CHAPTER EIGHT

C HAPTER E IGHT

D essert was no sooner consumed than the dining room door burst open and the Duke of Chandos and the Earl of Rochford strode into the room.

“Brandy?” the duke asked.

“Indeed.” Stanwood inclined his head. “We will partake in the drawing room.”

Oriana had expected some of the gentlemen to wish to remain in the dining room. Instead, they rose without argument and followed Charlotte into a larger drawing room than the one she had been in earlier. Oriana could not but notice that neither room had been redecorated in more than twenty years.

“We are going to play piquet,” Lady Theo announced.

Oriana could not believe what she had heard. “You are going to gamble?”

“We do not gamble.” The affront was clear in Lady Theo’s tone. “We play to see who is the most accomplished.” She busied herself pairing her family members for the game.

Oriana did not understand. Piquet was gambling. Fortunes had been lost playing the game.

“They play for penny stakes and, sometimes, spillikins sticks,” Stanwood’s friend Lord Rochford said. “None of them gamble.”

“And a very good thing it is,” the Duke of Chandos said with feeling. “I would have lost my dukedom to Lady Theo.”

This did not make any sense. “That cannot be true. Lord Stanwood gambled to win my property.”

“In a manner of speaking,” Rochford conceded. “He heard your cousin put the property up and two other gentlemen mention that Ognon’s dependents lived in the house, and he decided to save anyone from being made homeless.”

“Hadn’t played all Season, but he never loses. Well, except to Lady Theo,” the duke said.

Stanwood had been telling the truth? “He is not a gambler?”

“Not at all,” Rochford said. “This is all in good fun. Although Theo is likely to have every penny in the house by the end of the evening.”

Oriana had never heard of such a thing. At least not in her family. Could this actually be enjoyable?

“Miss Ognon,” Lady Theo said. “You are my partner for the first few sets. Then we will all change.” Her dark brows knitted. “Do you know how to play?”

As much as Oriana did not like gambling, she had been taught the game. “I do. Thank you for asking.”

“Excellent.” The girl grinned and finished pairing the rest of the players.

Stanwood was partnered by Lady Mary. Oriana expected him to object, but he seemed pleased, and she soon learned the reason. At the end of the sets the pennies were divided evenly among them. She and Theo, as Oriana had been told to call the young lady, had won two hands and Stanwood and Mary had won the other two. But even better than that, it had been fun. It had not been at all like gambling.

“You two are a formidable pair,” Oriana congratulated them.

“No more so than you and Theo. You’re an excellent player.” Stanwood’s eyes sparkled.

Heat swept her cheeks at the compliment. “Thank you. It has been a while, but I trust I remembered what I was taught.”

He had somehow moved close enough to her that she had to tilt her head to look up at him. “Would you care to be my next partner?”

It surprised her that she did want to play across from him. “I would.”

The other two at the table were his two friends, the duke and the earl, who they handily beat.

Chandos dropped his head into his hands. “Thank God you only play for penny stakes.”

Smiling, Rochford shook his head. “You’ll have to have Lady Theo give you lessons.”

“Now there’s an idea.” He immediately strolled off toward Theo, who must have agreed to partner with him as they took their places at the table.

Lady Mary joined Rochford. “I shall be your partner for the next set.”

“Excellent.” He smiled at her.

Even Stanwood’s—drat; Oriana had done it again—friends were kind. She had definitely been introduced to the wrong type of gentlemen during her Season.

Lord Stanwood continued to be her partner and before she knew it, the clock struck eleven. Where had the time gone?

“Oriana,” Aunt Prue said. “We must depart.”

“Yes indeed.” They had stayed much longer than Oriana had intended. Then again, she had not expected to have such a good time. Stanwood’s family and his friends were delightful company.

“Your carriage will be ready soon,” he said. “I will arrange outriders to accompany you.”

Her first reaction was to object, but there was no moon and it made sense to have others with them. “Thank you.”

Charlotte Kenilworth appeared beside them and took Oriana’s hands in hers. “I am so glad that you and Lady Prue could join us this evening.”

“We are as well.” Oriana gently squeezed Charlotte’s hands. “It has been a long time since I have had such a wonderful time.”

It took several minutes to bid each of the family members adieu. She scanned the room for Stanwood, but he had disappeared. When she finally made it to the steps, not only was her coach there but so was he. Dressed for riding and standing next to her carriage with his horse.

Charlie took in Miss Ognon’s look of confusion and strode to her. “I thought it better if I accompanied you as well.”

“Yes, of course.” She sounded uncertain.

He placed her hand on his arm. “Allow me to assist you into your coach.” Several steps brought them to the carriage door, which had already been opened by a footman. “I’m very glad you came.”

“I am as well.” She smiled up at him. “It was not at all what I expected.”

He had enjoyed watching her play cards and, after a short time, join in the banter. “My family almost never is.”

“I am glad you have come to take up your duties.” Her tone was thoughtful.

“Thank you.” He assisted her into the coach, then helped her aunt, who had been speaking with Grace. When he mounted his horse the three outriders were ready to start. He waited for her to give the order to her coachman. He glanced at the servant and had to look again. Next to him on the bench was an older girl. Oriana really was serious about training females for all the estate positions. She was beautiful, intelligent, kind, and exactly the lady he wanted. In fact, he couldn’t imagine not having her in his life. It was time to take some of Kenilworth’s advice. Charlie would start to go on as he intended to continue.

As the carriage moved forward, he took his place next to the window on her side of the vehicle. “I hope you liked meeting all my nieces and nephews.”

