Wedding In Springtime(33)

"Miss Fanny?" read Blakely. "Seems a rather tame name for a lioness."

"Look, there's a panther named ‘Miss Peggy,'" giggled Genie. "I had a friend by the same name. I should like to visit her."

"Yes, let's! What a helpful guidebook this is."

"Thank you!" Genie was pleased someone finally recognized the value of her volume.

They passed an enjoyable afternoon reading about the various glories in  London, including St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Kensington  Palace, and many other notable sites. Genie was desirous to stroll  through Hyde Park, which had apparently been recently planted with  trees. Blakely confessed an interest in visiting the armory at Carlton  House, the residence of the Prince of Wales, which according to the  guidebook was the finest in the world.

After an hour, Blakely reluctantly stood to take his leave. They walked  to the front door, Penelope discreetly following behind as any good  chaperone should do.

"Well, hallo there!" called a familiar voice.

Genie turned to find Grant strolling down the grand staircase. "Grant!  Are you visiting the duke?" Despite her concerted effort not to care a  fig for Grant, her heart beat a little faster and a smile sprung to her  face.

"Just leaving," he said with a smile, but as he approached, she noted he  had an unusually disheveled appearance and, if she was not very much  mistaken, was wearing the same mustard waistcoat he had worn the day  before. "I see you have been visiting with your new friend." Grant's  smile dimmed.

"Yes, we were reviewing my guidebook."

"How …  edifying."

"May I drop you back at Bremerton house, Miss Talbot?" asked Mr. Blakely.

"Actually, I was hoping to visit Hookham's library. I have arranged to be picked up there later."

"Why, Hookham's is exactly on my way!" declared Grant. "You must allow me the pleasure of taking you."

Despite a furious glare from Penelope, Grant insisted he be given the  role as squire and soon Genie was sitting next to him on his phaeton.

"You seem to be on friendly terms with Mr. Blakely," said Grant in a manner slightly less than cordial.         

     



 

"He seems a very nice man," said Genie, not sure what to do with the  winter in Grant's tone. "Tell me how does Jem do today? I saw him  earlier this morning."

"Then you have seen him more recently than I," replied Grant. "He's a squirrelly fellow. Never seems to stay where I put him."

"Little boys are like that," laughed Genie. "He needs a place to run."

"Might have found a place. Bunch of Quakers take in orphans on a country estate."

"Yes, it sounds exactly like what Jem needs, as long as the people there  will be kind to him. I believe country living is a good choice for  young boys. I should have known you would find the right place for our  Jemmy." A bump in the road threw her against Grant. She straightened but  left her shoulder touching his. For balance, she told herself.

"Here we are." Grant pulled up in front of Hookham's Lending Library. He  jumped from the phaeton and lifted Genie neatly to the ground, his  hands almost encircling her small waist. He lingered a moment longer  than he should have, his eyes meeting hers, his hands on her waist.  Genie forgot to breathe, looking into his silver-blue eyes and unshaven  face.

"Thank you again," murmured Genie, heat crawling across her face and down into unmentionable regions.

"I am always at your service." Grant walked her to the door and left her with a bow.

Grant returned slowly to the phaeton, watching Genie through the window  of Hookham's. She looked around for a moment, then threw open her arms  wide to give a long embrace to a handsome young man.





Twenty-one


"I think these are all good candidates," said the dowager over tea that  afternoon. She examined sorted cards Penelope had created with the  names, positions, and significant information for the potential  bachelors they wished to put into the running for Genie's hand.

"I agree. These five would be good potentials. I should think Mr.  Blakely is the frontrunner. They had a nice visit together over that  guidebook. I believe they could become good friends," replied Penelope.

"Friends? What difference does that make? She is choosing a husband not a  lover." The dowager carefully chose a biscuit from the tray.

Penelope stared at the dowager.

"You needn't look so scandalized," chastised the dowager. "You young  people are so much more moralistic than we were in my time."

"Should I apologize? How was it exactly in your time? Did you entertain many lovers?"

"A lady would never quote a number," said the dowager with a sly smile.  "It used to be a marriage was for family name, inheritance, and  breeding. Love was something reserved for other relationships, after, of  course, you provided at least one or two legitimate heirs."

"I can come back later if I have interrupted a private conversation," said the duke, who was standing by the door.

"Your grandmother was telling me of her numerous lovers. I'm not certain you would quite like to hear it."

"I am sure I would not. Miss Rose, could I have a moment in the study?"  They walked down the corridor to the study, where the butler was  standing guard outside the door. "Thank you, Peters."

"You are leaving nothing to chance," said Pen, following the duke into the study.

"No, not after yesterday," said the duke, motioning Penelope to sit  down. He sat across from her and she could see worry lines about his  eyes she had not noticed before. "I expect the thief will try again, and  this time I intend to be better prepared. Tell me what was that man  doing here?"

"Blakely? He came to visit Genie without the watchful eye of Lady  Bremerton. Genie has a guidebook she wanted to review with him without  suffering her aunt's set-downs regarding the topic of guidebooks."

"A guidebook for London?" Marchford asked with a twinge of disgust.

"Exactly so."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Most of the staff have in some way been either threatened or bribed to retrieve what you are hiding in this study."

"I am aware. I've had to send agents out to protect the families of several housemaids and a few have left altogether."

"Why did I see Mr. Grant here this morning, looking like he had slept in his clothes?" asked Pen.

"We had some fun last night and he passed out on the floor. Not safe to  wake Grant until afternoon, so there was nothing I could do but let him  sleep."

Pen raised an eyebrow.

Marchford sighed. "That is the story you are to tell grandmother."

"Would it do me any good to ask you for the truth?"         

     



 

"I needed to go out last night and I trust none but Thornton and Grant  to guard the letter. The footman and any guards I could hire are  vulnerable, and I'll not trust any agents from Neville's office."

"Mr. Grant offered to drive Miss Talbot to the lending library. She left  in that high-perch phaeton of his." Penelope's tone was accusatory.  Marchford may trust Grant to watch over his document, but she did not  trust him to watch over Genie.

"You do not approve?"

"If he has no intentions of offering marriage, which I think we both know he does not, he should clear the field."

Marchford sighed. "I will speak to him. Anything else you have to report?"

"Miss Talbot has befriended a young boy, a street urchin and thief, and  is trying to rehabilitate him. Lord and Lady Bremerton rejected the  notion, so Mr. Grant has agreed to house the urchin."

"I confess Grant did tell me much the same, but I thought it must be one of his jokes. And my grandmother?"

"Feisty and plotting your demise."

"Everything is normal then, capital. I must thank you, Miss Rose. I have  rarely seen my grandmother in such fine fettle. Whatever you are doing  to lift her spirits, please do continue."

"I shall remind you that you directed me in such a manner sometime in the future." Pen could not help but smile.

Marchford smiled in return, a rare occurrence. "I do not mind having you in the house nearly as much as I thought I would."

"Was that a compliment? I fear I may have missed it."

"It was a little backhanded, I apologize. Let me try again. I enjoy your  presence, Miss Rose. I shall miss you when you leave with my  grandmother to the dowager house."

"Thank you. Since we have no plans at present to leave, you shall have  the pleasure of enjoying my presence for the extended future."

"I shall accept my fate with the courage that befits an Englishman,"  said Marchford gallantly. "I should warn you, I shall be around the  house and most likely in my rooms for the next few days. I believe I  will become ill."

"You are going to keep to the house to try to catch this thief."