The Earl's Mysterious Lady by Louise Allen

Author:Louise Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-04-26T15:40:18+00:00

* * *

‘So, has Guy asked you to find out everything about Nicholas?’

Miss Thurlow perched on the edge of the balustrade overlooking what, with more attention, would one day be the front lawn sweeping down to the ha-ha. The summer evening light that lingered was still golden, although the heat was beginning to fade.

Guy, the Vicar and Arthur were discussing whatever men talked about over their port; Marjorie, Miss Thurlow’s companion and Mrs Truscott had gone in search of Mrs Grainger to see if she could be persuaded to part with her recipe for lemon and beeswax polish and Penelope and Cressida had wandered out on to the terrace.

Cressida had not expected such a direct attack. This small dinner party was the first time she and Guy’s cousin had met since Miss Thurlow had arrived, the day after her letter to Guy. He had wasted no time in introducing her, arranging this gathering for the very next evening.

At first his problematic cousin had appeared to be a quiet, rather mousy young lady, not given to anything but polite small talk. Now there was some colour in her cheeks and her eyes sparkled with what might be indignation.

‘Lord Easton asked me to help him entertain you,’ Cressida said. ‘And he told me a little about the reason you have left home. So I did not say anything tactless, I assume.’

‘Hmm.’ Penelope wriggled more comfortably on to the warm stone ledge and slanted Cressida an assessing look. ‘He is carefully not saying anything to me about it. It is like having a large carthorse in the drawing room and everyone pretending it doesn’t exist.’

‘Do you want to talk about it? About your Nicholas?’

‘Then you can tell Guy?’

‘Not unless you want me to. Or you could tell him yourself. If he is offering you sanctuary, I would have thought you could trust him, Miss Thurlow.’

‘Of course I can trust him,’ the other woman said indignantly. ‘Call me Penny, all my friends do,’ she added. This time the slanting glance was warm. ‘We are going to be friends, aren’t we?’

‘I hope so. Tell me then.’

‘We met at a mutual friend’s house in London. He has a small estate in Kent—essentially, Nicholas is a gentleman farmer. He is kind and funny and strong and he makes my toes curl.’

‘He sounds wonderful. So, what is wrong with him?’

‘He is not the Earl of Whittleford, who is dull and snappish and has no chin. And he isn’t the Earl of Easton, either.’ There was that look again.

‘Your parents want you to marry Guy?’

‘Any earl would be excellent, but one who is heir to a marquess is better. Not that I have any desire to marry my cousin, you will be glad to hear.’

‘Will I?’ Cressida said faintly.

‘He’s in love with you and you’re in love with him, aren’t you?’

‘Whatever—Of course he is not in love with me.’

‘He looks at you when you aren’t looking at him. And then you do the same to him. I catch Nicholas doing it to me.

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