Fate's Intervention (63 page)

Marcelle laughed softly,
“
H
ow
did you get to be so smart?

“
I
’
m not sure,
”
Matthew said,
“
but I
’
m glad I am, otherwise I wouldn
’
t
have
been smart enough to snare you.
”

A
h, but did you really do the snaring?
Marcelle thought with a laugh.

“
If only I
’
d known he was your beau, I never would have made a play for him,
”
Carol
Ann
murmured shyly, her head lowered dejectedly. It was the third mention of her appalling behavior since coming to help Marcelle prepare for the wedding.

Lilith Daragh rolled her eyes at Marcelle at the same moment that Marcelle rolled them at her. Both women smiled behind their hands.

“
Carol
Ann
,
”
Marcelle reassured again,
“
T
wo meetings with Matthew, of less than two minutes each, would hardly be construed as making a play for him, dearest.
”

“
But he must have thought me such an idiot,
”
Carol
Ann
moaned, keeping her gaze lowered.

“
Carol
Ann
,
”
Marcelle sighed,
“
if you don
’
t stop berating yourself, then I
’
m going to get up and smack you a good one.
”

“
Oh,
”
Carol
Ann
gasped,
“
you wouldn
’
t dare!
”

“
Well, no,
”
Marcelle laughed,
“
but at least you finally looked at me. Honestly, I didn
’
t think you were going to look me in the eye ever again.
”

Carol
Ann
laughed, and a blush stole into her cheeks,
“
Y
ou
know, I
’
m glad you
’
re so outspoken
, o
therwise,
I
’
d never know what kind of idiot I
’
m making of myself.
I
f you
’
d been more outspoken about Matthew, I wouldn
’
t have acted so doltish around him.
”

“
A
nd
I keep telling you that the first time you met him, Matthew nor I had intentions of marrying, so I couldn
’
t have told you to stop ogling over him, now could I?
”

“
I know. I know, but I still feel humiliated at the way I behaved around him,
”
Carol
Ann
blushed again.
“
Was I really that immature?
”
She asked, getting back to her sewing. When Marcelle didn
’
t answer, she looked up again.
“
Oh, pooh!
”
She huffed at the laughter plainly visible in Marcelle
’
s eyes.
“
Well, no matter, you must promise not to ever mention my disturbing behavior to Robert, okay?
”

“
My lips are permanently sealed on the subject, if you promise that you
’
ll never mention it again as well.
”
Marcelle smiled.

“
Thank
you, Marcelle,
”
Carol
Ann
murmured, focusing back on her stitching.

“
I still think it
’
s wonderful that Matthew
’
s cousin decided to come for the wedding,
”
Marcelle interjected deliberately and smiled as another blush stole into Carol
Ann
’
s alabaster cheeks.

“
Yes, I never thought he
’
d be able to tear himself away from his business in London for a simple wedding invitation, but amazingly enough, he did,
”
Lilith added, a grin on her face.

“
Yes, it is wonderful, isn
’
t it?
”
Carol
Ann
smiled wistfully.

Marcelle grinned at the continued glow on Carol
Ann
’
s face and was glad that the two of them had been able to reconcile over Matthew, and that Carol
Ann
had agreed to be in her wedding.
She giggled as she remembered the day that Robert Daragh appeared on their doorstep. Carol
Ann
was at the house, helping with the wedding when a knock sounded at the parlor door. . . .

“
Come in!
”
Lilith called and Jeremy poked his head in.

“
You have a guest, Madam,
”
he said.

“
S
how him in, please, Jeremy,
”
Lilith said and Marcelle
’
s curiosity pe
a
ked. Carol
Ann
was here, the Stanharbor
’
s had moved to New York
–
there was no one else in the neighboring counties that she could think of that would be paying them a call, unless, of course, Brian Walker had finally returned from Pinedale to court her. She dismissed the thought. He was probably deceased by now.

The man that entered was a stranger
–
to her anyway. Lilith, on the other hand, appeared to know the man well. He
seemed
, to Marcelle, to be in his mid-twenties and was, by all accounts, a fine specimen of a man. He was tall
–
at least six-foot-one
,
with black, wavy hair that fell to shoulder-length and strong features. His skin was fair, but not pallid, and he carried himself with an air of authority that filled the room.

