Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

" I am not setting foot in an establishment like this."

Agnes fought the groan that trembled up her throat, turning to the Countess of Reeds instead. She didn't bother masking the overly patient look she gave the countess, who sneered in response.

"Perhaps you would much rather return to the manor, my lady," Agnes said in a sweet tone. "We wouldn't dare to make you uncomfortable."

"You would enjoy watching me leave, wouldn't you?" Lady Reeds hissed, her upper lip curling in disdain.

Agnes wasn't perturbed by the animosity. She was used to the countess' manner of speaking towards her by now and had actually grown to enjoy taunting the older woman. "I would not dream of keeping you," Agnes responded sweetly.

"Agnes, please," Caroline stepped in. She came to Agnes' side, laying a hand on her arm. The look of distress on her face calmed Agnes immediately.

She released a sigh. They were all standing outside the pub Paul had told them about—all except Paul himself. Her brother hadn't bothered waiting on them, stating that he would go in and secure their seats by the time they caught up.

Agnes wasn't entirely surprised to know that Lady Reeds was protesting eating at the pub. The establishment was teeming with other villagers, a rustic look infrastructure that was the last place someone as haughty as the countess would set foot in. Agnes was surprised the earl hadn't voice his complaints as well.

As if he sensed her thoughts, Lord Reeds spoke up. "Surely there must be some other place we may eat. Or better yet, let us all return to the manor. We have been out for long enough, I believe."

"I have told our cook that we shan't be returning for lunch, my lord," Johnathan spoke up. "I'm afraid it will be heavily delayed if we were to do so without prior warning."

"A delayed lunch would be far better to eating here." Lord Reeds slid his judgmental gaze over the pub, lip curling with disgust.

"On the contrary, my lord," Solomon spoke up, holding the arm of his dear wife. "I'm afraid I may perish if I delay eating much longer. Our outing has worked up an appetite."

"And he is rather crabby when he is hungry," Mary jumped in, eyes twinkling with humor.

"As am I," Agnes said before her father had the chance to counter that statement. "And standing around like this is only making me hungrier. I'm sure Paul is waiting for us."

She didn't give them any more time to argue. She picked up her skirts and headed into the pub without another word. To her pleasure, Johnathan was right on her heels.

The pub was rather small on the inside but the smell of spiced meat tinged the air and sent her stomach into an uproar. Agnes spied Paul on the other end of the dining space at the only table large enough to seat all of them.

The pub's owner came hurrying over, sinking into a bow. "Y-your Grace! I had not expected you. If I knew you were coming, I would have closed the pub to the public to allow you your privacy."

"Then it is a good thing I did not send word," Johnathan responded, clapping a hand on the man's shoulders. "I do not want to prevent anyone from having their meals here. Please, pretend that I am not here."

"I do not think that will be that simple," Agnes commented softly.

Johnathan noted her words with a nod. "Then pretend I am just another patron," he told the pub owner. The pub owner nodded but did not seem very confident.

Still, he led the way over to where Paul was sitting. Agnes felt a wave of pleasure, a smile touching her lips when Johnathan pulled the chair out for her. Only a moment later did she notice that Caroline was hovering too, clearly expecting Johnathan to do the same for her.

"Sit here, Miss Caroline," Johnathan said to her, offering her the chair on the other side of him. She gave him a soft, graceful smile. "And you brother, sit here."

Johnathan all but shoved Christopher into the chair. Christopher and Caroline exchanged looks of confusion. Agnes pretended not to notice what was happening.

"What took you all so long?" Paul asked, still bouncing in his chair in excitement. "I have been waiting for ages."

"There was a lively debate outdoors on whether we should dine here or not," Mary told him.

Paul's eyes widened, seeming utterly confused. "Why wouldn't we? This is a lovely place, is it not? And do you smell that? A heavenly scent. I'm sure the meal I am about to have will have me longing for more for the rest of my life."

Lord and Lady Reeds seemed very irritated with those words, grumbling to each other. Agnes ignored them.

"Do you know what is on the menu?" Agnes asked her brother.

