The Training of a Marquess (22 page)

“Yes, and it’s an appalling and heartbreaking story. He also told me she never stopped loving Lord Hollingsworth. I know Cha—Lord Derebourne grieved her death, but I don’t think it’s why he vowed never to marry again.”

Lady Kensington took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her eyes. “He never told me of his vow, but I feared that might have been the way he was thinking.”

“He told me of his great love for her, but that she never saw him as more than her dear friend. I think if she had returned his feelings, then her loss would have been devastating, but he would have eventually recovered and been open to finding love again. Because she didn’t, he fears trusting his heart to another woman and not having his loved returned. He said he wouldn’t survive it a second time. I can understand his need for self-preservation.”

“No, Teresa never loved him. She tried, I know she did, but her heart only ever belonged to Hollingsworth. No one could have stopped Kensington from marrying her, but she wasn’t healthy for him. He changed after they married, became completely focused on her, on making her happy to the extent that he lost something of himself. Their life revolved around her and there didn’t seem to be any thought from either of them as to his needs.

“Don’t think I didn’t like her, I did. She was like a sweet, damaged child that one felt compelled to cherish and protect. I only wish it wasn’t my son who took on her troubles. Have you told him you love him?”

“No, he isn’t ready to believe it. He thinks I must have a Season and the experience of being courted by other gentlemen before I can be sure of my feelings.”

“He isn’t altogether wrong, Claire. May I call you Claire? I feel we have shared many confidences today and that we are friends.”

“Please, I would be honored. I have never had a female friend before and have always wanted one.”

Lady Anne took Claire’s hand. “Well, now you do have a woman friend. As I was saying, he’s right in that you should experience a Season. Mind you, I’m not saying you don’t know your own heart. There’s no harm in taking some time to have a little fun and proving to Kensington and yourself that there’s no other man for you than him. Because, Claire, friend or not, I will do serious harm to the next woman who dares to hurt my son.”

Claire didn’t doubt Lady Anne one bit, but an image of the tiny lady trying to pummel her into the ground made her want to smile. Of course, there were many ways Lady Anne could do harm other than physical. Claire could only respect Lady Anne for wanting to protect her son. She was saved from having to respond by a knock on the door.

Chase entered and sat in the chair closest to Claire. “The two of you have been closed up in here for well over two hours. I trust by now you know all there is to know of the other. You look none the worse for wear, which must mean you are now bosom friends. What have you been talking about all this time?”

“Why you, of course,” Lady Anne said and Claire choked in surprise at Lady Anne’s candor.

“I was afraid of that.” Chase grinned. “Are you all right, Claire? Do you want some water?”

Claire shook her head. “No, thank you, Cha…Kens… Lord Derebourne.” Bells in hell, she’d never get his name right now.

“Do not stand on ceremony because of me, Claire. Call him Chase and be done with it.”

“Yes, Lady Anne,” Claire meekly replied.

Claire waited for Chase to ask for details of their conversation, but he began to tell Lady Anne of the twin’s activities. Claire excused herself, giving mother and son time alone together.

Chase turned from watching Claire leave to see a smirk on his mother’s face. “Why are you making faces at me, Mama?”

“If you believed I wouldn’t notice there’s something between the two of you, son, then you aren’t as intelligent as I thought. I am not blind, you know. She watches you, you watch her. Several times, I thought I could leave the room and neither of you would have noticed. Not that you will ask for it, but I approve wholeheartedly. I like her enormously.

“How a father could marry his daughter off so young and to a man almost three times her age, I’ll never understand. Of course, I never understood half the things your father did, so what do I know about men? Not enough to fill a teacup, I wager. But that’s neither here nor there.

“If she can make you happy, if she can give me back the cheerful son I miss ever so much, then in my eyes, she is an angel sent straight from heaven. Come to think of it, she’s exactly what I would imagine an angel to look like with her big blue eyes and silvery hair. Have you ever wondered what angels look like, Kensington?”

“Not until Claire,” he answered honestly.

