The Gallant Guardian (21 page)

“Newmarket, now there’s a thought.” Tubby perked up. “It will be a rare treat to see horses run a course in broad daylight after all those early dawn meets in Calcutta. Granted it was better for the horses to run in the cool of the day, but dashed difficult to see anything. I say, didn’t Wheatley tell us he had a horse racing there this week?”

“Yes, and a sweet goer according to him,” Colly joined in.

The mere mention of Newmarket was enough to turn full attention to the turf, and in less than an hour the party was so enamored of the idea that Max was hard-put to keep his guests from heading out that very evening so as not to waste the daylight hours in travel.

In the end, they decided to leave at the first sign of day, and after having set their servants to packing, sat down at the gaming table to while away the rest of the night.

~~~~

It was a rather groggy but cheerful crew that piled into their curricles just as dawn was breaking. The ladies, yawning prodigiously, stumbled into the traveling coach to follow at a more leisurely pace, and, lured by the promises of a share in the prospective winnings, settled happily enough into the carriage.

Max retired to the breakfast room to enjoy a hearty rasher of ham and eggs washed down with liberal cups of coffee, and a bit of peace alone with
The Times.
He had barely focused on the “Parliamentary Intelligence” when the sound of running footsteps warned him that his solitary moment was not destined to be.

Seconds later, William came bursting into the room. “I
knew
I should find you here, sir. Charlie told me that you would not yet be up, but I knew she was wrong for I saw all those people leaving. I wish I could have talked to the man driving the black curricle with the red wheels. Did you ever see such a fine rig and such bang-up horses? I wish they had stayed so I might have asked one of them for a ride. They must go like the wind.”

“Oh, they do. Tubby would never be caught dead with anything but prime cattle. He was known all over India for his horses.”

“Was he in India with you?” William’s eyes grew round with interest. “I should like to hear his—” He broke off at the sound of approaching footsteps. “It’s Charlie,” he whispered. “Now I
will
be in the basket, for she told me not to bother you, but I am not bothering you, am I, sir?”

Max was forced into a reluctant grin as he rose to hold a chair for William’s sister. “No, you are not bothering me.”

“I apologize for William. He has been up since before dawn and it was all I could do to keep him from interrupting you until now.” Charlotte directed a playfully ferocious look at her brother as she accepted a steaming cup of hot chocolate from the footman who had suddenly appeared to replenish the breakfast table.

William smiled beguilingly. “I know you did, Charlie, but Lord Lydon doesn’t mind, do you, sir?”

Max chuckled as he caught Charlotte’s eye and hastened to reassure her. “I feel certain you did your best. I am flattered that he sought me out, for anyone who knows me would tell you that I am not fit company before noon.”

“But you had already been awake for hours seeing your friends off, hadn’t you, sir? I wish they had stayed, for they looked like prime fellows.” William could not help regretting the dashing equipage and splendid horses he had glimpsed earlier.

Charlotte echoed her brother. “You see, there truly was no need for them to leave.”

“Nevertheless, it was time for them to go.” And having effectively ended the conversation, the marquess turned his concentration to the eggs and ham before him.

Charlotte peeked curiously at him. There was a note of finality in his voice that sounded almost angry. She could not fathom it, for it did not seem to be directed at her and William as much as it was at the departed guests. She could not know the conflicting emotions her guardian was struggling with.

First and foremost among those emotions was annoyance at himself for having allowed anything to ruffle his customary mastery of any and every situation—a mastery that gave him an ironic detachment that was the envy of the
ton.
Where was that detachment now? Where had it been when Colly Forsyth had winked knowingly at him and the mere thought of Colly leering at Charlotte had so infuriated Max that he wanted to wrap his hands around Colly’s pudgy throat and squeeze and squeeze.

Secondly, he was irritated by both the Winterbournes’ blithe assumption that they would have enjoyed the company of anyone who had been his guest. He could just picture the sly grins that would have been exchanged among the trio from Calcutta as they took in Charlotte and her brother, how they would vie with each other to make Charlotte blush or to make William look foolish, though his interest in horses might just have won their acceptance.

