outlines of the crushed granite paths that led through the east end of the park.
A row of trees hid her view of most of Rotten Row, though, and she nearly gave up on her plan to spy on her brother and Lady Anne.
That is, until she spotted two people on horseback crossing Park Lane near the Stanhope Gate. The one wearing the blue riding habit had to be Lady Anne.
Angelica quickly aimed her father’s telescope in the direction of the gate. Mounted on a tripod, the long instrument was at least easy to aim. However, given its height and the odd angle at which it was directed, it was awkward to bend her body and head so that she could look through the lens at the other end of the tube.
Mr. Fulton’s telescope was far more comfortable to use, she thought as she made some adjustments with the knob that changed the focus.
A few scary moments had her lifting her head away from the lens and letting out a small shriek. One occurred when a bird in flight suddenly filled the field of vision, and the other was when she had the scope aimed at a dog in the act of doing his business at the park’s east edge.
Just about the time she had the telescope focused and knew her brother was indeed one of those on horseback, he had moved out of the field of view.
She quickly readjusted the direction, pausing when she had Lady Anne—or rather, her blue hat with the peacock feathers—in view. A slight downward adjustment brought the two into view. From the way their heads moved, she was convinced the two were conversing.
Lady Anne looked happy, Angelica thought, even though it must have been cold. White clouds surrounded the nostrils of her mount and puffed out in front of her brother’s face.
She could tell the two were headed for Rotten Row once they had negotiated the angled turn on the path. From her perspective, she could watch their retreating backs through the scope without having to move it very much.
Unable to hear the couple’s conversation, Angelica found she was growing bored. What good was it to spy on them when their backs were to her? She couldn’t see if they were speaking to one another, let alone guess what they might be saying.
And then Lady Anne’s gray mount began limping. A few steps later, and he stopped. Hermes stopped. Her brother dismounted and hurried around to the gray walker’s front, although from her vantage, Angelica couldn’t tell what he was studying.
Had the horse gone lame?
Apparently so, for she watched as George helped Anne down from her mount. Down until her feet touched the ground and his lips touched hers.
Angelica blinked and pulled away from the telescope, redirecting her attention out the window. From this distance, she could barely see them, let alone see that they were...
Kissing.
They were definitely kissing.
And not just a brief kiss like the one she had bestowed on Mr. Fulton the night before, but a long and languorous kiss like the kiss Mr. Fulton had bestowed on her.
Angelica couldn’t tear her gaze away from the lens.
She remembered Mr. Fulton’s kiss from the night before, how it had warmed her, and how it had sent delicious sensations through her entire body. How it had left her happy but wanting more.
Sighing, she gave her head a shake in an effort to clear away the vision at the very moment the bay stallion seemed to have had enough of standing around doing nothing. He used his head to push against Lady Anne’s shoulder, freeing her from George’s hold.
Smart horse.
At least Lady Anne’s expression displayed her amusement, but George looked as if he was making plans to sell the horse at auction.
Angelica let out a huff. The bay stallion that stood behind George wasn’t even his horse. It was hers!
How dare he!
Then she realized George and Anne were no longer kissing but walking their horses on the southerly path to Rotten Row.
A moment later, and they disappeared from view, a combination of hedgerows and trees hiding them from the telescope’s view.
Angelica sat down on the small bed.
Had George proposed already? If so, would he tell her over dinner that night? Or pretend nothing had happened with Trenton’s only daughter?
Surely a chaperone would have prevented—
Angelica straightened on the bed.
She hadn’t seen a chaperone following the couple. Not even a groom on horseback!
Perhaps she had simply missed him. Overlooked him. Or perhaps he had been parked on the other side of the hedgerow in an effort to give the couple some privacy.
Which really wasn’t the point of being a chaperone, unless her brother had given the man some blunt to look the other way for a time.
She had never thought George would take liberties with a young lady. Certainly not with Lady Anne. Her father was an earl. Should word get back to him that his daughter was seen kissing Hexham in the park, there might be hell to pay.
Or her brother would be forced to marry Lady Anne.
Which, now that she thought about it, might have been the reason her brother had kissed Lady Anne in the first place!
The devious devil!
She once again moved to the telescope, determined to discover what might have happened to the groom. Surveying the area around where she had last glimpsed the couple, she found only the couple. They had turned around and were now making their way back toward Park Lane, neither one of them on horseback.
And there was still no groom in sight.
The two were chatting amicably, though, and once they reached the gate, her brother lifted Lady Anne onto her horse and he mounted the bay. A moment later, and they disappeared from view, probably headed for Curzon Street.
