CHAPTER TWO

C HAPTER T WO

M iss Oriana Ognon paced the floor of her study, stopping occasionally to scowl at the crumpled letter in her hand. If her cousin had been present, she would have hit him over the head with the fireplace poker and shoved the paper down his throat. The worthless here-and-therein.

She perused the missive again.

My dear Oriana,

Unfortunately, I must inform you that a gentleman by the name of Stanwood will be visiting you with what he thinks is the deed to your house. I did offer to pay him the money, but he would not accept it. I am, of course, distraught to think of you having to face him alone. I would be there with you if it was at all possible. However, at the moment I am stuck in Town. I will take this opportunity to renew my offer of marriage. It would protect you from this sort of thing occurring.

Yer servant, Ognon

“You, you dirty scoundrel!” She scowled at the note. “Marrying you would only ensure I lost my house for good.”

She crumpled the letter again, and just as she was about to throw it against the wall the door opened.

Aunt Prudence, more properly Lady Prudence Atherton, looked in the room. “I heard you yelling at someone.” She glanced around. “But no one appears to be here. Is anything the matter?”

Oriana threw the paper. It hit the window. “After he promised he would stop playing his stupid game, Ognon’s gambled away the house again.”

“Oh dear.” Her aunt frowned slightly. “That is unfortunate.”

Oriana went to her desk, unlocked it, took out a document, and assured herself it was a copy of her deed to the house and land. “I have to think of a way to stop him.”

Her aunt went to the window, picked up the paper, and flattened it out. “It does say he tried to offer the gentleman the funds. Oh!” One hand flew to her mouth. “I cannot believe he proposed again!” She dropped her hand. “Honestly, my dear. I know your mother loved your father, but his extended family leave much to be desired.”

“Gamblers, the lot of them. Even Papa had a tendency to gamble.”

“But he loved your mother enough to stop.”

Until her death.

“And he made certain you have nothing to worry about,” Aunt Prue said gently.

“That is true. Even if I had not inherited the house, I would have been quite well off.” Which might be one of the reasons her cousin was always looking for money. No. He was a gambler. He would always be in financial difficulty.

A knock came on the front door, and after several seconds another knock sounded. Oriana strode from her study on the first floor to the stairs to the hall, but no one came to answer it. Where was Figgs, her majordomo, or one of the footwomen? Just as Oriana was about to descend the stairs, Damry, the youngest and newest maid, dashed to the door, threw back the bolts, and opened it, bobbing a curtsey.

“Yes, sir?”

Oriana stepped back so that she could see who was there, but he could not see her. A gentleman handed the maid his card. “Please tell your mistress I would like to speak with her.”

“Yes, sir.” Damry closed the door and started to walk away, then went back and opened it again. “I’ll put you in the front parlor.”

What would the gentleman think of having the door slammed in his face, then be told he’d be “put” in the parlor, as if he was a piece of furniture? Oriana suppressed the laughter bubbling up inside her. At least the maid had had the presence of mind to lead him to the room off the hall reserved for visitors who would not be there very long. Once Damry had closed the door of the parlor, she started up the stairs, holding the card.

Oriana met her at the first landing and the maid handed her the card. “He’s the most handsomest man I ever did see.”

She ignored the remark and read the card.

Earl of Stanwood

That was it. Her rage rose again. She was done. It was time to take her worthless cousin to court.

“Thank you, Damry.” Oriana took a step and stopped. “Where is Figgs?”

“Polishing the silver below, miss. Mrs. Kerby is out shopping and needed both the footwomen to help her. It were faster for me to come.”

“You did a very good job.” Oriana smiled at the girl. She would have to remind her majordomo to spend some time teaching the maid to answer the door. She almost chuckled again at what the man had thought of having the door closed in his face.

“I’ll fetch Lady Prudence.” Before Oriana could tell her not to bother her aunt, that the gentleman would not be there long, the maid was scurrying down the corridor.

She descended the stairs and opened the parlor door. “I am Miss Ognon. I understand you came to see me.” She held out her hand. “Let me see the deed.”

His forehead wrinkled. If she did not know better, she would think he was concerned. “How did you know—” She motioned with her hand again, and he did as she asked.

“I understand you expect this house and the property are now yours; however, this deed is worthless. I already own them both. They came to me by my grandmother on my mother’s side and thus have never been part of the Ognon estate or entail. I can show you a copy of the deed”—she stressed the word “copy”—“if you do not wish to take my word. I will give you the direction of my solicitor.”

He tilted his head and had a perplexed look on his . . . oh, very well, his very handsome face. But no one who gambled could ever interest her. “No. No, thank you. Your word is sufficient. I had planned to sign the deed over to you so that this can’t happen again. But—”

She did not let him finish his sentence. “It is extremely unfortunate that none of you gentlemen bother to discover if the property actually belongs to the person gambling it away.”

“Does that happen often?”

“Often enough.” She looked up at him. “You are taking this quite well. Better than the last one.”

He shrugged. “I had no plans to keep it.”

