Chapter 2

The man who stepped into the barn was young, probably around Clarissa’s age. He had a mop of wavy caramel-colored hair and was smartly dressed in a charcoal grey coat and aubergine waistcoat. He was of average height with a trim figure, and Eleanor found him handsome in a boyish sort of way.

He chuckled at the sisters’ silent reception. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I heard there were kittens, so I thought I would, er…”

“There are indeed kittens,” Pippa exclaimed from her seat down in the hay. She held the grey tabby aloft. “Aren’t they adorable?”

Clarissa watched the young man’s face transform as he beheld Pippa for the first time. He froze, his features going slack. The word thunderstricken came to mind.

Pippa did not seem to have noticed. “There are three more—plenty to go around. I would never deny a fellow cat-lover the chance to enjoy them.”

Shaking himself, the young man crossed the barn. Heedless of his expensive clothes, he sat right down in the straw next to Pippa. He scooped up the black kitten with the white face and feet. “Look at this handsome fellow! Yes, you’re a handsome fellow. Yes, you are.”

“I’ve been calling that one Wellington,” Pippa noted.

A broad smile broke across the young man’s face. “Because he has boots!”

Pippa beamed at him. “Precisely!”

“That’s very clever.” He set Wellington down in his lap and scooped up his solid-black brother. “Now, this one should be Cinder.”

“Oh, dear.” Pippa laid an apologetic hand upon his wrist. “I’m afraid I’ve already dubbed that one Midnight.”

“Midnight is good,” he said agreeably. “I like Midnight even better. And what about these two?”

“This is Lavender, and this is Sheba. Bathsheba for formal occasions.”

The corners of his mouth twitched up. “For when she’s presented to the queen.”

“For when the queen is presented to her,” Pippa countered.

He laughed, a full-throated, resonant sound that Eleanor found tremendously likable. He held out his hand to Pippa. “I’m Felix. Felix St. James.”

Pippa seized his hand eagerly. Neither of them were wearing gloves. It was the height of impropriety. “I’m Philippa Weatherby, but everyone calls me Pippa.”

He bowed his head. “A pleasure, Miss Weatherby.”

Pippa gave him a dazzling smile. “Likewise, Mr. St. James.”

Eleanor had to bite back a groan, because this man was no mere mister. She was surprised Pippa didn’t recognize the name Felix St. James. He was the younger brother of the Duke of Norwood, whose estate was only around twenty miles from their home village of Boroughbridge.

“I believe it’s ‘Lord Felix,’ dear,” Eleanor said gently.

“Oh!” Pippa exclaimed, eyes going round as those of the kittens. “I’m so sorry. Lord Felix.”

He waved this off. “Eh. My brother, Jasper—he’s the duke. He likes to stand on ceremony, but I don’t care about such things. I’d be pleased if you’d call me Felix.”

Eleanor would have absolutely refused. To call the son of a duke by his first name after an acquaintance of three minutes was unheard of.

But Pippa merely smiled. “Only if you will call me Pippa.”

He leaned his forehead toward hers. “We have an accord.”

“Oh, and these are my sisters.” Pippa pointed to each of them in turn. “Eleanor, Clarissa, and Kate—Katherine, I should say.”

Felix somehow managed to make an elegant bow from his cross-legged position in the straw. “How do you do, Miss Weatherby, Miss Clarissa, Miss Katherine?”

Eleanor smiled and curtseyed, but the honest answer was that she was not doing nearly as well as she had been doing five minutes ago. Because Felix St. James was precisely the type of man they were looking for—young, rich, and eligible. He even seemed taken with Pippa.

But his first impression had been of her sitting on the floor of a barn, wearing a tattered, dusty dress! Would that he could have met her that evening, in one of the gowns Lady Milthorpe was loaning them for the duration of the house party. Those were a season or two out of date, but at least they weren’t fraying at the hem!

To make matters worse, Pippa proceeded to tell Felix everything, and Eleanor did mean everything. She started by waxing on about how desperately she missed her own three cats. Felix responded to her sadness with a tender concern that spoke well of him.

But then, Pippa had proceeded to explain in excruciating detail why she had been forced to leave Pepper, Ollie, and Crumpet behind. Their father selling the house. The fact that they were penniless and desperate. The necessity of finding a husband to support them in the space of two weeks. The probability that one of them would have to marry Lord Oglesby.

Dear God, if their threadbare clothing hadn’t put Felix St. James off, the admission that they were destitute and that their entire purpose in being at this house party was to ensnare a husband to support them would surely send him running for the hills!

