What a Reckless Rogue Needs Part 26

She has no idea how cruel I mean to be.

"You know how much I worry about Penny."

He caught her hands. "Listen. It slipped out and was badly done on my part. All I have is a sorry excuse."

"You're worried about losing Sommerall," she said. "It must be the vexation."

She took off her bonnet and laid her head against his shoulder. "I understand." She drew in a shuddered breath. "I should have been more understanding and sympathetic."

"Please forgive me." He was miserable with his dishonesty and so tempted to confess, but if he did, he would set events in motion that would hurt her and the friendships of both their families.

"I know how much Sommerall means to you."

I'm a selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but I swear I'll make it up to you.

"It is not wrong for you to want to keep the house to preserve your mother's grave. The house does need work. There are marks on the walls, the carpets have to be replaced, and the furnishings are out of date. You do not have to exaggerate the problems, but you do not have to point out the virtues, either."

He clenched his teeth. I don't deserve you. "My guess is our row has been all for naught," Colin said. "Most likely, Mr. and Mrs. Faraday will not show."

As the carriage rumbled along, Angeline found herself hoping that Colin was right about the Faradays, because she was having doubts about their trial engagement. She wanted to grasp his offer of a marriage of convenience, because it was a chance to redeem herself. Most of all, it was a gift she wanted to give to her sweet little sister, and for that, she would use her wiles and even marry to make sure Penny could make her debut in London next spring. But it wasn't fair to Colin. None of her reasons involved him, and that wasn't honorable at all.

Thunder rumbled. Colin held the umbrella as they ran to the door. The wet made it a bit chilly, and Angeline was glad for her warm cape. He unlocked the door and ushered her inside. They hung their damp wraps and set their gloves on the marble hall table.

"I'll set the hamper in the breakfast parlor," Colin said.

"Thank you," she said. The gold mirror in the foyer, the marble floors, and the banisters gleamed. She realized she'd made a mistake by instructing Agnes to clean and shine everything so well that it fairly sparkled.

Angeline removed her bonnet and guilt left a bruised place in her chest. It had been foolish of her to argue about Sommerall when she hated the thought of him losing the property. It really was all he had left of his mother, other than the cradle and the rocker.

Colin strode through the great hall. "We might as well go to the drawing room. I imagine we shall have a long wait," he said.

"How long do you think they will be?" she asked as Colin escorted her upstairs.

"He was an hour late the last time, although to be fair he was concerned about his wife."

They had just cleared the landing when the knocker rapped.

She met his gaze. "They are on time. Do you suppose Mrs. Faraday insists upon punctuality?"

"Probably," he said.

"Shall we greet them?"

"Yes, of course. We will also get our exercise going up and down the stairs." He leaned down. "Thank you for coming with me, and I'm sorry for cutting up at you."

"So am I," she whispered. Her vexation had increased each day that went by. She could no longer lie to herself. She had developed feelings for Colin, very strong ones. She knew he deserved a wife who didn't have a sullied reputation, and it worried her. It was one thing to plan a marriage of convenience, but it was quite another when tender feelings were involved. She was at a crossroads, and she did not know what to do. But she must think of Colin's feelings now, rather than her own.

Even though it was not Mr. Faraday's first visit, Angeline figured it could not be easy for Colin to watch strangers walking about his house-or rather his father's house. Yet he was bearing up to it better than she would have done.

When Colin opened the door, he bowed and welcomed the couple. The lady was much shorter than her husband and very pregnant. She rested her hand on her belly as she gazed upon the foyer. "How lovely," she said.

"Lady Angeline, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Faraday," Colin said.

Mrs. Faraday smiled as she followed Angeline to the great hall. "How long have you and your husband lived here?"

"He is not my husband," Angeline said.

Mrs. Faraday's eyes widened. "I see." She pinched her lips and regarded Angeline with raised brows. "Well, you are certainly forthright about your situation."

Colin frowned and held his hands up from his place behind Mr. Faraday as if asking what was wrong.

Angeline bit her lip to keep from laughing. Apparently Mrs. Faraday a.s.sumed Angeline was living in sin with Colin.

"Lord Ravenshire is an old family friend," Angeline explained. "I have been making recommendations to him about Sommerall."

Mrs. Faraday's brows almost shot to her hairline. "Doubtless he is, er, appreciative." She shook out her fan, caught her husband's arm, and whispered something to him. When he started to look back at Angeline, Mrs. Faraday swatted him with her fan.

The woman must have thought Angeline was lying about her t.i.tle.

"If you wish, you and your husband may go upstairs and look over the rooms," Angeline said. "Meet us in the drawing room when you are finished."

Mrs. Faraday practically dragged her husband up the stairs.

Colin escorted Angeline to the drawing room. "What was that all about?" he muttered.

"Mrs. Faraday apparently believes I'm your mistress posing as Lady Angeline."

"No," he said, laughing.

She nodded. "As soon as I explained you were not my husband, I could see she was both shocked and t.i.tillated."

His shoulders shook with laughter. Then he walked to the window and opened the drapes. "No wonder it's dim in here. The clouds are even darker now."