Angelica couldn’t decide if she was happy for her brother or not. She liked Lady Anne, though. She would be delighted to have her as a sister.
It would be far better if Anne was to be her sister because the two had agreed to wed without having to do so, though.
But did the poor girl have any idea what life with George would be like?
Angelica rolled her eyes. George would be perfectly fine to live with, she thought with a sigh. I am the troublesome one.
About to wallow in pity, she remembered the telescope. Her brother would no doubt notice its absence from the study and ask as to its whereabouts.
He wasn’t a dull man. He would sort very quickly what Angelica had been doing with the instrument on the top floor of the house.
Unable to locate a footman, Angelica determined how to separate the telescope from the tripod. She managed to get the tripod down the three flights of stairs, back into the study, and into place with no problem.
After she had climbed the three flights back up and was in the servant’s
room, she lifted the telescope into her arms, much like she would a baby. She was down two flights of stairs and about to go down the last flight when she realized George was regarding her from the bottom of the same set of stairs.
“Whatever are you doing with Father’s telescope?” he asked as he handed his riding crop and top hat to Winslow.
“Bird watching,” Angelica replied. “A raven frightened me to death, though, so I have given up.” She continued down the stairs and was nearly past him when he cleared his throat.
“Bird watching?” he repeated.
“Yes. I was looking for one of those snow buntings that we sometimes see at Christmas at Torrington Park,” she replied, sounding ever so reasonable.
But then she remembered the horse.
“And what do you think you are doing taking my horse for a ride in the park without asking?” she scolded.
George rolled his eyes and managed to look suitably chagrined. “Hermes needed the exercise,” he countered, and then his brows furrowed. “How did you know I took your horse?”
“Because I saw you riding him right after the raven flew in front of the telescope,” she replied. “Nearly frightened me to death,” she added, just before she disappeared into the study.
Following her into the room, George halted as he watched her remount the scope to the tripod. She angled it just as it had been before it had been removed from the room, and then she turned to march past him.
George stepped into her path, and she nearly bowled into him. “You were spying on me,” he accused.
Angelica’s eyes widened in alarm. “I was not,” she countered. When she noted how his expression indicated disbelief, she added, “You were simply in my line of sight when it came to the birds I was following.” Her hands went to her hips. “You do realize that anyone could have seen you kissing Lady Anne,” she said in a hoarse whisper, sure Winslow was standing just outside the door.
“Ah! So you were spying on me!”
“I was keeping watch over Lady Anne, since her chaperone seemed to have disappeared. Or got lost, or—”
“Never joined us,” he finished for her. At her elegantly arched eyebrows, he knew he had stunned her into silence. “The man winked at me when I returned Lady Anne to Trenton House.”
Angelica frowned. “So... how much did you have to pay him to stay behind?”
George let out a sound of disbelief. “I didn’t,” he replied quickly. “I truly thought he was following us until... until I realized he wasn’t there. I offered to take Lady Anne back as soon as I discovered his absence, but she refused.”
Rolling her eyes, Angelica said, “Of course, she refused. She must have known you were going to kiss her.”
“I don’t know how,” he responded. “I didn’t know until... until I was doing it. It was all just... just a happy accident.”
Angelica angled her head to one side. “Your lips just accidentally collided with hers?”
George’s eyes darted to one side. “Pretty much.” He watched as all the air seemed to go out of his sister. Along with the indignation. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”
She crossed her arms and allowed a sigh. “All that would do is force her into marriage with you, and I already know she’s who you wish to wed, so what good would it do?” Her eyes widened, and then she inhaled softly. “Unless she doesn’t wish to wed you,” she whispered.
“Of course she does. Otherwise, why would she have agreed...?” He stopped, realizing to what he was about to admit.
“Agreed?” Angelica prompted.
George lifted his chin. “Why would she have agreed to go on a ride with me if she wasn’t interested in marrying me?”
“Because that’s what courtship is for. To determine if you want to marry the other person,” she replied, as if she was explaining courtship to a young child.
“Since you haven’t been courted by anyone, how would you know such a thing?”
Tears pricked the corners of Angelica’s eyes, and George knew instantly he had made a mistake in teasing her. He stepped back before her fist could intersect his upper arm, and he stepped back again when he thought she might repeat her effort to punch him.
But Angelica merely hurried from the study and then up the stairs.
“Angel!” he called out, finally hurrying out of the study in an effort to catch her before she disappeared. “I apologize,” he called out.
But Angelica was already at the top of the stairs and making her way into the parlor.
The sound of the slamming door had George visibly wincing.
