got into trouble over helping me.”
Daisy spared a final glance in the mirror and smoothed out the skirt of her elegant black riding habit that was a shade darker than her hair. “I want to help out. You’ve helped me so many times I’ve lost count.” She rolled her big blue eyes. “It’s the least I can do for you.”
“But—”
She put a gentle hand on Laurel’s shoulder. “We sisters are determined to marry for love. Since you love Devlin, I’ll do all I can to help you to that end. There’s nothing more to be said.”
“Thank you.” But Laurel hesitated another moment before handing over the note. This was her battle and it somehow felt underhanded to involve Daisy, of all her sisters. Daisy was the good daughter, the perfect middle child who was always obedient and sought to please the family. “I won’t be angry or upset if you change your mind.”
Daisy slipped the note up the sleeve of her jacket. “I have no intention of changing my mind. I know you all think I’m a paragon of virtue… well, I do love the family and I’m much less adventurous than you, Rose, or the twins. But I’m no coward. And I certainly won’t stand by and do nothing while one of my sisters is in trouble.”
She gave Laurel a quick hug. “Don’t be late for your visit with Lord Moray. You must tell me everything that happens between you. As you know, this paragon,” she teased, referring to herself, “loves gossip.”
Laurel laughed and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I love you, Daisy. Do be careful.”
They walked downstairs together, and Laurel waited for her sister to ride out with the others before heading over to Eloise’s home to visit her grandson. Eloise had agreed to act as chaperone for the next few days, but Laurel wasn’t pleased with the prospect. She adored the kindly older woman and knew the feeling was reciprocated. But since Eloise adored her, she was no ally in this campaign. Eloise wanted her to make a match with her grandson.
Eloise also knew her very well, which could pose a problem. Although Laurel planned on being nice to Lord Moray today, she meant to be petty and insufferable the next day and the next. Eloise would know it wasn’t her true nature and might assure her grandson that it was only a pretense. She didn’t want the kindly dowager undermining her efforts to end the betrothal.
She stood on the front steps of Eloise’s home and tipped her face up to the sun for she would enjoy little of it in the coming month and had no desire to rush inside. All too soon, the front door swung open. “Good afternoon, Watling.”
“Good afternoon, Miss Laurel.” Eloise’s butler stepped aside to allow her in. She briefly wondered what he thought of this impossible situation, but the man’s face was as set as a thousand-year-old rock and he revealed nothing in his expression. “Lady Dayne is in the library.”
She followed Watling, although she knew the house very well and often made her way in on her own, for Eloise had become quite good friends with the Farthingales. She and her sisters thought of her as the grandmother they’d never known. Similarly, Eloise thought of them as the granddaughters she’d never had. Eloise had two sons and they in turn had only sired sons. Not a single female offspring in the lot.
“Ah, Laurel. You’re right on time.” Eloise beamed at her. “I’ll order refreshments to be brought up to Graelem’s quarters. In the meantime, choose a book from my library. I think he’ll enjoy Shakespeare’s Henry V or perhaps—”
“Poetry. He seems just the sort of gentleman to adore poems. Long ones. That seem endless.” She trailed a finger along the spine of several tomes until settling on Walter Scott’s Marmion . She’d never read it, but knew it had been quite popular a few years ago. “Let’s give this a try.”
“ Marmion? ” Eloise shook her head and chuckled. “You are determined to make his life a misery, aren’t you? But my dear,
Daisy spared a final glance in the mirror and smoothed out the skirt of her elegant black riding habit that was a shade darker than her hair. “I want to help out. You’ve helped me so many times I’ve lost count.” She rolled her big blue eyes. “It’s the least I can do for you.”
“But—”
She put a gentle hand on Laurel’s shoulder. “We sisters are determined to marry for love. Since you love Devlin, I’ll do all I can to help you to that end. There’s nothing more to be said.”
“Thank you.” But Laurel hesitated another moment before handing over the note. This was her battle and it somehow felt underhanded to involve Daisy, of all her sisters. Daisy was the good daughter, the perfect middle child who was always obedient and sought to please the family. “I won’t be angry or upset if you change your mind.”
Daisy slipped the note up the sleeve of her jacket. “I have no intention of changing my mind. I know you all think I’m a paragon of virtue… well, I do love the family and I’m much less adventurous than you, Rose, or the twins. But I’m no coward. And I certainly won’t stand by and do nothing while one of my sisters is in trouble.”
She gave Laurel a quick hug. “Don’t be late for your visit with Lord Moray. You must tell me everything that happens between you. As you know, this paragon,” she teased, referring to herself, “loves gossip.”
Laurel laughed and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I love you, Daisy. Do be careful.”
They walked downstairs together, and Laurel waited for her sister to ride out with the others before heading over to Eloise’s home to visit her grandson. Eloise had agreed to act as chaperone for the next few days, but Laurel wasn’t pleased with the prospect. She adored the kindly older woman and knew the feeling was reciprocated. But since Eloise adored her, she was no ally in this campaign. Eloise wanted her to make a match with her grandson.
Eloise also knew her very well, which could pose a problem. Although Laurel planned on being nice to Lord Moray today, she meant to be petty and insufferable the next day and the next. Eloise would know it wasn’t her true nature and might assure her grandson that it was only a pretense. She didn’t want the kindly dowager undermining her efforts to end the betrothal.
She stood on the front steps of Eloise’s home and tipped her face up to the sun for she would enjoy little of it in the coming month and had no desire to rush inside. All too soon, the front door swung open. “Good afternoon, Watling.”
“Good afternoon, Miss Laurel.” Eloise’s butler stepped aside to allow her in. She briefly wondered what he thought of this impossible situation, but the man’s face was as set as a thousand-year-old rock and he revealed nothing in his expression. “Lady Dayne is in the library.”
She followed Watling, although she knew the house very well and often made her way in on her own, for Eloise had become quite good friends with the Farthingales. She and her sisters thought of her as the grandmother they’d never known. Similarly, Eloise thought of them as the granddaughters she’d never had. Eloise had two sons and they in turn had only sired sons. Not a single female offspring in the lot.
“Ah, Laurel. You’re right on time.” Eloise beamed at her. “I’ll order refreshments to be brought up to Graelem’s quarters. In the meantime, choose a book from my library. I think he’ll enjoy Shakespeare’s Henry V or perhaps—”
“Poetry. He seems just the sort of gentleman to adore poems. Long ones. That seem endless.” She trailed a finger along the spine of several tomes until settling on Walter Scott’s Marmion . She’d never read it, but knew it had been quite popular a few years ago. “Let’s give this a try.”
“ Marmion? ” Eloise shook her head and chuckled. “You are determined to make his life a misery, aren’t you? But my dear,
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