“Royce,” Fitz said, “you’ve seen Parkington’s team, haven’t you? Aren’t they worth the price?”
“I daresay,” Royce agreed casually, going to stand by the fireplace and hooking his arm on the mantelpiece. “If one needed a new pair.”
“You are as bad as Oliver,” Fitz told him with a grimace. “But I will need a new pair, you see, when I purchase that high-perch phaeton I’ve a mind to get.”
Oliver let out a groan. “Another vehicle?”
“You make it sound as if I have a fleet. And don’t”—he held up a hand as if to ward off his brother’s next remark—“don’t start counting them, as you did that time with my pistols.”
Both Oliver and Royce smiled at his remark. “As I remember, you sufficiently discouraged me at the time.”
“It was only a black eye,” Fitz told him unrepentantly. “And you thoroughly deserved it.
“You hit Lord Stewkesbury?” Mary was startled enough to ask without pausing to think about the rudeness.
“Oh, yes.” Fitz shrugged carelessly. “Course he wasn’t Lord Stewkesbury then. It was once when he was down from Oxford. He was a terrible bore, always prosing on about one thing or another.”
“Only because you ran wild here when Royce and I were gone,” Oliver shot back.
“I was the old earl’s favorite, you see,” Fitz said in an aside to Mary, grinning. “They were always jealous.”
Before his two brothers could start on their versions of the story, Bostwick appeared in the doorway, announcing the arrival of Lady Vivian Carlyle. Both Charlotte and Mary bounced up to greet Lady Vivian.
“Forgive me for calling on you again so soon,” Vivian said to the earl. “But I think that if Lady Sabrina and I had remained together another half hour, there would have been blood on the drawing room floor.”
“You are welcome at Willowmere anytime.” Stewkesbury stood up and bowed formally. “Though I feel sure that your visit with Lady Sabrina will become more harmonious once you have, um, grown accustomed to one another again.”
Vivian let out a little laugh. “Really, Stewkesbury, I know you believe in maintaining a courteous front, but it is a sin to lie, remember. Sabrina and I have never gotten along, and we all know it. There’s no reason to pretend otherwise.”#p#分页标题#e#
“I see you are the same as ever,” the earl responded dryly.
Again Lady Vivian chuckled. “As are you.” She turned toward Mary. “Lord Stewkesbury remembers all too well when Charlotte and I were schoolgirls together. He was at Oxford then, I believe, and he found us most provoking. I used to visit a great deal, you see; I was very fond of my uncle and aunt—Uncle Humphrey’s first wife. Charlotte and I would giggle and run through the halls of Willowmere.”
“And play ghastly tricks on everyone,” Royce added good-naturedly.
“Primarily on me,” the earl countered, but he unbent enough to smile. “What hoydens you were. And you encouraged them, Royce.”
“Me!” Royce looked indignant. “It was Fitz who aided and abetted them. I was merely an innocent—” He stopped suddenly and looked around. “Did you hear something?”
For a moment everyone went still, looking at him curiously. Then came a faint, high cry, the sound of a woman’s voice in the distance. Mary leaped to her feet and ran to the window. She had heard her sisters’ voices too many times not to recognize them even at this remove.
A strange sight greeted her eyes. Riding toward the house were her sisters and two grooms. And though her sisters were obviously yelling toward the house, they were not riding with any urgency. In fact, their horses were walking. One mounted groom was leading a second, riderless horse. In his other hand he held a pistol. Next to him the second groom was mounted on a horse with Camellia up behind him, her arms around him. Her hat had come off, and her dark blond hair was loose and streaming down her back. Lily and Rose brought up the rear, and Mary saw that each of them carried a pistol as well.
“What the devil!” Royce exclaimed. He and the others had quickly followed Mary to the window. “Something’s happened to Camellia!”
Chapter 23
“I would say it’s the groom who’s in trouble.” Mary turned and started toward the door. “It’s Cam holding him on the horse.”
She ran down the hall and out the front door, then across the small formal lawn, the others rushing after her. By the time Mary reached the driveway, the riders were only a few feet away.