Rhonda Woodward by Moonlightand Mischief Page A

you, Stone?”
    Stone turned to see Roger Spence-Jones’ tall frame filling the doorway.
    “Come in, Roger,” he said to his old friend. “Care for a brandy?”
    “Please,” Roger said, approaching. “I must not have gotten enough exercise today. Can’t seem to sleep.” With the ease of an old friend, the blond man moved to one of the overstuffed leather chairs in front of the fireplace and seated himself, stretching his legs before him.
    Pushing away from the fender, Stone went to the cabinet and grabbed another glass. “I’m looking forward to a good day of hunting tomorrow,” Stone said over his shoulder as he poured the brandy. After putting away the decanter, he handed Roger the snifter
    and settled in the opposite chair.
    “I am, too,” Roger said, before taking a sip
.
    Getting comfortable again, Stone loosened his neckcloth and crossed his ankles. A few moments of silence ensued before Roger cleared his throat.
    “Amelia and I were surprised that you had not mentioned there would be any more guests arriving. Although I had not the opportunity to converse with Miss Thorncroft, her brother and Mrs. Thorncroft were excellent company. Your new guests certainly helped make dinner more interesting.”
    And the rest of the evening as well,
Stone thought, taking a substantial swallow of brandy before responding.
    “They are an interesting family.” Stone chose to ignore Roger’s implied question about the Thorn-crofts’ unheralded arrival. Although he and Roger had shared confidences since their days at Harrow, Stone did not feel comfortable sharing information about the somewhat awkward circumstances of how the Thorncrofts came to be at Heaton.
    Roger did not press him on the matter and continued his observations about the new guests. “Steven Thorncroft’s manner, though a little tentative, grew more engaging and pleasant as the evening passed, and I found Mrs. Thorncroft, despite the fussiness of her attire, charming.”
    Stone nodded his agreement. “I must give her credit. Although she was the oldest person at the table, she did nothing to stifle the exuberance of the evening.”
    “Did you happen to notice that by the end of the meal Mattonly seemed quite enthralled with the pretty matron? I found it rather fun to watch that little drama unfold,” Roger said, chuckling.
    A smile came to Stone’s lips as he remembered their friend’s unusual behavior.
    He and Roger relaxed into companionable silence over their drinks, slouching further into the warm leather chairs.
    Stone admitted to himself that after meeting the Thorncrofts this morning, he had expected them to behave in a provincial and amusingly gauche manner. Obviously his judgment had been completely wrong.
    As he continued to stare into the leaping flames, he pondered the new arrivals, Miss Thorncroft in particular.
    Roger broke into his thoughts by saying, “For all her charm, I got the distinct impression that Mrs. Thorncroft is on the hunt for a husband for her daughter.”
    Stone shrugged. “In my experience, all mamas with daughters of a certain age are like bloodhounds when it comes to hunting a husband.”
    Roger chuckled at Stone’s acerbic observation. “You would know better than most. But Miss Thorncroft is an attractive young lady. Maybe Mrs. Thorncroft will be successful. After all, you, Stothart, Elbridge, and Mattonly are all unattached.”
    “I shall leave the field open for the others,” Stone offered in a dry tone.
    He did think Roger correct in his assessment of Mrs. Thorncroft’s intentions. However, she might have a problem on that front, for Miss Thorncroft’s unique personality could prove off-putting to a potential suitor.
    Miss Thorncroft had certainly been the biggest surprise of the evening, he thought, taking another swallow.
    At first he had given her little notice. As they all sat down to dinner, he had observed her perfect posture and composed expression and dismissed her as missish and dull.
    But as