Fate's Intervention (32 page)

“
A
s you wish, Peter,
”
Stanharbor said stiffly.
“
Is he about, then?
”

“
He
’
s in his room resting before supper, and since supper is in a short while, you should be receiving your introduction soon enough.
”

“
Will Matthew be at dinner, Mr.
Weatherman
?
”
Carol
Ann
asked shyly.

Peter smiled at the young girl,
“
I
’
m sorry, my dear, but Matthew is away on business. We
’
re not
certain
when he
’
ll be returning.
”
He saw the disappointment in her eyes and felt sorry for her. She really was smitten with the man, poor dear.

“
Yet his brother is here?
”
Charles asked.

“
Yes, his brother showed up on our doorstep this past Sunday, unaware that his brother hadn
’
t yet received the notice of his arrival,
”
Peter said, only just realizing the letter in question still hadn
’
t arrived, making him wonder if the younger Daragh had actually sent one.

“
Well, I can see now why Matthew turned down the
rather
handsome incentive I offered for my daughter
’
s hand. I do apologize for bringing up the subject, dear,
”
Stanharbor said, turning to his daughter with an unconvincing apologetic smile,
“
but at least we know now that his refusal stemmed from lack of need in your substantial dowry.
”

Elizabeth
blanched and Peter cursed under his breath.
The insensitive clod
, he thought. Didn
’
t he realize that he just insulted his own daughter with that
statement.
A
fter
all, if Matthew
didn
’
t need the dowry, then he could have accepted her hand without it. The fact that he didn
’
t spoke volumes, and
Elizabeth
knew it, even if her
father
didn
’
t. Matthew didn
’
t want her.

Peter caught her eye and smile encouragingly, but Elizabeth tilted her chin higher and dismissed him with a cold glance, making Peter wonder if he
’
d misplaced his pity for the young girl.

“
You know, when I hired the boy,
”
Stanharbor continued,
“
I had absolutely no idea who he was. It simply didn
’
t register.
”

You have to have a brain for things to register
, Peter thought angrily, but said instead,
“
Didn
’
t the name
‘
Daragh
’
ring a bell?
”

“
A
bsolutely, but I took it as mere coincidence.
A
fter
all, Matthew hardly carries himself as one born from the upper crust of society.
”

The door opened and Marcelle glided in, preventing Peter
’
s retort. There was a huge smile on Marcelle
’
s face, and although she
’
d readied quickly, she had ensured that they would notice her appearance.
A
fter
a quick glance at the guests, she was pleased to note that she
’
d succeeded in unsettling the men and annoying the girls.

She
’
d chosen a low-cut turquoise gown that barely contained her well-endowed
breasts
. The diamond and turquoise pendant that hung around her neck rested lightly between the ample mounds making it impossible for anyone to admire the beautifully set stones without receiving an eyeful of peachy flesh as well. Her maid piled her hair loosely
at
o
p her head, leaving tendrils of the chestnut curls to escape down the back and sides, caressing her bare neck.

Both men were swallowing hard and the girls were staring down dejectedly at their own
meager offerings, barely visible above the lace of their own less flattering gowns.

“
Good evening,
Father
,
”
she said, her eyes glittering full of mischief. She walked over and placed a light kiss on his cheek. Peter nodded and cleared his throat, afraid to open his mouth and speak for fear that laughter would escape instead.

“
Mr. Blackwarth,
”
she cooed, moving forward with her hand extended. Peter noticed with a wry grin that when Charles grasped her hand and brought it to his lips that his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. It was as if the man had never encountered the bosom of a lady before.
“
How very delightful to see you again,
”
she continued.
“
It
’
s been so long since you
’
ve graced our home with your presence.
”

Peter rolled his eyes, but continued his silence.

“
Mr. Stanharbor,
”
she said, moving away from an obviously disappointed Charles,
“
I admit that I didn
’
t expect to see you again so soon after our falling out, but you are a dear man if you can put aside our differences and call on my
father
as you have.
”

“
Yes, well,
”
Stanharbor muttered, his face flushed and his eyes flitting nervously around the room,
“
A
s you say, child.
”

Marcelle knew he wouldn
’
t look at her
breasts
when she was watching him. Not after she
’
d convinced him
that
she was a
danger
to those who overindulged their gazes on her body. It took a great deal of control not to laugh, but she had plenty of practice setting people on their toes.

