The Lady's Second-Chance Suitor by Scott, Regina (christmas read aloud txt) 📗

mouse appeared,” sheinformed him. “You have only to look at him to know that.”

She might be right. Rob stood. “I’ll send him for Fitch andhis stable hands, then. That ought to give our smugglers a start.”

“I’m coming too,” she insisted.

He decided to stop fighting. If his mother and father hadbeen unable to convince her to behave with propriety over the past six andtwenty years, why would his feeble arguments bear any weight?

A short time later, Mr. Fitch, two stable hands, and Bascomgathered with Rob and Elizabeth on the small narrow stretch of lawn that ranfrom the stables and coach house at the east end of the headland to the coalshed and an outbuilding where his father had stored boating gear on the west.Along the edge, the land dropped steeply to the shore. The sea breeze set thetrees to swaying in the moonlight, but Rob heard nothing except the faintrustle of the leaves and the shush of the waves.

“Caught no sign of anyone from the stables, my lord,” hiscoachman declared, raising his lantern as he scanned the area. “Or when wecrossed the lawn.”

“I saw nothing from the house,” Bascom put in.

“The flash was there,” Elizabeth said. “Rob and I both sawit.”

Rob stepped farther onto the grass, senses tuned to anysound, any movement. A bird wheeled across the moon, then dove for the waves. Arabbit bounded for cover among the bushes closer to the house.

With Elizabeth and his staff at his back, he worked his wayout to the edge of the cliff, until he could see the pier jutting into thewater. Grace Cove around the turn of the headland was sheltered, but not quitedeep enough for the heavy-bottomed craft his father had favored. Because theheadland sank deep under the water here, theirs was the only pier along theentire stretch of coastland.

But it stood empty.

He straightened. “They must have landed elsewhere.”

“Good, then,” Elizabeth said.

“Aye, and good riddance,” Fitch muttered.

Bascom shivered, but Rob didn’t think it had anything to dowith the cool night air.

“Keep a lantern burning at the back of the house all night,”Rob advised, “so a visitor cannot mistake that someone’s in residence. I’ll askour steward to see about hiring a night watchman.”

“Very good, my lord,” Bascom said, brown hair beginning tostick out from where he must have pomaded it in place around his lean face.“I’m sure Mrs. Catchpole will be happy to help.”

Rob inclined his head and turned to follow his sister backto the house, Bascom just behind, while Fitch and his assistants headed for thestables. Rob had never had a run-in with smugglers during his wild summer atGrace-by-the-Sea, but he couldn’t afford the association now. It might seemlike a jolly adventure, but Hester’s story of how her father had been killedonly chilled him.

He would have to inform the magistrate about the blue lightin the morning.

~~~

Hester couldn’t help the guilt that tugged as she rode homein the carriage with her mother that night. It should have been easy to treatRob with disdain after what he’d done. Yet his talk of his family’s death andthe way he’d listened to the story of her father’s murder had set her defensesto crumbling.

And that she could not allow. Losing him once had nearlydestroyed her. She was not about to fall under his sway again. This time itwasn’t only her emotions at risk. She must think about Rebecca. Her daughterdeserved a mother who was attentive and not fretting about what might be.

“Lord Peverell seems to have matured into his title,” hermother commented as the coach crossed the Downs for Upper Grace. “I rememberthe stories told of him when he was younger.”

Hester tensed. “Stories?”

Her mother’s smile was kind. “A young man with time andmoney on his hands can find too many ways to get into trouble. Racing horses,gambling. And I daresay a few hearts were broken along the way.”

Hers certainly had been. “And you think him changed?” Hesterasked.

“He will have to change,” her mother said, as if decreeingit would make it so. “He’s the viscount now. He must secure the line andprotect his sister.”

And likely in that order, in her mother’s mind. Rob had gonefrom questionable second son to title holder. All over England, matchmakingmamas must be salivating.

Even hers.

“I doubt Lord Peverell will be here long enough for us tofind out,” Hester said, turning her gaze out the window. “The Lodge was only apassing fancy for anyone in his family.”

She hoped that would be the last of it. Her mother must realizeone of the costs of marrying into the Peverell family. She’d never wanted anyof her children more than an hour’s ride away. How she’d worried when Lark hadleft home to follow in their father’s footsteps and become a Riding Officer inKent. She’d been over the moon with delight when he’d settled down inGrace-by-the-Sea and married Jess.

If Rob and Hester ever worked through their differences andmarried, Hester might have to travel to Wiltshire and London. She might not seeGrace-by-the-Sea more than once every five years.

But her mother merely clasped her hands in her lap. “Isuppose we’ll see,” she said. “In the meantime, I need your help. Nine days isa terribly short time to plan a wedding, especially one to so important aperson as the earl. We must consult Jesslyn.”

“With Rosemary staying with her and Lark until the wedding,I’m sure she and Jesslyn will have everything planned by the time we see themfor Sunday dinner,” Hester told her.

“Sunday is entirely too late,” her mother insisted. “We willvisit the spa tomorrow, at eleven.”

Hester frowned as the coach rumbled into Upper Grace. “But Iplanned to spend the day working on a new gown for Rebecca. She outgrows themso quickly.”

“Perhaps we might go for no more than an hour or two,” hermother allowed. She pressed a hand to her chest. “I was so looking forward to adose of the healing waters.”

Fear poked at her. “Are your chest palpitations returning,Mother?”

“Not like the last time,” she assured her, lowering herhand. “But perhaps a flutter now and then. Doctor Chance and the waters were soefficacious eight years ago. I’m sure Doctor Bennett will know