NINE
Adrian drummed hisfingers on his desk as the ledgers blurred before him. He couldn’t concentrate on business. All he could think about was what had happened two days ago with Lyndsey.
Although he’d started out their afternoon ride trying to focus more on the younger sister, he couldn’t get Lyndsey out of his thoughts. He’d really tried to think differently about Miss Priscilla, but her laugh couldn’t make his heart melt. Her eyes didn’t sparkle the same way as Lyndsey’s, and his arms didn’t want to wrap themselves around the younger sister. Instead, he wanted to hold Lyndsey again. He wanted her to look at him as though she’d never seen anything more perfect. Of course, he would need to make that last part happen, since Lyndsey hadn’t yet demonstrated that expression.
The shooting during their ride was quite upsetting. Thankfully, the bullet had only ripped through Collin’s coat, and hadn’t touched his skin. The earl had been very fortunate. However, what would happen next time? And both Collin and Adrian feared there would be a next time.
Collin had talked to the household staff but nobody had seen or heard anything. The incident had given Aunt Beatrice the vapors, and she’d taken to her room for a whole day – which was quite the miracle. Adrian needed some peace so he could think.
The previous evening, Collin had invited the constable to the house, but none of them could come to any logical conclusions as to what was going on, and why. Was someone trying to make them leave the estate? Or was it worse... and was Collin’s life in danger? So far, he appeared to be the main target.
There was no way the Dorsey brothers would admit defeat. They would continue with their daily lives, and pray that the person responsible for these so-called accidents was caught soon.
From somewhere in the manor, he heard Aunt Beatrice’s high-pitched voice. This was herinstructionalvoice. He’d heard it many times since he was a boy.
Adrian stretched his arms and yawned before pushing away from his desk and standing. The day was passing slowly, and he was impatient for it to be evening. Tonight, Adrian and Collin had decided to have a social dinner party. They’d invited only a few families from the area.
Adrian had made certain that more eligible women would attend the party, mainly to keep Collin’s focus off Lyndsey so that Adrian could win her favor, instead. After what had happened between them when he rescued her from the runaway horse, he hoped the yearning way she’d looked at him after they’d kissed in the pantry, would be the way she looked at him again.
Aunt Beatrice and Walden would also be in attendance tonight, since Adrian hadn’t had the heart to curtail their visit. He hoped his talkative aunt would hold Mr. Benson’s attention, mainly so that Adrian could spend more time studying Lyndsey and proving to her that he wasn’t the scoundrel she thought him to be.
His aunt’s loud voice led him to the dining room. Aunt Beatrice stood amongst some servants, issuing orders. Since her arrival, she’d behaved as though she was the mistress of Hanover Hall and it was her duty to keep the manor running smoothly. She’d acted like their mother for as long as Adrian could remember.
He rolled his eyes. Perhaps he shouldn’t scold her yet. After all, Aunt Beatrice was helping Collin find a wife – in her own odd way.
When she saw him, her eyes widened and a smile stretched across her face. “William, dear.”
She bustled toward him. Her gray hair bounced on her head, and he feared it would soon come out of the coil she kept it in.
“William, I have everything under control.” She tapped his forearm. “You need not worry. Tonight’s event will go off splendidly.”
“I thank you, dear aunt, but as I told you before, you needn’t fret. This supper is just for close friends.”
Shaking her head, she lifted a finger and pointed it at him. “Don’t ever take dinner socials lightly. One never knows what budding romance might come from it.”
He laughed. Leave it to his aunt to play match-maker. She was determined to getbothof her nephews married. He wished she’d focus more on her own son. Walden was an odd sort of man. The tall, lanky young man kept to himself most of the time, and he had a difficult time socializing, even with family. Adrian feared the poor man had been dropped on his head one too many times as a baby.
“Oh, Auntie, you are being very humorous,” Adrian said sweetly. “The only person residing in this estate who will marry is my brother, and I assure you, he already has a budding romance started. Two of them, in fact.”
Aunt Beatrice gasped and her jewel-decorated fingers flew up to her throat. “Two, did you say?”
“Yes. He’s been seeing Miss Benson, as well as Lady Margaret.”
“Lady Margaret?” The older woman’s forehead wrinkled more, if that were even possible. “But Lady Margaret is practically aspinster.” She nearly hissed the word as if it didn’t belong in her vocabulary.
Adrian shrugged. “Lady Margaret is younger than Collin by a year, and she’s still unwed, which makes her marriage material in my brother’s eyes.”
