Three Weeks to Wed by Ella Quinn

Author:Ella Quinn
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2016-02-08T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Charlotte hailed Louisa from a bench in the middle of Berkeley Square. “It’s no use. I knocked on Grace’s door, and she sent me away.”

“Matt’s the same.” Louisa bit her lip. “He’s locked himself in his study and our butler won’t even let us down the corridor. I did try to go through the garden, but was stopped.” She plopped down on the bench next to Charlotte. “I wonder if they have quarreled.”

Charlotte sat up. “I hope it is nothing to do with the guardianship.”

“That would certainly upset them, but you’d think they would mope together.”

“It’s beyond me. If they do not work it out shortly, we will have to become involved. Do you go to Lady Huntingdon’s party to-morrow?”

“Yes.” Louisa smiled. “Our first real entertainment. I can barely wait for our first ball!”

A sporting carriage drove up to Worthington House and a gentleman with a many-capped greatcoat climbed down and threw the reins to a small boy dressed in livery. “Louisa, someone’s just driven up to your house.”

Louisa peered in the direction Charlotte pointed, then sat back. “Him? It is only Merton.”

“I like his carriage, and his horses are very sweet goers. They look to be perfectly matched.”

“No doubt they are.” Louisa gave a bored sigh. “He insists everything be perfect.”

Charlotte glanced at her friend. “That sounds a bit daunting. What is wrong with him?”

“It is not that anything is so very wrong with him. It’s just that he is a marquis and never lets anyone forget it. And he is our cousin, so we are forever being reminded of it.”

“Hmm, in that case, I suppose he’s not worth knowing. I dislike anyone who is puffed up in their own consequence.”

“That he certainly is. He is a couple of years younger than Matt and very high in the instep.”

“I detest people who cannot be pleased.” Charlotte glanced back over to Worthington House.

“I am in complete agreement. What are you wearing to-morrow evening?” Louisa asked.

“I think I shall wear my green muslin with the butterflies. Would you like to see it?”

“Since we will probably spend much of the evening together, let us coordinate our gowns.”

Charlotte rose and signaled to her footman. “It will be more productive than anything else we could do at the moment.”

“Agreed.” Louisa stood, linking her arm with Charlotte’s.

“If Grace and Matt do not start speaking to each other soon, I think Walter should scale the garden wall.”

“While we keep Matt’s butler busy at the front door.”

“That should do the trick.”

* * *

“I do not recall,” Matt said, glowering at his butler, Thorton, “that a visit from the Marquis of Merton qualifies as the house burning down.”

“No, my lord, but he was rather insistent.”

“He always is.” Matt resisted running his fingers through his hair. It was enough that Grace was still cool toward him, and now he had to deal with his cousin. “One would think a butler of your stature could be relied upon to keep upstarts from entering my study.”

Thorton’s teeth clenched together, as he bowed.

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