3 Regency Lords by Marina Oliver

Author:Marina Oliver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, amnesia, india, lord, regency, bride, waterloo, brighton, romance historical, bride romance
Publisher: Marina Oliver

Chapter 7

Edmund offered his arm to Mrs Tremaine as Gooch, in a somewhat gloomy voice, announced dinner was ready. She glared at him, then pointedly moved to where her son waited and took his arm. When he looked at Amelia, she stepped back as though afraid of an attack, so he shrugged and smiled at Elinor. She was frowning, but she took his arm and allowed him to lead her from the room. She at least was behaving sensibly. He was somewhat surprised William's mother had not forced her son to go in front.

Gooch had laid the table so that all the places were at one end. Was this a tactful way of recognising the new situation at the Court, or a deliberate snub to Mrs Tremaine? It rather pointedly prevented her from assuming the seat at the bottom of the table opposite Edmund. She had to sit on Edmund's right, with her son next to her. Amelia, ushered to the seat on his left, shuddered and slipped into the chair next to it, leaving that seat for Elinor. Edmund suppressed a sigh. Was this what it was to be like? But he thought again that Elinor was a far better dinner companion than Amelia.

As Gooch poured wine, William looked at Edmund.

'I suppose you will want me to vacate the main bedroom suite? But my room and Jane's are connected, and she is unwell. She cannot be dislodged for the moment.'

'As it was my mother who used that suite, with my father when he was alive, I have never used that room. I have always slept in the one next to it. Perhaps Jane will be well enough to move tomorrow, so that my mother can use it when she arrives, as she surely will in a day or so.'

'She will be quite ready to move in the morning, your lordship,' Elinor said. 'I will see to it. Where will she and William be accommodated?'

'There is a similar suite in the east wing. The rooms are as large, and connected.'

William began to protest that as they faced to the east they caught the wind, and Edmund was aware of Elinor stifling a laugh. Was it simply William's amour propre that was injured, or was there some reason other than potential winds for his apparent dislike of the move?

He thrust speculation away and tried to think of topics suitable for conversation while Gooch and the footman were in the room. Having experienced the open antagonism of his aunt, he had no certainty she would bother to hide her rancour at his return, and her son's dislodgement. No one had yet asked him for details of what he had been doing for the past year, and having related these to both lawyers he had little wish to repeat them, though he wondered at their apparent lack of interest. He fell back on the weather.

'It is cold for June,' he began. 'And I see you have had as much rain in England as there was in France.

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