Cupid's Choice: She's a shy beauty in distress. He's a chivalric gentleman. (14 page)

“Could I perhaps come to live with you?” asked Guin hopefully. “I know you have a snug little property in the country. You have spoken of it many times. And—and I could become your housekeeper, for I do know how to order a house!”

He looked down swiftly, touched equally by her troubled gaze as by her offer. “There is nothing I’d like better, my dear, but it wouldn’t do. For one thing, your mother would never allow it. For another, I could not reconcile it with my conscience to bury you in the country without all the advantages a lovely, worthy girl such as you are deserves.”

“I wouldn’t mind, dear sir. At least I would be happy,” said Guin quietly.

Colonel Caldar’s heart was torn by the melancholy in her softly spoken words. “Guin! Now, you listen to me! I am only a rough soldier, but I know this much,” he said sternly. “There is a better way for you, I know there is. I have got a feeling about this arrangement with Lady Smythe. It is the same itch I always got whenever there was a battle brewing, like a current of lightning forking through the air. It is fear and excitement and anticipation all at once.”

Guin stared at him, absorbing what he was saying as well as the conviction in his voice. She felt a stirring of hope in her breast in response. “Do you really, Uncle?” she asked, hardly daring to believe that he might be right.

Colonel Caldar gave an emphatic nod. “I do, indeed! Now, I know you don’t wish to go live with Lady Smythe. That part of it seems a bit hazy to me, so I wouldn’t refine too much on it. Lady Smythe is a stranger to us, after all, and it makes no sense to me that her ladyship would open her house to someone she has just met. However, I believe your mother in that Lady Smythe has offered a splendid opportunity to you, whatever her ladyship’s reasons for it. You mustn’t be so anxious, Guin! Rest assured that I shall continue to watch over you.”

Guin gave a small laugh. “I am being rather goose-like, am I not? It was just such a shock, you see, especially when Mama— but I shall not refine too much on that! I shall take your advice, sir, and accept Lady Smythe’s obliging offer.”

“That’s the spirit! Now, before we are both of us quite knocked up by all of this emotional folderol, what do you say to having an ice at Gunther’s?”

“I should like it above all things,” said Guin, making an effort to appear more carefree. She politely inquired what her uncle’s plans were later that evening. “We are to go to the theater, and if you are not engaged already, I would like it if you came with us, sir.”

“Well, I will,” said Colonel Caldar with decision. He strove to maintain a spritely flow of conversation and was gratified when his niece’s expression appeared to be lightening.

By the time they had arrived at Gunther’s and he was helping Guin down from the carriage, Colonel Caldar was encouraged to think that she was in a happier frame of mind. Pushing down his own natural misgivings, he hoped that he was right about Lady Smythe’s offer and that Guin would benefit by her ladyship’s sponsorship. In any event, her ladyship’s benevolence could hardly do worse harm to Guin than had his sister’s mismanagement, he thought acidly.

“Miss Holland!”

Guin turned quickly on the walkway, at once recognizing the cheerful voice. “Miss Beasely!” she said in surprise.

She saw that Miss Beasely was accompanied by a tall dignified lady whom she did not know, and she nodded politely. The lady smiled and nodded.

Miss Beasely gave an easy laugh. The expression in her green eyes was friendly. She held out her hand to Guin. “I’ve startled you! Are you going to Gunther’s? Do let us join you! It is already so hot that I persuaded my cousin to stop for an ice before we returned home from our shopping. Oh, this is my widowed cousin, Mrs. Clara Roman.”

Guin realized her own social obligations. She said a shy hello to Mrs. Roman. “I—I don’t believe you have met my uncle, Colonel Caldar, Miss Beasely. Uncle, may I present Miss Beasely and her cousin, Mrs. Roman?”

Colonel Caldar gravely exchanged civilities with Miss Beasely and her companion. He invited them to join himself and his niece, gallantly insisting that the expense was to be his, so that they had formed a friendly party before entering the portals of the famous Gunther’s.

Miss Beasely chatted away in a lively style, drawing everyone else into conversation. Before many minutes, Colonel Caldar discovered that he had known Mrs. Roman’s late husband, a major with the army. The major had been a great correspondent, so that Colonel Caldar and Mrs. Roman could talk of many of the same events and people.

Miss Beasely regarded Colonel Caldar and her cousin with satisfaction before turning to Guin and drawing her attention by lowering her voice. “I must say, I am glad that Clara and your uncle seem to have hit it off so well. It makes it ever so much easier to talk to you.”

“I fear that I am not a-a
good
conversationalist,” confessed Guin worriedly. She was still bemused by Miss Beasely’s friendliness and apparent desire to further their acquaintance.

Miss Beasely chuckled. “How droll you are! But that is why we shall get along so amazingly for the next fifty or so years.”

