Chapter 5

"How long have you worked for Baron Atterbury, Maggie?" Eleanor asked as she walked her horse sedately beside Maggie. She looked every part the elegant lady, sitting up straight in the saddle while loosely holding the reins. She looked like she had been born in the saddle.

"Quite a few years now," Maggie flexed her fingers on the reins and forced herself to relax. It had been a while since she had ridden, and this was an unfamiliar horse. "It's a good job, and I enjoy it immensely."

"You know you don't need to lie. I'm not going to tell anyone."

Maggie laughed.

"I appreciate that, but it's the truth. It's a very good job. Baron and Baroness Atterbury are nice people and treat their staff well. I consider myself very lucky not to be in a bad household."

"Even with Lady Phoebe being a part of that household?" Eleanor wrinkled her nose. "She's not very nice. Very rude and obnoxious if I have to be honest. I don't know why my brother thought inviting her here would be a good idea."

Maggie's first instinct was to agree with Eleanor about her view of Lady Phoebe, but she had to remember herself. She wasn't meant to be rude about her mistress when talking to another member of the ton. Eleanor was only twelve, but there was still that line. Maggie chose her words carefully.

"She is quite kind, actually. It's just because she's scared that her persona comes off a little differently. Once she gets used to being a part of the ton and progresses through her Season, she'll be how she normally is at home."

Eleanor sighed.

"This is why I want to be grown up now. Nobody talks to me candidly, thinking I'm too young to understand."

"Oh, Lady Eleanor, that's not the reason at all."

"And you aren't allowed to speak so freely because you could get into trouble," Eleanor grumbled. "What happened to saying how you wanted to say things? Or doing what you really wanted, even if it was not what you should be doing? There are so many rules that you feel so restricted."

Maggie didn't know what to say to that other than she agreed with the girl. There were far too many rules, and you could get told off for the slightest thing. Her more than Eleanor due to her social standing. Eleanor could get away with it, but Maggie couldn't.

She looked ahead and watched as Lady Phoebe and Banbury rode together. The baron and baroness were not too far away, acting as chaperones while their daughter spent time with the duke. Sabrina, the youngest sister, was slightly behind Maggie and Eleanor, looking very competent on her horse but getting distracted by everything around her. The two sisters were really sweet and polite, and Maggie felt more relaxed around them.

Which was more than she could say about Banbury.

Ever since hearing that Lady Phoebe and her parents would spend the weekend with the duke and Maggie was to go with them, she had been left in a strange state that she couldn't quite describe. It felt like someone had been listening to her dreams about spending time with the duke but also teasing her that she couldn't be around him as she wanted.

Maggie knew that things were getting messed up in her head. She was thinking too much about how it had felt to be around the duke and how she reacted when they touched. Had he felt the same thing, or was it just her imagination?

Maggie had encountered attractive gentlemen over the years, but the Duke of Banbury was something else. Something about him made Maggie feel more drawn to him. She wasn't sure what, and she wished that her heart would stop racing over it. It was driving her mad.

Thankfully, Lady Phoebe hadn't noticed anything. If she did, then Maggie would be treated even worse, which was something Maggie didn't want to deal with.

"What is your opinion of Lady Phoebe?" Maggie asked, nodding towards the back of the young lady as she talked without seeming to take a breath. "You've spent some of the morning with her and eaten lunch together."

She normally wouldn't ask this of someone, but it was clear that Eleanor wanted to talk, and it wasn't something that happened often that a grown man or woman was around her. Children were meant to be seen and not heard or out of sight altogether. Maggie had never understood that. She was happy to entertain the two sisters; they seemed quite sweet.

Eleanor frowned.

"She is really not very nice. I don't know if it's nerves, or if she's really like that, but she's horrible." She made a face at Lady Phoebe's back. "She talks about herself and doesn't like talking about something else. It has to be about her and how she will be the belle of the Season or something along those lines."

Maggie bit back a smile. That was definitely something that Lady Phoebe would do. She was one of those people who would behave in such a manner.

"She also wanted my brother's attention to the point nobody else could talk to him," Eleanor went on. "She gave me a glare when I tried to talk to him about the latest book I've been reading. It's something we do all the time, and I couldn't do that with her scowling at me as if telling me to be quiet."

"She is an only child," Maggie pointed out. "She's not good at sharing attention, to be fair."

