Read Online The Deception by Joan Wolf - Free Book Online Page A

will make the earl appear if his people see his wife wearing shabby clothes?”
    “Perhaps they will think I am eccentric.” I wasn’t willing to give up yet.
    “They will blame him,” Mr. Crawford said. “It is not fair of you to put him into a position where he will not appear to advantage in front of his own people.”
    I hadn’t thought of it that way. I regarded the gilt edging of my dinner plate, and thought. Then, “Are you certain he wished me to have this allowance?” I asked anxiously.
    “Quite certain, my lady.” He smiled at me. He was quite a nice-looking young man when he smiled.
    “Very well,” I said. I swallowed. “Then I suppose I will take it.”
    “Christmas is coming,” Mr. Crawford said. “Perhaps you would like to buy a few gifts?”
    I brightened at that thought. In my spare time I had been working on a sampler for Mrs. Noakes, but my needlework was atrocious. If I had some money I could buy her a present in the village. I could buy something for Mr. Noakes and Robert and Nancy and Willie and George, too. I could even buy something to send to Cousin Louisa! I beamed and said, “Yes, I would. Thank you, Mr. Crawford.”
    He looked embarrassed.
    Robert refilled our glasses. The lump on his forehead was certainly sporting an interesting variety of colors. I said, “Are you feeling all right, Robert? That is a truly monumental lump.”
    He grinned at me. Robert was my age and we liked each other. “I’m good, my lady,” he said.
    I turned back to my guest and asked, “Will you be going home to Scotland for Christmas, Mr. Crawford?” When he said he would be, I asked him how his family was doing. He said that they were well.
    “How lovely it must be to have brothers and sisters,” I said.
    “You would not think it was lovely if you found a toad in your bed,” he replied dryly.
    I laughed, and behind Mr. Crawford’s back, Robert smothered a smile. “Did one of your brothers do that to you?” I asked Mr. Crawford.
    “He did.”
    “Tell me,” I demanded. He told me that story, and then, when he saw how interested I was, he told me more. I was entranced. I had always had the only child’s envy of large families.
    When dinner was finished and I rose to return to the drawing room, I had another happy thought. I would buy a present for Mr. Crawford too!
    * * * *
    I bought the presents, and Christmas was not as bad as I had feared it would be. I missed Papa, of course, but for some reason I was so busy all day that I did not have time to brood. Mrs. Noakes had baked her special Christmas bread and she asked me to take a loaf to each of Adrian’s tenant farmers. Everyone invited me in, and gave me punch, and I played with their children. Then, when I returned to the house, I discovered that all my friends had bought presents for me too. I opened them, and then Mr. and Mrs. Noakes and I sat down to an enormous dinner.
    It was not a bad day at all.
    Two days after Christmas I had the first communication with my husband’s family since our marriage. Adrian’s younger brother, Harry, turned up on the doorstep of Lambourn Manor and announced that he had come to meet his brother’s wife.
     

Chapter Five
     
    The young man Mr. Noakes ushered into the library that late December morning had the same unearthly fair hair as his brother, but where the clean bones of Adrian’s face gave an impression of strength, Harry’s more chiseled features were so fine that he looked almost angelic. There was nothing angelic about Harry’s spirit, however, as I was soon to discover.
    “Did you come alone, Lord Harry?” said Mr. Noakes, disapproval oozing from every pore.
    “Don’t be such an old mutton-face, Noakes,” Harry said blithely. Then, to me, “I must say, I had no idea Adrian’s wife would look like you!”
    I glared at him. Harry was not that many inches taller than I, so he was much easier to glare at than his brother was. “Apologize to Mr. Noakes this instant,” I