Page 4 of Lady in Ruby
Lord Snowdon couldn’t stand, lest he disturb the blissful feline on his lap. But he gave a sort of sitting bow, and said, “Mr Garland, how do you do, sir. I am most grateful for your hospitality. I confess I did not expect an invitation.”
From some interior pocket of the light blue jacket, Snowdon produced the invitation itself. Caroline noted that the words upon it were smudged, as if the heavy paper had fallen into a snowbank or a puddle of water at an unfortunate moment. Snowdon’s name, in particular, was indecipherable.
Mr Garland regarded the invitation and chuckled, for some reason. “And I did not expect you to respond. Yet I am very glad you’re here…my lord.”
Chapter 3
Caroline frowned as she listened to her father, wondering at his intonation. It seemed he said, I’m very glad you’re here, as if he wanted Snowdon particularly. And the hesitation before my lord was odd too. Perhaps he didn’t like having to entertain a lord over the Christmas holiday? But her father loved hosting this annual house party!
“Papa,” she said quickly. “You’ve forgotten to put on your jacket. You’re lucky we haven’t received any female guests yet. You’ll scandalize them!”
He laughed out loud at that joke, a full-bellied laugh that Caroline knew well. A happy laugh. “Goodness, we wouldn’t want to court any scandal this season, would we?” He spoke generally, but his eyes lit upon Snowdon.
“No,” Snowdon agreed quietly. “It is a season for truth and joy. And the giving of gifts, for those who deserve them.”
That was not generally how Caroline described the season, though she supposed it was correct. She got the feeling that there was something she was missing.
“Time enough for all that,” Mr Garland said, shrugging into his jacket at last. “Looks like nasty weather on the way again! I do hope the other guests arrive in time for dinner tonight. Judging by the smells as I passed the kitchen, it should be very grand.”
“Who’s chattering?” a crotchety voice demanded. Mr Garland stepped aside to reveal a tiny, wizened form, snow-topped and robed in black. “It’s like a pack of magpies have descended upon the house.”
“Wait till everyone gets here, Aunt Juniper,” Caroline said, watching as her aunt (her father’s eldest sister) walked across the room toward her chair, which sat nearest the fire. Juniper paused to regard Lord Snowdon with a bit of surprise.
“How do you do, ma’am,” he said, and made as if to remove the cat so he could greet her properly.
“Don’t you dare,” she warned him. “As if we would risk Mittens’s howling. Who are you, sir? I’ve never seen you before.”
“This is Lord Snowdon, Auntie. He’s a guest of Papa’s,” Caroline explained, hoping her aunt didn’t seem horribly rude (luckily, Snowdon seemed amused rather than affronted).
Juniper gave Snowdon a longer, harder stare. Mittens woke suddenly, with a startled merp. He gazed at Aunt Juniper with amber eyes, and after a moment Juniper said, to no one in particular, “Well, then. I suppose it could be worse.” And continued on to her chair, evidently done with her interview.
“She’s a bit eccentric,” Caroline whispered to Snowdon.
“It’s endemic to the species,” he replied with a sidelong glance that revealed a twinkle in his eyes.
Just then, there was another knock on the front door. Her father looked delighted, wondering aloud who it could be. Moments later, a slender young man stepped into the room. His tanned skin contrasted sharply with the starched white collar of his shirt. His clothes were that of a clerk, though the fabric was clearly of very good quality.
“Mr Stockan,” the footman announced in a perfunctory manner, for Caroline’s father was already walking toward the man to embrace him.
“Timothy Stockan, you made the journey after all! Excellent, excellent.” He quickly introduced the slender, studious young man as his current assistant at the London laboratory.
Stockan bowed to both Caroline and her mother, and from his first few words, his American accent came out clearly. “I thank you for the opportunity to spend this holiday at your home, sir. Very kind.”
“Nonsense! You had nowhere else to spend the season, did you? Not with your family back in the States.”
Caroline welcomed him. “So you are working with my father while in London?” she asked, remembering the name Stockan being mentioned a few times.
“Yes, for a while at least,” he said. “My own father wishes me to learn all I can of how things are done in Britain.”
Just then Estelle walked in. “Aunt Juniper, I did find your blue wool shawl—” She stopped on seeing strangers, saying, “Oh! I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Nonsense, Estelle!” Caroline told her. “It’s just that some guests of Papa’s have arrived. This is Lord Snowdon…”
“Forgive me for not getting up,” Snowdon said. “I’ve got a cat.”
“So you have!” Estelle laughed prettily and forgave him. “We’re all under Mittens’s rule here.”
Caroline went on, “And here’s Papa’s colleague. Mr Stockan, please meet Miss Clement.”
