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Berkshire within the month."
"Then we're sure to see him, if you've offered to mount him and his
friends. You know our stables are far superior to his grandfather Blakely's.
Check."
"Fustian, poppet. Young Rendell always spent more time here than at
his grandparents' house when he wasn't at school, and it's not because of
my cattle." He studied the board a minute. "Nor because our cook is finer
than Squire Blakely's, either."
Holly tried not to blush. "He's always found companionship at
Winterpark. There were no children near the Manor for him to play with."
Lord Carroll snorted. "You're not children anymore, my girl." He put
down the knight he was thinking of moving, to stare at his middle
daughter. "Fact is, I've been thinking it's time for you and young Rendell
to announce your engagement. We could do it at the Christmas ball, don't
you know, and let your mother start planning for that June wedding she
wants so badly."
Holly took her glasses off to polish. "Papa, you know nothing is definite
between Evan and myself."
"Gammon, my dear. It's been understood between our family and the
Blakelys since the two of you were in leading strings. I'm sure the servants
have been making book on the match ever since your come-out."
"But Evan won't want to get married so young, Papa. You know all he
wants to do is join the army."
"Which old man Blakely ain't about to permit, him with no better heir
than his eldest daughter's cub. There's Rendell's fortune, too, bigger than
Golden Ball's, they say, and growing faster than his shipping lines. With
no entailment there either, who else will the nabob leave the whole to
except his son?"
"Not that I'm wishing any ill to befall Evan, but Mr. Rendell is young
enough to start another family."
"After what the Blakely chit did to him? Not likely, though he's got
enough blunt for as many families as he wants. Deuce take it, poppet, why
are we talking about Rendell Senior, when it's Junior who matters? Evan's
father is practically in Trade. 'Sides, he'll be off on his travels again before
you can say jackrabbit. It's the Blakelys who have guardianship of Evan,
and Squire is as anxious as I am to see our families joined. Theirs is a fine
old family in the landed gentry, and you'd be right here, near your
mother."
"But Evan never wanted to be a gentleman farmer."
"Young Rendell will do what his grandfather says. Squire's had the
raising of the nipper, hasn't he? Trust me, poppet, one word from you and
we'll have Rendell up to scratch, I swear it."
Holly had always known this moment would be coming; she just
thought she had more time. "I& I'm not sure that's what I want, Papa."
"What, getting missish on me, Holly? Damn, you aren't going to turn as
particular as Joia, are you?"
"No, Papa."
Lord Carroll patted her hand, the chess game forgotten. "Knew you
wouldn't. You're the sensible one, thank goodness. You talk to young
Rendell, think about taking over at Blakely Manor. You'll have your books
and your music, just what you like. You can still help your mother with the
parish duties, and then there will be children of your own."
But Holly wasn't sure she wanted to be a mere chatelaine and
childbearer. Papa had her best interests in mind, she didn't doubt, for
hadn't he picked the right husband for Joia? Oh, Joia might have thought
she'd chosen Comfort, but Holly knew better. The two were a perfect
match, both beautiful, aristocratic ornaments of Polite Society. And Joia
liked how Comfort was used to commanding respect and obedience. Why,
her sister would have married awful Oliver if the viscount hadn't come
along to deal with the midden mole. Joia needed a man like Comfort to
take care of her. Holly didn't. She would have skewered the rodent with
her embroidery scissors rather than let him coerce her into a marriage of
dire inconvenience.
Holly didn't know about Evan. He'd always been content to let her direct
their games, decide which path to ride. Did she want a biddable husband
any more than she wanted one who expected her to follow his lead? Telling
a female what to do was a man's right by the laws of the land. Papa
seemed to think so.
"Young Rendell will make you a fine husband," he said now, sensing her
doubts. "Of course, he's not up to your weight in the brain box, but most
men ain't, Holly, my girl, and that's a fact. Just look at your mother and
me. Bess lets me handle all the big problems, like the Regency Bill and the
war with France; she handles all the rest, and we both know it."
Holly had to laugh. Papa would no more dictate to Mama than he would
ride one of his prized horses into the ground.
"I know you're worried that Evan's too young, but that's just because [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]