****

A deep sense of contentment settled over Claire as she listened to the lively dinner conversation going on around her. With Thomas, dinner had been a quiet affair, the only sounds the clinking of silverware on china. Even in his presence she had been lonely.

He never asked her how she was, about her day or about anything. If she tried to start a conversation, he would stop eating and set down his fork and knife. He would listen politely, give her an answer if required, and then resume eating.

Mrs. Smithfield had told her once that his mother taught him it was vulgar to continue eating while a lady spoke. It made Claire nervous to interrupt his dinner, so she had stopped trying to talk to him and her loneliness grew.

But Thomas’ mother had been wrong. This is how it should be. The Warrens teased and debated, they spoke of things important, and things not so important. The affection they had for one another was there to see, and she badly wanted to belong to them.

Chase touched her arm, her skin tingling from the contact. “You are being too quiet, Claire. What are you thinking?”

Conversation stopped as they all turned their attention to at her. Did they care about her thoughts? No one ever had before this man came into her life. It was a new, exhilarating feeling and she found she wanted to be honest with them.

“I was thinking how much I’m enjoying your conversations. Neither Derebourne or my father encouraged talk at the dinner table, you see, and now I’m wondering why.” She lowered her gaze to her empty plate. So immersed in their discourse, she hadn’t realized she’d cleaned it. Claire gave a self-conscious laugh. “Even the food tastes better when there’s lively dinner conversation.”

Chase gave her arm a gentle squeeze and then removed his hand. She wanted to pull it back, wanted to keep the touch of him on her skin. She glanced at Lady Anne and saw fondness in her eyes, a look Claire had never seen from her own mother.

After dinner, they retired to the drawing room and spent time with the twins before Chase sent them to bed. Claire and Lady Anne were engaged in a spirited debate over their favorite books when Bensey crept into the room and went to Chase, whispering in his father’s ear.

Chase’s eyes grew wide. “Are you bamming me?”

Bensey shook his head. “No, Father.”

Chase stood and bowed. “Continue on with your visit, my ladies. I must see to Harry.”

“Is he all right, Kensington?” Lady Anne asked. “Do you need our assistance?”

Chase and Bensey burst into laughter. “Ah…no Mama, that won’t be necessary.” They left the room, the sound of their mirth trailing behind them.

“Are you as curious as I?” Lady Anne asked.

“I am. At least we know Harry isn’t hurt or they wouldn’t be laughing.”

“True. I’m tempted to follow them to see what is afoot. However, as a mother of two boys, I can say with experience that sometimes ignorance is bliss. I remember one time when Kensington and Robert were small and decided they wanted to be Highlanders.

“I had read them a story the night before about a young Scottish boy setting out alone to prove he was a man. I should have known better. They decided it would be great fun to follow the boy’s example, so they packed a food basket, strapped on their toy swords and set off to conquer the world. Kensington was nine and Robert, six.

“By the time we found them the following day, they had managed to travel three miles from home. They lost their clothes…we never did get to the bottom of that story, had gotten into a patch of nettles and had a rash from head to toe. They had apparently finished off their supply of food shortly after setting off on their adventure and were hungry.

“Somehow, they did manage to hold on to their toy swords. You must picture it, Claire. Two filthy, naked boys with red skin holding on for dear life to their little swords. I didn’t know whether to beat them to death or hug them to death.”

“So, you hugged them,” Claire said, grinning. This was a story of Chase as a little boy she would treasure.

“So, I did. It was weeks before I could bear to let them out of my sight again. And just when I thought they had learned their lesson, they would invent new ways to torture their poor mother. The two kept me on my toes, they did,” she said fondly.

Would there ever come a day when she would have her own little boy stories to tell? Claire tried not to think of Andrew and the adventures he would never have. She was grateful when Chase returned and diverted her thoughts. He had a lopsided smile on his face, and she could picture him as a little boy up to no good with the same silly grin.

“Well, Kensington? We are near expired with curiosity, Claire and I. Do tell what trouble Harry got up to.”