But Felix was too polite to let his disdain show. He even offered Pippa his arm as they made their way back up to the house. He glanced back at the barn. “I know we have to dress for dinner. But they’re so wonderful, it’s hard to leave them behind.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Pippa glanced up at him, slightly awestruck. “I’ve never met someone who loves cats as much as me.”

“Well, I don’t love cats, precisely.” A horrified expression swept over Pippa’s face, and he laughed. “I do love cats! I promise. What I meant was, I have a deep love for all animals. In fact, I’m even involved with an organization dedicated to protecting them.”

“Oh!” Pippa looked up, surprised. “I didn’t know that such an organization existed.”

Felix rubbed the back of his head. “It doesn’t yet. We’re working on getting it off the ground. It’s going to be called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I know it probably sounds like a pipe dream, but some very prominent men are involved—Richard Martin, William Wilberforce—”

“You know William Wilberforce?” Clarissa burst out.

Eleanor’s mouth twitched. In most things, Clarissa was deeply cynical, but she was a great admirer of the famous abolitionist.

Felix nodded. “I do. He’s a great man. A very great man. It is the involvement of men such as him that makes me confident that we will succeed in founding the organization.”

“What will your organization do?” Pippa asked breathlessly.

“For starters, we’re going to focus on carriage horses. You see…”

Felix proceeded to enumerate the cruel conditions under which carriage horses labored in the capital. “They have to work without food or even water. Whether it’s boiling hot or freezing cold. If they collapse in the street, their drivers will start beating them to get up—”

“That’s terrible!” Pippa cried, eyes full of distress.

“It is,” Felix agreed. “But we’re going to do something about it. We just need the money to get the organization off the ground. It’s actually why I’m here. I need to speak to my brother. You see, I’m due to come into my inheritance when I turn twenty-five. I just turned twenty-four last month. So, I need him to release some of my funds. Then we’ll be able to make our start.”

“I honestly didn’t know people did that to carriage horses,” Pippa said ruefully. “I’m from such a tiny village, you see. No one would ever treat their horse that way in Boroughbridge.”

“You’re from Boroughbridge? In Yorkshire?” Felix asked. At Pippa’s nod, he laughed. “That’s only a stone’s throw from where I grew up! Imagine us meeting all the way down here.”

“It almost feels like fate!” Pippa said brightly.

Eleanor caught Clarissa’s eye and saw her own horror mirrored on her sister’s face.

But Felix seemed unperturbed by this spectacularly gauche statement. “It does, doesn’t it? But… What was I saying? Oh, yes, carriage horses—I was ignorant as to how poorly they were treated for many years. My brother is a duke, you see, so all our horses are expensive animals and well cared for.” He shook his head. “Until I went to London, I didn’t realize how cruelly the world can treat innocent animals. But don’t you worry.” He laid his hand upon Pippa’s where it rested on his arm. “We’re going to do something to help them.”

Pippa was now looking at Felix with something close to awe. “How I wish there was something I could do to help. But, as I mentioned, we don’t have two pennies to rub together.” She looked away, crestfallen.

Eleanor watched as Felix squeezed her sister’s arm. “I’m certain there’s something you could do, whether or not you have two pennies.”

“Do you really think so?” Pippa breathed.

“Absolutely.” They had reached the house. Felix nodded to the footman holding the door. “Once we get started, we’ll be holding all kinds of fundraisers. We’ll need people to help organize them. There will be plenty to do if you’re interested.”

“Oh, I am! I am very interested.” She gave him a rueful look. “If I ever make it as far as London, that is.”

Felix gave her a wry look. “Oh, I have a feeling you’ll make it to London one day. I have a feeling you’ll be visiting all kinds of marvelous places.”

They had reached the base of the stairs. Felix bowed over Pippa’s hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles, both dirt and decorum be damned. His eyes were bright as he said, “I’ll see you at dinner.” He released Pippa’s hand, then gave an elegant bow to the remaining sisters. “Miss Weatherby, Miss Clarissa, Miss Katherine.”

He jogged up the stairs and headed off toward the east wing.

Eleanor noted that Pippa watched him the entire time.

“Come, dear,” Eleanor said, taking her youngest sister’s shoulder. “We must make sure you look ravishing at dinner.”

Pippa did need to look ravishing.

But now, Eleanor wondered if her sister might be able to set her cap for a husband with whom she would be better suited than Lord Oglesby.