CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Alice was astounded to see Lord St. Albans in Hatchards. Well, not the bookstore precisely, but in the section with the novels. She had, of course, said the first thing that came to her tongue without passing through her brain first. Naturally, he had the skill to read. She strained to see which book he held. "I meant I did not know you read novels."

"I find Miss Austen extremely erudite and witty." He glanced at the books again and started to scan them. "Have you seen The Village of Mariendorpt?"

Now she was shocked. "That is the book for which I am searching."

He backed up, glanced again, and took two books from the shelf. He handed her one. "Here you are."

"Thank you." Alice had what she came for but was strangely reluctant to leave. "Are you here just for Miss Porter's book?"

A flush crept into his cheeks. "Ah, no. I need a book on estate practices and sheep husbandry if there is one." He focused on her as if trying to make a decision. "I am quite ignorant on the subjects."

"Indeed?" He was full of surprises today. "I thought all gentlemen were trained to run their estates."

"Yes, well, my father has some odd ideas, and he has not allowed me to learn." Lord St. Albans frowned. "I mean, I could have read about the subject, but I have not been given an opportunity to have any practical knowledge."

How curious. And aggravating. "I do not understand that at all. What possible reason could he have to keep you ignorant about a subject with which you must be conversant?" If nothing else, she could help him find the right tomes on estate management. "I shall help you."

Lord St. Albans gave her a relieved smile. "I would appreciate that a great deal."

Strange. He did not seem at all amazed that she knew about the subject. Then again, he was a friend of Montagu's, and he might have told Lord St. Albans about Eleanor's knowledge. "Come with me." She led him to the section on farming, estates, and animal husbandry. "Many of the books will essentially apply to all areas of the country. However, you will have to adapt some of the methods."

He nodded then glanced at her. "Would it help to know where the estates are located?"

Why could he not have discussed this with her before? "It might."

St. Albans's green gaze met hers. "The estate I will first have is only about three hours north of here. That is the one for which I will be responsible for the remainder of my father's life."

Alice interrupted him. "Will be?"

He gave her a look of long suffering. "Yes, I will tell you about it later." She nodded. "The dukedom's main estate is north of York near the sea. There are several others." He took a breath. "The one that is my current and main concern is in Scotland near Inverness. My great-great-uncle on my mother's side left it to me."

"And you know nothing." It was not at all good to be thrown into something as complicated as estate management. "Oh, dear."

He let out a breath. "I assure you my response was much stronger. I am immensely grateful he left it to me. He and I were close, and I spent a great deal of time there. However, I am totally unprepared for the responsibility."

Why did his uncle not train him? "Did he know that?"

St. Albans's gave a light shrug. "To be honest, it never came up. He refused to tell anyone who he had named his heir."

What a bunch of numskulls. "You seem to have a great many odd relatives."

He winced. "I can only suppose he expected my father to attend to it."

The less said about his father the better. At least until she knew the whole story. "We had better get started." Alice reached up but could not reach the book she wanted.

"May I help you?"

"Please. I want Grisenthwaite's A New Theory of Agriculture. It was published a few years ago, but it is an excellent place to begin." St. Albans—when had she stopped using "‘lord"? She shook her head. This was not the time to ponder the change. "I do not suppose you have heard of Coke of Norfolk or Holkham Hall?" St. Albans—Lord St. Albans shook his head. "I do not know why I asked." She took the volume. "Now we are looking for Davy's Elements of Agricultural Chemistry."

"I've got it here." He tugged a book out and gave it to her.

"Excellent." She put it on a table with chairs around it. "We can go over these before you start reading on your own."

"I also require books on sheep and whisky."

He really did need a great deal of advice. "We will get there. Although, I must admit, I know very little about whisky."

A smile grew on his well-formed lips. "My uncle believed that in England it would one day rival brandy."

"Never having tasted either libation, I have no opinion." Which only meant she must remedy her lack of knowledge. "Be that as it may, I advise you begin with one subject first then move on to the others. Davy's book will touch on sheep and other animals." She took a seat. St. Albans lowered himself into the chair to the near side of the rectangular table. Alice turned the book so that they could both see it and began to explain what was in the different chapters. When she was done, he had a dazed look about him. "Are you well?"

