Read Online The Husband Hunt by Jillian Hunter - Free Book Online
Authors: Jillian Hunter
Tags: Romance
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there was the unpleasant task now of deciding what must be done.
"Olivia—" he said, searching her lace.
She refused to look at him, but her voice sounded a little unsteady as she continued. "Thai is all, Auntie Marigold? There were no more children? Not a girl—"
"Olivia,"
Knight said.
"A girl?" Lady Ellis's wrinkled face brightened. "Gracious, I forgot all about the young girl. Born on the wrong side of the bed, as they say. Her mother was some sort of soothsayer, and as the story goes, she had come to the earl's aid when he was lost on the moor one night. I reckon they both got more than they bargained for when a baby arrived nine months later."
"She's illegitimate," Knight said in an expressionless voice. "She did lie to us."
Olivia's voice trembled with emotion. "She said she was the earl's daughter. That is not exactly a lie."
"A bastard," he said, shaking his head. "A by-blow." But even then, he wondered how much it really mattered. Wendell's own father had left a few illegitimate offspring behind, all of whom were doing quite well in London.
Lady Ellis sat forward. "May I ask what this intriguing little
tête-à-tête
is all about?"
"You may not," Knight said, his own voice low.
Olivia leaned around Marigold to look at him. "Don't you dare talk to my aunt like that, you narrow-minded man."
"What did become of the girl, anyway?" Lady Ellis asked, her pleasant face concerned. "I thought her uncle had taken her in, but he must be ancient by now."
"He's dead, and she's staying with us," Olivia said firmly.
"Though not for long," Knight added.
Olivia's eyes glittered with purpose. "Just until we find her a decent husband."
"What?" Knight said in disbelief. Where had this diabolical idea come from?
"What?"
"I planned it last night after I went to bed," she said, staring back at him in undeterred defiancé. "I couldn't sleep because of the owls, and I kept thinking of her, and how much I wanted to help her, and what would Lionel do in my place."
"A matchmaking scheme," Lady Ellis said, her ringlets bobbing as she gave a full-bodied chuckle. "How positively delightful."
Knight shook his head, utterly stunned by this. "I am not playing Hunt the Husband for a—a—"
"Her mother was what the Scots called a green-woman, somewhat of a healer," Olivia explained, completely overriding Knight's sputters of objection. "You did remember well, Auntie Marigold."
"I wonder if she could cure my corns," Lady Ellis said, bending over to examine her feet. "They're killing me."
"Oh, my God." Knight stared at the pair of them in amazement, two spiders spinning an awful web around them in which he was in serious danger of becoming ensnared like a hapless fly.
"I think she has other gifts, too," Olivia whispered. "You know, she predicted I would have a fall down the stairs, and sure enough, a few minutes later, I did."
"You didn't?" Lady Ellis whispered back. "Do you think she could give me a few tips for the next Derby?"
"I had hoped to spend the next months getting her ready for her debut." Olivia gave a long, rueful sigh, and her voice returned to its normal tone. "But now, well, now we shall have to lower our sights and simply do what we can. Not that the details of her birth will destroy her chances for acceptance. But without wealth, hmm, it is going to present a challenge."
Lady Ellis clasped her hands to her ample chest. "I should love to offer my services, as a tribute to Lionel."
Knight stood up, his gaze returning to the window. Nearly every servant in the house was clustered around Catriona now, listening raptly to whatever twaddle she was telling them. And what in God's name were they doing with that bucket?
"She's got Howard draining the pond," he said in a startled voice. "Did you hear me, Olivia?"
"It probably needed draining," she said, not about to be distracted from her discussion of the latest style in female attire and what a stylish debutante would wear that summer.
"She's dropping stones in
"Olivia—" he said, searching her lace.
She refused to look at him, but her voice sounded a little unsteady as she continued. "Thai is all, Auntie Marigold? There were no more children? Not a girl—"
"Olivia,"
Knight said.
"A girl?" Lady Ellis's wrinkled face brightened. "Gracious, I forgot all about the young girl. Born on the wrong side of the bed, as they say. Her mother was some sort of soothsayer, and as the story goes, she had come to the earl's aid when he was lost on the moor one night. I reckon they both got more than they bargained for when a baby arrived nine months later."
"She's illegitimate," Knight said in an expressionless voice. "She did lie to us."
Olivia's voice trembled with emotion. "She said she was the earl's daughter. That is not exactly a lie."
"A bastard," he said, shaking his head. "A by-blow." But even then, he wondered how much it really mattered. Wendell's own father had left a few illegitimate offspring behind, all of whom were doing quite well in London.
Lady Ellis sat forward. "May I ask what this intriguing little
tête-à-tête
is all about?"
"You may not," Knight said, his own voice low.
Olivia leaned around Marigold to look at him. "Don't you dare talk to my aunt like that, you narrow-minded man."
"What did become of the girl, anyway?" Lady Ellis asked, her pleasant face concerned. "I thought her uncle had taken her in, but he must be ancient by now."
"He's dead, and she's staying with us," Olivia said firmly.
"Though not for long," Knight added.
Olivia's eyes glittered with purpose. "Just until we find her a decent husband."
"What?" Knight said in disbelief. Where had this diabolical idea come from?
"What?"
"I planned it last night after I went to bed," she said, staring back at him in undeterred defiancé. "I couldn't sleep because of the owls, and I kept thinking of her, and how much I wanted to help her, and what would Lionel do in my place."
"A matchmaking scheme," Lady Ellis said, her ringlets bobbing as she gave a full-bodied chuckle. "How positively delightful."
Knight shook his head, utterly stunned by this. "I am not playing Hunt the Husband for a—a—"
"Her mother was what the Scots called a green-woman, somewhat of a healer," Olivia explained, completely overriding Knight's sputters of objection. "You did remember well, Auntie Marigold."
"I wonder if she could cure my corns," Lady Ellis said, bending over to examine her feet. "They're killing me."
"Oh, my God." Knight stared at the pair of them in amazement, two spiders spinning an awful web around them in which he was in serious danger of becoming ensnared like a hapless fly.
"I think she has other gifts, too," Olivia whispered. "You know, she predicted I would have a fall down the stairs, and sure enough, a few minutes later, I did."
"You didn't?" Lady Ellis whispered back. "Do you think she could give me a few tips for the next Derby?"
"I had hoped to spend the next months getting her ready for her debut." Olivia gave a long, rueful sigh, and her voice returned to its normal tone. "But now, well, now we shall have to lower our sights and simply do what we can. Not that the details of her birth will destroy her chances for acceptance. But without wealth, hmm, it is going to present a challenge."
Lady Ellis clasped her hands to her ample chest. "I should love to offer my services, as a tribute to Lionel."
Knight stood up, his gaze returning to the window. Nearly every servant in the house was clustered around Catriona now, listening raptly to whatever twaddle she was telling them. And what in God's name were they doing with that bucket?
"She's got Howard draining the pond," he said in a startled voice. "Did you hear me, Olivia?"
"It probably needed draining," she said, not about to be distracted from her discussion of the latest style in female attire and what a stylish debutante would wear that summer.
"She's dropping stones in
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