threw him a look of disgust. She pointedly turned away from him. “And what of your son, Lady Mary? I believe you said that he is with the Fifth Division. Is he as battle-hungry as all the rest of these young officers?"
Lady Mary shook her head regretfully. “Quite foolishly so. At least, so I judged from his last letter. He was very disappointed to have missed all but the tail end of the Spanish campaign. This news of Bonaparte must have put him in fine fettle."
"We have not yet seen William, my lady. He comes to dine with us tonight, Mama says, and I know that he will have such stories to tell us,” Abigail said with a sparkle of excitement in her large blue eyes.
Lord Kenmare was regarding Lady Mary with an expression that was faintly surprised. “Your son is surely not old enough to be already a veteran of war,” he said.
" I do not think so, certainly,” Lady Mary said, laughing. “But William would beg to differ with anyone who dared say so. He has been army-mad since he was in short coats."
"William is turned eighteen and he is quite handsome in his regimentals, my lord, besides having a most distinguished scar,'’ Abigail said proudly.
Lord Kenmare smiled slightly, amused by her naive enthusiasm. “I am certain that he does. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of meeting your brother one day, Miss Spence,” he said.
Glancing at the clock ticking on the mantel, Lady Mary judged that their social call had been long enough, and she said, “Abigail, I believe that we have a few other visits yet to make this morning.” Rising with graceful manners, she and Abigail took their leave of Lady Cecily and the Earl of Kenmare.
Upon the closing of the drawing-room door behind her visitors. Lady Cecily turned at once to her brother. “Well! What an entertaining morning I have had, Robert. I was intrigued by the letter of introduction that Lady Mary had from Emily Downing. Such a glowing recommendation from one of known discrimination in her friends. I am quite glad that I was in to callers. I found her perfectly fascinating, did not you?"
"Who, Miss Spence? She is very lovely and very young; but fascinating? Decidedly not. I am not particularly enamored of babes-in-arms,” Lord Kenmare said. He bowed to his sister, a teasing gleam in his blue eyes, and said, “Though I shall naturally make an exception in the case of my niece or nephew.''
Lady Cecily threw a tasseled satin pillow at his head, which he easily caught. “Wretched creature! As though you do not know perfectly well that I am speaking of Lady Mary. I was completely bowled out when I learned that Abigail is her daughter. Why, Lady Mary could almost pass for Abigail's elder sister, so young as she appears."
"I beg to differ, Cecily. Lady Mary is too calm in manner and intelligent to be other than she is, and that is an extremely attractive young widow,” the earl said, flicking the pillow back at his sister.
Lady Cecily deflected the soft missile, staring up at her brother. A kindling expression warmed her eyes. “Ah, so you did notice!"
"Cecily, stop that thought right where it is,” Lord Kenmare said quietly. “You know how much I detest becoming the object of matchmaking schemes."
"But, Robert, you cannot mean to go the remainder of your life without remarrying. I said nothing to you for years after Madeline died, out of respect for your feelings and because I hoped that eventually you would cast about for someone on your own. But you have not given a single sign that you mean to do anything about it, and I can't help but think—"
"Pray do not think, Cecily!” the earl groaned. “Come, dearest sister, when shall you give up this ludicrous notion that I cannot be happy unless I remarry? You know perfectly well that I am comfortable as I am."
"Yes, I know all about your occasional companions, Robert,'’ Lady Cecily retorted.
"Now, I wonder, who can be telling tales about me out of school?” Lord Kenmare mused. His expression was at
Lady Mary shook her head regretfully. “Quite foolishly so. At least, so I judged from his last letter. He was very disappointed to have missed all but the tail end of the Spanish campaign. This news of Bonaparte must have put him in fine fettle."
"We have not yet seen William, my lady. He comes to dine with us tonight, Mama says, and I know that he will have such stories to tell us,” Abigail said with a sparkle of excitement in her large blue eyes.
Lord Kenmare was regarding Lady Mary with an expression that was faintly surprised. “Your son is surely not old enough to be already a veteran of war,” he said.
" I do not think so, certainly,” Lady Mary said, laughing. “But William would beg to differ with anyone who dared say so. He has been army-mad since he was in short coats."
"William is turned eighteen and he is quite handsome in his regimentals, my lord, besides having a most distinguished scar,'’ Abigail said proudly.
Lord Kenmare smiled slightly, amused by her naive enthusiasm. “I am certain that he does. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of meeting your brother one day, Miss Spence,” he said.
Glancing at the clock ticking on the mantel, Lady Mary judged that their social call had been long enough, and she said, “Abigail, I believe that we have a few other visits yet to make this morning.” Rising with graceful manners, she and Abigail took their leave of Lady Cecily and the Earl of Kenmare.
Upon the closing of the drawing-room door behind her visitors. Lady Cecily turned at once to her brother. “Well! What an entertaining morning I have had, Robert. I was intrigued by the letter of introduction that Lady Mary had from Emily Downing. Such a glowing recommendation from one of known discrimination in her friends. I am quite glad that I was in to callers. I found her perfectly fascinating, did not you?"
"Who, Miss Spence? She is very lovely and very young; but fascinating? Decidedly not. I am not particularly enamored of babes-in-arms,” Lord Kenmare said. He bowed to his sister, a teasing gleam in his blue eyes, and said, “Though I shall naturally make an exception in the case of my niece or nephew.''
Lady Cecily threw a tasseled satin pillow at his head, which he easily caught. “Wretched creature! As though you do not know perfectly well that I am speaking of Lady Mary. I was completely bowled out when I learned that Abigail is her daughter. Why, Lady Mary could almost pass for Abigail's elder sister, so young as she appears."
"I beg to differ, Cecily. Lady Mary is too calm in manner and intelligent to be other than she is, and that is an extremely attractive young widow,” the earl said, flicking the pillow back at his sister.
Lady Cecily deflected the soft missile, staring up at her brother. A kindling expression warmed her eyes. “Ah, so you did notice!"
"Cecily, stop that thought right where it is,” Lord Kenmare said quietly. “You know how much I detest becoming the object of matchmaking schemes."
"But, Robert, you cannot mean to go the remainder of your life without remarrying. I said nothing to you for years after Madeline died, out of respect for your feelings and because I hoped that eventually you would cast about for someone on your own. But you have not given a single sign that you mean to do anything about it, and I can't help but think—"
"Pray do not think, Cecily!” the earl groaned. “Come, dearest sister, when shall you give up this ludicrous notion that I cannot be happy unless I remarry? You know perfectly well that I am comfortable as I am."
"Yes, I know all about your occasional companions, Robert,'’ Lady Cecily retorted.
"Now, I wonder, who can be telling tales about me out of school?” Lord Kenmare mused. His expression was at
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