"Yes." He gave himself a slight shake. "Yes. It is a great deal to take in."

She closed the book. "If you are going to do something, you should do it well."

"I agree." He inclined his head. "What about the next one?"

"It is very much the same but from a slightly different perspective. Davy's book was developed from a compilation of papers written by landowners"—she did not need to tell them they were Whig aristocrats—"discussing the results of the different farming methods."

Understanding donned on his lean face. "Which is where I discover what worked in different areas."

"Exactly." It occurred to her that she was pleased he had immediately made the connection.

He gathered the books together. "If it was not raining, I would ask you if you would like to go with me to Gunter's. If you like ices, that is?"

How very nice of him. "I do like them, and we can go today. The rain had cleared by the time I arrived here. I sent my groom back for my high-perched phaeton."

St. Albans grinned. "You mentioned it to me once. I would be delighted to ride in it."

He was the first gentleman who had not blanched when she mentioned taking them up. He had, apparently, also changed his perspective on her driving one. "In that case, let us pay for our purchases and go to Gunter's."

After gathering up their books, he offered her his arm, and they went to the clerk's desk where Grace's volumes were waiting. She handed the man the books she had decided to purchase. "Please wrap these as well."

Once that was done, the clerk attended to St. Albans's books. He took all the packages, and they strolled to the pavement where Robertson was walking her pair. Without asking what to do with them, St Albans deposited the packages into the box built onto the back of the carriage as they passed it. He then helped her into the phaeton.

As she settled her skirts, St. Albans climbed into the other side. "I assumed you'd tell me if the books didn't go into the box."

Alice gifted him with a smile. One of the few he'd received from her. "You did well. We added it for that purpose."

"Thank you." This was the first time Giff had not had to worry about conversing with Alice. It occurred to him that if he had just treated her as a person he would have been much better off. Still, he took what her sister had said to heart. He would become her friend.

She turned toward her groom. "I will see you at home."

"Yes, my lady." The man bowed and strode off.

"I very much like your phaeton." It was painted the same color as the Dunnock bird's eggs. It had gold piping and seats in a tan-color. A very practical convertible cover was matched to the blue of the carriage. Her dappled gray horses seemed designed to coordinate with the overall color scheme. "Your pair are beautiful. Are they Percherons?"

She smiled at him again. "They are. We looked at a few different breeds, but the Percherons are known for their steady temperament."

Thus, making them excellent carriage horses. Giff remembered the name she had given her hack also indicated a dependable temperament. That must be important to her. He was dependable. Giff must remember to show her that trait. "They are indeed."

Alice started the horses and expertly wove her way around the traffic to Berkeley Square and Gunter's.

She pulled up to the side of the street and a waiter ran out. "Would you like to hear our specials?"

"Yes, please," Alice immediately responded.

Giff just nodded, and the man rattled off several different types of ices. He glanced at her.

"I will have the raspberry ice."

"I will try the pineapple." It was a flavor he'd never tasted before.

Alice turned to him. "Harry said it was very good, but Madeline really only likes chocolate."

Giff hadn't known Stern took Lady Madeline to Gunter's. And on a fairly regular basis it would seem. "I don't know what I would have done without your help. How did you become so knowledgeable?"

"Grace taught us as she did our sisters before us." Alice's light laughter reminded him of tinkling bells. "Even Augusta had to learn, and she is really only interested in languages." Giff had no idea who Lady Augusta was, yet he suspected she was at the breakfast he attended and probably at one other event. As if Alice knew he was having trouble placing her sister, she said, "She was the lady next to Phinn Carter-Woods. They are married."

Giff had heard Carter-Woods had wed. "Ah, yes. Dark hair and looks very like Lady Madeline and your sister Rothwell."

Alice nodded as the waiter returned with their ices. She took a bite and closed her eyes. Just seeing her enjoyment made him hard. If only he could make her look like that. Hoping to cool himself down he quickly ate his ice,. A highland loch would have worked better.

"Will you tell me why your father would not teach you how to care for your future estates?"

Her question ended his vision of her with him in a loch. "It is some sort of strange tradition. I'm not at all sure how far back it goes, but his father, my grandfather, did the same thing. The heir is only allowed to have the heir's house and learn by doing when he is married. I was not even allowed to ask our steward to teach me."