"Not yet," he said, then he looked up at the pub owner who was still anxiously hovering over them. "Tell me, good sir, what is the best meal offered at this fine establishment?"

The pub owner flushed at the mention of his pub as a ‘fine establishment.' He cleared his throat. "Well, I would recommend the lamb roast and meat pie."

Agnes perked up the same time Christopher's head swiveled towards the man. "Meat pie?" they both said in unison.

Agnes looked at the duke's brother in surprise. "Do you like meat pie as well?"

"Like?" he echoed. "I adore it! I cannot imagine a single thing on this earth I enjoy more than a good meat pie. I reckon I may be able to eat it every day for the rest of my life."

"As could I!" Agnes agreed heartily. "When I was younger, I would always try to convince our cook to serve meat pie every day. It worked, sometimes."

"How did you do that?" Christopher asked. He leaned forward with interest. "Tell me your secrets so that I may apply the same practice to our cook at Claymore Castle."

She mimicked him with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I took to bribing him."

"Did it work?" Mary interjected in an idle tone.

"Nice try, Mother, but Cook would never accept it. If he did give in to my pleas, it was only out of pity or exhaustion, but never because I offered him anything worth taking."

"Bribing," Christopher said, testing the word on his tongue. "Why did that not cross my mind?"

"You will not attempt to bribe our cook," Johnathan spoke up. Though his words were serious, his tone was light with humor.

"No, no, brother, of course not. I would not dream of it." He winked at Agnes and she laughed.

Johnathan chuckled. He seemed to be the only one who remembered that the pub owner was still waiting because he turned to him and said, "Bring me several servings of each dish."

"Yes, Your Grace." And the pub owner was off.

Agnes realized suddenly that Caroline was quiet, observing the banter between her and Christopher with slight interest. This was her chance. Everyone was together at the table, spirits were high—save for the dour couple still sulking on the other end—and both Caroline and Christopher seemed to have dropped their guards. What better time to show everyone what a splendid match they would make than now?

"Did you know, Christopher," Agnes began, "that Caroline is quite a natural cook?"

Christopher's brows raised just as Caroline's eyes widened. "Is she now?" he said with surprise.

"An unusual skill for a genteel lady, yes, but she so adores baking and cooking. And I have had the pleasure of sampling her meat pie. It was quite lovely."

"Agnes," Caroline murmured. She glanced nervously at her uncle. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Agnes said innocently. "I am only boasting about my dear friend, something I do not believe I will grow tired of."

She kicked Johnathan discreetly under the table. Without hesitation, he said, "I can only imagine how lovely it would be to return home from a ride to such a hearty meal made with love. Wouldn't that be nice, Christopher?"

"Why, yes, I do believe so," Christopher responded bemusedly.

"Is that not odd?" Agnes said. "Sometimes I wonder if you two would make a much better match."

She laughed, kicking Johnathan lightly again. It might not have been as light as she attempted it to be because he winced before saying, "I am beginning to wonder the same thing myself."

Caroline's only response to that was to frown at Agnes as if she was trying to figure her out. Agnes only gave her a small smile.

"Enough talk about matches," Paul spoke up. "I want to know what happens during the summer festival in the village. I have heard tales about such activities in London but I have never gotten the chance to attend one myself."

"For good reason," Agnes said. "Letting you loose in such a place would be nothing but chaos."

"Oh, do not tease your brother, Agnes," Mary cajoled lightly. "You know he blushes easily."

Right on cue, Paul turned a bright shade of red. He looked between his sister and mother, who were both fighting their smiles, and then helplessly at his father. Solomon only shrugged as if there was nothing to be done about it.

Christopher chuckled at the display then said, "The summer festival here may very well live up to what you have heard. Perhaps you will be able to attend it with us this year. After the ball, I'm sure."

"The ball?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, I have asked Mrs. Adams to plan a ball for us in a few days. A joint engagement ball."

No one commented on how unusual it was that the housekeeper was the one planning the ball and not the dowager duchess. She was clearly in no state to do such a thing.

