Earl Lessons by Valerie Bowman
Chapter Twenty-Four
The ride to Worthington’s country estate took the better part of the day. Marianne had packed all her things and said good-bye to Lady Courtney, who would be attending the wedding but traveling separately. David knew he was tasked with fulfilling the role his parents would normally play in the wedding festivities. Beyond Marianne’s dowry, Bell had insisted that no money change hands. Apparently, the marquess had won a large bet last year, beating out his friends Kendall and Worthington, and had promised to spend the earnings on the wedding three of the couples would share.
David hadn’t seen Annabelle in three days. Not since the morning of their final lesson. He’d done his damnedest not to wonder what she’d been doing since then. Was Annabelle riding the in the park with Murdock? Was she dancing with the marquess at balls? David had no idea because he’d steadfastly steered clear of all Society events specifically so he wouldn’t see her. He didn’t want to see her. No good could come of it. Especially if she were with Murdock.
David had spent the last three days doing a variety of things. He’d visited the club with Bell. He’d gone riding in the park with an old friend from Brighton, though he’d been certain to go nowhere near the places where couples ‘went to be seen.’ David had even had dinner with Lady Courtney and Marianne, who both asked him why he wasn’t attending more of the events of the Season. He’d given them some weak excuse about how the Season was already overwhelming him. Marianne had reminded him that when he escorted her to Lord Worthington’s estate for the wedding, he would be forced to be on his best Society-worthy behavior. He’d assured her that he would do exactly that. In fact, he had every intention of playing the rules-obsessed earl giving his only sister away in marriage. Marianne deserved no less. He would not embarrass her.
He also refused to inquire about Annabelle. He managed to make it through the entire dinner without mentioning her once. He didn’t need to know anything about Annabelle. She would be just another guest at his sister’s wedding. He would no doubt see her and greet her, but that would be the end to it. There was no need to make their relationship into something it wasn’t. It was all quite simple, really.
David spent the coach ride to Worthington Manor reading a new book. He made it through nearly the entire journey before he cracked. Slapping his book closed he asked, “So, did Lady Annabelle convince Lady Julianna to allow Murdock to attend the wedding?” The question had been lingering on his tongue for hours. It had finally broken loose, and it felt like a weight had lifted from his chest.
Marianne had been engrossed in reading a book of her own, but she immediately shut it and leaned toward him. “It turned out it wasn’t Lady Julianna who needed the convincing—it was Lord Worthington. The duke was adamant that Murdock wouldn’t step foot in his home. But Julianna apparently calmed Worthington and talked him into it. According to Annabelle, Julianna convinced Worthington that it would be bad form if he were to deny the man entrance to his home and attendance at his wedding after stealing his fiancée. She said it was the least Worthington could do to be the bigger man.”
David snorted. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”
Marianne sighed. “If I’m being honest, I think it was too kind of Julianna. You know the man tried to kick her dog?” Marianne shuddered and shook her head.
David’s jaw dropped. “What? Murdock kicked Lady Julianna’s dog?”
Marianne shook her head. “No. He tried to kick her dog. He missed. Thank heavens.”
David’s brows were furrowed. “Why in God’s name would he try to kick her dog? Or any dog for that matter?”
Marianne sighed and shook her head. “As I said, Julianna reminded me of all the hideous things he’d done. Apparently, Lord Murdock took the news of Julianna tossing him over quite poorly. He broke items in her father’s drawing room and called both Julianna and her parents terrible names.”
This time David arched a brow and sat back against his seat, shaking his head. “Good God. I don’t blame Worthington. I wouldn’t let that scoundrel in the house.”
“Neither would I,” Marianne replied.
David waited a few seconds before narrowing his eyes and asking, “Did you happen to tell Lady Annabelle the bit about the dog-kicking?”
Marianne nodded. “Yes, we spoke about it at length.”
David nearly growled. “And she still wants the man to escort her to the wedding?”
Marianne waved her hand in the air and shrugged. “You know how these Society people are. They have such different rules for everything. Being a marquess gives you the right to be insane, I suppose.”
“Not in my book,” David replied, scowling again.
“Or mine either,” Marianne replied. “I can tell you Beau wasn’t pleased to hear that his sister is being escorted to the wedding by Lord Murdock.”
David tossed a hand in the air. “Finally, someone who sees reason.”
Marianne nodded. “Yes, but his mother talked him out of discussing it with Annabelle. Apparently, Lady Angelina was quite firm with him. Lord Murdock is the first man in all these years Annabelle has shown the slightest interest in, and his mother told Beau that if he interferes with their courtship, he’ll have to answer to her.”
David’s frown deepened. “That’s ridiculous. Bell is the man of the house. He should know who is right for his sister.”
“Yes, well, Beau isn’t pleased. But he agreed to leave it alone for the duration of the wedding at least. Now, enough about Lord Murdock. How is it going with Lady Elspeth? I’m ensuring that you’re seated together at dinner, you know.”
David tried to conjure some excitement for that news. “Very well,” was all he could muster.
“‘Very well’?” Marianne narrowed her eyes on him. “That doesn’t sound particularly fervent. I thought you liked Lady Elspeth.”
“She’s perfectly fine,” David replied, suddenly wishing the conversation were over.
Marianne arched a red brow. “If you want me to seat you next to someone else, David, do let me know.”
“No. Lady Elspeth will be a fine dinner companion,” David grumbled.
Marianne gave him a sidewise stare before returning her attention to her book. David sat in silence for the remainder of the journey, stewing over what Marianne had told him. Lady Angelina and her daughter couldn’t possibly be so enamored with the title of marquess that they’d overlook Murdock’s obvious faults, would they? If so, they were ludicrous, and Annabelle would deserve to be paired with a dog-kicker.
No, that was an awful thing to think. But why was Annabelle spending so much time with Lord Murdock? Was it possible that she actually fancied him? Was she planning to marry finally? Even a lady as steadfastly against marriage as Annabelle was would need to marry eventually, wouldn’t she?
“You know, if you’re having any doubts about this wedding, we can turn around and be in Brighton by nightfall,” David offered, with a smile.
Marianne glanced at him, before smiling too and shaking your head. “No doubts whatsoever. You know what Mama always used to say…marry for love and you’ll never regret it.”
David nodded. “She did say that, didn’t she?” He stared at his sister who’d already begun reading her book again. Marianne was someone who’d fallen in love. Real love, apparently. Perhaps she knew something that could help him sort out his true feelings. Although he wasn’t about to admit to his sister that he was likely smitten with a woman who didn’t want him.
“Marianne,” he ventured, leaning forward and clasping his hands together between his knees.
His sister looked up from her book again. She wrapped a red curl around her finger. “Yes?”
“How did you know that Bell was right for you? The right man, I mean. How did you know it for certain?”
Marianne smiled and continued to play with her hair. “The truth is, at first I could barely countenance him. And I thought he was a valet named Nicholas Baxter, but that’s beside the point.” She wrapped the curl around her finger in silence before she added, “I suppose I knew for certain when I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach every time he was in the same room with me.”
David frowned. “A funny feeling? Like what?”
Marianne released the curl and it sprung away from her finger. “I’m not entirely certain how to describe it. But it made me feel excited and a bit ill at the same time. Like I was about to ride a wild horse or go on an adventure or something.”
“So, you felt funny every time he was in the room?” David asked to be certain he had it correctly.
“Yes,” Marianne nodded, and a sly smile popped to her lips, “and when he wasn’t in the room, I began to miss that feeling. That’s when I knew.”