Page 17 of Her Daring Earl
He laughed at her question. “Of course it does! I am in residence with nowhere else to go.”
“Very well,” she said with a stern expression. “I sent off a few letters, but I assume that no one is going to respond. Who would want to come to a country home in the middle of the Season when there is so much happening in London and most friends have daughters to marry off?”
Immediately his stomach began to turn as he wondered if Lady Willoughby would have received one such letter. He wasn’t certain he could handle more time with her daughter, Eliza, especially if they were going to be in such proximity.
“I’m not certain?—”
“Oh, yes, please do, Mother!” Henrietta said. “We would have such fun.”
“Perhaps I shall invite afewof my friends,” his mother continued. “Or there is always Lady Nottingham and her daughters…”
His mother looked slightly queasy for a moment and with good reason. Lady Nottingham was an absolute bore, and his mother usually avoided her. She must be desperate if she was considering her company. The girls, however, enjoyed Lady Nottingham’s daughters, and they visited now and again.
“I would rather you did not let the entirety of thetonknow where we are and why we are here,” Fitz said through gritted teeth.
“Of course not,” his mother said, turning her head toward him sharply. “Do you think me stupid?”
“Never.”
“I have told none of them that you are here, pretending that you are in London.”
“And if they do decide to visit? Am I going to hide the entire time?”
“No,” his mother said with a snort. “We will then say you just arrived.”
“Is it so terrible to be spending time amongst family at this beautiful estate?” Fitz asked, even though he was nearly dying of boredom himself.
“Yes, Fitz. It is,” Sarah said before sneezing dramatically, as she always did when they were in the country, although Fitz had no idea why.
“Well,” he said, standing and clapping his hands against his legs. “I am going for a ride. I shall see you all at dinner time.”
He left, rubbing his hand against his temple, hoping that the private detective he had hired would complete the job soon.
For he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand this.
Eliza bouncedher foot over her knee, her legs crossed as she sat back against the squab of the carriage.
“I should be telling you that your posture should be much improved,” her mother murmured as she stared out the window, although she did not seem particularly inclined to enforce her words.
“I will improve it if I am in company with anyone else,” Eliza said. “You know that I behave myself when required.”
“True,” her mother said, inclining her head, and Eliza gave in to her impulse to lean over and kiss her mother on the cheek.
“What was that for?” her mother asked, her eyes widening slightly.
“For being you,” Eliza said with a smile of affection. “I am well aware of how fortunate I am to have you.”
“That is very kind, Eliza,” her mother said, leaning forward and patting her leg. “Thank you.”
As Appleton Manor came into view, Eliza’s heart started to beat quickly and, she thought, somewhat erratically.
“Did you tell Lady Fitzroy that we would be coming?” she asked, wondering what Fitz was thinking about their arrival. Not that it mattered. They were nothing to one another.
“I did write to her, but I’m not sure if we will have arrived before the letter,” her mother said. “She seemed so concerned that I thought it best we come nearly immediately.”
Eliza nodded absentmindedly. This is what she had wanted – to see her friends again much sooner rather than later, and Appleton was a beautiful place.
It didn’t take much intelligence to know what the problem was.
