Lord Ilchester's Inheritance Page 6

  She was sure she actually heard his teeth grind. What had possessed her to say something so inflammatory and impertinent? In the near darkness she could not see his face clearly, but the ominous silence told her all she needed to know. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, she gathered her skirts and prepared to run away.

  ‘Remain where you are, Miss Stanton.’ His voice cracked like a whip and she almost obeyed him, but something told her it would be wiser to remove herself immediately from his vicinity. He was a formidable gentleman and she had no wish to be given a bear-garden-jaw, even if it was justified.

  She scampered through the gardens expecting at any minute to be accosted by this furious giant of a man. He must have become lost as she arrived safely at the terrace. The drawing room doors were open, and the evidence of their dinner had been removed.

  She was relieved to be back safely, but remained outside for a few minutes until her heart had stopped hammering and she was less breathless. She had no wish to alarm her uncle by appearing red-faced and distressed as he might think his lordship had taken liberties, and the exact opposite was true.

  Now the excitement of the confrontation had dissipated she was ashamed of her behaviour and instead of creeping away to her apartment she decided to wait and apologise to their guest. Why was he taking so long? He had longer legs than she and the candles flickering in the windows of the house were quite visible from the rose garden.

  ‘Why are you dithering about out here, Miss Stanton? Surely you are not afraid to meet me after your disgraceful behaviour?’

  The apology she had been rehearsing in her head evaporated like snow in the sunshine. She spun and stared up at him with dislike. ‘I thought you had become lost or had had an accident and I was about to go in search of you. I should have realised you were creeping about, as usual, and waiting to upset me.’

  He stepped onto the terrace and for some reason her feet remained glued to the paving stones. He closed the gap between them until he was no more than an arm’s length away. ‘Mr Bishop has retired and I took the liberty of dismissing your staff.’

  Sapphire swallowed nervously. He could not have made it more clear – he had sent everyone away so he was free to administer whatever retribution he thought fit without fear of witnesses or interruption. ‘In which case, sir, you are now free to give me the dressing-down I so richly deserve. I have behaved appallingly, I am not normally outspoken or impertinent and I sincerely apologise for...’

  ‘I will hear no more of that, Miss Stanton, I have no wish to admonish you nor to hear you apologise.’ He raised both hands in a gesture of supplication. ‘Please, can we start again? We have been at loggerheads most of the day and that is the last thing I want.’

  He was quite irresistible when he wasn’t scowling at her. ‘We have both behaved badly, although I sincerely believe that I am more culpable than you.’ He was waiting, not exactly smiling, but his eyes had a definite twinkle. Her reservations about him vanished and she returned his smile. ‘Yes, please let us begin again. I shall go into the drawing room and from that moment we are strangers.’

  Not waiting for him to comment, she almost skipped through the French doors and was obliged to take several steadying breaths before she was ready to step out onto the terrace again. She was beginning to enjoy this play-acting – it had been far too long since she had been able to have fun on her own account.

  He was half sitting on the stone balustrade and immediately jumped to his feet on her appearance. He bowed deeply and she curtsied. They were at an impasse – if this was to be done correctly there should be a person to introduce them. Then he strolled towards her.

  ‘Good evening, I believe I have the pleasure of speaking to Miss Stanton. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gideon Frederick William Bishop, Lord Ilchester. I am your cousin.’

  She curtsied again. ‘I am delighted to make your acquaintance, my lord. I am Miss Sapphire Stanton, and Mr Bishop, with whom I am residing at present, is my great-uncle.’

  He grinned, his teeth white in the darkness. ‘Do you care to promenade, Miss Stanton? There is much I must tell you about my family – for you and your brothers are part of it now.’

  As they strolled, a discreet distance apart, he told her about his sisters, mother and brother and she returned the favour. She was puzzled that he did not appear to be overly fond of his siblings as he had so obviously enjoyed being with her brothers.

  ‘I must go in, my lord, I heard the village clock striking midnight a moment ago. I believe that you have promised to teach my brothers to ride and you can be very sure they will be up and waiting in the stable yard at first light.’

  He chuckled, a rich dark sound. ‘In which case, we had better say goodnight. I have had the most enjoyable day, I cannot remember when I have had so much fun before. I shall see you in the stable yard first thing tomorrow morning.’

  He half-bowed and she dipped in a small curtsy. He had the courtesy to allow her to go in alone and not prowl along behind her as he had done previously. When she reached the safety of the gallery she risked a glance back and to her astonishment she saw he was extinguishing the candles – doing a servant’s job without a second thought.

  As he had dismissed the staff she supposed it was his responsibility to make sure the house was safe before he retired. However, he was a guest and if anyone should be doing this, it was her. Too late to repine, she would thank him tomorrow.

  *

  Gideon watched Sapphire almost run away from him and wished they hadn’t got off to such a poor start. Mind you, they had spent a pleasant hour conversing before she dashed away.

  He had told her categorically that he was now her legal guardian, but he wasn’t entirely sure this was the case. In fact, the more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed that he had inherited three wards along with his father’s estates and gambling debts. He paused as he was extinguishing the final candelabra. He recalled an incident much talked about in Town a year or so ago when Sir Giles somebody or other died intestate and a reprobate uncle stepped in to claim the position as guardian and control of the considerable fortunes of the orphaned children.

