Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As he walked away from his partner, he knew he needed some cool air. Unsure what was happening, he knew his whole body was responding to Lady Farrington in a way unlike anything he had ever experienced before, including his ill-fated, passionate liaison with Rosalind.

I've been out of society too long. I need to meet more ladies and go to more balls. He refused to believe these feelings were only for Lady Farrington.

He found the air in the hallway refreshing and took in several deep breaths. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Sir Joseph.

"Your mother has taken over from my wife on the pianoforte," Sir Joseph said, patting Robert on the back. "I can escape for a few minutes and hope no one notices. It seems you had the same idea."

"My mother is playing for the dancing?" Robert asked incredulously.

"Indeed, and her fingers are flying through a Scottish reel as we speak," replied Sir Joseph.

Robert heard the music. He knew his mother was an accomplished pianist, but she rarely played anything beyond sedate classics. This was proving to be an evening to remember.

"Come," said Sir Joseph. "Let's find some cognac in my study."

"Here you are," said the older man, handing Robert a crystal glass filled with amber liquid. "All the way from France."

"We must talk about that shipping contract for my wine soon," said Robert.

"When you're ready, there's no hurry. Let's not discuss business on such an enjoyable evening," said Sir Joseph. "There is something that interests me, though, and I'm going to be brave enough to ask. When I mentioned the summer fair and whether you would be there, you seemed to react strangely. I've only been here a couple of years. Is there something I should know about?"

Robert paused and warmed his glass in his hands. "It's something I need to get over," he said eventually.

"A few weeks before I attended my last summer fair, I was courting a woman I believed I loved very much. In fact, I asked her to marry me. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else."

"She turned you down?" Sir Joseph asked.

"No, she accepted me. We became betrothed, and the wedding was planned.

"I didn't realize at the time, but my betrothed had formed an attachment for another man. We visited the fair together, and Rosalind found nothing to her liking. In the evening, my mother usually hosts a summer ball, and that's when matters came to a head."

"You don't need to tell me this if you prefer not to," said Sir Joseph sympathetically.

"No, no, I need to move on from this, and perhaps talking about it will help." Robert sipped the cognac slowly, feeling its fire in his throat.

"At the ball, Rosalind made a point of dancing with my brother, Simon, all evening. She not only humiliated me publicly, she broke my heart and my relationship with my brother."

Sir Joseph nodded for him to continue.

"The next day, they announced their engagement and disappeared. We thought they had eloped to be married, but some weeks later, my brother returned, telling us that Rosalind had married another. Three engagements in a three-month period."

He swirled the glass in his hand and stood with his back to the fire. "I left Castle Montbury and went to London. I realize now how hard it must have been on Mama, as in effect, she lost her two sons in one evening. Strangely, she always liked Rosalind, even after she jilted both her sons."

Robert continued, "So, in answer to your question, if I am still here, then I will attend the fair and my mother's ball. It's been a lovely evening, Sir Joseph."

"And it hasn't finished yet. We'd better get back to the fray," said Sir Joseph. He paused before adding, "You realize you had a lucky escape from the fair Rosalind?"

"I do now, but it took a long time to reach that conclusion. May I ask you a question, sir?"

‘I can hardly say no," responded Sir Joseph.

"I believe your niece lost her husband about two years ago?"

"Very suddenly. He died of a fever, and we can only be thankful that Arabella and Henry didn't catch the disease."

"Why is she here? I know the Farrington estate; it is sizeable, and Henry will be the viscount. Is there some problem?"

"I can't break confidences, and she will tell you herself if and when she is ready. However, I can say that my niece has been through a tough time and still faces significant challenges ahead. The arrangements after her husband's death involve a cousin, who has proved to be a despicable bully. Grace and I hope she will stay and make her home with us."

He didn't say any more and looked worried he might have said too much. Robert knew there was much more to Arabella's story, and he was convinced he would find out more as he got to know this captivating widow.

As they returned to the drawing room, the music and laughter grew louder. Sir Joseph stopped suddenly and pointed to the staircase. Henry was walking down the stairs as if in a daze.

"Henry," said his great uncle gently. "What's the matter? You should be asleep upstairs."

"I can't sleep, Uncle Joseph. I think I fell asleep and had a bad dream. I thought I'd find Mama to read me a story. She always does that when I can't sleep."

"If you can wait here with Henry, I'll go and fetch Arabella," said Sir Joseph to Robert, looking at Henry with concern.

"Let's go into your uncle's study and sit by the fire," suggested Robert. "I think you're coming to the castle soon to have lessons with the Reverend Colbrooke. If you like, I can show you our ponies and a litter of puppies when you come."

"Really?"

"Of course. The puppies are related to my dog, Mickle. You met her yesterday at the lake."

"I liked Mickle. I think she'd like to meet Dash. Could I ride one of your horses? Papa wanted me to learn to ride, which would be very useful, but Mama says I need to wait until we are settled here at Horton Hall."

"If your mama agrees, then you can ride at the castle. You must wait till she says you are old enough, though," said Robert, looking up as he heard footsteps approaching and the door open.

"Henry!" said Arabella. "You should be asleep."

"I think I had a bad dream, Mama. I thought if you read me a story, it might help."

"Very sensible," she told him.

"I must leave you," said Robert. "I do have a suggestion that helped me sleep when I was a boy."

He felt green eyes looking at him quizzically. He hoped his suggestion would meet with their approval.

"Could Dash sleep at the foot of your bed? Dogs are very good at stopping bad dreams. If Dash sleeps near you at night, then all horrible dreams should go away."

"He's in the hallway near the back door," said Henry.

"That's actually a very good idea," agreed Arabella. "We'll sort it out tomorrow. Now it's time for a quick story."

He left them making their way upstairs, glad he'd suggested Dash might sleep in Henry's room. It had eased his worries as a child.