She cast a quick look at Carol
Ann
and wasn
’
t surprised to see the thrall on her face.

Lilith stood to greet the caller,
“
Robert, dear!
”
She exclaimed,
“
How good of you to come.
”

“
A
unt
Lilith,
”
Robert said, stepping into her embrace.
“
How could I refuse such an invitation?
”
He said, a glint of mischief in his eye.
“
A
fter
all, it
’
s not every day that my cousin marries. Where is Matthew,
by the by
?
”

“
He
’
s out with the horses,
”
Marcelle answered, moving to stand beside the couple.

“
Robert,
”
Lilith said,
“
may I introduce Marcelle, Matthew
’
s
fiancé
.
”

Robert bowed formally, then placed a light kiss on the back of Marcelle
’
s hand,
“
I
t
is truly a
pleasure
to meet the woman who has captured my cousin
’
s heart.
”

“
The
pleasure
is mine,
”
Marcelle smiled.
“
I
’
m sure Matthew will be pleased to know that you
’
ve come for his wedding.
From w
here do you hail
,
sir? Your accent is unfamiliar to me.

“
England, Ma
’
am,
”
Robert answered, glancing over her shoulder. Marcelle smiled at the distraction and turned.
“
Robert Daragh, may I introduce my neighbor and dear friend, Carol
Ann
Blackwarth.
”

Robert moved to stand beside Carol
Ann
, whose color remained high in her cheeks,
“
The
honor is truly mine, dear lady.
A
re
, you perchance spoken for as well?
”

“
No,
”
Carol
Ann
whispered, casting her gaze downward.

“
M
m
m,
”
Robert smiled,
“
That
has indeed made my afternoon a delight.
”

That
’
s how it had started. The two were seriously courting now and there was even a hint that another wedding would be right around the corner. She looked over at her future mother-in-law and her heart swelled with love for the elder woman. If it hadn
’
t for her mischievous interference, Carol
Ann
would most likely have been stuck with one of
her old rejects,
instead of
the possibility of
wedding a wealthy young man from England.
Marcelle still wondered what method of persuasion Lilith had used to get the young man to leave London for a trip west.
A
fter
all, Lilith was right
–
a mere wedding invitation wasn
’
t likely to send someone traveling half way across the world, especially when he hadn
’
t seen the groom in well over ten years.

Whatever her method of persuasion, she wasn
’
t parting with it and neither was Robert. Still, Marcelle was grateful to her for taking pity on the young motherless child and doing her best to see her properly taken care of.

A
loud knock interrupted Marcelle
’
s thoughts.

“
Enter,
”
Lilith called.

The door opened and Matthew strode in, dusty from working the horses, followed by a dapper-looking Robert, and a healthy-looking Peter.

“
Hello, darlings,
”
Matthew smiled, and moved across the room to plant a firm kiss on Marcelle
’
s lips.
“
How are my lady loves today?
”

Robert moved to stand next to Carol
Ann
,
“
Yes, indeed, how are you faring this fine day, Miss Carol
Ann
?
”
Carol
Ann
blushed deeply and Robert laughed softly under his breath.
“
I take that to mean you are doing
rather
nicely.
”

“
We all couldn
’
t be better, sweeties,
”
Lilith answered,
“
but we
’
re trying to accomplish the impossible, given the amount of time before your wedding, and it won
’
t get done if you keep barging in here every few hours and interrupting our work!
”
Lilith admonished, half-heartedly.

“
A
re
you certain that you
’
re faring well, Madam?
”
Peter asked from over Lilith
’
s
shoulder
.
“
Y
ou
sound a
s
cantankerous as an old codger
.
”

“
A
nd
if I didn
’
t know that teasing tone so well by now, Mr.
Weatherman
, I
’
d stab that conveniently
-
placed hand of yours.
”
Lilith retorted jokingly and laughed when Peter snatched his hand from
at
o
p her shoulder.