"I don't think she even knows the meaning of the word fair. She's just rude and passes it off as being really nervous, and her parents let her do it." Eleanor shook her head. "I'm sure they're lovely people, but letting their daughter behave as she does isn't helping my opinion of them."

Maggie could see her point. Baron and Baroness Atterbury were nice, but they weren't able to stand up to their daughter. It was probably why she was so rude now; nobody had given her any boundaries.

If that was what the duke liked, it was up to him. Maggie wasn't about to influence him even if she could.

"I'm sure things will get better. You know that not everyone gives a good first impression when they're young and starting out in the world. The nerves get in the way."

Eleanor sighed.

"I just hope I don't end up like that when I enter Society for the first time. I would be hugely embarrassed, and Mother wouldn't be happy with me. She wants us to be consummate ladies and behave ourselves. And my brother … let's just say it's not nice to have him disappointed in us."

Maggie understood that. Something was imposing about the duke when he was not in a jovial mood. She had seen it for herself.

A loud squeal behind them had Maggie turning, and then Sabrina suddenly shot past her on her horse, gripping on for dear life as the horse started to gallop. A glimpse of her face as she went past showed that she was terrified. Maggie's heart stopped. Oh, no, not this.

"I bet Sabrina was being silly again," Eleanor grumbled. "This isn't the first time the horse has bolted. I'd better go and chase her."

"No, I'll do it. You keep out of harm's way."

"Can you catch a runaway horse?"

Maggie grinned.

"I was doing it when I was barely walking. This is nothing."

Although it had been some time since she had chased after a horse that had decided to bolt. Kicking her horse into a fast canter and a gallop, Maggie started after Sabrina's horse. If she didn't get there in time and Sabrina lost her grip, she was going to end up falling and could seriously injure herself.

As she started to catch up, Sabrina passed by her brother and Lady Phoebe a little too close, screaming as she charged past. The sound and the sudden movement caused Lady Phoebe's horse to react, showing its fear as it neighed loudly and reared up on its hind legs. Lady Phoebe screamed and fell, landing on the grass and cutting off the scream suddenly.

Maggie managed to give her and the horse a wide berth and galloped after Sabrina. She grabbed onto the reins and managed to ease both of the horses to a stop. Sabrina was holding on for dear life, her breath coming out in gasps, her face pale.

"Thank … thank you," she panted.

"What happened?" Maggie could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I kicked her a little too much, I think." Sabrina swallowed, her eyes swelling with tears. "Adam is going to be cross at me. He told me to behave myself."

"Don't worry about that. I think he's just going to be relieved that you didn't hurt yourself." Maggie leaned over and took the reins from the girl's hands. "Hold onto the saddle. I'll walk you back."

"Sabrina!"

Maggie looked over her shoulder and saw Banbury galloping towards them. He pulled his horse to a stop on Sabrina's other side, with his expression worried as he reached over and checked her over.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt." Sabrina's voice sounded like she was on the verge of sobbing. "Forgive me, I didn't mean …"

"I know you didn't." Banbury leaned over and hugged her. "It was an accident. And you're not hurt, which is important."

Maggie watched the interaction between them. It was sweet to see. The little bit she had seen told her that Banbury loved his sisters immensely. He didn't see them as nuisances. It was a stark contrast to the way he treated her, but Maggie wasn't complaining.

She could hear raised voices, and Maggie looked back to see Lady Phoebe sitting on the grass, throwing her arms around as her mother crouched beside her, trying to comfort her. Atterbury was holding onto the horses, and Maggie could tell that he was saying something, but Lady Phoebe's shouting was drowning it out.

"Don't you think you should be worried about Lady Phoebe?" she asked. "She did fall off her horse."

"I was going to, but her parents said they would look after her. I was always going after my sister, anyway." Banbury met her gaze, and something flickered behind his eyes as he gave her a nod. "Thank you, Maggie. I appreciate your help."

"It's fine. I'm just glad that Lady Sabrina is safe." Maggie shifted upright, trying to ignore the warm feeling in her chest at the thanks. "But I'd better hold onto the reins until we return, just to be sure."

"I think that would be wise." Banbury kissed Sabrina's head and straightened up. "I'll get back to Lady Phoebe. Would you mind taking my sisters back to the stables? I think that's enough riding for today."

