look at this situation from Lord Bradford’s point of view. He thinks we are really engaged. He is your closest relative, and he wants to introduce me to the rest of your family. It makes sense, after all, doesn’t it?”
A very strange look came over Reeve’s face. “The rest of the family?” he said. “By any chance did he mention if my cousin Robert was going to be there?”
“Is Robert one of his sons?”
“His eldest son.”
“Then yes, he did say that his sons would be there.”
Reeve groaned.
“What’s the matter with Robert?”
“We don’t get along,” Reeve said briefly.
Mama was wringing her hands. “I am sorry if you are displeased, Reeve.”
“Don’t apologize to Reeve, Mama,” I told her. ”He has brought all of this on himself.” I turned back to my fiancée”. “We have to go,” I said flatly. “We have to go, and you have to behave yourself, and if we can convince Lord Bradford that you are indeed a reformed character, then I think perhaps you can get him to sign over half your fortune to you before the wedding.”
“Deb, do you know how incredibly boring a visit to Bernard is going to be?”
“We’ll have horses, I presume,” I said. ”The Sussex Downs are supposed to be wonderful to ride along.”
He still hadn’t sat down. “Wakefield Manor is rather a pretty property,” he admitted. “It sits right on the crest of the South Downs in West Sussex, not far from the sea.” His scowl deepened. “It’s not the locale that is the problem, it’s the company.”
“Reeve, it will only be for a few weeks. You yourself said that we should probably have to extend this mock engagement for at least that length of time.”
He settled his shoulders more firmly against the wall and looked extremely discontented. “I don’t want to go to Bernard’s.”
My patience snapped, and I slammed my hand down on the arm of the sofa where I was sitting. “Stop being so petulant. Do you or don’t you want control of your own heritage?”
He glared at me. “Of course I do.”
“Then stop complaining and go to Sussex.”
At that he flung himself into a chair, stretched his booted legs in front of him, and closed his eyes. “You don’t understand,” he said wearily. “Going to Sussex means listening to Bernard going on about my lack of responsibility from morning till night. I don’t think I can stand it.”
“He won’t call you irresponsible if you don’t act irresponsibly,” I said. ”And you won’t act irresponsibly, because I will be there to keep you in line.”
He opened his eyes and looked at me. An emotion I couldn’t identify glittered in their dark depths. “You will?”
“Yes.”
He gave an elaborate sigh. “All right, all right, I’ll go. I only hope you know what you are getting us into.”
“I can endure anything for a few weeks if it’s in a good cause,” I said piously. I narrowed my eyes at him. ”And you can, too.”
He gave me a mock military salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” I said. ”Now would you care for some tea?”
“How about some Madeira?”
“Tea,” I said.
“Oh, all right, I’ll have some tea.”
“Mama, will you ring for the tea tray?” I asked sweetly.
Poor Mama, who had been quiet as a mouse during my skirmish with Reeve, gratefully pulled the bell and summoned the butler to ask for tea.
Lord Bradford left town the following day in order to prepare for our visit to Sussex. During the remainder of the week we spent in London before we followed him, Reeve and I kept busy by making a number of expeditions together. He took me to the Tower of London and to Astley’s Amphitheatre, where we saw a wonderful equestrian exhibition. He also put together a party of his friends for outings to Richmond Park and Hampton Court.
Reeve’s friends were a high-spirited lot, and I could see why he found them amusing, but except for Dev Miles, his old friend from Eton, I wasn’t overly
A very strange look came over Reeve’s face. “The rest of the family?” he said. “By any chance did he mention if my cousin Robert was going to be there?”
“Is Robert one of his sons?”
“His eldest son.”
“Then yes, he did say that his sons would be there.”
Reeve groaned.
“What’s the matter with Robert?”
“We don’t get along,” Reeve said briefly.
Mama was wringing her hands. “I am sorry if you are displeased, Reeve.”
“Don’t apologize to Reeve, Mama,” I told her. ”He has brought all of this on himself.” I turned back to my fiancée”. “We have to go,” I said flatly. “We have to go, and you have to behave yourself, and if we can convince Lord Bradford that you are indeed a reformed character, then I think perhaps you can get him to sign over half your fortune to you before the wedding.”
“Deb, do you know how incredibly boring a visit to Bernard is going to be?”
“We’ll have horses, I presume,” I said. ”The Sussex Downs are supposed to be wonderful to ride along.”
He still hadn’t sat down. “Wakefield Manor is rather a pretty property,” he admitted. “It sits right on the crest of the South Downs in West Sussex, not far from the sea.” His scowl deepened. “It’s not the locale that is the problem, it’s the company.”
“Reeve, it will only be for a few weeks. You yourself said that we should probably have to extend this mock engagement for at least that length of time.”
He settled his shoulders more firmly against the wall and looked extremely discontented. “I don’t want to go to Bernard’s.”
My patience snapped, and I slammed my hand down on the arm of the sofa where I was sitting. “Stop being so petulant. Do you or don’t you want control of your own heritage?”
He glared at me. “Of course I do.”
“Then stop complaining and go to Sussex.”
At that he flung himself into a chair, stretched his booted legs in front of him, and closed his eyes. “You don’t understand,” he said wearily. “Going to Sussex means listening to Bernard going on about my lack of responsibility from morning till night. I don’t think I can stand it.”
“He won’t call you irresponsible if you don’t act irresponsibly,” I said. ”And you won’t act irresponsibly, because I will be there to keep you in line.”
He opened his eyes and looked at me. An emotion I couldn’t identify glittered in their dark depths. “You will?”
“Yes.”
He gave an elaborate sigh. “All right, all right, I’ll go. I only hope you know what you are getting us into.”
“I can endure anything for a few weeks if it’s in a good cause,” I said piously. I narrowed my eyes at him. ”And you can, too.”
He gave me a mock military salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” I said. ”Now would you care for some tea?”
“How about some Madeira?”
“Tea,” I said.
“Oh, all right, I’ll have some tea.”
“Mama, will you ring for the tea tray?” I asked sweetly.
Poor Mama, who had been quiet as a mouse during my skirmish with Reeve, gratefully pulled the bell and summoned the butler to ask for tea.
Lord Bradford left town the following day in order to prepare for our visit to Sussex. During the remainder of the week we spent in London before we followed him, Reeve and I kept busy by making a number of expeditions together. He took me to the Tower of London and to Astley’s Amphitheatre, where we saw a wonderful equestrian exhibition. He also put together a party of his friends for outings to Richmond Park and Hampton Court.
Reeve’s friends were a high-spirited lot, and I could see why he found them amusing, but except for Dev Miles, his old friend from Eton, I wasn’t overly
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