Chapter 26
A Conversation in the Cold
An hour later, in the garden behind Bradford Hall
Glancing up at the cloud-covered skies, Ben Fulton allowed a sigh of disappointment. After he had completed his correspondence that morning, he had spent the afternoon tweaking the settings on the telescope until everything was in perfect alignment.
He had sent a footman in search of beeswax, and upon the servant’s arrival back at Bradford Hall, he had liberally applied the wax to the inside track of the dome. Rotating it slightly so he could apply the wax to the area where the wheels had been parked originally, he then performed a test to determine the ease of rotating the dome.
The entire time, he listened for the sound of a barking dog.
When none came, he allowed a grin of satisfaction and vowed to return to the observatory after the sun had set. Despite the low-hanging clouds, there were openings in the gray here and there.
Given the thick gray mass of clouds above him now, Ben wasn’t even sure if the sun had set or not. He hadn’t seen it since that afternoon, about the time the opening of the dome was aimed toward Hyde Park.
In need of light to see by while he waxed the track, he had opened the sliding door. While doing so, he had spotted a couple out on horseback.
His first thought was why anyone would wish to ride a horse when it was so chilly, but the couple seemed content. The horses were probably glad for the exercise.
Then he noticed a phenomenon that had him curious. Despite the snow-laden clouds that hung low over the park, there was an opening directly above the crushed granite path the two on horseback had taken into the park.
Indeed, a shaft of sunlight seemed to illuminate the couple as they made their way, and Ben felt a combination of awe and jealousy.
Young lovers? A married couple? Best friends out for a ride?
What kind of power did they possess that they could part the clouds and ride in relative brightness?
He wished he had such a divine power, for it was looking as if he wouldn’t be able to use his telescope on this night.
About to turn around and head back into the house, Ben paused when he realized he was no longer alone. “How do?” he said when he spotted Lady Angelica at his back gate.
“Good afternoon,” she said, dipping her head in an effort to hide her sudden blush. “I apologize, but I saw you out here and thought to discover if you might be using the telescope tonight.”
Ben moved to join her and lifted her gloved hand to his lips. Then he offered his arm. “You needn’t apologize, my lady. I was out here surveying the skies in an effort to find just one opening in the clouds where I might direct my scope, but alas...” He shrugged. “I think it’s going to snow again.”
“So that bit of sky over there isn’t enough then?” Angelica asked as she pointed to an opening in the clouds to the west. Given her vantage, she could see it from around the side of the observatory.
“What?” Ben responded as he led them around the cylindrical building. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the hole in the clouds she indicated with a gloved hand. “I fear that bit of sky will not be visible in an hour,” he said with a sigh of disappointment, realizing it might have been left from earlier that afternoon. “Perhaps tomorrow will bring clearer skies.” His gaze returned to her. “In which case, you are welcome to join me in the observatory.”
Angelica all
owed a brilliant smile. “I would like that very much, but I don’t wish to intrude on your work.” She sobered and dipped her head. “I used my father’s telescope today, although it was not for a noble reason.”
“Oh?” Ben regarded her with an upraised brow. “Birds are not a noble cause?”
“Oh, they are,” she replied. “And I did see what I think was a raven. At least, I hope it was a raven, for it was quite frightening as it flew in front of the window.” She was heartened to see his nod of agreement. “But I was watching my brother as he and Lady Anne went for a ride in the park.”
Ben blinked. “That couple that was on horseback?”
Angelica nodded. “That was them.”
“I saw them when I was working upstairs.”
Angelica’s eyes widened with worry. “Were you watching them through your telescope?”
He reacted as if he’d been slapped. “Of course not. Remember, I’m not able to aim my scope below the level of the dome,” he said, just before he suddenly straightened. “Were you spying on them?” His words sounded neutral, but Angelica was quick to shake her head.
“Lady Anne is my friend, you see, and I knew my brother was escorting her this afternoon, and...” She sighed and turned to face Ben. “I was spying, I suppose. They had no chaperone, and I know my brother is quite smitten with Anne.”
“Did you think Hexham would do something to... to ruin Lady Anne?” he asked in alarm. “In broad daylight?”
Angelica blinked and then angled her head. “Actually, I was afraid he would not.” When she saw Ben’s eyes widen, she quickly added, “I feared he would be tongue-tied and unable to converse with her. That he might not be able to make his intentions known with respect to marriage, and therefore would need to... to show his intentions.”
“Show them?”
She nodded. “As opposed to... to telling her of them.”
It was Ben’s turn to blink. “You mean, you were hoping he would—?”
“Kiss her, yes,” she said with a nod.
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