“An archery contest, a hunt, and a carnival with games, and a play. I would like to hire some actors for entertainment that day.”
Excitement filled him at her words. All of those things would be useful. He didn’t know if Charlotte would want to participate in the hunt. Declan didn’t know her well enough to guess what she might like. But that was why he wanted to have this house party. It was the excuse he needed to delve deeper into her personality. To see if he wanted more with her or if his feelings were nothing more than a passing fancy. “All right,” he said. “Do all of that. If you think of anything else, let me know, and I’ll let you know if it is acceptable.” He set his tea down and folded his hands into his lap. “Now about the rest of what I expect.” This was the part she would not like. But he had to make her understand. It was important to him.
“Well,” she said. “Go on. Tell me your infernal rules.” She scoffed at him as if she didn’t understand how he could be her own son. They were so different.
“I do not want any of the ladies you associate with at the party.” He waited for her to scream in protest, but she just staredat him, blinking like an owl with her mouth open. “No one that is known to gossip. This will be a scandal-free party, or at least one where any scandal that might happen doesn’t leave the estate for anyone else to hear about.”
“I cannot even invite Lady Thistleton?” his mother asked.
“Especially not her.” She was the worst gossip in town. “If you truly want to have this house party, I must insist on this. Do you agree?”
She frowned. Clearly, she didn’t like this part of his agreement, but without it, she wouldn’t have a party at all. He wasn’t a fool; Declan knew why she wanted this house party. His mother hoped he would find a woman to wed and give her grandchildren. He hadn’t been in any rush to find his potential bride, but she was ready to have him settle down. This was her way of attempting to force the issue. If and when he married, it would be his decision. No one forced anything upon him. Besides, he’d already met a woman he found fascinating. If any lady had a chance of convincing him to offer for marriage, it would be Charlotte. He might even propose to her during the house party, but he had not made any decisions of late. He just knew he needed her near. This was only the beginning, and in time, he’d know one way or the other. Charlotte had started to warm up a little toward him at the end of their walk; however, he didn’t think he was near to winning her over. Perhaps if he had been different in the beginning…he couldn’t go back and do anything differently. Besides, he didn’t think he would want to, regardless. Declan didn’t always act rashly, or correctly. It was best she knew that about him from the start.
“All right,” she finally said in agreement. “No one that is a known gossip. But I cannot guarantee none will spring from the party. You never truly know what someone might or might not do.”
“I understand,” Declan said. She was correct, of course. There was only so much he could do to protect the girls at the school. “Send the invitation over to the school. Mrs. Havenwood is expecting it, so have it addressed to her.”
“You were so certain I would agree?” his mother asked.
“Yes,” he replied. Declan drained the rest of his tea and then set the cup down. “You have been harping about this idea of yours since you arrived. A little thing like a modified guest list would not dissuade you.”
“Do you want to approve the final guest list before I send out the invitations?” she asked.
He nodded. “I do.” Declan stood. “How long do you need to plan this?” He would like to have the party begin tomorrow, but he knew better. They would need time to gather all the necessary supplies before guests arrived. Not to mention that a carnival would take a bit of planning too.
“A week to plan it,” she said. “Another week to prepare. We will have to build some things for the carnival, and we will need to hire some additional staff.”
“All right,” he said. “So let’s have the first guests arrive in roughly a fortnight—this estate is nearly to Scotland, and they will need time to travel. Have the carnival at the end of the house party. That will give you time to build anything for the games and other entertainments.”
His mother furrowed a brow. “And how long should the actual party be? I will have to put that in the invitations. Do I have a limit on how many guests to invite?”
Declan shrugged. “You know how many guests the house can hold. Use your own judgement there.” He blew out a breath. “No longer than a fortnight for the actual party, though I prefer a sennight. Let me know when you’re ready to go over the details.”
He nodded at her one final time and then left the room. Declan had enough of conversing about the matter. Heshuddered. The things he was going to do so he could become more acquainted with a slip of girl he found fascinating...
*
Charlotte sat inthe garden next to Jaclyn and Charlotte. This was their last class of the term. The next day, a lot of the students would be departing for two months. The three of them were amongst a handful of students that would remain behind. Today they were in the garden for a lesson with Mrs. Smith. She was an older lady with gray hair sprinkled with white. Her brown eyes were warm like chocolate in the morning. Mrs. Smith wanted to have a position with less anxiety than younger charges were prone to give her. Charlotte couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to be a governess. She had no patience for small children. She had to give Mrs. Smith a lot of credit for doing it as long as she had. But were young ladies any less stressful to work with? Charlotte had her doubts.
Mrs. Smith taught them general subjects like math, though sometimes she branched out into topics outside of that. Today she wanted to discuss herbs and their uses. They had planted an herb garden for this purpose in early spring, although not all of them had understood what those herbs were for.
“As you know, I would like to discuss herbs today,” Mrs. Smith began. She rolled her fingers over some lavender growing nearby. “Can you think of what this might be used for?” Mrs. Smith smiled. “Other than smelling pretty.” She plucked a budding plant and smelled it. “This plant is often combined with water or doused on clothing for both perfume and to help with fainting or nausea. But there are a couple of other uses.”
Charlotte raised her hand. She had been studying plants lately because she needed to keep her mind occupied onsomething other than the Marquess of Easton. “I read that some ladies were given lavender to help with anxiety or hysteria.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Smith began. “Though I have my doubts of its uses in that regard.” She beamed at Charlotte. “It is also reportedly good at keeping pesky insects from bothering you. Do you think it works for that?”
Jaclyn scrunched up her nose. “Well, if it doesn’t at least you’ll still smell pretty.”
Mrs. Smith laughed. “Very true.” She plucked a green leaf out of another bed. “This little devil can be a pest and overtake your garden if you let it.” She twirled the leaf in her hand. “But it smells lovely, and the tea you make of it can aid a stomach ailment. Do you know what it is?”
Georgina spoke, “It is mint.” She didn’t meet Mrs. Smith’s gaze. “I’ve had reason to drink a tea of it.”
Charlotte frowned. Georgina didn’t seem happy about that. What had happened to her friend? There was a lot Georgina didn’t speak about. Maybe one day she would be more comfortable with them. She hoped they wouldn’t have to wait too long for that.
“Yes,” Mrs. Smith said. “One more herb, and then we will dismiss for the day.” She plucked another set of leaves from the garden and then handed one to each of the girls present. “Smell it and tell me what you think.”
“It’s pleasant,” a girl from the right of Charlotte said. “What is it?”
