“The Marquess of Ramsey, heir to the Duke of Camberley and Lady Esther’s brother. Look he has dropped the letter. What does it say?”
“Osborn! We cannot read other people’s private letters.”
“Well, we can if they drop them at our feet. Whether weshouldor not is another question, but since his lordship is shouting loud enough to wake the dead, I cannot imagine the secret will remain so for very long. Oh… it is from your father, informing the duke that he intends to pay his addresses to Miss Bucknell.” He chuckled. “Oh dear! I rather fear the marquess has come to forbid the banns.”
“It is not funny, Osborn,” Olivia said in a small voice. “Papa was so happy, and look at him now — the very picture of dejection.”
Robert saw that she was right. The marquess, Miss Bucknell and Lady Esther were arguing furiously, but the earl stood a little aside, his head low. As they watched, he raised his hands to silence them, and then said something too low to be heard. Then he bowed, turned and walked back towards the house.
Seeing Olivia on the terrace, he diverted and came to sit beside her.
“There is no fool like an old fool, is there?” he said tiredly. “She seemed so pleasant, too. But it will not do.”
“Oh, Papa! Whatever has happened?” Olivia cried, wrapping her arm around his as tears of sympathy trickled down her cheeks.
“Perhaps we should not press for a detailed explanation,” Robert said gently.
“No, it is best that she knows,” the earl said, straightening his spine. “Let it be a lesson to all of us that we should not judge people by appearances but enquire into their hearts and souls. Miss Bucknell, daughter, has greatly deceived me. She has never married, and so I imagined her as innocent as… well, as innocent as you are, but it is not so, for she lived with a man for a number of years without benefit of matrimony. Bore him three children, even! And this she did not see fit to mention to me. No one here thought to tell me of it.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped open, and she seemed too stunned to speak. This time, Robert could not stop himself from taking her free hand and squeezing it gently.
“That is dreadful indeed, but better to find it out now than later,” he said.
“Yes. That is true,” the earl said. Then, with a sigh, “We must leave, I suppose. I cannot stay in this place a moment longer.”
“Shall we go home, then?” Olivia said.
The earl shuddered. “And have your Aunt Jane drumming up more potential wives for me? No, no, no! I could not bear it.”
“Izzy lives just up the road at Nottingham,” Robert said. “She and Farramont would be delighted to see you.”
“Mama is there,” Olivia said softly. “Papa will not go where she is.”
“Oh. What about Josie, then?”
“In town.”
Robert stopped, daunted.
The argument on the lawn had finally died away. Miss Bucknell, her cheeks flaming, rushed back into the house,while Lady Esther and Lord Ramsey returned to the corner of the terrace. Silently, Robert handed the marquess the letter. He looked rueful, the anger finally burned out of him, but the usually composed Lady Esther collapsed onto the bench, sobbing piteously.
“Lord, I never meant to upset her so much,” Ramsey said, rubbing his neck with a sigh. “Never seen her cry before. Come now, Esther, buck up. It is not so bad as all that, and at least they were not actually married.”
“It is not that,” Lady Esther said, her voice high with distress. “We cannot stay now! We must leave at once, but how can I? Mr Franklyn has gone off with Lord Embleton and taken the carriage and if I just disappear, he will not know where I have gone and how can I go on my own?”
“These are not insuperable problems,” Ramsey said, kneeling before her and taking her hand. “Come now, Esther, this is not like you. I have no handkerchief… Kiltarlity, have you a handkerchief? There now, mop up your tears, sister, and let us put our heads together and see what we can come up with. For a start, you can take my carriage, if you wish. I should be delighted to escort you wherever you wish to go.”
“I cannot go anywhere!” she wailed. “Not without Mr Franklyn, but I do not know where he is!”
Robert coughed discreetly. “If I might suggest… we could follow Mr Franklyn and Lord Embleton on their journey north. And if we do not encounter them, we may all go to Strathinver and recover from this upheaval, and Mr Franklyn may meet up with us there. We can leave word of our plans along the way. It is far enough away that you will not be pestered by acquaintances, and only my mother and sisters are there at present. I suggested it to Lord Embleton as a place where he might take the Lady Euphemia, for the same reason. Strathinver is far enough from civilisation to be tranquil. I have alwaysconsidered that a disadvantage, but in this case it would be ideal. And if you should want more lively company, we have the Duke and Duchess of Lochmaben only a few miles away.”
“Our cousins,” Olivia said, brightening a little. “Perhaps we could stay with them? They are always hospitable.”
“I am not much minded for company,” Lord Rennington said. “Strathinver… that sounds perfect. A secluded place to recover from this blow.”
“Exactly. What do you say, Lady Esther?” Robert said. “If we encounter Mr Franklyn on the way, you may make alternative plans but for the moment shall we all head to Scotland and escape from the travails of England?”
“Very well,” she said, straightening her spine a little. “If I may take up the offer of your carriage, Ramsey. I could not bear a hired post chaise.”
