Page 34 of An Amiable Foe
Perry laughed, feeling an odd kinship with Raife, whom he had always thought a touch above him. He came from an old family and old money, which meant he did as he pleased and frequented those who pleased him. Perry had always suspected that Raife tolerated him because of Neck and Lorry, but now he was not so sure. There was a depth to him Perry had overlooked in his eagerness to set him on a pedestal.
They ate breakfast, and Perry began to shrug off sleep. “I wonder how long Neck and Lorry will remain abed,” he mused.
“I will not stay long enough to find out, I’m afraid. I’m having my valet pack my things now. I told them last night I planned to make an early start of it.”
“You won’t be making the journey back together then?” Perry pushed back and folded his arms over his now-satisfied belly.
“My sister will have her lying-in soon, and I want to be there to welcome my nephew, if she is right in her predictions,” Raife said. “If I travel with them—with their stopping for any number of days at whatever inn catches their fancy—I might be celebrating my nephew’s first birthday instead.”
He stood. “My groom will have made the carriage ready by now, so I will bid you farewell.”
Perry got to his feet as Raife came around the table, and they shook hands. Raife stayed for a second longer. “I’ll be at Overmere should you wish to send news of any sort.”
Perry shook his head, now confused. “News? Of what?”
“If I knew, it would not be news, would it?” Raife smiled in his enigmatic way, opened the door, and left.
Perry could only surmise Raife had guessed the direction in which his interest lay, which then led him back to wondering whether he would be successful in wooing Marianne. His intentions may not have been clear even in his own mind when he’d spoken to her that morning, but they were becoming crystal clear as the minutes ticked by. The sight of her caused his heart to beat, and he wanted to clear any obstacle that might give her alarm. He felt a kinship with Marianne when it came to navigating the difficult world of polite society, and the urge to offer her his protection was impossible to resist.
And then there was the castle he had inherited. Rather than act as Brindale’s lone proprietor—although it was indeed what he was—Perry had started focusing on the estate improvements that would win her favor. Unlike his previous attempts to earn his uncle’s or friends’ approval thinking it would cause him to have self-esteem, his attempts to win Marianne’s were simply to bring her joy, something of which she’d had precious little in her two decades on this earth. Oh yes, he was in deep where Marianne Edgewood was concerned.
He did not bother waiting for his two other guests to wake up, but set about on estate business. He was more than ready to turn from entertaining to the task of improving his estate. The first thing he did was pen a letter to Mr. Mercy to request he come pay a visit. He wanted to speak with him on the urgent business of hiring another footman for the cottage. If Marianne was truly determined to return to the cottage, he would make sure she was well-protected by a footman who was burly enough to bring down an opponent in a boxing match.
In the end, the letter was not needed because Mr. Mercy appeared, bringing the promised beemaster with him, who tugged what looked like a promising load of brood boxes containing more than one hive. Perry went over to the modestly dressed older man, conscious that the sight of a restored apiary could only bring joy to Marianne, besides adding to the estate’s profit. He accepted the garb needed to protect himself from any errant bees that were unhappy to have been disturbed and stood back a ways to watch the beemaster set up the hives. He asked questions to understand the art, should he decide to multiply his colonies and sell them for profit.
After the beemaster finished, and they had seen him off, Perry invited Mr. Mercy into his study, crossing paths with Neck and Lorry, who looked the worse for wear after having stayed up far into the night. They had finished the last of the French Burgundy days ago then made do with the English wines and spirits. Perry didn’t have time for them just now, but he needed to be a good host until the end.
“Good day to you. You’ll be wishing for something to eat, I imagine.” He paused and spotted Charlie coming from the drawing room and signaled for him to come over. “My footman will see to it that you have a proper meal.”
He wanted to ask when they would leave, but such a thing would be so rude as to be unthinkable. It was already after two o’clock, and he feared that if they did not start out soon, they might wish to remain for days, something he fervently hoped to avoid. He had been graced with their company for long enough. It was one thing to endure someone’s companionship when one could slip away at any point when time alone was needed. It was quite another to be the one who provided for the guests’ comfort and who must be ready for their every whim.Including protecting innocent damsels from their unwanted attention.
“Some sustenance will be just the thing. Lorry and I have decided to race to our first posting house, although we’ve agreed there is to be no cheating, is that not so, Lorry?” Neck declared, to Perry’s relief. He needn’t have worried that they would try to extend their stay. “Shame Raife left so early. It would have made for a more interesting bet.”
Perry waved them into the breakfast room, feeling more gracious now that he would soon see them no more. “It sounds like great fun. Have a servant come to fetch me if you are ready to leave before I have finished.”
He then ushered Mr. Mercy into the small study that had once belonged to Mr. Edgewood, appreciating the quiet here. He liked this room and wondered that Marianne rarely seemed to go into it. It was not one of the rooms she tended to speak of as though it had personality. Perhaps she did not wish to disturb its memories.
The steward caught him up to date on the progress of the carpenters and roofers, who had finished the timbers but were still waiting for the right professionals to repair the clay tiles. Perry told him of his desire to rent out the smithy and received a look of approval in return. He was coming to appreciate his relationship with the steward, who was cautious at beginning new ventures, but hardworking and willing to follow Perry’s lead when he wished to take some risk. It was a gratifying experience to be the recipient of such respect.
After learning that Mr. Mercy had a suitable candidate for footman and that he would be able to employ the fellow by the next day, as it was his nephew—who, funny that Mr. Osborne had asked, was skilled in the pugilist arts—Perry had only to discuss his remaining piece of business.
“I am looking to add to the estate such simple ventures as will bring about the greatest return. I think we might raise some basic livestock beyond the pigs, if you can find me a man to care for them. And the garden that Mar—that Miss Edgewood has been tending to might bring in a profit if she is willing to sell the flowers and herbs to be made into cosmetics and tinctures. I will have to speak to her.”
He was conscious of the jolt of excitement that shot through him merely at bringing up Marianne’s name in conversation.You are being absurd, he tried to tell himself, but his heart wouldn’t listen.
“Miss Edgewood is indeed skilled at gardening, especially in tending her mother’s rose bushes,” Mr. Mercy said. “If she is amenable to the idea, I say that you have hit upon the very thing.”
He and Mr. Mercy stood and, with this, concluded their business in perfect agreement as Lorry pounded on the door to the study.
“Still in there, Oz? Come see us off.”
More welcome words could not be heard. Perry entered the main hall and managed to have a genuine smile for Lorry and Neck. They might not be ideal friends, but they shared a few years of memories together. And he would think of them fondly…once they were gone.
In another quarter of an hour, the castle was quiet. Muffled sounds came from the kitchen, or perhaps somewhere else in the house. The afternoon was now advanced, and he wondered at the fact that he had not seen Marianne since their conversation that morning. He wished to tell her that he had found a footman to keep her safe but feared to force his presence on her if she needed time away from him to think. He was also eager to share all the improvements he was bringing about in the castle. Maybe she would look upon him more favorably when she knew.
He sat in the ugly drawing room, which had strangely begun to grow on him, as dark and outmoded as it was. He put his feet up on a stool and laced his fingers together in quiet contemplation. Now that he was intent on wooing Marianne, maybe he should go about it in a more suitable manner and not bash her over the head with threats of kissing that were immediately retracted. He groaned at the recollection and smacked his own head.
What little peace he’d had that was not destroyed by this rumination was cut up by the sounds of a carriage drawn by four horses pulling into the estate. Perry stood and walked over to the window, leaning to the right of the honeycomb panes so he could see outside more clearly. The glass was blown in cleaner lines on the edge of the window, he’d discovered.
