Confessions of Lady Tabitha, page 2
Tabitha knew one should never ask a woman her age, but she didn’t think the same rule applied to men.
“Thirty.”
Tabitha’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect the marquess to name such a great number. He was eleven years older than her! Tabitha had always imagined a youthful man as her life partner, yet Leo didn’t look his age.
“Is there something wrong with my age?” Leo queried.
“None at all,” Tabitha assured with little confidence. “You merely surprised me.”
“That’s a relief to hear,” he said, his eyes full of amusement.
Tabitha looked away, wondering if she had undone all her success. But surely the opinion of a young woman shouldn’t matter to a man of his calibre? He had to be wealthy to afford his nifty attire, and Tabitha’s father wasn’t one to waste his time with those whose wealth was significantly lower than his own.
To Tabitha’s relief, the music ended. She curtsied, thanking Leo for the dance.
“No, thank you,” he countered. “You were the perfect dance partner and put all the other women to shame. May I lead you back to your seat?”
“I would like that.”
Leo tucked Tabitha’s hand in the crook of his arm and parted a clear path through the crowd. People stood aside and stared as though the marquess demanded attention. Tabitha felt rather proud to be on his arm.
“Tabitha – may I call you that?” Leo asked.
“Yes, of course, you may,” Tabitha readily agreed. “’Tis only fair as I now call you Leo.”
Leo grinned, showing his slightly crooked teeth. It was good to see that he wasn’t perfect. Imperfections brought character to one’s face, but there had to be beauty to balance it.
“It’s such a unique name,” the marquess stated. “Almost as unique as the owner herself. I wonder if she would allow me to call on her this week?”
“C-call on me?” Tabitha stuttered.
My, things were moving along fast! Tabitha blushed profusely, forcing her hand to remain on Leo’s forearm. She hadn’t expected the marquess to be so quick about calling on her. That could only mean one thing. Such an elegant man was interested in courting her! Unless he had said it to be friendly?
“Put me out of my misery, Tabitha,” the marquess urged. “I cannot come unless you will welcome me.”
“Well, uh ...” she said, desperately finding the right words to say. “I have no objections, but allow me to ask my father first.”
Leo nodded, his expression pleased and smug. Had he been so confident that she would agree?
“I understand,” he said. “I shall personally speak to your father.”
Tabitha nodded, feeling a tiny bud of excitement unfurl and grow within her. This was only her first ball, yet she had her first interested suitor. It was more than any girl could hope for.
Leo returned her to her mother, but Tabitha only found a now wide-awake dowager. Tabitha thanked the marquess, watching him for a moment as he walked away.
“I hope you have not invested any thought or silly emotions on that man, Tabitha Browning,” the dowager said. “Bazeley is not the man for you.”
That was the last thing Tabitha had expected the countess to say. Most women would not question the remark, but Tabitha wasn’t most women. She wanted to know precisely what the dowager meant by her comment.
“Why? Do you think me too young and inexperienced?”
“You are as you should be. ’Tis him who is not good enough for you, dear. Take the word of an old woman: stay away from the marquess.”
The woman’s warning had an ominous ring to it. “But he is a wonderful man, My Lady,” Tabitha argued.
“Yes, my husband is a wonderful man,” the dowager replied. “None better can be found elsewhere.”
Had they not been talking about the marquess? “But what of Lord Bazeley, Lady Windbatten?”
The old woman’s wrinkled brow creased as her head tilted. “What of him, girl? Is he here?”
Perhaps the woman was senile after all, but Tabitha found it strange that the dowager would say such a specific and uncomplimentary remark about Leo.
An unsettling feeling stole over Tabitha, dimming her excitement. It was temporarily set aside when her mother returned and asked about her first dance with the marquess. Tabitha all but gushed about Leo’s agility, skill, and grace, likening him to a swan with the strength of a stag.
She didn’t mention that the marquess wished to call on her tomorrow, giving the man time to speak to her father. Tabitha found she wasn’t as keen to see him as she had initially been and knew it had to do with what Lady Windbatten had said.
The dowager never repeated her warning that evening, but Tabitha couldn’t forget about it. Annoyed with herself for putting so much stock by what the old woman had said, Tabitha told herself to forget about it and enjoy the rest of the evening.
Later that night, she couldn’t stifle a yawn as Mandee helped her remove her gown. The maid chuckled, carefully setting the garment aside before working on Tabitha’s unmentionables.
“It must have been a good night to have tired you out,” the woman remarked.
