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Authors: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
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man!"
"Papa, all the eligible young men around here are frightened to death of you," Claudia protested as if it were an old argument. "If I don't take the initiative, I'll die an old spinster."
Christopher's lips twitched in amusement as he glanced at her father. The man seemed appalled by his daughter's gall. "With your permission, sir."
Lord Talbot reluctantly nodded his head, and a chuckle came from Allan as Christopher decorously presented his arm. With a self-satisfied nod, Claudia took it and strolled along beside him, holding her head high in triumph. With this man as her escort, she would once again enjoy the envy of every woman in Mawbry. When she noticed a lone feminine figure standing at an upper window of the mayor's cottage, she experienced a special thrill at being spied upon by that one. Claudia loathed the comparisons that were constantly made between the two of them and that left her the one wanting in regard to beauty. Indeed, she felt a delicious glee whenever anyone spoke of the sorry suitors the mayor had enticed to his daughter. Claudia's fondest wish was to see the other woman bound in wedlock to a horrible beast of a man.
" 'Twould seem that Claudia has found another one to occupy her for a spell," Allan observed with humor.
Lord Talbot groaned in mock pain. "I almost find myself wishing her mother might have survived a few years longer. Considering that nagging carp, you know my desperation."
The sheriff laughed and jerked his head toward the mayor's cottage. "Claudia said you have business with Avery. Shall I accompany you?"
Lord Talbot declined. "Nay. This matter is of a personal nature." He gestured toward the departing couple. "What you may do for me is to keep an eye on that brazen twit. I don't relish the idea of having a Yankee as kin."
Allan smiled. "I shall try my best, my lord."
"Then I'll leave you to be about it."
Lord Talbot strode purposefully to the mayor's cottage and rapped on the door with the silver head of his ornate walking stick. His knock was not answered immediately, and he was beginning to wonder if it would be, when the portal was opened a crack. Erienne peered through the opening and might have been relieved to find it was not Silas Chambers if his lordship had been more to her liking. He was not.
Lord Talbot pushed the door wider with his cane, forcing Erienne to retreat a step.
"Don't peek at me through cracks, Erienne." He smiled appreciatively as his eyes roamed freely over her. "I like to see people when I talk to them. Is your father home?"
Confused and suddenly nervous, Erienne bobbed a quick curtsy and hastily replied, "Oh, no, sir. He's abroad in the village somewhere. Though I can't be sure, I do expect him home any moment."
"Well then, with your permission I'll wait inside by the fire. 'Tis a most miserable day."
Lord Talbot brushed past her and paused to shrug out of his cloak and doff his tricorn, handing both to her before passing on to the parlor and leaving a chagrined Erienne to close the door and hang the dampened garments on a peg. When she entered the parlor, she found him already seated in a tall-backed chair in front of the fireplace. He had crossed his leg and, where the long frock coat fell aside, displayed a masculine length of limb covered with fine gray silk breeches and stockings. His eyes warmed as she came into his vision, and he gave her what he hoped was a most fatherly smile.
"My dear Erienne, you have done a most magnificent task of managing this house since your mother passed on. I trust you have been happy here. Your father certainly seems to have taken well to his duties. Why, just the other day..."
He continued with a stream of chatter, eyeing the girl as she moved about. He rambled on without interruption, not that he was the least bit ill at ease, but seeking rather to allay her tension, for she appeared quite unsettled with his presence. She was, after all, a most desirable wench, and he found it amazing that a man
"Papa, all the eligible young men around here are frightened to death of you," Claudia protested as if it were an old argument. "If I don't take the initiative, I'll die an old spinster."
Christopher's lips twitched in amusement as he glanced at her father. The man seemed appalled by his daughter's gall. "With your permission, sir."
Lord Talbot reluctantly nodded his head, and a chuckle came from Allan as Christopher decorously presented his arm. With a self-satisfied nod, Claudia took it and strolled along beside him, holding her head high in triumph. With this man as her escort, she would once again enjoy the envy of every woman in Mawbry. When she noticed a lone feminine figure standing at an upper window of the mayor's cottage, she experienced a special thrill at being spied upon by that one. Claudia loathed the comparisons that were constantly made between the two of them and that left her the one wanting in regard to beauty. Indeed, she felt a delicious glee whenever anyone spoke of the sorry suitors the mayor had enticed to his daughter. Claudia's fondest wish was to see the other woman bound in wedlock to a horrible beast of a man.
" 'Twould seem that Claudia has found another one to occupy her for a spell," Allan observed with humor.
Lord Talbot groaned in mock pain. "I almost find myself wishing her mother might have survived a few years longer. Considering that nagging carp, you know my desperation."
The sheriff laughed and jerked his head toward the mayor's cottage. "Claudia said you have business with Avery. Shall I accompany you?"
Lord Talbot declined. "Nay. This matter is of a personal nature." He gestured toward the departing couple. "What you may do for me is to keep an eye on that brazen twit. I don't relish the idea of having a Yankee as kin."
Allan smiled. "I shall try my best, my lord."
"Then I'll leave you to be about it."
Lord Talbot strode purposefully to the mayor's cottage and rapped on the door with the silver head of his ornate walking stick. His knock was not answered immediately, and he was beginning to wonder if it would be, when the portal was opened a crack. Erienne peered through the opening and might have been relieved to find it was not Silas Chambers if his lordship had been more to her liking. He was not.
Lord Talbot pushed the door wider with his cane, forcing Erienne to retreat a step.
"Don't peek at me through cracks, Erienne." He smiled appreciatively as his eyes roamed freely over her. "I like to see people when I talk to them. Is your father home?"
Confused and suddenly nervous, Erienne bobbed a quick curtsy and hastily replied, "Oh, no, sir. He's abroad in the village somewhere. Though I can't be sure, I do expect him home any moment."
"Well then, with your permission I'll wait inside by the fire. 'Tis a most miserable day."
Lord Talbot brushed past her and paused to shrug out of his cloak and doff his tricorn, handing both to her before passing on to the parlor and leaving a chagrined Erienne to close the door and hang the dampened garments on a peg. When she entered the parlor, she found him already seated in a tall-backed chair in front of the fireplace. He had crossed his leg and, where the long frock coat fell aside, displayed a masculine length of limb covered with fine gray silk breeches and stockings. His eyes warmed as she came into his vision, and he gave her what he hoped was a most fatherly smile.
"My dear Erienne, you have done a most magnificent task of managing this house since your mother passed on. I trust you have been happy here. Your father certainly seems to have taken well to his duties. Why, just the other day..."
He continued with a stream of chatter, eyeing the girl as she moved about. He rambled on without interruption, not that he was the least bit ill at ease, but seeking rather to allay her tension, for she appeared quite unsettled with his presence. She was, after all, a most desirable wench, and he found it amazing that a man
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