Guin was surprised into unthinking comment. “What a queer thing to say!”

“No, why? It is quite true, you know! For I shall be your friend and your sister-in-law,” said Miss Beasely matter-of-factly. She spooned up some of her lemon ice as though she had not just uttered something fantastic.

Guin regarded Miss Beasely with fascination. “Shall you? I mean, I would be delighted to have your friendship, of course.”

Miss Beasely looked shrewdly at her. There was an unsettling gleam in her green eyes. “But you have reservations about me becoming your sister-in-law? How horridly rude, Miss Holland!”

“I—I didn’t mean that! It’s only that Percy—”

Flustered, Guin bit her lip. She couldn’t very well inform the young lady, who was gazing at her with such a calm, interested expression on her pretty face, that Lord Holybrooke had already discerned that Miss Beasely looked upon him as an eligible
parti,
nor how he had reacted to it. She was embarrassed and annoyed all at the same time. How dare Miss Beasely place her in such an uncomfortable spot.

Miss Beasely must have read something of her consternation in her face. She laid a slim gloved hand on Guin’s arm. “Forgive me! I was only funning with you a little. I don’t think you are rude at all. On the contrary, it is I who has been rude. I shouldn’t have sprung it all at once on you like that. However, I do mean what I have said, about becoming your friend and sister-in-law!”

“But how can you? You know nothing at all about me or Percy,” said Guin, completely at sea. She knew that she was bungling it badly, but really there wasn’t any polite, roundabout way to ask.

A smile hovered over Miss Beasely’s face. She did not seem to mind Guin’s blunt question. “I knew all I needed to know about Lord Holybrooke the very instant I looked up and saw him enter Mama’s drawing room. In short, Miss Holland, I fell quite madly and completely in love with your brother at first glance! And since it must be an object with me to make myself agreeable to my future husband’s family, I am determined that we are to become friends.”

“Oh, my!” exclaimed Guin faintly. She wondered what her brother would make of Miss Beasely’s unblushing declaration if he ever heard it. She certainly had no intention of telling him about it, however. “I mean, how interesting to be sure!”

Miss Beasely went into a peal of laughter. Her cousin glanced over at her thoughtfully, and she hastily rearranged her expression. She leaned closer to Guin and murmured, “Pray don’t look so amazed, Guineveve! I may call you that, mayn’t I? I know it sounds like rubbish and absolutely fantastical, but it is true. And so I have set my cap at Lord Holybrooke. But you are not to tell him so! It—it would greatly embarrass me if you did. You see, I am already laying open my heart to you, my new friend.”

“No, I shan’t tell Percy,” said Guin, reflecting that since her brother had already realized that the Beaselys had their eyes on him, it would scarcely come as a surprise to the earl that Miss Beasely was encouraging him. As for the rest of what Miss Beasely had shared with her, she rather thought that would be better left between the two of them. However, she could not think of any reason why she could not wholeheartedly accept Miss Beasely’s offer of friendship. She had never had a friend before, with the exception of her brother, and she rather liked the possibility. “And you may call me Guin, if I may call you Margaret?”

“Of course you may!” exclaimed Miss Beasely warmly. “And now I see that our tête-à-tête is quite at an end, for Clara is saying good-bye to your uncle. Shall I see you at our
soiree
on Friday?”

“I am certain of it,” said Guin positively. “Mama has already sent an acceptance to Lady Beasely.”

“Good! I hope Lord Holybrooke will accompany you,” said Miss Beasely with a twinkle as Mrs. Roman and Colonel Caldar came up. She turned to hold out her hand to the colonel. “It was a pleasure, sir. I have been assuring myself that Guin will be attending our
soiree
on Friday. I trust that you will come, too? I am persuaded Mama must have included you in the invitation.”

Colonel Caldar glanced at Mrs. Roman. There was a smiling expression in his gray eyes. “Perhaps I shall come.”

The faintest color tinged Mrs. Roman’s cheeks, and a smile flickered across her attractive countenance. The lady did not say a word, however.

“Splendid! And now we must be off. Mama will
be waiting for us at the end of the street with the carriage and all our packages,” said Miss Beasely, waving gaily as she and her companion took their leave.

Colonel Caldar gave a hand up to Guin into their carriage. He gave a guinea to the urchin who had watched his horses and the boy ran off clutching the coin tightly. “Miss Beasely is quite a friendly young miss,” commented Colonel Caldar as he climbed up into the carriage and gathered the reins.

Guin nodded with a smile on her face. “Yes, and I have come to like her very much. I didn’t think I would when I first met her. But she told me today that we are to be the best of friends for the next fifty years!” She did not reveal what else Miss Beasely had said, believing that it would be a singular betrayal of her new friend’s confidence.

Colonel Caldar laughed. “I perceive that Miss Beasely is a young lady of decided force of character. It seems you have very little to say in the matter, Guin! You
must
like her!”