One brow rose. "The reason you wish to wed is so that you can have the estate?"

Of course, she would pick up on that. "Me? No. I mean, I do want the estate. It is my favorite of them all. But he has held it over my head since I came down from St. Andrew's. I refused to consider marriage until I was ready to have a wife and children."

Her concentration on him was so intent he wanted to run a finger under his collar. "Is that the reason your uncle left you his estate?"

"I don't know. It might be. He and my father didn't like one another." She was extremely shrewd. "My mother's father made my father agree that I would spend part of every year in Scotland. Usually over New Year's and in summer."

Alice nodded sharply. "That sounds like something Matt would do."

Once again, he noticed the similarities with her family and his mother's. "So I have heard."

She tilted her head at him and laughed. "I imagine Montagu told you about it."

"He did." Giff smiled remembering how put out his friend had initially been. "One of your brothers-in-law told him before he proposed to Lady Eleanor."

"I had no idea they had been so busy," Alice mused.

If she only knew it was not just the gentlemen who were involving themselves. "I think it must be done out of caring for your sister."

"Yes, of course." She appeared to think about that as she sucked the last of the ice from the spoon. An image of her lips on him caused Giff to suppress a groan.

The waiter came for the cups, and he paid for their ices, but she didn't start the horses. "What is the estate like that you will receive when you wed?"

It occurred to him that this was the only place they could continue to talk. She could not take him home unless she stopped at Worthington House and picked up a groom. That was something else Montagu had let drop. They were always accompanied by male servants. "It's called Whippoorwill Manor."

The interest in her beautiful blue eyes increased. "What is a whippoorwill?"

"It is a bird native to North America. Apparently. Well, the story is that one of my great-great-grandmothers lived in Canada for several years, and she had fallen in love with the song of the whippoorwill. When they moved into the manor, she renamed it."

"I am surprised her father-in-law allowed her to change the name."

He was too. "I asked about that as well. The change was not official until he died, and she became the duchess."

She opened her brooch watch, looked at it, and closed it. "I had no idea how long I have been gone." She pulled a face. "I must go home."

Alice mustn't feel badly about not being able to take him to his house. "I will walk from Worthington House. I'll enjoy the stroll."

"If you are certain." She obviously was not convinced.

"Very. I would have walked to Hatchards if it hadn't been raining when I left."

She started the carriage, and when they arrived at Worthington House he jumped down and went to her side of the phaeton. The carriage was too high for him to have lifted her into it, but he could lift her down. Giff clasped his hands around her waist and didn't ever want to let go. Her breathing quickened. She sucked in a breath when her feet reached the pavement and he had to pry his fingers from her one by one. "May I call on you if I have any questions?"

"Yes, of course you may." She smiled at him again.

"Thank you." He would have a great many inquiries of that he was certain. In fact, he should make a list.

"It was my pleasure." Alice took his arm as they walked to the door. "It is always nice to converse with a gentleman who listens."

He had been a total idiot. "I apologize deeply for not attending to you before. To be honest. I didn't know what to say to you."

Her brow went up again. "Did it not occur to you to speak to me as you did to other ladies? Quite frankly, I could not understand how they thought you were so interesting."

That was blunt. "I was afraid of offending you by flirting. You cannot imagine my relief at not having to read the court and scandal sheets."

She let out a peel of laughter. "At least I now know that it was as painful for you as it was for me."

He bent over her hand and kissed the back, wishing she wasn't wearing gloves. "I hope we will be friends."

Her eyes widened and the corners of her rosy lips tipped up. "I do as well."

The door opened revealing the butler. Straightening, Giff reluctantly gave her back her hand. "Let me know how you like The Village of Mariendorpt. I will have to wait until my mother finishes the book before I am able read it."

"I shall. Then, after you have had a chance to read it, we may discuss the story."

"I'd like that." He'd like any time he could spend with her. "Until we meet again."

Alice started to turn and stopped. "I have a country dance open at Lady Millsworth's ball."

His heart almost stopped beating. After what had happened yesterday, he never thought she would offer him a dance so soon. "May I have the set?"

"You may, my lord."

"Thank you." All he had to do was find out when the ball was.