The smile broadened. “I do! She is not the equal of your mother… well, how could she be? No one will ever replace my dearest Caroline, but Charlie… Miss Bucknell, I should say, is a most agreeable companion. She is sensible, thoughtful, a good manager… she plays an excellent game of whist or piquet. She does not fuss over me, or preach at me, she rides well —”
“But not too fast, I hope! We do not want you dislocating your shoulder again.”
He laughed. “No, she is more of a gentle rider, but excellent company to be with. We have taken some longer rides together, so that she can show me the countryside, and— Olivia, I know you do not want a stepmother, and nor do I want that for you, to tell the truth. If I could have my heart’s desire, I would have your mother back by my side, where she belongs. But she is not coming back, and… well, in plain terms, I am lonely. Two of my lovely daughters have gone away and left me already, and you will not be long a spinster.”
Olivia blushed and made an inarticulate noise in her throat.
“No, no, I see how they all look at you, these men. As soon as you show your face in town, you will be besieged, I know it, and then you will be gone. And as for the boys… Walter has left, Eustace seldom shows his face at Corland and Kent is looking to his own future. And then I shall be all alone, just me and Alice rattling around in that great big place, and I shall go mad, I know it. Not that Alice is poor company… my own sister, after all, but she is very self-contained. I shall be in bad case, daughter. A manneeds a wife, there is no doubt about it, and not just for sons. Of course, that would be most agreeable, and Charlie is the right age to give me a son or two. There is no certainty, of course, with a woman who has never been married, but there is no reason why not. But there are more important requirements than sons — I need someone to be a friend to me, a true friend, someone I can trust and respect, who is always at my side.”
“And Miss Bucknell is that friend?”
“She might be. It is not impossible.”
“Papa! You are falling in love with her!”
“No, no,” he said, but he looked sheepish. “Idolike her, it is true, but there is no need to talk aboutlove. I loved… still love your mama with all my heart and soul, and no one will ever replace her in that way, but a companion to see me through the rest of my life… that would make me happy, little one.”
“Then it would make me happy, too,” she said.
***
Robert was cautiously optimistic that his plan was working. Between them, he and Grayling contrived to spend every evening under the same roof, and when there was no sport offered, they met during the day, too. Grayling had thrown himself with enthusiasm into the task of entertaining Olivia, and if he seemed a little too keen to play his part even when Embleton was not present, Robert could hardly quibble at that. It was all part of the game, for Olivia was too quick of mind to be fooled by a man who was attentive only when another, very specific, man was also there. She hovered around the marquess whenever the opportunity arose, but Grayling was swift to distract her.
If Robert had not known better, he would have been very jealous of Grayling’s ability to charm her. He was annoyinglyhandsome, in the manner of a Greek god, with fine features, a head of golden hair and the well-honed form of the habitual sportsman. Charming, too, for he seemed to have Olivia in a constant ripple of amusement, when she was not blushing at his outrageous compliments or protesting at his foolishness. Fortunately for Robert’s peace of mind, he knew very well that Grayling was not in the market for a wife.
For his part, he dutifully hovered around Miss Grayling. She seemed complacent at Robert’s attentions, and although she too could not resist throwing a little charm in the marquess’s direction, she was easily drawn away from him.
The only fly in the ointment was Effie Howland, the marquess’s sister, who was determined to flirt with every gentleman who came within her orbit, which included both Grayling and Robert. This disruption to Robert’s careful plans was a nuisance, to put it mildly, for she was neither subtle nor easily deterred, and more than once Robert found himself drawn away to a secluded spot before he saw what she was about and was able to scotch it.
One evening, Grayling drew Robert aside over the port.
“Sarah is nagging me to arrange a visit to Grayling Hall one day,” he said. “We are between cooks at the moment, so we cannot invite anyone for dinner, but we could manage a cold collation, and the ladies might find the house interesting. Most of it is closed up just now, but it has a long and distinguished history, and there are some fine walks in the garden. It would be a change of scene for them. What do you say?”
“That sounds very agreeable. My mother and sisters would certainly welcome such an outing.”
“And you, I hope,” Grayling said meaningfully. “It will give you an opportunity to spend a longer period of time with Sarah… get to know her better, and so on. She is very keen to show you her home.”
“That sounds most pleasant,” Robert said cautiously, unwilling to allow Grayling to suspect that his interest in Miss Grayling was no more than mere courtesy.
But the very next day, these modest plans went awry. Robert spent some time over breakfast carefully explaining the delights in store to his mother and sisters.
“That is all very well, Kiltarlity, but the builders are playing havoc with Strathinver, and we must be there to supervise.”
“Builders? I thought it was nothing but a little light redecoration — to freshen the place up, you said, Mama.”
“Oh, one or two small improvements,” she said with an airy wave of one hand, the ornate rings looking too heavy for her frail fingers. “One might as well get everything done at once. It would be false economy to call the men back later. You did give me a free hand, Kiltarlity.”
“Well, yes, but… never mind. You must do as you wish, of course. But we cannot leave now. It would be unconscionably rude.”
“How so? We have been here for two weeks already, and there is nothing here to amuse us.”
Robert had found a great deal to amuse him, and he had thought his sisters well entertained, too, and said so.
“Pft. That is because you are as besotted as the rest with the Grayling girl. Your sisters do not show to advantage beside such youthful beauty.”
“Any woman of sense would appear to advantage beside a girl with more hair than wit,” he said acidly. “She has no conversation or ideas of her own.”
“Then why do you hang about her, if she is so devoid of ideas?”