Rolling thunder rumbled. Angeline joined him at the window, transfixed by the lightning brightening up the sky. "Oh," she said. "The lightning is awful."

"I hope we're not in for a storm."

When she shivered, he cupped her elbow. "Let's return to the sofa. It will pa.s.s soon."

The clock struck the half hour and voices sounded outside the drawing room.

Colin and Angeline rose.

"Mrs. Faraday would like a look at the drawing room," Mr. Faraday said.

"You are welcome to examine the room. If you have any questions, we will be glad to answer to the best of our knowledge," Colin said.

As it turned out, Mrs. Faraday had a number of questions regarding the drawing room. She seemed a bit put off by the marks on the walls where paintings had once been. "It would have been better to leave the paintings to cover the marks."

"The family portraits were removed to a different property," Colin said.

"I see," she said, walking about. "The furnishings and chair rails are very old fashioned."

"The house has not been occupied for some time," Colin said.

"To be sure, there is much work to be done." Mrs. Faraday placed her hand on her rounded belly again. "How am I to find the time? I'll have my hands full soon enough."

"That is something to consider," Angeline said. Privately, she thought the woman terribly persnickety. Mrs. Faraday's numerous complaints about minor issues grated on her nerves, but she maintained her poise.

When Mrs. Faraday examined the ceiling, she said, "Is this a reproduction?"

Angeline exchanged a smile with Colin.

"It is original," Colin said.

"You're sure?" Mrs. Faraday said.

"It has been in my family for many years," Colin said.

"Where are the carpets?" Mrs. Faraday said.

"They faded," Angeline said.

"I suppose they can be replaced, but that's additional expense, Mr. Faraday," his lady said.

"To be sure it is, Mrs. Faraday," her husband said.

She took her husband's arm. "I adore the nursery, but I understand you wish to keep the cradle and rocker, Lord Ravenshire."

"Yes, I do," Colin said.

"There is much to like, Mr. Faraday," his wife said, "but I feel I must look at the other one again. This property is priced on the higher side compared to the other. There are some drawbacks, but we will take all into consideration."

Angeline bit her lip. Really, the woman's blatant attempts to lower the price were too obvious.

"It is such a difficult decision," Mrs. Faraday said. "Nothing ever quite suits me."

Colin cleared his throat. "Mr. Faraday, do you have any questions?"

"No, my lord. I will contact your esteemed father in a week or so. We should have a decision by then, provided we don't decide to have one more peek at the house, that is." Mr. Faraday chuckled.

"Come along, Mr. Faraday," his lady said. "I've a mind to see the other place one more time." She paused and said, "We are serious about the property. The location is especially convenient, as we have family in the area."

"I understand," Colin said, his tone neutral.

Colin and Angeline led the way downstairs.

When Colin opened the door, it was raining harder. "Mind your step," he said as Mr. and Mrs. Faraday hurried to their carriage.

A crack of thunder made Angeline gasp. Colin shut the door and looked at her. "No wonder my father is exasperated."

"I cannot believe Mrs. Faraday asked if you were certain the painted ceiling was an original."

They both laughed.

"Your father should not indulge Faraday again. The man has no spine, and his wife is a bit vulgar. Can you imagine how often Mr. and Mrs. Faraday would call at Deerfield?"

"That would certainly be a deterrent to sell to them," he said.

"Perhaps your father will grant you the property now," she said. "I'm sure he would enjoy having you close."

"Are you hungry? We might as well eat luncheon since we have the hamper," he said. "We can depart afterward."

She noticed he'd not responded to her statement about him living at Sommerall. Evidently, he did not wish to discuss the matter.

When they reached the breakfast parlor, Colin lit a branch of candles because it was dim.

Angeline served the chicken, ham, fresh bread, cheese, and biscuits. He found a bottle of claret and they drank wine with their meal. Afterward, Angeline sighed. "We didn't eat even a quarter of the food."

"It will keep until we return," he said.

"It is a cozy breakfast parlor. Do you have any memories of this room at all?"

"No, I only have vague recollections of being in the nursery," he said.

Another loud crack of thunder startled Angeline. Colin opened the shutters. Lightning lit up the sky, and he squinted through the wavy gla.s.s. "There's the carriage. John is taking it to the old barn."

"Oh, dear," Angeline said, standing beside him. "I'm glad there's a safe place for John and the horses."

Thunder clapped again and lightning snaked through the sky. She rubbed her arms. "Lightning has always frightened me a little," she said.

"It is dangerous to be out of doors in a lightning storm," he said.

The wind gusted, and the slanted rain sheeted.

Within minutes something was pounding the roof. He used a napkin to clear the fog on the window. "It's hail."

"What an awful storm," she said.

"We'll just have to wait it out," Colin said. "Shall we go to the drawing room? I'll light a fire, and we can have another gla.s.s of wine while we wait."

She was still rubbing her cold arms. "I wish I'd brought a shawl."

"I'll pull a blanket off one of the beds and bring it to you, and then I'll make a toasty fire."

"Very well." It seemed they would not be able to leave until the rain and hail abated. Hopefully, the storm would blow over soon.

He brought the wine bottle and she carried their gla.s.ses. He set the bottle on the sideboard. "I'll be only a moment," he said.