Royce rose to prevent the boy from launching himself upon him. "Yes, you repulsive whelp,” he said, ruffling the boy’s hair to negate any sting in his words.
None was detected, for the child instantly began a recital of his pony's good and bad points.
“Cut line, you clodhead,” interrupted his older brother in disgust. "Ecod, you ain’t even bowed properly yet!” So saying Bertram executed a deep bow that caused him to lose his balance slightly. He stepped back hastily, a blush of red ascending his cheeks.
The earl nodded gravely, pretending not to notice the awkward bobble. "You make a nice leg. Only not so low. I am not of royal blood.”
“Yes, sir. No, sir. I mean, yes, sir!” Bertram returned crisply, staring up at Royce with mannish determination to be counted more than a child.
Jane and Elsbeth exchanged covert glances. The earl was hard-pressed to maintain his bland countenance. A small tug at the tails of his coat drew his attention back to Edward.
“Like this, sir?” asked Edward. With grim-faced determination he bowed.
“Excellent. Now, gentlemen—” The boys squared their shoulders proudly at being dubbed gentlemen. "Shall we bid your lady aunts adieu and be off?”
“Yes, sir!” they chimed and collided with each other in their mutual haste to be the first to say good-bye. They looked as if they each would cut up the other for the accident, but a glance up at the earl forestalled their habitual bickering. They said good-bye in a rush, darting for the door.
The earl moved more leisurely, a genuine smile now curving his lips and lighting his dark eyes, eliminating their habitual shadows. "I shall take care of them and see they come to no harm.”
Jane nodded slowly, a wry smile dispelling her wintery, remote expression. "I have no concern for their welfare, but I fear it is your own I should bear concern for,” she teased, looking up at him in a far more friendly fashion than she was wont.
“I should be honored.” He bowed formally.
Jane started, a bright blush of color again sweeping across her pale complexion. The sincerity of his response rattled her calm. Immediately she swept her invisible mantle of protection about herself, her expression cooling.
Royce wanted to kick himself for sending her back into her world of ice and snow. He would need to take better care with this one if he wished to tear down her barriers. Swiftly, giving no indication that he sensed a change in Jane’s manner, he bidboth ladies good-bye, again reassuring them as to their young relatives’ safety, and followed the children out the door.
Lady Elsbeth clasped her hands over her needlework and sat staring at Jane, her head cocked in a considering fashion.
Jane bristled, her mouth working as though she thought to say one thing or another, and ended by discarding them all. Finally, they saw the small party pass by the parlor's large window, Royce tipping his hat toward them as he passed. "The man is certainly an odd fish. I wonder if we do trust the children in his company.”
“Certainly we do,” returned Elsbeth. "But if he means to pursue their company, I wonder at Serena’s reaction."And to your own, though I’d not say that to you,Elsbeth thought.She picked up her needlework, pulling her needle free as she considered the pattern growing beneath her fingers. "At all events, our bucolic, peaceful existence here at Penwick will never be the same.”
Jane had no response for that, for she feared Elsbeth to be right.
CHAPTER 7
For the next several days, it appeared Lady Elsbeth was wrong.
Though servants hastened to prepare Penwick Park for the expected guests, life for its residents settled back into a calm routine. Every afternoon the Earl of Royce took Jane’s nephews for long, rambling rides over the countryside. Arrangements for these rides were made between the earl and the boys the day before; consequently, they were always dressed and standing by their saddled ponies when the earl arrived. There was no need or opportunity for the earl and Jane to meet again. Conversations that Jane and Lady Elsbeth had with the boys revealed they were getting along very well with the earl. Royce seemed to have assumed the role of mentor, giving the boys sage advice which they solemnly parroted to the amusement of Lady Elsbeth and the consternation of Jane. Jane did not like owing the earl, but she feared she was in his debt. The children were displaying signs of respect, mannerliness, and maturity. It nettled Jane that the earl was successful where she and Elsbeth were not. She did not consider how unsuccessful the boys’ parents had been.
She was aware, however, that their mischievous pranks had abated, but for the comparatively trivial matters of the handprint “paintings’’ on the hallway pier glass and the sliding down the newly-polished banisters. Truthfully, though Jane hated to own it, life had become disgustingly dull. Consequently, she soon discovered herself looking forward with anticipation to the arrival of their heretofore unwanted guests.
The cavalcade began arriving on the fifth day.
They arrived later than Jane and Lady Elsbeth had anticipated, nearly driving those ladies to distraction with worry whether or not they would have to cancel the planned dinner and dancing for that evening. As it was, they’d already reordered their table setting due to the news of Mrs. Chitterdean’s succumbing to the grippe. Lady Elsbeth hastily prepared more of her decoction and sent Nurse Twinkleham to care for the invalided parson’s wife. It was agreed by all parties that Reverend Chitterdean must be kept well.
Consequently, it hadn’t helped Jane’s and Lady Elsbeth’s rapidly frazzling nerves that the boys were underfoot all afternoon, eagerly asking to help with the final preparations for the arriving guests. When an exasperated Jane had tried to send them out to the Folly with Becky to watch them, she was solemnly told they’d promised the earl they would stand ready to be of assistance. Somehow he’d impressed upon them a sense of responsibility. It was a sense of responsibility that Jane could have cheerfully done without, but she could hardly wound their honor by refusing their help and packing them off to the schoolroom.
Not since Lady Tipton and Millicent interfered with her life three years ago had she felt so helpless. Her one consoling thought was the righteousness of the ideas the earl instilled in the boys. It struck her as odd, even humorous, to consider the Devil’s Disciple instilling principles of good and evil, as well asmanners and respect. It was unsettling and made her warier of the man, for she wondered at his game. A leopard doesn’t change its spots, nor a tiger its stripes. There had to be a motive for his strange behavior, but she could not see it. If he sought out her company, she would have accused him of hanging out for a rich wife and scheming for a place in her good graces with his assiduous attention to her nephews. But he did not try to see her. She even questioned the boys to ascertain if the earl asked them about her. As far as she could tell from their reports, her name never even came up in conversation! It was maddening.
Such thoughts were tumbling around in her mind when they heard the first crunch of wheels in the drive. Bertram and Edward ran to the windows to catch a glimpse of scarlet and brown livery before the carriage swept out of sight to the front of the house. Lady Elsbeth identified the colors as those of the Tipton family. She urged Jane and the boys to join her on the steps to welcome the visitors to Penwick Park.
Jane took a deep breath. Now, the battle would be joined. Was she ready? Mentally she checked the condition of her protective cloak, searching for rents and holes. There were none. Still, she wished the earl were present, but his guest arrived that morning, and he was engaged in entertaining him. According to Bertram, the gentlemen would come to the dinner.
She followed the boys outside, placing a hand on either shoulder as they stood before her like a wall against the approaching hordes. Her expression was aloof, waiting with a quiet otherworldliness.
Lady Elsbeth glanced at her, her lips tightening a moment. Then the steps were being let down from the carriage, and her sister was descending. Jane must fend for herself, Lady Elsbeth decided as she went toward Serena with a smile and a word of welcome on her lips for her elder sister.