  He seemed to remember that the young lady and gentleman in question were below their majority, but no longer children, and they applied to the Courts of Chancery to appoint their own guardian, and this was upheld. One thing he knew for certain was that society and the law did not approve of any romantic liaison between a guardian and his ward.

  Startled by this thought he knocked over his own candlestick leaving him in inky blackness. He cursed under his breath. No point in grovelling for the object, as he had no idea where the tinderbox was stored and, being midsummer, there were no fires alight for him to use. He would have to make his way upstairs by touch alone.

  As he groped his way to the doors that led into the spacious hall he reviewed what had made him drop his candle. He had known Sapphire Stanton for less than a day – was it possible he was already thinking of her romantically?

  By the time he had crossed the hall his eyes had become accustomed to the lack of light and he could now see sufficiently well to continue his journey to his bedchamber without fear of breaking his neck. The more he considered this extraordinary notion, the more he liked it. Although he was not actually hanging out for a wife, there was something about this girl that excited him. That she was beautiful was beyond doubt, but she was also intelligent, kind and strong-willed – an irresistible combination as far as he was concerned.

  He reached his room having only barked his shins once and stopped a couple of times. He did not bother to light a lamp as he was going to retire immediately. The footman who had been appointed as his valet had long gone to his bed, but Gideon was quite capable of disrobing without assistance. There was a nightshirt folded neatly on the end of the bed, but he tossed this to one side. He preferred to sleep as nature intended.

  *

  Sapphire was up and dressed before her brothers woke and w
as able to oversee their dressing – particular care was needed this morning if they were to sit astride their ponies.

  ‘We don’t want to have breakfast now, Saffy, we want to have it after our ride,’ David said.

  ‘We can go out to the stables now, but I don’t promise Lord Ilchester will be there. It is extremely early, but I am sure that between us Ned, Billy and I can manage.’

  No sooner were they out of the house when the boys shot ahead eager to be the first to arrive in the yard. She took a more leisurely pace, running in the voluminous skirt of her habit would be hazardous.

  There was no need for her to hurry, his lordship must have been there before them despite the fact it had not yet struck eight o’clock. Her mare was waiting but there was no sign of her brothers, their ponies or Lord Ilchester.

  ‘Ned, where have they all gone?’

  ‘His lordship reckons they would do best to be led about the place, get the feeling of being in the saddle. He and Billy are gone for a walk around the park.’

  ‘In which case, I shall join them later, but first I shall ride through the woods. There is no need for you to accompany me, Ned, I shall not be going out of the grounds this morning.’

  He tossed her aboard, she rammed her foot into the single stirrup iron, gathered up the reins and was ready to leave. The sun was already hot on her back, no doubt the boys would wish to continue their swimming lessons later on. The thought of being in the lake appealed to her, but under no circumstances would she do so whilst their guest was still in residence.

  ‘How is the stallion? Is he sound enough to ride today?’

  ‘Not a chance, miss, he’s pulled a tendon and will have to stay here for at least a week. His lordship sent one of the new men with a message this morning, right early it was. He will be sending for his baggage, he don’t seem in no hurry to leave, that’s for sure.’

  She wasn’t sure if this was good news or bad, but was definitely relieved their guest had not been in the yard to hear Ned speaking about him so freely. She set off in the opposite direction to the park, taking the tradesman’s route that led directly into the acres of woodland that surrounded the rear of the property.

  Once in the shelter of the trees she relaxed, her heavy wool habit was far too hot for this weather. She must arrange for the local seamstress to make her something more suitable for the summer – perhaps in moss green with gold buttons?

  The mare ambled along and Sapphire’s thoughts returned to Ned’s words. Canfield Hall was vast, accommodating a single house guest would make no difference at all. However, she was not comfortable at the notion of spending the next week in the company of this very attractive gentleman.

  They would be obliged to dine together, even if they stayed apart during the day, this would inevitably lead to spending several hours alone in his company after her uncle retired. This would not be a good idea, in her opinion. For some reason she behaved like a shrew when he was close and said things she immediately regretted.

  The mare shied as a pheasant flew out under her feet and Sapphire almost lost her seat. Once she was sorted and settled again she decided she would increase their pace. The sun-dappled path stretched invitingly ahead of her, quite long enough to gallop if she so wished.

  She clicked her tongue and transferred her weight to the front of the saddle and immediately the horse responded. The wind whipped through her hair dislodging her hat and sending it flying into the branches. There was an inviting five-barred gate a hundred yards ahead and she decided to take the mare over it.

  As the mare gathered herself to jump Sapphire realised she had no clear idea of what was on the other side of the obstacle. She sent up a fervent prayer to the Almighty that she had not made a catastrophic mistake.

  Chapter Seven

  Gideon was enjoying the early morning walk with the twins. He had been away at school and university when his siblings were this age and he sincerely wished he had not missed this delightful stage of their development.

