A Lady Never Tells(53)
“With all the work they have to do?” Rose spoke up. “They wouldn’t want to have to trail about after us as well.”
Her comment left Sir Royce without words for a moment. Finally he said, “I think she might prefer to trail after you than clean the fireplace or dust the mantel.”
“Yes, but she would still have them to do after she returned,” Rose said with the air of one who spoke from experience.
“I would feel a fool, having a maid trudging along behind me,” Camellia added.
“But what are we going to do?” Lily wailed. “It’s terribly boring here.”
“Boring? In the city?”
“In that house,” Lily replied feelingly. “There is nothing to do. We’ve looked. There isn’t a single interesting book in that whole huge library. No games. We couldn’t even find a pack of cards. I almost wished for a few stockings to darn.”
“Ah, now there I can help you.” Sir Royce smiled. “I know where the games are.”
“There are games?” The girls brightened a little.
“Yes, indeed. You should have asked Oliver’s butler. He would have brought them to you.”
“Oh, no!” Lily looked shocked. “We couldn’t ask him . He doesn’t like us.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Has Hooper been rude to you?” Royce asked.
“No. But he never smiles. At all.”
“Butlers never do,” he assured her. “But it doesn’t matter. You can find all the games you’d like upstairs in the nursery. And probably more entertaining books as well. We did not usually accompany our parents to London, but now and then we did, and the nursery was kept equipped, in any case. There is a card room, too.”
“A room just to keep cards?”
“For playing cards. It has tables and chairs and all the necessary items. There are always those at a party who’d rather retire for a few hands of whist, particularly among the older set. It’s the best way of getting Aunt Euphronia out of one’s way, I can assure you. I will show you where it is. Ah, here we are.”
The footman who opened the door looked so relieved he almost smiled as he greeted them. “His lordship will be pleased to hear that you have returned.”
“Ah. Then Stewkesbury is here?” Royce said.
“He just returned from his club, sir. He was, um, a bit concerned about his cousins.”
“I shall have to apologize to him for keeping them out so long, then, shan’t I?” Royce handed the man his hat, gloves, and cane.
The footman, setting down Sir Royce’s possessions, turned to take the girls’ bonnets as well. The dog, nestled comfortably in Camellia’s arms, took exception to the move and snarled.
“Good G—” The footman swallowed his words, but he continued to eye Pirate as he took the other hats. “I, uh, I’ll just tell his lordship you are here.”
“We’ll be in the card room.” Royce turned to Mary and her sisters and ushered them down the hall.
The dog, intrigued by his new surroundings, jumped down from Camellia’s arms and trotted along with them, bounding out in front then returning, his stump of a tail wagging so hard that his entire hindquarters wriggled. When they reached the card room, he grew even more excited, running from one end to the other, leaping onto chairs and even on top of one of the tables.
“Ah, Royce. Ladies.” The earl’s smooth voice came from the open doorway. “I am glad to see that you have returned.”
“Yes. I met your cousins talking a walk,” Royce began, but Oliver held up a hand.
“Please, spare me whatever tale you have concocted.”
“Tale?” Royce’s eyes widened innocently. “Why, there is no tale; I simply was enjoying the girls’ company so much that I fear we went a little far. I apologize if we worried—” He broke off as Pirate, spotting a new person, charged over to join them.
“Good God.” Stewkesbury stared at the little dog, which was now jumping up and down like a mad thing, wiggling and twisting. “What … is that?”
“Pirate!” Mary darted forward to grab the dog. “Blast it!” The animal leaped nimbly out of reach and darted away. “Camellia! Catch it!”
The two men watched as the girls gave chase, but Pirate, thoroughly enjoying this new game, ran here and there, bouncing off chairs and skidding across the polished floor, weaving in and out among the chairs and tables.
“I see you acquired a dog upon your walk,” the earl commented.
“Your cousins rather took a fancy to the creature.”