Perry were soon in a hackney and heading toward the distant smoke that marked London. Zeus, how he longed for the country.
Perry regarded his perfectly buffed fingernails. “You know I don’t interfere, my friend, but are you quite sure about La Rumford?”
“Yes.”
Perry sighed. “Where will you buy your estate?”
Cate had shared his plan with his friend, so he had no reason to feel irritated. “Rumford favors somewhere near London, but larger properties come cheaper farther north.”
“As far north as Yorkshire, perhaps?”
“Why not?”
“It might be possible to be too fond of your family home,” Perry suggested delicately.
“Do you feel no pining for Herne?”
“Never been any point. Fourth son, and now Pranks has a couple of his own.”
Pranks was Perry’s oldest brother, born with the heir’s title of Viscount Pranksworth and destined one day to be the Earl of Hernescroft.
“In any case,” Perry said, “the country bores me, whilst Town and court do not.”
“You can afford Town and court.”
“The charm of sinecures. Perhaps your brother would purchase a couple for you.”
“My brother and I parted on less than amiable terms.”
“Will it be difficult to return? You had, as you described it, a flaming row.”
Cate hadn’t thought of that. “Plague take it. If Mother’s seriously ill or worse I’ll have to go north, won’t I?”
Be required by filial duty to go north.
Have an excuse to return to Keynings, where he might be able to mend fences with Roe.
His brother, Sebastian, Lord Malzard, was known in the family as Roe from the heir’s title he’d been born to—Viscount Roecliff. Roe was six years Cate’s senior, so they’d never been close, but Cate regretted being at odds, and, in particular, being an exile from the home he loved.
He’d been away in the army for years, able to return on furlough only once, but he’d always known Keynings was there, waiting with tolerably open arms. . ..
“You never did say why you quarreled,” Perry said.
They were leaving the small fields behind and traveling between cottages.
“Mostly it arose from my pride,” Cate said. “After the debacle, I was allowed to sell my army commission in the normal way, but the story behind it spread. I’d been chronically insubordinate, come close to mutiny, and caused a riotous brawl in which three men had died.”
“Not exactly true.”
“Three men did die,” Cate said flatly, “but even without that it wasn’t an interpretation easy to contest, especially as no one spoke of it openly.”
“A few spoke of it openly to me.”
“Ah, so that’s why you called Willoughby out.”
“Dammed coward retracted his words.”
“But it silenced open comment. Thank you.”
“How did all that lead to your being alienated from your family? They couldn’t have believed—”
Cate laughed. “They certainly could. They showed it by being intolerably understanding. Roe assured me that Keynings was my home—without meaning it for a moment. We’re flint and steel at the best of times. He’s so damned righteous, and feels that as head of the family he takes Father’s place in our relationship.”
Cate made himself stop that line of complaint. If Roe despaired of him, he had reason. Even now, courting Georgiana, Cate knew he’d be marrying to disoblige his family. They would not find it pleasant to have to mingle with the Rumfords. Would his mother be able to bring herself to embrace Georgiana and call her daughter?
He took up his account. “Artemis, my sister-in-law, raised the possibility of future professions or business enterprises—fretfully, as if doubting I could find one. Mother . . . Ah, Mother was openly peeved that I was back to bother her again.”
“’Struth!”
“We’ve never been close. The army had offered me one other choice—a regiment about to set sail for India. She couldn’t see why I hadn’t taken that opportunity, as fighting seemed to be the only
Perry regarded his perfectly buffed fingernails. “You know I don’t interfere, my friend, but are you quite sure about La Rumford?”
“Yes.”
Perry sighed. “Where will you buy your estate?”
Cate had shared his plan with his friend, so he had no reason to feel irritated. “Rumford favors somewhere near London, but larger properties come cheaper farther north.”
“As far north as Yorkshire, perhaps?”
“Why not?”
“It might be possible to be too fond of your family home,” Perry suggested delicately.
“Do you feel no pining for Herne?”
“Never been any point. Fourth son, and now Pranks has a couple of his own.”
Pranks was Perry’s oldest brother, born with the heir’s title of Viscount Pranksworth and destined one day to be the Earl of Hernescroft.
“In any case,” Perry said, “the country bores me, whilst Town and court do not.”
“You can afford Town and court.”
“The charm of sinecures. Perhaps your brother would purchase a couple for you.”
“My brother and I parted on less than amiable terms.”
“Will it be difficult to return? You had, as you described it, a flaming row.”
Cate hadn’t thought of that. “Plague take it. If Mother’s seriously ill or worse I’ll have to go north, won’t I?”
Be required by filial duty to go north.
Have an excuse to return to Keynings, where he might be able to mend fences with Roe.
His brother, Sebastian, Lord Malzard, was known in the family as Roe from the heir’s title he’d been born to—Viscount Roecliff. Roe was six years Cate’s senior, so they’d never been close, but Cate regretted being at odds, and, in particular, being an exile from the home he loved.
He’d been away in the army for years, able to return on furlough only once, but he’d always known Keynings was there, waiting with tolerably open arms. . ..
“You never did say why you quarreled,” Perry said.
They were leaving the small fields behind and traveling between cottages.
“Mostly it arose from my pride,” Cate said. “After the debacle, I was allowed to sell my army commission in the normal way, but the story behind it spread. I’d been chronically insubordinate, come close to mutiny, and caused a riotous brawl in which three men had died.”
“Not exactly true.”
“Three men did die,” Cate said flatly, “but even without that it wasn’t an interpretation easy to contest, especially as no one spoke of it openly.”
“A few spoke of it openly to me.”
“Ah, so that’s why you called Willoughby out.”
“Dammed coward retracted his words.”
“But it silenced open comment. Thank you.”
“How did all that lead to your being alienated from your family? They couldn’t have believed—”
Cate laughed. “They certainly could. They showed it by being intolerably understanding. Roe assured me that Keynings was my home—without meaning it for a moment. We’re flint and steel at the best of times. He’s so damned righteous, and feels that as head of the family he takes Father’s place in our relationship.”
Cate made himself stop that line of complaint. If Roe despaired of him, he had reason. Even now, courting Georgiana, Cate knew he’d be marrying to disoblige his family. They would not find it pleasant to have to mingle with the Rumfords. Would his mother be able to bring herself to embrace Georgiana and call her daughter?
He took up his account. “Artemis, my sister-in-law, raised the possibility of future professions or business enterprises—fretfully, as if doubting I could find one. Mother . . . Ah, Mother was openly peeved that I was back to bother her again.”
“’Struth!”
“We’ve never been close. The army had offered me one other choice—a regiment about to set sail for India. She couldn’t see why I hadn’t taken that opportunity, as fighting seemed to be the only
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