Page 42 of Unmasking a Wicked Marquess
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“Well, well, I say,thiswas certainly not something we expected, eh?” the Duke of Darby declared as he took a carafe of claret and went around the table, doing the job instead of his butler, pouring out the wine. Edward was rather reminded of a court in some small kingdom.
The Duke of Darby was the king of the court here, and he liked to be the leader of the revels and enjoyment. “You two winning the scavenger hunt? You should see your fathers’ faces.”
There was general sniggering and guffawing at these words, which Edward tried his best not to join in with.
That afternoon, the matter of the rift between Philip and the Earl of Clarence seemed to become a source of great jesting between many in the party. Edward presumed it was their way of covering up any awkwardness by attempting to laugh at it instead.
When Edward and Juliet had returned from the scavenger hunt, with Juliet clutching the golden horse, having run around the entire parkland, finding one clue after another, Edward thought his mother might swoon in shock. Edward had to release Juliet’s hand rather hastily from where he had helped her up the front steps of the house, the pair covered in mud.
“How did you both end up covered in mud?” the Earl of Clarence asked, eyeing Edward in particular.
“You imagine my son is not a gentleman?” Philip asked coolly.
“Ahem,” Amelia cleared her throat on Philip’s other side, and Edward caught a glimpse of his mother catching his father’s hand under the table, urging him not to say another argumentative word.
“It was my fault,” Juliet explained. “I slipped in the mud near the lake. The marquess here fancied himself a hero and attempted to help me. It was rather comical to see him falling even worse than I did and flapping about like a beached dolphin.” Her words drew raucous laughter across the table.
Edward had to fight not to choke on his gulp of claret, for he nearly laughed at her words, too. She had told an approximation of the truth, for she had indeed fallen in the mud, and he had followed her in by falling.
She had obviously left out the part where, when he had finally managed to pull her back out, they had ended up kissing once again against the tree trunks and smattering more mud across both of their clothes.
“Next time, I’ll leave the lady to get out on her own,” Edward said simply. “I think she would have preferred it that way.”
“I would indeed,” Juliet said in a challenge, though he noted the way her cheek twitched, fighting her own smile.
“Well, well. This is amusing indeed,” the Duke of Darby declared as he made his way back to the head of the table, apparently refusing to acknowledge the heavy glowers that Philip and the Earl of Clarence were shooting at one another across the table. It struck Edward the more he looked at Lord Clarence’s family, though, that perhaps there wasn’t complete animosity there.
Lady Violet was as polite and nice as she knew how to be to everyone. Even now, she offered to pass Amelia some more trifle for dessert.
“Oh, thank you.” Amelia took the dish in surprise, somewhat startled by the politeness and clearly not knowing what to do with it.
Lady Clarence, in contrast, barely looked up from her plate. She didn’t shoot glares, neither had she offered a single jib or quip. She was merely quiet.
Perhaps she is not so fond of the rift either.
“After dinner, we shall play charades,” Lady Darby said happily. “You should all see my husband play. Nary a soul can beat him; he is so good. So, ladies, I suggest we split into a team of two. The gentlemen shall face the ladies, and we shall all have to put to shame my husband’s skills.”
Many ladies nodded in agreement with this plan, though Edward barely paid attention to the words.
His eyes were wandering up and down Juliet on the other side of the table. She was having a conversation with Jane, much to their father’s frustration, though the two were smiling together, apparently finding common ground in praising how good the trifle was.
Edward’s gaze rested on the violet hue of Juliet’s eyes, and once more, his mind filled with scandalous imaginings. He pictured them back on the scavenger hunt, though he imagined when they had reached the Temple of Apollo in the parkland grounds that he had actually locked the door behind them and offered to introduce her to the pleasurable things that clearly made her curious.
He thought of drawing up her skirt, of reaching down to her core, and watching those eyes as they widened, her lips parting as she moaned his name.
“I think I will retire early.” Lord Clarence’s words brought Edward’s thoughts back to the moment. “I am in no mood to play games tonight.”
Is it in my mind, or does Lady Clarence look a little disappointed?
Lady Clarence put her cutlery together and said nothing.
Chapter 13
“Ma? What is wrong?” Juliet caught her mother’s arm before she could disappear up the stairs. Cecily froze on the bottom step, looking quite torn, her eyes darting between the upstairs landing and Juliet as Violet approached behind her. “Surely you are not going to bed yet.”
“I thought I should retire with your father,” Cecily explained and gestured up the stairs. “He is not particularly happy to be here as it is. I thought I should keep him company.”