Finally, there was anger at his friends for…for what? For always being ripe for any mischief, for living every moment to its fullest, for constantly pursuing gaiety at every possible moment, or for reminding him by their presence of what he himself was, or had been, until very recently.

“…must ask to see the stables…” William’s voice broke into Max’s reverie. With an effort, he forced himself to concentrate on the matters at hand. “I beg your pardon, William, I was not attending.”

“Oh, I was just telling Charlie that she ought to see your stables. Griggs showed them to me. They are slap up to the echo, aren’t they, sir? I would like some just like that at Harcourt. Charlie says that I am the earl now and I don’t want to be the earl if it means I have to do lots of hard things like sums and reading, but I shouldn’t mind it if I could have new stables. Could you help us make some?” It was a long speech for William, and he looked somewhat surprised at himself as he paused to gasp for breath.

Oddly enough, the smile that Max had willed himself to assume suddenly felt completely natural. “Why, I expect I could. Perhaps we could take a look at the stables after breakfast. Would you like that?”

“Oh yes, very much.” William beamed happily as he applied himself to a generously loaded plate. Now that he had the prospect of a tour of the stables led by the marquess himself, he was rather sorry that he had piled his plate quite so high because it meant there was much more to dispose of before they could begin their tour. Sensing his sister’s watchful eye upon him, he did his best to eat slowly in the gentlemanly manner she had assured him that all the Earls of Harcourt before him had done, but it taxed his patience severely.

For her part, well aware of her brother’s eagerness to show her the splendors of Lydon’s stables, Charlotte confined herself to eating a piece of toast and drank her chocolate so that when William laid down his fork and looked expectantly at her she was able to take her cue. “I am quite ready for our visit to the stables, my lord.”

“Of course.” Maximilian had been a silent, but appreciative observer of the entire scene. Having spent most of his life alone in the nursery and the schoolroom, only briefly paying his respects to whichever parent happened to be at home, he had never witnessed the interaction of family members who understood one another’s needs. He found the give and take between Charlotte and her brother fascinating. It was clear from the occasional glance William cast in his sister’s direction that he wished to win her approval by living up to her standards for table manners, but it was equally clear that she was just as eager to please him by the way she hurried through her own breakfast. The two of them were vastly different as far as their capabilities went, but their concern for each other was the same. Maximilian could not remember when he had seen such a demonstration of evident solicitude even between lovers, much less between family members. Watching Charlotte’s eyes light up at her brother’s enthusiasm, Max could not stifle the tiniest prick of envy at the Winterbournes’ closeness or subdue the tiniest pang of loneliness at being outside such a special relationship.

As if sensing his feelings, Charlotte turned toward him with a smile. “Lead on, my lord. Let us see these wonders whose example is no doubt going to shatter the peace and quiet at Harcourt. For I know William will not rest until he is assured that the equine population of Harcourt is as comfortably housed as that at Lydon Court.”

“Come along.” William tugged at his sister’s hand. “You must see the stalls. They are all made of brick instead of wood. Griggs says it is a special sort of brick and that it is easy to clean. And there are almost as many boxes as there are stalls. Griggs says that they are the best stables in the whole of the county. But the main thing is to have them clean, with plenty of light and air. Griggs knows ever so much about horses. I think Caesar will like it here.”

By now they had reached the stableyard and William, unable to curb his enthusiasm any longer, hurried ahead to find Griggs.

“I do hope that Speen will not be totally eclipsed by William’s new idol.” Charlotte shook her head, laughing gently. “And I do hope Griggs is prepared to be looked upon as the source of all wisdom and knowledge. It can be rather wearing. I shall try to keep William in check, but once he takes a liking to someone it is rather difficult to keep him from following that person around like an eager puppy. The best way to keep oneself from going mad is to give him something to do, such as rubbing down horses or currying them. A simple task that he can master but one that requires all of his concentration is the most effective way to protect oneself from being completely worn down by questions.”

