In all seriousness, I am attempting to convey my irrepressible desire to woo you, only you, exclusively and in earnest. I’ll meet you on the promenade at half past two Saturday if you still find me agreeable.
Fondly,
Malcolm
Eliza’s face went wild with color. His words nearly had her in a swoon.Irrepressible desire, spellbound... It was all too heady and delicious. With a smile, she folded the pages and tucked them into her bodice. She bid Nigel farewell, went inside, and bustled down the hall to thekitchen, where Lydia stood chopping onions. “Sister, Lord Havenwood has invited us to take the air tomorrow afternoon!”
Lydia looked up from her work, wiping her streaming eyes with the tail of her apron. “Oh? How delightfully proper. You must wear your blue lawn—the one with the ruffles and Alençon lace. It draws the eye so much better than any of your others.”
Whatever her reservations about Una’s snooping and Lord Eastleigh’s veiled threats, her courtship with Malcolm was about to become common knowledge within Cheltenbridge.
Eliza and Lydia strolled arm in arm along the river promenade, the feathers in their wide-brimmed hats casting nodding shadows on the pavers. There was a weekend fair going on, complete with roving jugglers and carnival games. The delicious aromas of roasted peanuts and fish and chips made Eliza’s stomach rumble. Truthfully, her appetite had suffered of late; she’d been far too consumed with ardent feelings and fantasies—the kind of romantic nonsense that made schoolgirls doodle in the margins of notebooks and whisper their beloved’s name beneath their breath. She was growing far too old for such things, but heavens, this infatuation was a pleasant surprise, all the same.
And there he was, the object of her affection: dressed in dark blue, his silver-topped walking stick swinging in a jaunty fashion as he came down the path, his straw hat tilted at a rakish angle.
“He’s a bit of a dandy, isn’t he?” Lydia said. “Far too pretty for a man, in my opinion.”
“Oh, Lyddie. Don’t be so cutting. I think he looks smashing. They can’t all be Dr.Fawcett.”
Malcolm’s face brightened as he drew near. “Ah, Miss Sullivan and Miss Tourant,” he said, sweeping his hat from his head. “I do hopeyou’ve been well. You’re looking twice as lovely as I imagined you would.”
“I’ve been well—but I was even better upon receiving your note, Lord Havenwood,” Eliza said, dropping a quick curtsy as her lips tilted into a flirtatious smile. “Your talent is superb, and your rendering of my countenance too kind.”
“Yes, well. Only something I dabble in when I’m feeling inspired.” Malcolm offered his arm and they walked on for a bit, following the curve of the river. Townspeople craned their necks to watch as he led them to a gazebo overlooking the water.
“People are certainly paying attention, if that’s what you wanted,” Eliza said. “We’re quite the sideshow.”
“I don’t often make public appearances. It’s much easier for me that way.” Malcolm motioned to the wrought iron benches in the middle of the gazebo. “Please sit. The barmaids from the Rose come around with ale and cider, if you’d fancy a pint.”
They sat, Malcolm facing Eliza as Lydia sank down at her side. Below, children were splashing in the shallows of the river, screaming and laughing in their play. An unbidden memory flashed through Eliza’s mind and she closed her eyes briefly against it. She took a breath to center herself, focusing on Malcolm and the way his dark hair curled so becomingly around his face.
“Are you enjoying Cheltenbridge?” he asked.
“It’s been delightful so far. Wouldn’t you agree, Lydia?”
“Indeed. We’re settling in well, Lord Havenwood.”
“If there’s something I admire about American women, it’s your plucky fortitude. Quite a thing to leave one’s country behind to make a life in a new one.”
“Yes, but I’m glad to have hazarded the risk,” Eliza said. “It’s already brought so many unexpected delights.”
As promised, a young barmaid with full, reddened cheeks and impressive arms came around, carrying a tray loaded with glasses offrothy ale. Eliza took a pint and offered it to Lydia, then took one for herself.
Malcolm shifted on the bench, crossing one leg over the other and drawing his pipe out from his coat. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Not at all,” Eliza answered. “I happen to enjoy a fine cigarette on occasion, myself.”
“Really?” Malcolm said flatly. He pursed his lips and pulled a tin from his pocket, then packed the bowl of his pipe with cherry-scented tobacco. “I saw no servants when I called upon you. Is it true you’ve been managing the property all on your own? It’s looking splendid.”
“We only manage the care of the house ourselves,” Eliza said. “We’ve kept Giles Mason, who lives in our carriage house and maintains the grounds. He’s managing our livery for now, though we’ll eventually need a proper groom. I’ve plans to expand the stables and increase our livestock. I’d like to bring in three Thoroughbreds as early as this fall—a stud and two broodmares.”
Malcolm leaned forward with interest. “Is that so?”
“As I mentioned, my family owned stables in Louisiana. I’m an expert at racehorse bloodlines. I’ve been studying the sales sheets for horses derived from our line.”
“Fascinating! There’s still money to be made in horses, then?”
“Yes, my lord. Even though trains and motorcars are overtaking transportation, they will have no effect on gaming. As long as men bet, horses will run.”
