Page 31 of A Scot's Pride
Freya hurried to the door, unlocked it and flung it open. Grace stood on the other side with her eyes bulging. “You’ll never guess who’s here,” she said, and then Leila skidded to a stop behind Grace.
“Who?” Leila said, and Freya turned around to see that Riley appeared shocked.
“Lord Ashbury and Lord Lovat.” A clap of her hands punctuated each of Grace’s syllables.
“Impossible,” Riley repeated what she’d said when Freya had said the same thing moments ago.
“All the way from London.” Leila sighed at the romantic gesture. “The two of you will be engaged before the week is out. I’m going to tell Mama.” And off she rushed again.
“Where is Molly?” Freya asked.
“I think she is about to recite her favorite poem to them downstairs. You may want to hurry.” Grace grimaced.
“But I’m a frightful mess.” Riley’s lip quivered. She wasn’t wrong. Besides her puffy eyes, her dress was rumpled, and her hair looked as if she hadn’t brushed it in two days.
“Then let’s clean you up and make you presentable,” Freya said. “Grace, you help.”
Grace shut the door as Freya sifted through the day dresses in their shared wardrobe.
“I think the lavender one. It will make your skin look better,” Freya said.
“Is my skin bad?” Riley touched her cheeks.
“Oh no, I didn’t mean it that way. Only it will make it look as if you have some color in your face rather than the season of depression you were attempting earlier today.”
Riley laughed. “You’re mean.”
“I jest.”
“I know. And my hair?”
“Nothing a little twist and a few curls can’t cure.” Freya rummaged for a purple ribbon to adorn her sister’s hair.
“Or a bonnet,” Grace offered, holding up a white bonnet with a lavender ribbon.
“Perfect.” Freya grinned at Riley. “Lord Ashbury has come all the way from London to see you, sister. This is a lot more than a simple flirtation. I think he loves you.”
12
The Ladies’ Marriage Prospects Bulletin
Lorne Gordon, Duke of Sutherland: annual income undisclosed for the dukedom. Numerous estates, castles and manors in England, Ireland and Scotland. A number of ships.
Three days ago, Ashbury had stormed into Bryson’s home in a complete panic. After roughly shaking the man at the shoulders, Ashbury had finally disclosed the reasons for his distress: The Gryshams had left Mayfair, and it seemed for good.
News had yet to spread through the ton, so how had Ashbury found out? As it turned out, by stopping by unannounced, intending to ask her father for her hand, only for the door to be opened by a strange butler and the master in residence not a Grysham at all.
It appeared that at some point in the preceding days, a private rental of the property had been secured, and the family bolted from London without so much as a whisper of their intent to do so. Absconding in the idle of the night like thieves or criminals. How odd, for Bryson was certain they were neither.
Three minutes after Ashbury had told him what happened, Bryson’s mouth had opened, and words spilled out that he barely registered until his valet was packing his bags and Aunt Bertie was clapping giddily at the prospect of the men leaving London.
Ashbury had even secured his own rental property in Sunderland close to the home they’d ferreted out as being owned by Baron Grysham.
Barely three seconds into the ride from London to Sunderland, Bryson had been ready to call the whole thing off. He grabbed the carriage handle and was ready to toss himself out.
If Miss Grysham had been willing to leave without telling Ashbury she was, then it didn’t say much for their prospects, and now his friend was uprooting his entire life for the lass and cutting himself off from the potential marriage market and the season in which to find a wife.
And Bryson was doing the latter as well by accompanying him, which meant he’d veered quite a ways off course for his purpose of being in London. Still, when he’d tried to tell the carriage driver to turn around, Aunt Bertie had hit him with her fan and told him he would do no such thing. For a split second, Bryson had felt betrayed by his aunt. She knew the significance of his finding a wife, and she was willing to let him toss it all aside to go on some mad adventure for a friend.