"Oh, that sounds splendid," Mary sighed. "I am already looking forward to it."

"Yes, yes, but about the summer festival," Paul said impatiently.

Christopher laughed at his urgency and went on to tell him all about the annual summer festival that occurred in the village. It lasted well after they received their meals and was halfway through it. Agnes made several attempts to turn the conversation back to how lovely Caroline and Christopher were together but eventually decided to give it a rest, not wanting to risk the wrath of Lord Reeds if he were to pick up on what she was doing.

They ate their fill, paid the pub owner handsomely, and all deemed themselves too tired to continue their traipsing through the village. So they made their way back to the carriages.

When they were almost there, Caroline sidled up to Agnes and whispered, "When we return to Claymore Castle, I wish to speak with you."

"About what?" Agnes whispered back.

"You shall know then."

"Caroline, you know—" Caroline didn't wait to hear the rest of Agnes' response. She hurried ahead, climbing into the carriage with Christopher's help.

Agnes resisted the urge to go after her. Caroline must have known what she'd just done. She knew there was no better way to torture Agnes than to dangle information just out reach of her. But she supposed she would simply have to be patient and wait until they returned to the manor. The short trip might not be as torturous as she thought, especially since she would be doing it with Johnathan.

If only Lord and Lady Reeds could up and disappear, that would make it perfect. Agnes understood the ramifications of being alone with a gentleman. She knew it was something she should never allow herself to consider. But as she climbed into the carriage, her hand lingering in the one he had offered to her before pulling away, Agnes decided she didn't care about propriety. Not when the only thing she wanted to do was curl into his arms and find out if his lips were as soft as they looked.

"That was absolutely dreadful," Lord Reeds spat the moment the carriages set off.

He is so good at ruining one's mood, Agnes thought with irritation. She tried to quell it as best as she could, deciding it would be best not to respond lest she upset the man any further. God knew she'd done enough to taunt both him and his wife.

Johnathan apparently decided that the earl's comment could not go without acknowledgement. "Did you not enjoy your meal, my lord?" he asked.

"The meal was decent enough for a backwater establishment," the earl grumbled. "It is this entire outing that bothers me. Not to mention the fact that you are, yet again, sitting in this carriage instead of with my niece."

"Would you like for me to stop the carriages and switch seats, my lord?" Johnathan drawled.

Agnes looked at him in surprise. Was that a hint of derision in his tone? She didn't think he had it in him. He was always so polite when interacting with the earl but it seemed even he had reached his wit's end.

Lord Reeds must have noticed it as well because he narrowed his eyes. "Pardon me, Your Grace?"

"You are pardoned, my lord," Johnathan responded. Then he looked at Agnes. "Say, didn't you say you had a few questions about my travels? Now seems like the perfect time to voice them."

She fought her grin. "Indeed it does, Your Grace. I wanted to know what Europe was like. I have never been to Paris and always wished to visit."

"Ah, a beautiful city like no other…"

They spoke about Paris all the way to the manor, not giving the earl or countess a chance to interject with any talk of weddings, despite their best attempts. Agnes knew it was only delaying the inevitable. They'd made it very obvious that securing the match between Caroline and Johnathan was the only thing cared about. It was only a matter of time before they grew frustrated with the lack of development in that regard. Johnathan hardly spent any time with Caroline, after all. And Agnes was always finding crafty ways to push her friend in the company of the duke's brother. Lord Reeds was not a patient man and what little he had was wearing down.

Still, she managed to ward off the dreaded conversation until they made it to the manor. As soon as they exited the carriage, however, Lord Reeds clipped, "Your Grace, I would like to speak with you in private," then walked away without giving him a chance to respond.

Agnes and Johnathan exchanged looks. They said nothing to each other, not with the others approaching, but they didn't have to. Agnes knew what that meant and she was sure Johnathan did as well. So she gave him a nod of encouragement and he nodded back.

"What was that about?" Paul asked, looking between them.

"Nothing," Agnes stated. "You're seeing things." She didn't wait for him to respond either. She simply picked up her skirts and made her way to the front door behind her duke.