return to their residence for Christmas. They’ve never much cared where I spent the holiday before but I thought perhaps because I’d finished school they wanted to know me better.” Miranda grimaced. “What I didn’t realise was that they had different plans for me.” She opened her eyes very wide and glared indignantly at Lord Gabriel. “I could hardly believe it, but not only did they fully expect me to marry their ridiculous son but they also seemed to think I would be grateful that they’d arranged the match.”
Miranda felt herself becoming quite hot under the collar, as was the case whenever she thought about her guardian’s ridiculous proposal. Lord Gabriel, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm and sipped at his drink.
“I thought you said there were no other young people beneath your guardian’s roof.”
“No, Lord Gabriel, I said there were none whom I wished to associate with.” She brushed imaginary specks from the skirts of her beautiful borrowed gown. “William Peacock is ten years older than me and lives up to his name. He’s a male peacock who’s always thought too well of himself to notice me, which suited me perfectly.”
“He works with your guardian?”
“Yes.”
“Why the sudden desire for a union between the two of you?”
“I have absolutely no idea. Unfortunately Mr. Peacock seemed to think that the idea would delight me. When I protested, he didn’t actually take me seriously and was anxious to arrange the union as quickly as possible. When I continued to balk and coercion had no effect, he forbade me to leave the house. When I still wouldn’t agree, he actually locked me in my room until, in his words, I came to my senses and remembered the duty I owed to him and Mrs. Peacock for taking me in.” She blew air through her lips. “I was to remain there with nothing but bread and water to sustain me until I agreed to the union.”
“How did you escape?”
Miranda explained about the tree and how she came to sprain her ankle. “I shall leave here as soon as Bianca and I are fit enough and make my way to Brighton. I shall have to leave Bianca at Charlotte’s and travel by mail coach to Cornwall,” she said. “Once I get there I shall arrange for Bianca to be sent down.”
“You’re quite serious, aren’t you?” Lord Gabriel looked at her with a combination of admiration and stark disbelief.
“Absolutely.” She inverted her chin. “I have no intention of marrying anyone, and certainly not someone I don’t even like.”
“Why do you suppose your guardian is so keen for the two of you to be wed?”
She wrinkled her brow. “That’s just the thing. I have absolutely no idea. I own nothing that’s likely to tempt anyone other than Bianca, Tobias and the Wildes.”
Chapter Four
Gabe assumed Miss Cantrell would join him for breakfast. She didn’t strike him as the type to lie about in bed, or expect to be waited upon in her chamber, and he already knew she had a good appetite. He lingered, curious to hear her plans for the immediate future. Hopefully, now that she’d recovered from the shock of almost freezing to death not ten miles from her guardians home, she would realise the impossibility of travelling all the way to Cornwall unescorted.
There had to be some way to repair the breach with her rather unsavoury-sounding guardian that wouldn’t require such drastic action while relieving Gabe of the responsibility he felt for her. He couldn’t continually impose upon Mrs. Grantley’s good nature and have her act as chaperone.
They hadn’t discussed Miss Cantrell’s next move last night, which Gabe now conceded had been an oversight that required immediate redress. She would be anxious to move on. But where to? Not that she could go anywhere until both she and her horse were fit enough, which left them all in a bit of a fix. As far as he was concerned, society and its rigid standards could go hang themselves.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t
Miranda felt herself becoming quite hot under the collar, as was the case whenever she thought about her guardian’s ridiculous proposal. Lord Gabriel, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm and sipped at his drink.
“I thought you said there were no other young people beneath your guardian’s roof.”
“No, Lord Gabriel, I said there were none whom I wished to associate with.” She brushed imaginary specks from the skirts of her beautiful borrowed gown. “William Peacock is ten years older than me and lives up to his name. He’s a male peacock who’s always thought too well of himself to notice me, which suited me perfectly.”
“He works with your guardian?”
“Yes.”
“Why the sudden desire for a union between the two of you?”
“I have absolutely no idea. Unfortunately Mr. Peacock seemed to think that the idea would delight me. When I protested, he didn’t actually take me seriously and was anxious to arrange the union as quickly as possible. When I continued to balk and coercion had no effect, he forbade me to leave the house. When I still wouldn’t agree, he actually locked me in my room until, in his words, I came to my senses and remembered the duty I owed to him and Mrs. Peacock for taking me in.” She blew air through her lips. “I was to remain there with nothing but bread and water to sustain me until I agreed to the union.”
“How did you escape?”
Miranda explained about the tree and how she came to sprain her ankle. “I shall leave here as soon as Bianca and I are fit enough and make my way to Brighton. I shall have to leave Bianca at Charlotte’s and travel by mail coach to Cornwall,” she said. “Once I get there I shall arrange for Bianca to be sent down.”
“You’re quite serious, aren’t you?” Lord Gabriel looked at her with a combination of admiration and stark disbelief.
“Absolutely.” She inverted her chin. “I have no intention of marrying anyone, and certainly not someone I don’t even like.”
“Why do you suppose your guardian is so keen for the two of you to be wed?”
She wrinkled her brow. “That’s just the thing. I have absolutely no idea. I own nothing that’s likely to tempt anyone other than Bianca, Tobias and the Wildes.”
Chapter Four
Gabe assumed Miss Cantrell would join him for breakfast. She didn’t strike him as the type to lie about in bed, or expect to be waited upon in her chamber, and he already knew she had a good appetite. He lingered, curious to hear her plans for the immediate future. Hopefully, now that she’d recovered from the shock of almost freezing to death not ten miles from her guardians home, she would realise the impossibility of travelling all the way to Cornwall unescorted.
There had to be some way to repair the breach with her rather unsavoury-sounding guardian that wouldn’t require such drastic action while relieving Gabe of the responsibility he felt for her. He couldn’t continually impose upon Mrs. Grantley’s good nature and have her act as chaperone.
They hadn’t discussed Miss Cantrell’s next move last night, which Gabe now conceded had been an oversight that required immediate redress. She would be anxious to move on. But where to? Not that she could go anywhere until both she and her horse were fit enough, which left them all in a bit of a fix. As far as he was concerned, society and its rigid standards could go hang themselves.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t
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