“Oh, it was magical, Mandee! I’ve never been to anything so grand. The dancing, the music, the guests ...”
Tabitha twirled away as soon as Mandee had removed the chemisette, performing one of the dances.
“And here I thought you were tired!” the maid exclaimed.
“I am fatigued, make no mistake, but ’tis the wonderful sort that gives one a burst of energy when required. I do not think I shall be able to sleep once my head hits the pillow. I’ll lay awake all night thinking about everything and anything about the ball.”
“Did you see anyone you know?” Mandee asked. “How many partners did you have?”
“My dance card was brimming with partners. Every eligible suitor wished to dance with me once Leo had claimed the first dance.”
Mandee’s eyebrows lifted. “Leo? And who might he be?”
Tabitha’s lips stretched wide in a telling smile. “Only the most handsome gentleman at the ball this evening. Most likely know him as Lord Bazeley, but he gave me the use of his Christian name during our first dance. He wishes to call on me tomorrow, you know. I was happy about it at first, but now ...” Tabitha shrugged. “I suppose I allowed Lady Windbatten’s words to affect me, and now I seem to think something isn’t right about him.”
Mandee opened her mouth, and after a moment’s hesitation, asked Tabitha to repeat the man’s name.
“Lord Bazeley,” Tabitha told her. “Leo was so attentive, kind, charming, and a wonderful dancer, but now my opinion of him has been somewhat tainted by what Lady Windbatten said. I do not know if she was in her right faculties when she spoke, but she warned me away from Leo, stating he wasn’t the man for me and that he wasn’t good enough. She changed the subject soon after and never said a word about it again, but I, unfortunately, haven’t forgotten about it. Silly of me, isn’t it? I suppose I’m worrying over nothing.”
“If only that were true,” Tabitha heard Mandee mutter under her breath.
“What do you mean by that?”
A pained expression crossed the young woman’s features before firm resolution promptly replaced it. Tabitha wondered what that was about. Mandee was usually a cheerful person, but she appeared disturbed by something.
“May I speak frankly?” Mandee asked.
“Yes, of course. You know that I never forbid you from speaking your mind.”
“That may change after what I have to say.”
“You’re going around the hill when you could just go over it,” Tabitha complained. “Speak plainly.”
Mandee spoke in one breath, her words running over each other. “I’m sorry to tell you that Lord Bazeley has an awful reputation. I have it on the best authority.”
Tabitha scrunched up her face, pulling her head back slightly. “You must have heard wrong. Leo has not exhibited any sort of unsightly behaviour.”
“I know. That is how he fools everyone but the ones he allows to see his true character. I heard the servants gossiping about it several times before, and I always wondered who this man was. I’m not mistaken by claiming it’s the same man who danced with you tonight. Lord Bazeley’s own servants dislike and fear him. He is a dangerous fellow, Tabitha. You would do best to stay away from him.”
Tabitha slowly sunk onto her bed, wrapping her arms around a bedpost. How could this be? If everything Mandee said was true, it was puzzling why her father allowed her to dance with Leo. Didn’t her father know about the man’s reputation?
“I know that you wouldn’t lie or tell tall tales,” said Tabitha. “But I must admit it’s difficult to believe that the charming man I met tonight is the same man you speak of.”
“I assure you it is,” Mandee insisted. “Him coming to call on you does not bode well.”
Perhaps that was why Tabitha continued to feel unsettled about the marquess. But how could an evil person hide their true nature under such beauty and charm?
“I think I shall not see him again,” Tabitha decided. “I do not want such characters around me or my family.”
“You have made the right choice,” Mandee affirmed. “The likes of that man should never darken these hallways.”
Hopefully, Leo would change his mind and not come to see her tomorrow.
Tabitha hoped in vain. The very next morning at eleven, she heard a chaise draw up to the house. Her tea in hand, Tabitha looked outside her parlour window, nearly dropping her cup when she saw who it was.
“Mandee!” she screeched.
The woman, who had been darning a dress, uttered an expletive when she jumped, pulling out the needle that had pierced her thumb.
“What in hades are you shouting for?” she scolded.
“Leo is here! I can’t let him see me, for goodness’ sake.”
The woman jumped to attention, flinging the dress to the side and running to the window.
“That is Lord Bazeley?” Mandee said with some admiration. “He is a handsome fellow. The Devil incarnate but handsome. Perhaps Lucifer looked like this before he disgraced himself and was thrown out of heaven.”
“You are not helping!” Tabitha cried. “He is evil, remember?”
