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Authors: Patricia Oliver
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had not the heart to confide her fears. What would the viscount say if he knew that his beloved father had offered his chosen bride three thousand pounds to jilt him? she wondered. Her heart cringed at the notion of inflicting so much hurt on poor Perry. An open breach between father and son was one thing she earnestly wished to avoid.
"You are not still worried about his disapproval, are you, Athena?" Perry inquired with an infectious grin. "I promise that we will be able to post the banns within a week. Sooner if you like, for I am certain Father will not hold out much longer against us."
Athena forced herself to return a cheerful smile she was far from feeling. "I believe you may be right, Perry. But humor me in this, dear. Let us wait until we all feel more comfortable with one another. There is no need to rush into anything, after all, is there?"
Peregrine looked slightly downcast. "No, I suppose not," he replied dubiously. "But I do so wish to provide you and Penny with a secure future, my dear."
Not for the first time Athena fancied her betrothed sounded perilously like a little boy who had been deprived of a special treat. She put the unkind thought aside and suggested that it was time to dress for dinner.
For the rest of that week Athena could find no real complaint to make about her host. The earl appeared regularly at the dinner table, and occasionally took tea with the family in the garden. He was pleasant enough, she admitted to her aunt one evening as Mrs. Easton accompanied her into Penelope's room to say good night, as they were in the habit of doing, before retiring for the night.
"You are making a big pother over nothing, my dear Athena," her aunt scolded in her lighthearted way. "I cannot believe that his lordship could find anything amiss with you if he tried, dear. And I got the distinct impression this evening that he is more than a little taken with you himself."
Athena stared at her aunt, aghast. "You are certainly exaggerating, Aunt," she replied curtly.
But her aunt's words chased all thoughts of a peaceful night from her mind. The more Athena argued to herself that her aunt had grossly mistaken the matter, the more a reckless voice in her heart urged her to take advantage of the earl's mellowing disposition—and there was no denying that he had, for whatever reason, mellowed towards her—to gain his approval of her marriage to his son.
A dangerous game, to be sure, her common sense warned her. But if played with discretion, one that could well yield bountiful rewards.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Rival
Two days later Athena began to suspect that she had seriously underestimated the mellowing of Lord St. Aubyn's feelings towards her.
The first indication she had that anything was amiss occurred during the tea hour, which had become a ritual gathering under the oaks on the lawn, often attended by the earl.
That particular afternoon, the pleasant rural tea-party that Athena had come to enjoy as the highlight of her day had been interrupted. Shortly after nuncheon the sun had disappeared and a misty drizzle drove the ladies indoors. Peregrine and Lord St. Aubyn took advantage of the cooler weather to go on a tramp through Hangman's Wood, so called ever since an early Baron St. Aubyn had hanged a marauding Saxon there in the uneasy days of the Norman Conqueror.
There had been no question of serving tea in the garden, and Lady Sarah had insisted upon gathering in the formal Blue Dragon Saloon. Since Aunt Mary excused herself to accompany Penelope upstairs to the nursery to have her tea, Athena and her hostess sat together in Oriental splendor surrounded by what Athena supposed must be a small fortune in exotic furnishings.
It was not an ambiance conducive to comfortable conversation, and Lady Sarah seemed more than usually withdrawn into her aristocratic cocoon of aloofness and condescending small talk. After fifteen minutes of such stilted exchange, Athena wished she had gone upstairs with her
"You are not still worried about his disapproval, are you, Athena?" Perry inquired with an infectious grin. "I promise that we will be able to post the banns within a week. Sooner if you like, for I am certain Father will not hold out much longer against us."
Athena forced herself to return a cheerful smile she was far from feeling. "I believe you may be right, Perry. But humor me in this, dear. Let us wait until we all feel more comfortable with one another. There is no need to rush into anything, after all, is there?"
Peregrine looked slightly downcast. "No, I suppose not," he replied dubiously. "But I do so wish to provide you and Penny with a secure future, my dear."
Not for the first time Athena fancied her betrothed sounded perilously like a little boy who had been deprived of a special treat. She put the unkind thought aside and suggested that it was time to dress for dinner.
For the rest of that week Athena could find no real complaint to make about her host. The earl appeared regularly at the dinner table, and occasionally took tea with the family in the garden. He was pleasant enough, she admitted to her aunt one evening as Mrs. Easton accompanied her into Penelope's room to say good night, as they were in the habit of doing, before retiring for the night.
"You are making a big pother over nothing, my dear Athena," her aunt scolded in her lighthearted way. "I cannot believe that his lordship could find anything amiss with you if he tried, dear. And I got the distinct impression this evening that he is more than a little taken with you himself."
Athena stared at her aunt, aghast. "You are certainly exaggerating, Aunt," she replied curtly.
But her aunt's words chased all thoughts of a peaceful night from her mind. The more Athena argued to herself that her aunt had grossly mistaken the matter, the more a reckless voice in her heart urged her to take advantage of the earl's mellowing disposition—and there was no denying that he had, for whatever reason, mellowed towards her—to gain his approval of her marriage to his son.
A dangerous game, to be sure, her common sense warned her. But if played with discretion, one that could well yield bountiful rewards.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Rival
Two days later Athena began to suspect that she had seriously underestimated the mellowing of Lord St. Aubyn's feelings towards her.
The first indication she had that anything was amiss occurred during the tea hour, which had become a ritual gathering under the oaks on the lawn, often attended by the earl.
That particular afternoon, the pleasant rural tea-party that Athena had come to enjoy as the highlight of her day had been interrupted. Shortly after nuncheon the sun had disappeared and a misty drizzle drove the ladies indoors. Peregrine and Lord St. Aubyn took advantage of the cooler weather to go on a tramp through Hangman's Wood, so called ever since an early Baron St. Aubyn had hanged a marauding Saxon there in the uneasy days of the Norman Conqueror.
There had been no question of serving tea in the garden, and Lady Sarah had insisted upon gathering in the formal Blue Dragon Saloon. Since Aunt Mary excused herself to accompany Penelope upstairs to the nursery to have her tea, Athena and her hostess sat together in Oriental splendor surrounded by what Athena supposed must be a small fortune in exotic furnishings.
It was not an ambiance conducive to comfortable conversation, and Lady Sarah seemed more than usually withdrawn into her aristocratic cocoon of aloofness and condescending small talk. After fifteen minutes of such stilted exchange, Athena wished she had gone upstairs with her
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