Oriana glanced at him. “It was a bit daunting at first, but they are all very well-behaved.”

“They are. I was on my Grand Tour when they were babies, but, amazingly, they all seemed to know me when I returned. I have a feeling my sisters read my letters to them.”

Her brows drew together slightly. “Did not one of your sisters tour Europe as well? That is unusual.”

Charlie barked a laugh. “You’re not the only one to think so. It’s a long story, but the short of it is that after a huge hubbub, Grace quickly arranged for Augusta to go to the Continent with our cousin and her husband. Phinn followed, and they wed. Her goal was to attend the university in Bologna. Although she was not allowed to attend, she was permitted to sit for the final examination, and she passed.”

Oriana’s eyes widened in shock. “She was granted a degree?”

“Indeed. Phinn ended up threatening them.”

“How unusual.” She sat back against the squabs for a moment. “I understand they are now in Scotland to conduct research of some sort.”

“They are both scholars.”

She tilted her head slightly. “From some of the conversation I got the impression that your older sisters are all involved in politics and charities.”

“Yes. But they also have a hand in managing their husband’s estates and houses.”

“They are impressive ladies.”

“No more so than you.” He motioned with his chin toward the coachman. “Training young women to do what are normally men’s positions.”

She frowned before saying, “In a way you are right. Although, it has taken me a while. I proceed carefully so as not to upset people.”

Which made her brave and determined, to do that in a small village. “That makes sense. You haven’t had a family to support you.”

Oriana appeared thoughtful. “No, I have not. In fact, the exact opposite. When my father was alive, he did not even want me to manage my own estate.”

“Yet you did it in spite of him?”

She pulled a face. “Once he and my brother died, I moved into the house. My cousin has been attempting to take it from me ever since.”

That was one thing Charlie would put a stop to. Suddenly female servants made very real sense. “Hence surrounding yourself with strong women.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “They are extremely loyal, and none of them believe a gentleman should be able to take away my property.” She slid him a wary look.

“I agree. All my sisters have kept their property and the proceeds, if any, from it. Worthington is the trustee. Every year they have to update the list of their possessions and send it to him.” He did not wait for Oriana to ask his thoughts on the matter. “I will do the same. The lady I wed will keep her own possessions.”

She caught her breath. Oriana had never before heard of a gentleman volunteering to forego more property. Stanwood almost seemed too good to be true. How was it that he and his family were so different from hers? Their conversation lulled as they passed through her village. Had she simply been unlucky in her family and in the gentlemen she had met? “Your brothers-in-law must be very understanding.”

Stanwood threw his head back in laughter. “From what I have heard—and you must realize that I was only here for the last three of my sisters during their Season—Worthington gave them a choice: agree to the contracts or find another lady to wed. You see, he made the same agreement when he married Grace.”

The couples all seemed devoted to one another. “They were all love matches?”

“They were.” He nodded. “It is a tradition in my family that one only marries for love. Of course, the person must be eligible as well.”

“Yes, of course.” That made sense. Oriana could never understand why some young ladies fell in love with grooms or footmen. Not that they were not good men, but the gulf in education and status was so wide as to be insurmountable. Although many wealthy merchants were self-made and had gained enough of an education and the proper manners to be on the fringes of Polite Society. Then again, it was not uncommon for the ladies who married far down to be cast from their families without anything at all.

They turned up the drive to her home, and he leaned closer from his horse to her window. “Would you like to go riding tomorrow?”

“I would.” It would give her a chance to come to know him better. The change in her feelings about him struck her. It was as if the whole evening had been one revelation after another. “I would. The afternoon is better for me. I have some things to see to in the morning.”

“That’s perfect for me as well.” The coach stopped, and he swung off his horse in a gracefully fluid movement. One of the outriders opened the carriage door on her side and Stanwood held out his hand. When she placed her fingers in his, they seemed to warm in a pleasurable fashion that spread to the rest of her hand and arm. Goodness! This reaction was getting much worse!

He helped her out, raised her fingers to his lips, and they started to tingle. The corners of his lips tilted up. “Until tomorrow.”

“Yes. Until then.”

The coach drove off toward the stable, and Aunt Prue was standing on the stairs. “Come along. This has been a very late evening for us.”

Oriana turned toward her aunt, then back to Stanwood. “I shall see you.”

His blue eyes were colorless in the dim light of the door, yet they seemed intent upon her. “You will indeed.”

She waited until he’d regained his horse before going into the house. Then she shook her skirts to hide her nervousness or whatever it was she was feeling. “That was a very pleasant evening.”

“Yes, it was.” Aunt Prue put one foot on the stairs. “I found the whole family interesting and enjoyable.”

“As did I.” Oriana followed her aunt. “Lord Stanwood is coming here tomorrow.”

“How nice,” Aunt Prue said without any inflection whatsoever. That was odd. Oriana was sure her aunt would have had something to say.

They reached the first landing, and she turned toward her rooms. “Have a pleasant night.”

“You as well, my dear. I shall see you at breakfast.”

Kerby was waiting to help Oriana out of her gown and into her nightdress. Once she had washed her face and brushed her teeth, she climbed into bed and yawned. Seeing Stanwood in his element, as it were, was enlightening. He was nothing like she had expected him to be. Nothing like the bored gentlemen of the ton she had met when she was in Town. He’d been relaxed and playful with his family and with her. He’d shocked her when he said all his sisters kept their property, and that he would agree to the same. Could he be someone she could imagine marrying? So much had occurred this evening. Perhaps it was better to take it all out and look at it again in the morning, when she was fresh and not under the influence of tingling hands.