“He certainly is.” Mandee pulled her head back, pushing Tabitha away from the window. “I think he saw me.”
Tabitha’s eyes widened. “Do you think he saw me?”
“No, but he is climbing down the chaise. You’ll have to run to your room and feign illness if you’re to avoid him. I’ll tell your father that the late evening has altered your health, and you require some peace and sleep.”
“Do I have to pretend to be sick?”
“No, simply remain out of sight for the day. Go now!”
Tabitha didn’t need to be told twice. She scurried out of the room, lifting her dress higher than she should as she took the stairs two at a time. Fortunately, no servants but Mandee were around to see her.
Tabitha heard the young woman chuckling before her laughter was abruptly killed by the appearance of the butler. The maid informed the man of Tabitha’s illness, requesting he communicate it to the duke. What would Tabitha’s father say once he found out about her ‘illness’?
“I wasn’t sick at breakfast,” Tabitha whispered to herself. “He might question it.”
Hiding behind the drapes of the second floor, Tabitha gestured at Mandee to join her.
“Now we wait,” the maid said, settling beside Tabitha.
Tabitha nodded, sucking in her breath when her father appeared. The butler spoke to him, immediately moving to the door when the knocker was banged. Leo walked in, thanking the butler while looking around the front hall as though he were taking inventory. Why would he do that? It seemed a tad rude to her.
Pursing her lips, Tabitha watched her father approach the marquess, warmly welcoming him and leading the way to the study. Mandee nudged her, wiggling her eyebrows and pointing. Giggling, Tabitha thought to make a smart remark when the marquess paused and looked up, his cold blue eyes instantly finding her. Tabitha sucked in her breath, feeling rooted to the floor as a cold chill travelled down her spine.
“What is it?” Mandee asked.
The woman’s voice was enough to break whatever spell Leo had woven through his eyes. Without a word, Tabitha turned and fled to her room.
Chapter 2
Jeremy leaned forward to give his horse an affectionate pat on the neck. Wolfe had been his first purchase with his first salary and belonged to no one else but him. That mattered a lot to him.
“You treat that horse better than most parents treat their children,” the duke remarked.
The man drew up to Jeremy, unnecessarily digging his heels into his horse’s sides. Jeremy winced, feeling sorry for the horse.
“The better you treat your animals, the more they will cooperate with you, Your Grace,” Jeremy replied.
“Force is enough to make any animal or person comply, Jeremy,” the duke countered. “Your coddling of that horse will only lead to sad disappointment when it turns on you.”
Jeremy didn’t bother arguing that a happy creature, be it human or animal, didn’t need an occasion to turn because of its good situation. Happiness left no room for anger or discontentment. More people would do well to understand that, but people were more inclined to do or believe the worst. Jeremy found that was the human nature of most.
“We have new tenants that have agreed to the rent,” Jeremy said instead. “That should significantly increase earnings from the land to the north of the estate. I was concerned that the landscape would repel most farmers looking for land to rent, but Mr Seymour seems positive that the rocky area will be perfect for him.”
The duke shot him a sidelong glance. “Did he come up with that conclusion, or did you convince him?”
Jeremy gave a ghost of a smile. “Perhaps I may have explained the merit of owning such land. He has signed a twelve-month lease, so he has plenty of time to discover the merits beneath the rocks.”
The farmer was a rotten sort who had tried to trick Jeremy into lowering the rent of the land. Unfortunately for Mr Seymour, Jeremy was a stellar steward who had learnt much during his seven years working for the Duke of Storping. No one knew the Storping estate as well as he did.
The duke laughed. “Making you my steward was likely the best decision I ever made for my coffers. The agreement is probably so iron-clad that the man will never be able to get out of it until his twelve months are complete.”
“There is no question there, Your Grace.”
The duke gave another bark of laughter. “I must say that I missed your ability to amuse me while in London. I was glad to leave the place when I did.”
The Brownings had returned some days ago, surprising Jeremy. The London Season had not ended yet, and indeed had months to go before concluding in August. This was not the way to go about finding Tabitha a husband. Jeremy’s chest tightened slightly, but he ignored the feeling. Some things were better left unsaid.
“Have you thought about my idea to extend the stables?” the duke asked.
“I have, and I think it a worthy idea for a future project,” said Jeremy. “We do not have the capital to fund such an extension right now, but I expect we will in months to come. I’ve surveyed our own farms and decided that we could increase the crop yield by thirty per cent and sell the surplus to the vegetable vendors.”