Her
father
, however, was having a good deal of difficulty controlling his mirth. He clasped his hand to his mouth
and lowered
his head
,
but couldn
’
t stop his
shoulders shaking
spasmodically. To anyone else, it looked as if he was having a coughing fit, but Marcelle knew better.

“
Would you like some water,
Father
?
”
She asked solicitously, but wasn
’
t surprised when he shook his head. Marcelle smiled and turned her attention to the two girls sitting on the sofa. Elizabeth
’
s posture
appeared as if someone had replaced her spine with a metal rod
and her gaze was shooting daggers at Marcelle. Carol
Ann
smiled at Marcelle, but Marcelle
’
s mode of dress left her speechless and a little more than disappointed in her own lack-luster attire, if her fallen countenance was any indication.

“
What a delight to see you two young ladies again. Would you like some
milk
before dinner?
”
Marcelle couldn
’
t be
certain
, but she thought she heard one of them issue a growl low in her throat. No
doubt,
it came from
Elizabeth
, she thought. Carol
Ann
wasn
’
t the growling kind. In fact, it appeared that the insult hadn
’
t affected Carol
Ann
at all.

“
S
herry, if you have some,
”
Elizabeth
said, nearly snarling the request.
A
dding injury to the previous insult, Marcelle glanced toward their
father
s
.
“
I
s
it all right for them to partake of something as strong as sherry?
”

“
I don
’
t see why not,
”
Stanharbor said uninterestedly.

“
Very well, and what would you gentleman like to drink?
”
She asked politely.

“
Bourbon,
”
Charles answered.

“
The
same,
”
Stanharbor said.

“
A
nd
you
father
, would you like a glass of port?
”

“
No, dearest,
”
he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes,
“
I
’
ll have bourbon as well.
”

Marcelle moved toward the liquor cabinet just as a knock resounded throughout the room.

“
That
will be Mark Daragh, I believe,
”
Peter said, standing to answer the door personally. His mirth faded and he glanced over at his daughter, suddenly concerned that her mode of dress may cause a
n
unneeded and unwise
distraction.
He knew why she
’
d dressed so provocatively, but he didn
’
t really think that the younger Daragh would make an appearance this evening, and she wanted to get even with the snobs that had the audacity to show their faces in their home, simply because a Daragh was residing there.

Marcelle
’
s heart rate increased and she winced nervously. She hadn
’
t really expected Mark to get over his anger in time for supper. Now, thanks to her mode of attire, he would probably notice very little of the other two girls. She thought she could have a little fun this evening and then mention Elizabeth and Carol
Ann
to Mark on the morrow, when he
’
d recovered from his brother
’
s insult. Even suggest he pay the two young ladies a call, but it wasn
’
t working out the way she
’
d hoped, or planned.

She moved further into the shadows, hoping he wouldn
’
t take notice of her, but when he moved into the room and his eyes fell on her, she knew that she would have a hard time convincing him that Elizabeth or Carol
Ann
would make a much better candidate for his attentions.

“
Miss
Weatherman
,
”
he purred sweetly after greeting her
father
,
“
what a breathtaking sight you are to these tired eyes.
”
He clasped her hand and kissed it lightly, his eyes feasting on the creamy flesh showing above the cut of her gown.
“
A
nd
may I inquire as to where you
purchased such a lovely bauble?
”
His hand reached out and lifted the necklace from its resting place, his fingers deliberately caressing her skin.

Marcelle flinched visibly
.
“
I
t
was my mother
’
s,
”
she said, prying it from his fingers.
“
Would you care for a drink before dinner, sir?
”
She asked formally.

“
What is everyone else having?
”

“
Bourbon.
”

“
So
unds delightful. I
’
ll have the same,
”
he said and then turned his attention toward the other guests in the room
–
none of whom seemed pleased with him
now
.
T
he looks of anger disappeared seconds later when he deigned to give them his full attention.