"Yes, Your Grace."

He stared at her a little bit longer, and then Banbury turned his horse around and trotted back to the baron and his family. Sabrina sniffed, looking miserable.

"I didn't want to cut the ride short. I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't. But after a scare like that, it's probably best to calm down back home." Maggie steered both horses around and began to walk them. "How about we see if the cook has something you can have when you return? And some hot chocolate? That always works for me when I've been scared."

"Alright." Sabrina nodded. "Thank you."

Maggie wished there wasn't a barrier between them. She really wanted to hug the little girl right now.

#

Adam stood at the edge of the room and watched as Lady Phoebe played cards with her mother. To her credit, she was very good at cards, although Adam wondered if Baroness Atterbury was playing badly to make her daughter think she was winning. She did pander to her daughter to the point it was uncomfortable.

He knew that he shouldn't be so harsh in his opinion of Lady Phoebe, but it was a little difficult to be genial towards her when he had seen several incidences of her behaviour since they had met. When they were at the Atterbury ball, Adam thought it was due to Lady Phoebe being nervous and unsure how to behave.

After all, she had been to finishing school, so she should know how to behave. But now he had seen her at his estate, spending time with her throughout the day, and as they wiled away the evening quietly, Adam was beginning to think that this was what she was truly like.

Nineteen years old and still behaving like an incredibly spoiled child.

If it had been anyone else, Adam would have asked them to leave shortly after the ride, saying that maybe they weren't compatible. Especially when Lady Phoebe started being rude about Sabrina. Adam had put her in her place and said he would not hear a bad thing said about his sisters, which had made her stop. He should have told her to leave once she made comments about his littlest sister.

But Maggie was here, and Adam wouldn't get his answers if she left so suddenly. Having her here meant he could figure out what was happening. Perhaps he would discover what was happening and who was going after him.

Also, Adam could only admit it to himself; he wanted to see Maggie again. The knowledge that he had wanted to kiss her and the memory of how she felt in his arms made him want to have that more. Even if they couldn't really spend time together, and certainly not touch, having her around made Adam want to be near her more.

His head was in a complete mess. Why did the woman he desired to be with the most have to be someone who made him very suspicious? Why couldn't Lady Phoebe be more like Maggie?

Adam was getting a headache from all of this. He needed to find a way to be the only person within a several-mile radius and spend time alone. That was the only way he could figure things out without outside influences. Whoever was targeting him was going to escalate; he was sure of it.

And he didn't want his sisters or mother to get involved with any of this.

"You're very quiet."

Adam turned and saw George appear at his side. His friend had come along for dinner, and he had helped lighten the atmosphere after the disastrous ride. He had got everyone laughing, even Lady Phoebe, so the pressure was off Adam's shoulders a little bit. George certainly knew how to put everyone at ease.

Now he was wandering around the room with a glass of brandy, wearing a dark green jacket while he looked like he was in charge of the evening. It did look amusing, especially with his huge size. George knew how to make his presence known.

"It's just been a long day," Adam replied, absently scratching the back of his neck. "It's been a while since we've had guests over and I'm still getting used to it."

"I heard from Eleanor what happened with the ride. She was upset that Sabrina might have ruined things for you and Lady Phoebe."

"I don't think that was anyone's fault. Sabrina's seven, so she's going to do something." Adam looked over at Lady Phoebe, who was dealing out the cards for another round with her mother. "Although I'm surprised that Eleanor's worried about ruining things for me. I got the impression that she didn't like Lady Phoebe."

"She doesn't."

Adam grunted.

"Nice to know she can be candid with you."

"She is worried about you paying attention to someone who isn't very nice, and I have to admit that I share her sentiment." George sipped his brandy. "I understand that there is a line between nerves and bad behaviour, but this is something else."

"Maybe she's still trying to get over her nerves," Adam suggested. "And she did suffer a humiliating experience, so she's going to be in a bad mood."

"You're actually defending her? I would have thought someone like that wouldn't be your type and catch your interest at all."

"There could be more to her than she's showing, and you know I like a challenge."

George didn't look convinced. Adam knew that he didn't sound convincing, and he would certainly rather have Lady Phoebe leave than spend the rest of the weekend with her, but she had something that Adam needed. Maggie, the maid.