  He was leading Tom on his pony and Billy had David beside him. They walked sedately down the track that led towards the woods. ‘Billy, where does that path lead to? It should be cooler in the shade of the hedge.’

  ‘I’ve not been down it, my lord, but I reckon it runs around the wood and will bring us out behind the house.’

  The path was on the right-hand side of the trees and on the left of the open parkland. ‘Then we shall take it. Are you enjoying your first experience of riding?’ Gideon asked. ‘You both seem to have a good seat.’

  ‘Can we go a bit faster, sir, we won’t fall off will we, David?’

  ‘Hold onto the neck strap if you feel insecure – whatever you do don’t snatch at the reins. Are you ready? Relax into the saddle and go with the motion of the pony.’ He patted the animal’s neck and began to walk faster – as soon as he was sure both boys were happy at the increasing pace he started to run.

  The ponies trotted smartly and Tom and David screeched with excitement but both remained clinging, limpet-like, to the saddle. They were approaching a break in the trees. It was possible that there was fresh path ahead that led into the woods. This might shorten the distance back to the stables. They had been out for half an hour, and an hour was quite long enough for a first lesson.

  ‘David, Tom, pull gently on your reins for we are going to turn into the woods in a moment.’ Perspiration was trickling unpleasantly down his face and he wished he’d had the sense to leave off his stock and jacket before racing about in the sunshine.

  The pony he was leading obediently dropped from a trot to a walk. He was about to dip into his pocket and remove his handkerchief when the unmistakable sound of a galloping horse made him pause. He flung himself against the pony and pushed it violently into the hedge not a moment too soon.

  *

  Sapphire peered through the mare’s pricked ears as they soared into the air and was relieved to see an open expanse of parkland the other side of the gate. Thank goodness! Then, to her horror, from the corner of her eye she saw there was someone directly in her path.

  It was too late to take avoiding action. There was nothing she could do but pray that whoever it was would fling themselves out of the way. Unfortunately Starlight also saw the movement to her left and pecked on landing. Then she was sailing through the air and landed on her back with such a thud the breath was knocked from her lungs.

  As she lay gasping she gradually became aware that someone was beside her. She was gaping like a fish out of water, her head was spinning and for a second she didn’t recognise the gentleman on his knees. Then her vision cleared. Lord Ilchester was preventing her from sitting up.

  Slowly she recovered her breath and was able to speak. ‘The boys – are they unhurt?’ She struggled, but the pressure on her shoulders remained firm.

  He nodded. ‘They are both perfectly well. Don’t move for a moment, you could have injured you spine. That was a hard fall you took.’

  She relaxed and reassured him. ‘I can move all my limbs, and apart from being winded I am certain I have suffered no injury.’

  He watched while she wriggled her toes and waved her fingers in the air and then sat back. ‘You may get up now, Miss Stanton.’ He did not offer to assist but turned his back and strode across to where her brothers were sitting quietly on their ponies. Billy was holding the leading reins of both animals.

  Puzzled by his abrupt departure, she spent several minutes attempting to breathe normally and then to scramble to her feet. She winced when she put her weight on her right ankle and was relieved nobody else had been injured by her unexpected arrival. Her mare was grazing a few yards away and was obviously uninjured. She limped across and collected the reins which were trailing on the ground. ‘Well then, my girl, that was our first mishap. I am glad neither of us suffered from my foolishness.’

  This detour to collect her mount had taken only a minute or so, but when she looked across she discovered she was alone. Her intention had been to apologise pro
fusely for her stupidity and thank him for the speedy reactions that had kept her brothers safe from harm. Where on earth were they?

  She stared down the path in both directions, but could not see them. How could they have vanished so speedily? She suppressed her anger at being abandoned; she deserved to be sent to Coventry, after all she could have caused a serious accident.

  Although Starlight was not much more than fifteen hands, she could not remount without assistance. Obviously his lordship’s intention was to punish her by making her walk home. She ached from head to toe, and although she had insisted she was uninjured, she had twisted her right ankle quite severely. There was no possibility at all she could walk the mile or so back to Canfield Hall, so somehow she must get onto the saddle.

  Then she remembered she had just jumped the gate. This would be ideal to use as a mounting block. ‘Come along, sweetheart, you must stand quietly for me so I can get up.’

  Then she understood why she had been unable to see her brothers, the gate stood open, they had taken a different route home. With some difficulty she scrambled up the bars and manoeuvered herself until she was secure. Once she was safely settled she clicked her tongue and the mare moved smoothly forward.

  Even with no weight on her injury every movement made by the horse sent waves of pain so severe she was forced to bite her lip to avoid fainting. At this painfully slow pace she would take an age to reach the stables. By the time she arrived she was no longer apologetic, but incandescent with rage. The pain from her ankle was making her feel quite nauseous, but she would not cast up her accounts until she had spoken her mind to Ilchester.

  *

  Once Gideon had made sure Sapphire was unharmed his rage at her stupidity made him want to shake some sense into her. When he had seen her crash to the ground his world had tilted on its axis. For a terrifying second he had believed her dead and he had ceased to breathe. This relief was rapidly replaced by ire and if he remained within arm’s reach of her he would do something he would regret.