“I’ve arranged a cart and driver to meet me on the main road from York at ten in the morning.”
“Keeping country hours, now?” Ash sighed. “I suppose I’ll roust myself out of bed to accompany you. I’ll tell the footmen to sharpen the saw and be at the ready.”
“A wise idea. If we get it cut early enough, I’ll head out for Harrowgate after lunch.”
The previous year, the saw had been dull and it had taken an inordinate amount of time to fell the large evergreen Theo had picked out for Dovington Hall’s Christmas tree. When the pair of footmen had flagged, Theo and Ash had stripped out of their coats and helped with the sawing and finally the fir tree had succumbed.
“To sharp saws.” Ash threw back the rest of his brandy.
“And sharper wits.” Theo drained his glass in turn.
He had a limited time to get to the bottom of whatever Lady Holly was hiding, and he suspected he’d need every ounce ofguile he possessed to ferret out his answers. In truth, he rather looked forward to the challenge.
CHAPTER 3
Holly briefly toyed with the idea of pleading a headache and not going down to dinner—but that would cause her mother to make all sorts of pointed remarks about why she might be feeling poorly. From long experience, Holly knew that included things like calling into question her reading habits and harping upon her regrettable fondness for taking her tea black.
No matter how much she might want to avoid Lord Thornton, she wanted Mama’s meddling concern even less. Besides, she’d deflected the viscount easily enough. Though she had to admit to a lingering worry over why he’d sought her out, and what questions he was planning to put to her.
The solution, of course, was to keep out of his way as much as possible while still upholding the standards of polite behavior. Skills which, as an earl’s daughter, she had in abundance.
She and the viscount were seated across from one another at dinner, but with a series of discreet nudges Holly managed to maneuver the large silver candelabra so that it stood directly between them. Ash, who was next to her, watched with amusement while he spooned up his lobster bisque, but said nothing.
Rose, however, put an end to that strategy after the soup course by brazenly reaching over from her place beside Lord Thornton and moving the candlesticks several inches up the table.
“Whatever are you doing?” Mama asked, giving her a reproving look.
“I’m sorry,” Rose said sweetly. “The glare was making it difficult to see my food.”
Ash let out a snort, and the viscount’s brows rose, but, as usual, Rose managed to get away with behavior that would have earned anyone else a scolding.
“Next time, ask the servants,” their mother said, then let the matter go.
“Yes, Mama.” Rose smiled brightly at Holly. “I was just thinking of what fun we had last year at the Christmas Ball Lord Thornton’s sister hosted.”
“Ah yes, merriment indeed,” Ash said dryly. “Thorn—as I recall, wasn’t that meant to be a matchmaking event?”
“It was,” the viscount said gravely, though the corners of his lips twitched in amusement.
“Well, it succeeded,” their mother said. “Lady Viola found herself an excellent match. You ought to have put yourself forward more strongly, Ash. Lord Thornton’s sister would have made you a fine wife, had you only exerted yourself.”
“What a thought,” he replied, with a barely-perceptible shudder.
“Strange, though,” the earl said from his place at the head of the table.
They all glanced toward him, and when a long moment passed without further elaboration, his wife let out a long-suffering sigh.
“What’s strange, my dear?” she asked.
“I recall a plethora of young women in attendance. One would think Lady Viola would’ve wanted to keep the competition to a minimum.”
“Perhaps it wasn’t Lady Viola who was looking for a match,” Ash said, sending a pointed glance at their guest.
“Oh, she was,” Lord Thornton said, frowning back. “I assure you.”
Holly smiled, hearing what he’d left unsaid. Lady Viola had been searching for a match, but not necessarily for herself. Upon reflection, it was clear she’d been trying to find a suitable bride for her brother, and had accidentally stepped into a betrothal of her own.
“That may be,” Rose said. “But as I recall, Lord Thornton, you danced twice with Holly.”
