Page 20 of In Compromise with the Earl
Snorting, Leo said, “I don’t see any prancing animals.”
“Oh, there are some, don’t worry,” Oswald said. “Take a stroll with me and look around.”
Taking him from the drawing room to one of the many side doors, they stepped into cool morning air and headed in the opposite direction of the stables. Lady Pandora had greenspaces for croquet and shuttlecock set up and from the gay laughter he heard coming from a section of it, he sensed a game was underway.
“So,” Leo started. “How is it here? Have you found a lovely lady to be the next Countess Tennesley?”
“I have met a few,” Oswald replied as they headed to where the games were underway. “One is, forgive me, a terrible bore, another is a merchant’s daughter, and two others whose engagements have been broken by their intended. I think this should be a house of heartbreak instead of a matchmaking situation.”
“If only the church could help,” Leo said. “Things would be much easier.”
“I’m sure it would,” Oswald muttered as they turned a corner. The stretch of green before them had a lovely scene; a few women were on picnic blankets with finger foods near them, while others were playing badminton on the green; Aphrodite one of them. She had her hair up and was using her racket expertly to keep the shuttlecocks in the air.
She twirled like a dancer, the movement unfortunately showing an inappropriate length of her legs. She glowed under the benign sunlight and in the middle of another twirl the pin in her hair slipped with golden locks tumbling down her shoulder.
“Oh,” she dropped her racket, but then laughed and shook her head. “That’s probably better.”
Oswald felt his hand clenching at his side, his palm aching to run through that silky mass. Leo must have followed Oswald’s line of sight or he had seen his clenching fist—one or the other and hummed.
“I see someone had captured your attention,” Leo mentioned quietly. “Tread carefully, Cousin. You do not need another light skirt to tarnish your name.”
His cousin’s simple words snuffed out the fledgling heat in his chest. Turning to Leo he sighed. “She is not a light skirt.”
“Who is she?” Leo asked.
“Lady Aphrodite Newfield, daughter of William Newfield, Viscount of Kingsley,” Oswald said. “But never fear, she is almost already spoken for.”
“Good,” Leo said, “Remember what dear Aunt said, you need a demure lady to marry, one who embodies the ideas of an honorable lady; meek, gracious, kind, respectful and nurturing.”
Oswald nearly rolled his eyes, but Leo was right. Those should be the qualities he should be looking for in a lady, but who was to say those qualities could not coexist with daring, tenacious, and utterly maddening? “You’re right,” Oswald said.
“I would hate for you to marry another likeher,” Leo said, scornfully. “A strumpet masked in the dress of a lady. You are a good man, Oswald, and you need the same spirit. Not one who will contradict you at every turn or bring more disgrace on your life.”
Slanting a look to his cousin, Oswald wondered why Leo was pushing the matter when his point had already come across. The only thing he saw on his cousin’s face was pious honesty. His cousin was only being truthful.
Sighing, Oswald nodded. “I know, but on the other half of this equation, this lady will have to accept me as I am, scandal to my name and all, that is not easy as hardly anyone will want to be tied to such shame.”
A look of dawning realization crossed Leo’s face. “I had never thought about it that way. I suppose your position is just that much harder than I had imagined.”
Taking a last look at Aphrodite, he rested a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “T’is not your fault. Even when she came to you for guidance, you could have never known infidelity and dishonestly was in her heart.”
“I should had some inkling,” Leo grimaced.
This time Oswald laughed. “You’re a priest Leo, not a seer. Don’t blame yourself. All that sin rested on her and she paid the ultimate price for it.”
“To this day I shudder when I remember seeing her in her carriage, that jagged blade stabbed right through her heart.” Leo shuddered. “Whoever the blackguard who killed her is, he is a heathen of the worst sort.”
“I know,” Oswald said. “And to this day the investigators have no inkling of who that man is. I suppose it is another thing to add to my already long list of unsolved issues. Let’s head back. I suspect you do not have much time to spare. By the way, when you go home, just tell Mother that I’m fine, would you?”
Turning away from the party, Leo gave Oswald an unconvincing look. “Why do you think Aunt has something to do with my visit?”
Instead of replying, Oswald gave his cousin a long, level look, causing Leo to chuckle. “Fine, fine, I’ll relay the message that you are the portrait of perfect health.”
“Thank you,” Oswald said.
Later that night as they congregated for another of Lady Pandora’s matchmaking sessions, Oswald had to silently thank his cousin; Leo had reminded him why he was there and what he should be doing. He should be looking for a demure, modest lady to be his wife and his last chances were mingling in the parlor up ahead of him.
He entered the room, decided on seeking out a lovely lady to keep him company—and his eyes landed on Aphrodite, clad in boots, buckskin breeches and a spencer jacket and all thoughts of a demure woman vanished from his mind like water through a sieve.