Even if it came about that she was innocent and just got scared that he was chasing her – and that would be his fault, which Adam would apologize for – she was the one he wanted to spend time with. It wouldn't be easy to do that when she was a servant, but having her around was better than nothing.

Adam still clearly recalled Maggie charging after Sabrina when her horse bolted without worrying about her own safety. Her focus was on his sister, and she had stayed with both Sabrina and Eleanor on the way back. As far as Adam knew, she remained with his sisters for the rest of the day. He appreciated that.

It seemed that Sabrina and Eleanor liked her. Adam was glad about that, although he couldn't really do anything about it.

Maybe inviting Lady Phoebe to stay for the weekend to see her maid was a bad idea.

"Well, let's hope that her behaviour improves over the weekend," George murmured as Lady Phoebe picked up another card and gave her mother a smirk. "I don't know how you're going to cope with her. She's definitely a clash of personalities with you."

"I'm sure it will be fine." Adam shrugged. "At least she's not Lady Melinda Cornish."

"She may not be Lady Melinda Cornish, but she's pretty similar with their temperaments." George shook his head. "You really know how to pick the ladies, Adam. I don't think you should be allowed to choose someone to court if you keep picking ladies who all behave exactly the same."

Adam didn't say anything to that. If he told George about Maggie, his friend would tell him that he was a fool for thinking like that about a maid, and he needed to disregard it as it wouldn't happen. He couldn't pursue anything with someone not even in the ton. Well, Maggie was, but as a servant. If he considered her as a potential future wife – or something close – there would be a huge uproar. Adam wasn't about to bring that scrutiny around his family.

And that would damage Maggie's reputation as well. She didn't deserve that, even if she was supposedly spying on him.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask," George said as he leaned against the wall, keeping his voice low, "have you found out anything more about whoever is stealing from you? Do you still not know who did it?"

"No, unfortunately. My valet is still not talking in that regard, anyway. But he's complaining to anyone who will listen that he was unfairly targeted and dismissed for something he didn't do."

"I still think he knew who did it. It's next to impossible to get into the house and into a locked box without breaking said box and without anyone knowing that he was there."

"I'm with you on that." Adam nodded. "I'm sure he helped whoever stole what he could find. But he's not saying a word. As for the vandalism …"

"Maybe you would do better looking for someone carrying around a bucket of red paint," George grunted. "Don't we have a reddleman around here?"

"Not that I know of. The nearest farm is three miles away."

"It could be possible, then."

Adam had to concede that. Someone would have had to have paid the reddleman to take his red paint, though. He couldn't see the reddleman himself deciding to target someone's house. What would the point be of that?

The person doing all of this was like a shadow, and Adam couldn't catch up to him.

A sudden commotion outside the door caught Adam's attention, and he could hear hurrying footsteps. What was going on outside? Had something happened to his mother? Lady Banbury had retired to her rooms after dinner, saying she wanted to be alone now. Adam had considered it a good thing that the dowager duchess had agreed to come and join the guests for dinner.

Had something happened in her rooms?

Adam hurried to the door and opened it to see Morrison talking to a couple of the footmen before they ran out the front door. The butler's expression was not happy, scowling as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Morrison?" Adam stepped out into the foyer and shut the door. "What's going on? Why the commotion?"

"It's Lady Phoebe's maid, Your Grace," Morrison replied, turning to him.

Adam stopped. Had he heard that correctly?

"Are you talking about Maggie? What did she do?"

"She caught someone trying to vandalize the stables again. There was a … there was a fight."

Adam's head was spinning. Maggie had come upon the person trying to vandalize his property? Then the word ‘fight' sunk in, and he suddenly felt panic in his chest.

"Maggie was attacked?"

"She tried to stop whoever was doing this," Morrison said grimly. "Didn't call for help; she just charged straight in. And she got paint thrown all over her."

"Paint?"

"Red paint, like the paint used before."

Adam tried to maintain his breathing. Maggie had been attacked. That was all that was going around in his head.

"Is she hurt?"

"She says that she isn't, but the intruder must be still in the grounds. I've sent some of the footmen out to search."

"Good. Where's Maggie now?"

"In the washroom. She needed to have a change of clothes."

Morrison had barely finished before Adam was hurrying away. He didn't care what it looked like right now; he just wanted to be sure that Maggie was alright.