Page 5 of The Gentleman Was Right
“He…well…it’s common to inform the housekeeper so she can prepare,” Isabelle explained.
“You’re living there. What would Mrs. Eggington need to prepare?” Maud snorted and waved her hand in the air as she made an unfortunately valid point. “Did you ever consider that Lord Greydon is the sort who doesn’t like to plan ahead?”
Apparently not.
Violet glanced at Isabelle. “I guess we should head back and greet whoever is visiting.” There was no point in lingering outside of Maud’s if the woman had no further information for them.
“You should invite him to the assembly tomorrow.” Maud giggled and fanned herself. “Ack…imagine a lord at one of our assemblies.”
“Lord Greydon is married,” Violet reminded her. “As are you.”
“Exactly. Aren’t married lords supposed to dance with women other than their wives?” She fanned herself even more dramatically. “I wouldn’t mind dancing with an earl.”
“We can’t?—”
“Mama.” Maud’s oldest son tore up the road from the village. “Did you see the carriage?” He continued speaking without waiting for an answer. “Lord Greydon’s brother passed through the village not an hour past.”
“Brother? You’re sure?” Isabelle asked, her hand darting out to grip Violet’s.
Violet’s stomach unknotted, and the tension in her shoulders released.
She had known that Lord Greydon had a younger brother, but they had not been able to gather much information about him other than an obscure reference to an affair with a married woman in an old scandal sheet. If she remembered correctly, it had been dated more than a year prior. No one in the village knew anything about the brother, so she hadn’t been able to confirm if it was true. For now, the only thing that mattered was that the man in the carriage wasnotLord Greydon.
“I heard it from Davey.” The boy panted as he skidded to a stop. “He was at the tavern when the gent stopped to ask for directions. Davey said he’s never seen boots that shiny.” The awe in the boy’s voice was unmistakable. “I wish I’d been there. Do you think he’ll come back to the village so I can catch a glimpse of him too?”
“I have no idea.” Violet’s grip tightened on Isabelle’s hand as she spoke. “I suppose we should head back to greet him.”
It was too much to hope that Mrs. Eggington hadn’t already informed him they were staying in the back bedrooms. Violet could only imagine what else the housekeeper had revealed. Mrs. Eggington could be quite a chatterbox once she got started, and she had no idea they weren’t who they said they were.
Now that they knew who was in the carriage, Violet needed to decide how they were going to handle the earl’s brother. They still had the option to try to sneak in and then back out with as many things as they could possibly carry and then disappear.
Or maybe…what if they could convince the brother that Lord Greydon knew they were staying at the cottage?
If they offered a plausible enough tale, it would give them a chance to regroup before they had to leave. The question was, would he believe them if they told him they were distant relations and guests? Was the risk worth the possible reward?
And if they tried and failed, was he the sort of man to give chase? Or would he allow them to disappear?
ChapterThree
The cottage was potentially the loveliest dwelling Edward had ever encountered. Situated at the end of a winding lane, it was surrounded by foliage that somehow managed to be almost vibrant even though it was winter. The dwelling itself was constructed entirely of rock and was smaller than he’d expected, but that made it both cozy and welcoming.
After nearly a week of cramped inns, Edward was eager to settle into a place that wasn’t overrun with strangers. He climbed out of the carriage and took a bracing breath of salty air. He had never been to the coast before, but he’d spent nearly all his life in the country, and he instantly felt at home. There was a level of peace—a quietness that could not be found in London.
Maybe he could start painting again while he was here.
He looked around and felt a prickle of inspiration. Turning a complete circle, he smiled to himself. As soon as he untangled Mrs. Eggington’s deception, he would attempt to enjoy the solitude. It would be foolish not to take advantage of this quiet corner of England.
The front door swept open, and a smallish woman sailed out.
“Lord Greydon,” she said with a bobbing curtsy. “Welcome.”
Nothing about her demeanor suggested she was nervous or unhappy about his sudden arrival. In fact, she seemed delighted to welcome him. Or rather she seemed delighted to welcome his brother. He obviously needed to remedy that misconception immediately.
“Mrs. Eggington?” he asked cautiously.
“That’s correct.” She wrinkled her nose, as if confused why he was asking for confirmation of her identity.
“I’m sorry to arrive unannounced,” he said as he moved toward her, studying her carefully and hoping to spot a crack in her composure. Her dark hair was ruthlessly contained in a tight braid, her smile was wide, and her gown was stiffly pressed. She looked exactly like a country housekeeper ought to look, and if she was stealing from his brother, her wide grin was more than a little baffling. “I’m afraid I’m not Lord Greydon. Sebastian is my elder brother. My name is Edward. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
