He chuckled, his sister’s antics always finding a way to amuse him. “If I were indeed a ‘good’ boy, there would be no need to box my ears. No, I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m quite happy with my ears as they are.”
Rose pouted and dropped her arms. “You are far too intelligent for me to spar with and well you know it. It’s simply not fair.”
Her blue eyes twinkled with laughter, despite her apparent defeat.
“Rose, where are you?” His mother’s voice floated across the garden at least three fountains away.
Rose turned toward the sound. “I’m here!”
“Well, do come here. Lady Sommerset has a question for you.”
Immediately, he sensed his sister’s intent to jump from the bench. “No. You stay right there until I help you down.” He strode along the hedge, quickly rounding it, and headed for the bench.
“I climbed up here by myself. I see no reason why I cannot step down by myself.”
He reached her and stood directly before her. “Hands on my shoulders.”
“Oh, very well.” She did as she was told, and he grasped her waist and gently set her down.
“I don’t see what the fuss is about.” His sister frowned, clearly not happy with him now.
“It’s about you twisting your ankle and Mother being furious for the next fortnight.”
Rose turned to Lady Dorothea. “See, I told you he supports me. You really don’t want to see Mother in a full-blown fury.”
“Rose, are you coming?” Their mother’s voice had become insistent.
“Yes, Mother.” Rose turned back to address her friend. “Stay here. It will give me an excuse to leave sooner. After all, you are a guest.” With that, his sister spun about and was past the hedge within seconds. She was far more intelligent than she realized.Maybe she would flourish at Belinda’s school. That possibility surprised him.
“I hope I did not say anything that was inappropriate.” At Lady Dorothea’s words, he gave her his full attention, which he completely enjoyed. Unlike his sister, who had dressed in a pale-peach day dress, Lady Dorothea wore a sky-blue day gown that brought out the lighter-blue specks in her hazel eyes.
“Why? Do you often make inappropriate statements?”
Color rose in her cheeks. “Not apurpose. But sometimes I may inadvertently forget myself.”
Seeing that she truly was concerned, he motioned toward the bench for her to sit. “No, you need not worry. Please.”
She sat on the bench and self-consciously arranged her dress. “For that, I am relieved. I am much better at watching what I say when there are more people about.”
Nowthatwas interesting. If he remembered correctly, and he always did, she had been left standing alone at the Stocktons’ ball before he had addressed her. “So you are anxious for the other guests to arrive, then?”
“Yes. I mean, not that your company and that of your family is not perfectly lovely.” The color rose in her cheeks yet again.
How fascinating. She blurted out what she wished to say, then reflected upon it and attempted to fix the problem. That could be something he could work with. “I understand completely.” He set his foot on the bench and bent his knee. “In other words, you will be less likely to be noticed and judged by my mother.”
She bit down on her lip, but the corners of her mouth still curved upward. That simple movement epitomized her character—honest, but attempting to stay within the norms of what was expected. It was that conclusion that decided his path. He would mold her to be more in line with what was expected. Though her hair wasn’t the typical blonde that was so popular,she was quite beautiful in her own right and knew how to be a lady. She just needed a bit of polishing with her conversation.
“Have I been that obvious?” She looked up at him, not through her lashes like a maiden, but by meeting his gaze directly.
“I would not sayobvious, but as I have foreknowledge of my mother’s and sister’s feelings and the fact that you are from the school Rose wishes to attend, it has not been difficult to conclude as I have.”
“You are very observant, my lord. That is a rare quality in those I have met. Only my classmate Sophie has the level of skill that you have. I have often envied that, for as Hume suggested, observation can bring us new knowledge through induction. I believe that these newer poets, such as William Wordsworth, see observation of nature to bring an almost spiritual knowledge, which does seem to supersede logic. However, I understand their meaning when I walk at home and the only sounds are those of the birds and the only sights are those of the trees and leaves swaying in the breeze…”
As she continued, he understood it was this very penchant for prose that kept her from being marriageable. While he thoroughly enjoyed following her thought process with its variety of twists and turns, as it was much more challenging than simple logic, he recognized that most men looking for a wife would find it confusing at best and tedious at the worst. So if he could find a way to help her focus and shorten her communication style, she may very well land a husband and make Belinda’s school for ladies more promising. But how was he to do that when she didn’t pause for such long periods?
“…I often wonder if there are specific colors or sounds that speak to the human soul. If so, which colors and which sounds? Perhaps that is what William Congreve meant when he wrote that music has charms to soothe a savage breast. I can believethere are sounds that soothe and conversely, there must be sounds that excite or anger, though I’m not sure which of those could be…”
He could think of only one way to politely silence her, but it was entirely inappropriate. Yet the longer she spoke, the more he was convinced it was the only way.