Guin laughed, too, more lightheartedly than she had in some weeks. “Yes, I think I must, indeed! Did you like Mrs. Roman? What did you find to talk about for so long?”

“It
is a strange world. I served in several campaigns with Major Roman, though I did not know the gentleman well. Roman wrote home often, and so Mrs. Roman and I were able to converse on any number of things. As it turns out, her husband was killed a year before the Peace of Amiens,” said Colonel Caldar somberly.

“How terrible! So many have been killed in the war with France, have they not?” said Guin with quick sympathy.

“Quite. War is a bloody, terrible thing. I am glad it is over. Now I am able to forget soldering and set myself to learn to be a retired gentleman,” said Colonel Caldar. He was silent for a moment, a faint frown between his brows. “I’ll tell you something, Guin, women such as Mrs. Roman are a credit to us all. She is a very brave, admirable lady.”

“I am certain she is, sir,” said Guin warmly. She glanced sideways at her uncle’s profile and said, quite casually, “I suppose Mrs. Roman will be at Lady Beasely’s
soiree,
as well.”

“Aye, perhaps you are right,” said Colonel Caldar with a thoughtful expression.

They drove back to the town house, amiably conversing. Colonel Caldar pulled up the horses and brought the carriage to a stop at the curb. A gentleman, who was about to climb up to the town house door, paused with one foot on the first step and looked around.

Guin recognized him with a flutter of pleased surprise. “Why, it is Sir Frederick Hawkesworth!”

“Why, so it is,” said Colonel Caldar affably.

Sir Frederick had by this time recognized those in the carriage, and he came over to it. “Miss Holland! Sir, your servant. I was just on the point of sending up my card. I hope it is a convenient hour to call?”

“Oh! Of course, Sir Frederick! You would be welcome at any time,” said Guin quickly, blushing.

Colonel Caldar paused in the act of stepping down from the carriage, surprised alike by his niece’s animation and the bloom of rose in her cheeks. All of a sudden, a suspicion shot into his mind. He narrowed his eyes, studying Sir Frederick more closely. He liked what he saw in the baronet’s eyes. As Sir Frederick’s gaze rested on Guin’s face, there was warmth and kindness in his expression, Colonel Caldar thought. At once he made a swift decision.

“Sir Frederick, if you will be so kind to hand down my niece, I shall be able to take this carriage round to the stable,” said Colonel Caldar .

“Of course. I am delighted to be of service,” said Sir Frederick promptly. He put up a hand and aided Guin to descend to the walkway.

Smiling, Colonel Caldar thanked Sir Frederick and drove the carriage away.

Sir Frederick offered his arm to Guin. “Allow me to accompany you up the steps, Miss Holland. I was hoping to find you, and Mrs. Holland of course, at home.”

“Thank you, Sir Frederick,” said Guin. She happily if a bit shyly laid her fingers on his elbow. Gathering her skirt with her free hand so that she would not trip on it, she went up the steps and entered the town house with Sir Frederick.

An inquiry of the butler elicited the information that Mrs. Holland had gone out. Guin was disconcerted and disappointed. “Oh, dear!” She looked up at Sir Frederick uncertainly.

Sir Frederick pressed her hand in quick understanding. “I must not stay, then. Pray give my regards to Mrs. Holland when she comes in.”

“Of course, Sir Frederick,” said Guin politely. She knew well that she couldn’t entertain Sir Frederick without proper chaperonage, and it would be some minutes before her uncle returned. For the first time in her life, Guin questioned the wisdom of the proprieties that hedged and protected every young lady.

The library door opened and Lord Holybrooke stepped into the entry hall. When he saw his sister and her companion, he exclaimed, “I thought I heard voices! Sir Frederick!”

With a welcoming smile, Lord Holybrooke walked forward with an outstretched hand. The two gentlemen exchanged friendly greetings. “Come into the front parlor, Sir Frederick. It is by far the most pleasant room. I only use the library when I am attending to accounts. Barlow will bring refreshments. I don’t know what Guin is thinking of to keep you standing in the entry hall.” He realized that Sir Frederick still had on his hat and his gaze narrowed in surprise. “You are not leaving, surely?”

“I came hoping to find both Mrs. Holland and your sister at home,” explained Sir Frederick.

Lord Holybrooke looked a question at his sister. “Guin?”

“I have just come in from driving with our uncle and have been told that Mama is not at home, Percy,” said Guin. “Our uncle is not yet back from returning the carriage to the stables.”

“Oh!”  Lord Holybrooke grinned, understanding at once the problem. “Well, there can surely be no objection about whom I entertain, can there? You’ll stay, Sir Frederick?”

Sir Frederick laughed. “If you insist, my lord.” He handed his hat to a waiting footman.