“What a very good sister you are. William is indeed fortunate in having you to look after him…anyone would be fortunate in having you to look after him.”

The marquess had paused during his speech and then had added the last under his breath, almost as though he were speaking to himself. He spoke so softly that Charlotte, not entirely sure that she had heard correctly, glanced up at him and was surprised to find the gray eyes fixed on her with an unreadable, but oddly intent expression in them. At a loss as to what he was thinking and suddenly shy and unsure of herself, she blushed and laughed a little shakily. “It might seem that way to you now, but I assure you, you would think otherwise if you were to see me after William does his lessons, which he says I am forever nagging him about.” Charlotte was grateful that by now they had reached the stables where William and Griggs were waiting for them and the tour began. She could remain in the background while the marquess explained to her brother that his growing number of studs and broodmares could enjoy a healthful atmosphere, reaping the benefits of modern agricultural management as well as ancient wisdom.

“It is the most bang-up place I ever saw,” William could not help exclaiming again and again.

“Let us hope that the horses agree with you.” Lydon chuckled.

“Oh, I am sure they do. Look at how happy they are.”

“Happy? I devoutly hope so, but what makes you think they are happy?”

William scrunched up his face so tightly for a moment that the freckles on his nose ran together. “I don’t know, but they just are.”

“He’s a rare lad that way,” Speen remarked as he joined the little group surveying the stables. “Always knows what the horses like.”

William, Charlotte, and Griggs moved off to look at Caesar’s new quarters, but the marquess fell a bit behind, taking advantage of a private moment with the Winterbournes’ coachman.

Glad of the opportunity to advance his opinion, Speen did not hesitate to offer it when Lord Lydon questioned him closely as to the recent series of events at Harcourt. “I’ll put it to you straight, my lord. That cousin of my lady and the young master is a nasty piece of work if ever I saw one, and his wife is a thoroughgoing meddler. They could not stand it when the old earl was alive and living in London, never taking advantage of the estate, and they truly cannot bear the thought of Harcourt’s going to
the idiot,
as Sir Cecil calls him. They used to talk of marrying their useless son to Lady Charlotte, but she would have none of that—told them straight off, too. It is my belief that she is in the right of it to suspect foul play. That horse Sir Cecil sent was as vicious an animal as I have ever seen, and strong. But Master William, he was bound and determined to make friends with that blasted beast, and damme if he didn’t. As to the poachers, there was no such thing, and my lady knows it. Lady Charlotte is a mighty unusual female—been taking care of herself and that brother of hers since she was a wee mite. She doesn’t frighten easily, but she is frightened for his lordship now. She never would have come asking for your help, sir, if she weren’t in a devil of a pucker, for she don’t like to ask help of anybody—never has. She is a most independent young lady, if you know what I mean, sir.”

Lydon nodded ruefully as he recalled his first encounter with his ward. Having been set straight by Lady Charlotte Winterbourne at the very outset of their acquaintance, he knew precisely what the coachman meant. “And do you agree with your mistress about the threat to his lordship?”

Speen snorted. “If that there gentleman that Sir Cecil sent along with the horse is a groom, I’ll eat my hat. He barely knows one end of a horse from the other, and he certainly don’t know his way around the stables. Oh, he tries mightily to be everyone’s friend so as we won’t notice that he doesn’t do a bit of work. But you want to watch yourself with a man like that, sir. Lady Charlotte says we cannot send him back yet for then we’ll have Sir Cecil down on us in some other way and it is better to stick with the devil you know than the one you don’t.”

“No, you cannot send the man back. She was right to come to me.”

“That is what I said, though she hated something terrible to bother you, sir. But I said to her, His lordship will know just what to do and his lordship is one as has seen a sight more things than you have.”

“Thank you, Speen. How did she take to that?”

“Well, Lady Charlotte isn’t one to put much trust in people, sir, what with the old earl never paying the least mind to her and her brother, but there wasn’t much else she could do, now could she?”

“No, there was not much else she could do. We shall see what we can do to protect the earl.”