Page 18 of Fair Weather Enemies
“I’d invited everyone to the estate to celebrate my birthday. Friends, future friends, acquaintances, a couple of rivals, and a bevy of young ladies I wished to impress. I had anticipated the gathering for weeks. Mostly the gathering of the young ladies. I spared no expense. I instructed the head housekeeper to shirk other duties to ensure a perfect day.”
Jane’s hand rose to cover a smile.Yes, she knew.
“Then, when the big day arrived, do you know what happened?”
Her giggle confirmed that she did, and still found great amusement in it.
“Of course, you do,” he continued. “Imagine my surprise when my houseguests and I were roused from slumber by the chaos of the staff attempting to corral a herd of goats that had invaded the lower level during the night.”
Jane laughed behind her hand. “I can only imagine!”
“I am certain you can more than imagine, as I strongly suspect you were responsible.”
Me?” she said with mock surprise. “A herd of goats in your house, you say? On your birthday?”
“Yes. They destroyed everything. Decorations. Pastries. Flowers. Sofa cushions. Worse, they industriously converted all of those items into an unending carpet of goat pellets, which they deposited upon all surfaces.”
“All surfaces?” She surrendered any attempt to hide her mirth.
“Yes, all surfaces. How a goat could defecate atop a fireplace mantel, I shall never know. We did not find that particular offering for a week until the festering odor led us to it.”
“Oh, Adam! That sounds truly awful.”
“Absolutely. And that was not the worst of it.”
“You don’t say.”
“I do say. Afterward, every one of those young ladies I had worked so diligently to impress believed me to be a complete idiot.”
She slapped both hands to her cheeks in faux dismay. “And you believe me responsible for this dastardly act?”
He nodded while failing to maintain his grim expression. “I do. No one else possessed the motivation or cunning to concoct the deed, let alone carry it out. Do you deny it?”
Her hands fell from her cheeks to land in her lap. She dipped her chin. After a moment, she cut mischievous eyes up at him. “In truth, sir, I do not know which was more difficult. Rounding up your goats, driving them to your house, or ducking the head housekeeper until she retired for the evening. Keeping eleven goats quiet can prove quite difficult.”
Adam raised his arms in triumph. “A confession at last! I knew it was you.” He lowered his arms and gazed at her sadly. “You thoroughly ruined my party, Jane.”
Her face fell again, this time with seemingly genuine shame. “I apologize. I should not have done it.”
“No apology necessary. It was the most memorable birthday of my entire life. I will never forget it.”
“And the young ladies believe you to be an idiot still?”
“Yes.”
“Intelligent girls.”
Adam frowned and prepared to parry her jab. Before he could do so, she retrieved her letter from her ever-present reticule. “I am ready, sir.”
“Ready for what?”
She breathed a sigh. “Ready to exchange contents of the letters.”
He laughed. “Now you trust me?”
“Not as far as I can toss you. However, my curiosity threatens to overwhelm me.”
Adam nodded agreement and pulled his letter from his coat pocket. “Very well. Why don’t we read them in alternation?”
