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Authors: Denise Patrick
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Michael, she said, “Since Caroline is indisposed, you may take luncheon with us today, but I expect you to be on your best behavior.”
“Yes, Mama,” Michael responded.
She looked up at Marcus. “Luncheon will be served shortly,” she said, then turned away, toward the rear of the house, but not before he was sure she blushed.
Michael waited until she was out of sight before looking at Marcus again and saying, in the voice of a conspirator, “Papa is always mussing Mama’s hair and clothes.” Then he, literally, skipped away and into the library, leaving a grinning Marcus standing in the hall.
When Marcus entered the room a few moments later, he found his brother and nephew scanning the shelves of the book-lined room.
“I think there might be something over here,” Brand was telling his son. “Ah, this might be helpful,” he said, pulling a book from a shelf well above the child’s head.
“Let me see.”
Brand handed the book to the boy, who immediately plunked himself down on the floor, opened it up, and was instantly engrossed. Brand continued to scan the shelves, pulling out another book, leafing through it, then returning it to its place.
“Looking for anything in particular?” Marcus asked.
“A book about birds,” Michael answered. “Corrie was going to look, but now she’s upstairs with Caroline, so I’m going to find one and surprise her.”
Marcus glanced around the well-tended room, noting the gleaming surfaces and the fire burning cheerfully in the fireplace. The desk was the only thing that might to be said to be messy, but it was obvious that it was not so much that it was a mess, but that it was used.
Crossing to the desk, he picked up the stack of papers sitting under a carved paperweight. They were his father’s will, letters and final instructions. Moving to the chair behind the desk, he dropped into it and began to read.
The will itself said little, except that he was to be given one of the unentailed estates and a yearly stipend. It was the document read in public. His father would have protected the family from a public airing at all costs, so Marcus turned to the personal instructions left for Brand’s eyes alone.
There he found the explanation for how his father had orchestrated not only his commission, but also the immediate posting to India.
A short time later, Felicia stuck her head in the door to inform them that luncheon was ready and the three rose readily and trooped out. He would finish his reading after luncheon.
Chapter Five
“Edward, although he wishes to be called Marcus now, has only been in residence for two full days, but he has already shown a marked interest in Miss Camden.”
Felicia, Duchess of Warringham, to her sister-in-law, Amanda Kenton, Countess of Wynton
The duchess allowed Caroline to leave her bed the next day, but she was not allowed any further than the gardens. With all the scrapes and bruises she still bore, Corinna knew Caroline’s protest was more from habit than dismay. She was sure of it when, in the rose garden that afternoon, Caroline lay on the chaise, content to listen to Corinna read.
Michael had gone off with his father, and the duchess, she knew, was in the cliff parlor writing letters.
Footsteps on the graveled path caused Corinna to look up from the book she was reading, only to freeze at the sight of Marcus coming toward them. Surprised Caroline had said nothing, she glanced over at her charge, only to discover she had fallen asleep.
Closing the book, she rose at his approach, trying to quell her nervousness.
“How is the patient today?” he asked in a low voice as he reached the foot of the stairs to the terrace.
“A little sore, but on the mend,” she answered in a correspondingly soft voice.
“Good. Michael tells me you like to fish.”
She smiled in amusement. “I’m afraid that, despite his sister and cousin, Michael thinks girls are all fluff and feathers.”
“And you haven’t taught
“Yes, Mama,” Michael responded.
She looked up at Marcus. “Luncheon will be served shortly,” she said, then turned away, toward the rear of the house, but not before he was sure she blushed.
Michael waited until she was out of sight before looking at Marcus again and saying, in the voice of a conspirator, “Papa is always mussing Mama’s hair and clothes.” Then he, literally, skipped away and into the library, leaving a grinning Marcus standing in the hall.
When Marcus entered the room a few moments later, he found his brother and nephew scanning the shelves of the book-lined room.
“I think there might be something over here,” Brand was telling his son. “Ah, this might be helpful,” he said, pulling a book from a shelf well above the child’s head.
“Let me see.”
Brand handed the book to the boy, who immediately plunked himself down on the floor, opened it up, and was instantly engrossed. Brand continued to scan the shelves, pulling out another book, leafing through it, then returning it to its place.
“Looking for anything in particular?” Marcus asked.
“A book about birds,” Michael answered. “Corrie was going to look, but now she’s upstairs with Caroline, so I’m going to find one and surprise her.”
Marcus glanced around the well-tended room, noting the gleaming surfaces and the fire burning cheerfully in the fireplace. The desk was the only thing that might to be said to be messy, but it was obvious that it was not so much that it was a mess, but that it was used.
Crossing to the desk, he picked up the stack of papers sitting under a carved paperweight. They were his father’s will, letters and final instructions. Moving to the chair behind the desk, he dropped into it and began to read.
The will itself said little, except that he was to be given one of the unentailed estates and a yearly stipend. It was the document read in public. His father would have protected the family from a public airing at all costs, so Marcus turned to the personal instructions left for Brand’s eyes alone.
There he found the explanation for how his father had orchestrated not only his commission, but also the immediate posting to India.
A short time later, Felicia stuck her head in the door to inform them that luncheon was ready and the three rose readily and trooped out. He would finish his reading after luncheon.
Chapter Five
“Edward, although he wishes to be called Marcus now, has only been in residence for two full days, but he has already shown a marked interest in Miss Camden.”
Felicia, Duchess of Warringham, to her sister-in-law, Amanda Kenton, Countess of Wynton
The duchess allowed Caroline to leave her bed the next day, but she was not allowed any further than the gardens. With all the scrapes and bruises she still bore, Corinna knew Caroline’s protest was more from habit than dismay. She was sure of it when, in the rose garden that afternoon, Caroline lay on the chaise, content to listen to Corinna read.
Michael had gone off with his father, and the duchess, she knew, was in the cliff parlor writing letters.
Footsteps on the graveled path caused Corinna to look up from the book she was reading, only to freeze at the sight of Marcus coming toward them. Surprised Caroline had said nothing, she glanced over at her charge, only to discover she had fallen asleep.
Closing the book, she rose at his approach, trying to quell her nervousness.
“How is the patient today?” he asked in a low voice as he reached the foot of the stairs to the terrace.
“A little sore, but on the mend,” she answered in a correspondingly soft voice.
“Good. Michael tells me you like to fish.”
She smiled in amusement. “I’m afraid that, despite his sister and cousin, Michael thinks girls are all fluff and feathers.”
“And you haven’t taught
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