The Pursuit Of Marriage by Victoria Alexander

Author:Victoria Alexander
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-06-04T22:40:45+00:00

Nine

When a woman has a particular look in her eye, a gentleman has two options. He can succumb to the inevitable and be leg shackled for life. Or he can flee. Thus far I have been remarkably swift.

C. Effington

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to finally meet you.” Lady Pennington, Gwendolyn, hooked her arm through Cassie’s and led her along the gravel path through the Holcroft Hall rose gardens. “I am delighted you could join us.”

“I’m delighted to be here,” Cassie said with a genuine smile.

Indeed, in the four days since she’d received Lady Pennington’s invitation, she had scarce thought of anything but her stay at Holcroft Hall and the possibilities it presented for sharing the company of Lord Berkley. She’d filled the endless hours by working on her designs, and had paid several visits to Berkley House, meeting with painters and plasterers and seam-stresses. She’d found that much of the furniture, while worn, was of excellent quality and could be reused with new fabric and some repair. She’d also discovered it was far easier to concentrate on the house with Lord Berkley and his family already in the country in spite of her impatience to begin on a far more important project than his house. His heart.

The only disturbing aspect was a brief note she’d received from Berkley informing her, as time was growing short, he would produce a Lord Perfect for her during their stay in the country. Her curiosity on that subject only increased her impatience.

Cassie and Lady Pennington strolled along the path, Delia, Lord Pennington’s mother, and a Miss Hilliard following some distance back. Lord Pennington’s mother was apparently explaining to Delia and the other woman all the nuances of her prized gardens, and Cassie was relieved she had escaped that lecture. She’d always been far more interested in the interior of houses than their grounds.

“Are we the first to arrive then?” Cassie asked.

She, Delia, and Tony had arrived a scant hour ago, and aside from Miss Hilliard and Lord Pennington’s mother, they had not yet seen any other guests. One guest in particular.

“My cousins, Lord Townsend and his sister Miss Hilliard, arrived early this morning.” Lady Pennington cast a quick glance over her shoulder, obviously to ascertain how close the other ladies were, then lowered her voice confidentially. “I must tell you, Miss Effington, my cousins and I are not especially close, although I have made an effort recently toward improving our relationship. Aside from my nieces, whom I don’t see nearly as often as I should like, Townsend—Adrian—and Miss Hilliard—or rather Constance—are my only living relations.

“You are exceedingly lucky, Miss Effington, to have such a large family and one that apparently, well,” she smiled wryly, “likes one another.”

“Most of the time.” Cassie laughed. “However, the problem with a family like mine, probably because we do share a fair amount of affection, is that everyone considers everyone else’s business fair game. No one hesitates for a moment to intrude in your decisions or your life.

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