Satisfied with his appearance, he left his quarters and made his way down to the main floor to find Priscilla and her family. Ifher sisters were anything like her, they would not sleep until the noon hour like most women.
As he came down the staircase, he heard laughter coming from the parlor. He grinned. Just as he suspected, they were awake.
He wondered if Priscilla had told them about her upcoming wedding, andwhythe marriage needed to happen. Hopefully, they didn’t blame him and believed, as his grandmother had, that what happened during the rainstorm was nobody’s fault. It was obvious, however, that fate was lending a hand—much to his grandmother’s relief, Gavin was certain.
When he stepped inside the room, the women turned their heads toward him. But it was Priscilla’s face that he was happy to see. She wore a baby-blue day dress with a square neck bodice, and her hair was fixed in ringlets. Today, she did not resemble a lady’s companion. Instead, she looked most desirable and tempting.
“Your Grace,” Priscilla said, quickly rising from her seat on the sofa. “I’m most happy to see you up so early. You look recovered from your accident last night.”
“I am recovered, thank you.” He glanced at the two other ladies. “And good morning to you. I’m glad that you have not left yet.”
Bridget nodded. “Thank you, Your Grace. We plan on leaving this afternoon.”
“I pray you can postpone it a few hours. I was in hopes that you would like to accompany us into town to purchase your sister some gowns.”
Priscilla’s eyes widened. “We are?”
“Of course. Your trip was ruined because of the wheel coming off the coach, so I thought we could try our outing again. This time, I will ride my horse at the side of the vehicle and make sure nothing like that happens again.”
Priscilla stepped closer to him and gingerly touched his arm. “If you aren’t feeling like traveling, we can postpone the trip.”
It pleased him immensely to see the concern on her face, especially when the first two days he was here, she’d looked at him with steely blue eyes full of hatred. It softened his heart to know that she didn’t loathe him any longer.
“Absolutely not, Miss Priscilla. I assure you, I feel just fine.”
“Do you need to eat the morning meal first?” she asked.
“I had a bite in my room while getting ready for the day.” He looked at Bridget. “My lady? Is your husband around? Perhaps he would enjoy an outing.”
Bridget nodded. “He is taking a walk around the estate.”
“Splendid—while you ladies prepare to ride into town, I shall find Lord Adrian.”
They all curtsied as he left the room. He didn’t know if Adrian would enjoy going into town, but the way those two looked at each other with admiration in their gazes, Gavin knew Adrian would follow Bridget to the ends of the earth. Would he eventually feel the same way about Priscilla? After all, Adrian hadn’t wanted to marry either, and look at the man now.
It didn’t take long to find Adrian out by the stable, inspecting the damage. As Gavin approached his cousin, he could tell the man was deep in thought as he stared at the charred wall, rubbing his chin. Adrian must have noticed him approach, because he snapped his head toward Gavin.
His eyebrows arched. “What are you doing out of bed? From what I heard, I would expect you to be recovering.”
Gavin flipped a hand through the air. “When have you ever known me to sit still for very long? Besides, I feel well enough to be out and about. In fact, I am taking my soon-to-be bride into town to purchase her some clothes. You and your wife and Miss Felicia are invited as well.”
“Indeed, we would love to join you.” Adrian nodded toward the wall. “May I ask what you are planning to do with the stable?”
“Rebuild it, of course. But my inheritance is diminishing a little every day, so I’m sure it will take some time.”
Adrian folded his arms and rocked back on the heels of his boots. “Would you be offended if I offered to pay for the repairs?”
Gavin scowled. “Cousin, it offends me that you don’t think I can find the funds to do it myself.”
“Did I say such words? I did not, and I never would. All I’m doing is offering to help. I assure you, I can afford it.” Adrian shrugged. “Consider it a wedding gift, if you will, but I would very much like to help.”
“I thank you for the offer, but I would feel less than a man if I accepted.”
Adrian nodded. “I understand. So in that case, let me introduce you to a good friend of mine. He is the Marquess of Hawthorne.”
Gavin laughed heartily. “Hawthorne is your friend as well as Trey’s?”
Adrian chuckled. “I’m certain Hawthorne is friends with many lords.”