Chase turned and closed the door. Crossing the room, he took his preferred chair near Claire. His mother was going to love this story. “First, I must have your promise you will not even hint to Harry that I have told you. Not only would he never forgive me, but he wouldn’t be able to look you in the face again. Perhaps when he is forty we will be able to drag the story out and have a good laugh with him.”

Both women gave him their solemn promise. “I’m not sure how to tell you. It would be much easier to speak of it if you were men.” He stared off trying to think of words he could use that would not offend them.

Lady Anne frowned. “Good lord, Kensington, just say it. Pretend you’re talking to Aubrey, if you must, but get on with it.”

“Very well, it’s like this. My pardon, but there’s no other way to say this. Apparently, Harry has always wanted to go in a bottle.” They gave him blank looks. He sighed. They were going to make him say it. “Urinate,” he said, though if he had truly been telling Aubrey, his word would have been cruder.

Their mouths opened in perfect little O’s at this announcement and both moved closer to the edge of their seat. Chase shrugged. “It’s perfectly understandable. Well, perhaps not to a woman, but to any man. Why not want to try such a thing when you are a nine-year-old boy? Anyway, he found an empty bottle and—” He struggled not to laugh as he wondered if their eyes could grow any wider.

“And?” his mother said.

“And, he got stuck.”

Their expressions, so alike a moment ago, veered in two different directions. His mother understood immediately and her lips quivered in an effort to keep a straight face. Claire showed nothing but puzzlement.

“His little boy part got stuck, Claire.”

He counted to five before understanding crossed her face. She clapped a hand over her mouth, but couldn’t stop a noise that sounded half snort, half giggle.

His mother lost her battle for control then and fell into a fit of laughter. Claire reached over and pulled a small pillow up, burying her face in it. Her shoulders shook and Chase would wager his entire fortune she wasn’t crying.

“However did you...you know?” his mother asked between gasps.

“You’d be amazed at the many uses for duck grease.”

That did it. His mother and, hopefully, future wife fell into each other’s arms in the grandest fit of hilarity he had ever witnessed.

Poor Harry, to be the brunt of such feminine amusement.

Chapter Seventeen

Claire couldn’t stop thinking about the laughter. She had never had any in her life, not as a young girl living with her parents, and not as a wife. She hadn’t known she should wish for it, but now she did. Laughter felt good, it made her happy.

She turned over, fluffed her pillow and tried to go to sleep. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the family who laughed so easily. She added Lady Anne to her list of Warrens she coveted. If she was fortunate enough to meet Chase’s brother and sisters, she would probably want them, too.

What a greedy girl she was becoming.

She huffed an exasperated breath. It was no use, she was wide-awake. Maybe a glass of wine would help. Barefoot, Claire made her way to the dining room and poured a wine into a goblet, then walked out to the courtyard. Chase sat on the wall where she’d seen him the first night. No need to try and fool herself. She’d hoped he would be here.

He lifted his brandy and saluted her. Her heart thumped hard in her chest as she approached, stopping a few inches from his knees.

“Hello, Claire,” he said, his voice soft and intimate. “Have you come for another kiss?”

Yes, that and more. “I couldn’t sleep.” She lifted her glass. “I thought a little wine might help.”

He wore the same clothing as before—a shirt and breeches. She glanced at his bare feet, almost dropped to her knees so she could slide her hands over them. Would they be firm and leathery or soft like hers?

“Claire?”

She jerked her gaze up. “Yes?”

“Are you going to answer my question?”

What question? A small half smile appeared on his face, just enough to reveal his dimple. The butterflies living in her belly went into a frenzy, and she swayed toward him. He took the glass from her, setting it on the wall next to his brandy. Taking her hands, he placed them on his knees. It was so wickedly intimate to be resting her palms on his legs.

“Have you forgotten my question?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Yes.”

“I asked if you have come for another kiss.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

He spread his legs apart. “Come here then.”

Thank you
, she wanted to say, but it seemed silly to say such a thing. She stepped forward, entering into the embrace of his body. Heat enveloped her as muscled arms wrapped around her. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heart pound. It pleased her to know it beat rapidly because of her.