The Marriage Mart by Teresa DesJardien

Author:Teresa DesJardien [Teresa DesJardien]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Trad-Reg
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

It came as no surprise to Mary when she learned the next day that an evening of card playing was being arranged, and Miss Yardley was to be invited. Cornelia wanted it to be held in one week, but Hortense--with a quick glance at Mary, who would be gone by then--talked her mother into holding it only two days from now.

“Two days!” her mother had cried, but Hortense had persuaded her that the invited guests would leap at any opportunity to be away from the rain binding one and all too much to home.

Which, in fact, proved to be the case. By that same afternoon, all the invitations had been answered, with only the vicar declining, as he had a clerical assembly to attend outside of the village that night.

Mary sat with Hortense, marveling over the rapid success of the endeavor, when suddenly John put his head in at the door. She had not seen him since he had stomped from the table, and once again, as always, his handsome features made her pause in both deed and thought.

“Mary, come, please. We have something to discuss,” he said, completely ignoring his sister.

She rose at once, and only later realized she had not offered any kind of parting to Hortense.

Once in the hall, he took her hand and placed it on his arm, and said in a low voice, “You did not ride with us this morning.”

She lowered her head, and mumbled, “I wasn’t sure--”

“That is Mama’s fault, for interrupting us on your first day here. But you should have known I went ahead and picked a lovely little mare for you.” His tone was faintly scolding.

“Yes, I should have known that.”

“But now I have stolen you away from my greedy sisters, and I mean to keep you with me the better part of the day. What do you say to a ride now?”

It was raining, and not lightly either. The wind was up, and the clouds were heavy, promising no respite. “I should like that very much,” she said, for what was weather when she was beside her ‘beautiful window’?

He placed his hand over hers and squeezed lightly. “Good! We must go out, for there is no place where one is not disturbed in this household. Do you need to change?”

“I’ll only be a moment,” she assured him.

“Let me go up with you and guard your door, elsewise I know someone will steal you away yet again. And if I catch sight of your companion, I mean to steer your precious Mrs. Pennett away. She is not to come with us.”

Since Mrs. Pennett was nothing less than an atrocious horsewoman, Mary acquiesced at once, or at least that is why she told herself she would not argue the point. “Yes,” she said, and shivered, and vowed he would not undo her buttons yet again.

He escorted her to her room, where they found one of the maids returning laundered garments. Mary at once solicited the girl’s assistance, and with her

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