Page 5 of Lady Controversial
‘Indeed, but the older girl has past her majority.’
‘Even so…’
‘Word is that the younger sister is having her season’s clothing made locally, which does imply a shortage of funds.’
‘Curious.’ Ellery sat up, bored with a subject that occupied his mother’s mind to the exclusion of almost everything else insofar as Jemima’s coming-out was concerned. He returned his feet to the floor and sighed. ‘I had best go and make the ladies’ acquaintance and warn them about Brooke. We both know how badly he wants to get a toehold in the area and how conniving he can be. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and persuade the Misses Crawley that he inherited their cottage as part of their father’s gambling debt. With no male figure to look out for their interests, they might well be intimidated into quitting it.’
Ellery stood up, wondering why he cared so much about the fate of two strangers. Perhaps because he disliked bullies in general and Brooke in particular, he decided. He had become distinctly uneasy ever since Brooke won Crawley Place from the old viscount. It was only ten miles from Finchdean Hall, which would give Brooke a legitimate reason to frequent the area, taunting Ellery with his undesirable presence. ‘Can we get a hold of a copy of Crawley’s vowels, Lawson? That will give us a better idea of what precisely Brooke is entitled to lay claim to.’
‘I will endeavour to do so, my lord.’
‘Good man.’
Ellery almost whistled to his dog, only remembering at the last minute that a careless groom had let the young terrier escape while Ellery had been in London. He was furious, having developed a liking for the little tyke. Extensive searches failed to offer any sign of him. Ah well, he would ride to this Rose Cottage and whistle for Woody at the same time.
‘Ah, Ellery, there you are.’ Ellery’s heart plummeted when his mother sailed into the room with Sally at her side, no doubt ready to support whatever complaint Lady Finchdean had to make on this occasion. ‘You are needed at once. We are at a loss to know how best to allocate chambers to all the members of the shooting party, and since they are your friends…’
Ellery flexed a brow, with no need to feign surprise. ‘You expect me to advise you?’
‘Well naturally. I should hate to put fellows who dislike one another in adjoining rooms.’
Heaven forbid!‘You imagine I would invite enemies to mingle at the same party?’
‘It has been known to happen,’ Sally said defensively.
‘You wanted to do this, Mother, and I don’t have time for such trivialities. I would as soon have left the arrangements to our housekeeper, who is more than capable. However, if you attach that much importance to the matter, ask George,’ Ellery added, nodding to his sister. ‘Your husband knows all the people involved and has nothing better to do with his time, whereas I have a plethora of duties awaiting my attention.’
‘You might take an interest,’ his mother said, sniffing with disdain.
‘I might, if I did not have more important matters to occupy me.’ Ellery made his impatience plainly apparent. ‘Now, if there is nothing else then you really must excuse me. There is somewhere I have to be.’
‘You have not forgotten that the Teddingtons are dining with us tonight. You are acquainted with Miss Gloria Teddington, I believe. You danced with her once last season.’
‘I did?’
Ellery blinked, having absolutely no recollection of the occasion, or of the lady herself, which told him all he needed to know about her desirability. If he had liked her he would remember her, especially as she was a near neighbour. His mother’s clumsy attempts at matchmaking were becoming tiresome. He had hoped to escape them, at least while he was here in the country, but she was clearly more determined than he’d given her credit for. She had certainly wasted no time in issuing invitations to their neighbours, despite the fact that she constantly complained about being fatigued. But not so fatigued that her threats to take to her bed ever materialised.
‘Of course you remember. You told me that you thought she was very pretty. Anyway, I trust you will be civil.’
‘When am I ever anything else?’
‘You gave Lady Ambridge the cut direct,’ Sally said, narrowing her eyes in a vindictive manner. ‘She was insulted.’
Ellery had, it was true, but only because she had recently married, having failed to elicit a proposal from Ellery. The moment she returned from her wedding journey she renewed her attempts to woo Ellery, clearly intent upon sharing the marital bed with a man who was not her husband. Ellery had been disgusted and turned his back on her when she brazenly propositioned him.
‘Is there anything else?’ Ellery asked with the minimum of civility. ‘I am pressed for time.’
‘Then we shall just have to muddle through,’ his mother replied with another of her disdainful sniffs, ‘but do not blame me if I get things wrong.’
‘I assure you that I shall not.’
Ellery opened the door for them, ushered them through it and then strode off in the direction of the stables. He was well aware that his mother needed no help with the domestic arrangements and knew her visit had been a thinly veiled excuse to remind him that they were expecting guests that evening. Ellery chuckled. It would not be the first time he’d accidentally forgotten one of her engagements and failed to appear for dinner. He could not, however, ignore a specific reminder and would just have to make the best of things.
He waited while one of the grooms saddled Legacy. The horse was fresh and eager to stretch his legs again, despite having made the long trip from London only the previous day. Ellery’s backside had barely touched the saddle before he put in an almighty buck and took off at a gallop. It took Ellery several minutes to win the battle for control. Not that he fought for it too hard. He enjoyed the horse’s spirit, gripped hard with his knees to avoid being flung from the saddle and saw no reason to break his headlong flight.
‘Got that out of your system, have you?’ Ellery asked, laughing as he patted the horse’s sweaty neck beneath the thickness of his long mane. Legacy responded by prancing sideways and tossing his head. ‘Now you’re just showing off.’
Ellery rode through woodland that looked glorious with sunshine dappling leaves that had turned a dozen different autumnal colours. Still on his own land but taking a route that he seldom rode, he simply enjoyed the view and told himself he was the most fortunate man alive. A domineering father and tiresome mother were compensated for by all of this. He stared at the distant horizon to emphasise his thoughts, whistling every so often in the futile hope of finding Woody unharmed.