“So you say. Have a nice trip back to Town. Damry will show you out.” Oriana opened the document and glanced at it. “This isn’t a deed.”

“I am aware.” Frowning, his lordship glanced out the window. “He offered to pay me the worth of the house, but I refused. I dislike intensely the idea that anyone would gamble or sell a property and deprive his dependents of their home. I thought to discover what needed to be done when I got here.”

That was a different tact. However, she still did not believe him. “There is nothing to be done . I keep my holdings in excellent order. As I said, my cousin does not own the property and never has. It was not part of his inheritance.”

Lord Stanwood’s frown deepened. “Isn’t there a way to stop this from happening?”

“The only way would be for me to wed, and I have no prospects here. I will probably take him to court. Goodbye, my lord.” She opened the door, and the maid appeared.

“This way, my lord.”

He followed the servant to the door, then turned to Oriana. “Farewell.”

His blue eyes seemed to draw her to him. He needed to leave. Now. “Have a good trip to wherever you are going.”

Fortunately, he, again, did not argue. After bowing, he strolled out the door and the door closed. Severing any connection.

“My dear,” Aunt Prue was just coming down the stairs. Her light blue eyes filled with confusion. “Has your visitor left so soon?”

“He was another one who ‘won the house’ from my cousin.”

“Oh dear. Damry said he was quite handsome and an earl. I had thought . . .”

Oriana really wished everyone would stop mentioning how good-looking the earl was. “No. I do not expect to see him again.” She took her aunt’s arm. “I am sorry. I know you wish to see me settled, but I have given up hope of it occurring.”

“Did he cause a fuss like the last one?”

She really did not wish to have this discussion, but her aunt would insist, and she might as well get it over with. “Not at all. In fact, he claimed he was going to deed the house and property to me and see if it needed any repairs or improvements.”

Aunt Prue made a show of casually glancing around the landing. “How horrible. Handsome, a peer, kind, and responsible. He must be a dreadful person.”

Oriana pressed her lips together and breathed deeply through her nose. “He got here by gambling a large amount of money. I will not be drawn in by a gambler no matter his rank, how handsome he is, or how kind and responsible he seems. Now, if you will excuse me. I have accounts to see to.”

“If you say so, dear.” Her aunt pressed her index finger to her lips. “What did you say his name was?”

“I did not mention his name.” Her aunt gave Oriana a look, and she sighed. “Stanwood. Earl of. Now I must go. The accounts will not do themselves.” Before Aunt Prue could speak again, Oriana scurried off to her study and firmly shut the door.

“Stanwood,” her aunt said loudly enough for Oriana to hear her. “I knew a family by the name of Stanwood. They lived not far from here. I wonder if he could be related.”

She leaned against the door, trying to keep her temper in check. At this rate, she would be dodging her aunt’s matchmaking attempts until the irritating man left the area. She hoped it would be soon. It must be soon. After all, there was no real gambling around here, making it rather flat for gentlemen. Oriana went to her desk and sat in the blue leather chair that had been especially designed for a lady. She picked up the first of several receipts to be entered.

Farr’s Butcher Shop, Stanwood town.

Good Lord! Was he that Lord Stanwood? No. He could not be. That Lord Stanwood was gone. Traveling the Continent. She had heard that someone called Lord Worthington was taking care of the estate until Lord Stanwood’s return.

Unless he has returned.

Well, it did not matter. She would simply have to avoid the man. Oriana entered the receipt. Avoiding him should not be difficult. He appeared to be unmarried, which meant he would not be able to hold entertainments. She would simply refuse any invitations to dinner or dances she received from others in the area. Those he would be invited to because he was an unmarried peer. No matter how much he gambled. She could not imagine a gentleman who was on the Town and had been in Europe would be interested in the simple picnics and other excursions the ladies in the area planned. No, it would not be at all difficult to avoid the man. The more difficult tasks would be avoiding her aunt’s probable mechanisms to matchmake. Oriana would just have to take steps to stay ahead of Aunt Prue. Oriana leaned back and tugged the bellpull for her dresser. As the daughter of Oriana’s housekeeper, Catherine Kerby knew everything that went on in the village and the house.

The door opened. “Miss?”

“Kerby, please come and take a seat. I have something I wish to tell you.”

“If you do not mind, miss, I prefer to stand.”

Oriana stifled a sigh. Despite all her attempts, Kerby insisted on maintaining a proper distance and deference. “As you wish.” It took very little time to explain that Lady Prue had become enamored of the idea of Lord Stanwood being a match for Oriana. And that she must be warned whenever Kerby heard of plans to throw them together.

“Yes, of course, miss. I will tell you as soon as I hear anything. Is that all?”

“It is. Thank you.”

“Please do not mention it. I am happy to be of service.”

When the door closed, Oriana attempted to concentrate on the accounts, but the day was fine and the outdoors called to her. She put her pen in the standish. There was no harm in going out for a while. Perhaps a walk to the village would clear her head. Oriana had not been in over a week. If she wanted the villagers to trust her and come to her with their problems, she could not be a hermit.