Gentleman's Guide 02 - His Contrary Bride) (14 page)

“You have entered Polite Society, which is
where you belong. Ramsey wants you to have the best of this world
to make up for the years at the academy.”

“I know all that.” Sabrina waved her hand,
exacerbated. “For Ramsey, I will continue with this. I just wish I
had a purpose.”

“I don’t understand. What type of
purpose?”

“I need a purpose. Nobody here has a purpose
except for mindless entertainment. Does anyone have any depth? I
always thought if I ever did come to London I would absorb the
culture and visit museums. This is not what I had envisioned.”

“You do have one purpose that I think
perhaps you have overlooked.” Marius offered.

Raising an eyebrow, Sabrina waited to be
enlightened.

“I am sure Ramsey would be happy to see you
married. It is one of the main purposes for an unmarried lady to be
in London.”

Sabrina groaned. “I guess that is a purpose
of a sort.”

“Then, there is also a purpose to being a
wife.”

This time Sabrina gave Marius a half smile
and rolled her eyes. “A wife has only two purposes. They are
overseeing the servants, which is not exactly a challenging effort
and producing an heir, which I can assume isn’t very challenging
either. So, tell me, what is a wife’s purpose, besides gossip and
shopping after she has reviewed the menu and before she must retire
with her husband?”

“In truth, I have never thought about the
role of a wife, but I am assuming you are probably right. You don’t
think you would enjoy a pampered life?”

Sabrina shook her head. “No. There is no
possible way I could enjoy wasting my days.”

“Perhaps a hobby.” Marius suggested.

“A hobby isn’t a purpose, it is a waste of
time, unless it benefits others. I need to do something
useful.”

Marius sat for a few minutes. “I think I
know what you need.”

Intrigued, Sabrina turned toward him. “What
would that be?”

“I think I will arrange to take you to some
museums and seek out other stimulating entertainments for you.”

Sabrina laughed. “That is not necessary. You
have done enough for me already.”

“Nonsense.” Marius interrupted her.

“No, I am serious.” Sabrina almost
whispered. “You saw to it that I was safe after leaving the academy
and reunited me with my cousin. You don’t need to worry about me
any longer. I am sure you have other matters you would rather
pursue.”

“You are wrong. I would very much enjoy
taking you to the museum.” Marius returned with sincerity.

“Why?” Sabrina needed to know.

Marius didn’t answer right way and searched
her eyes for a moment. “That is what friends do.”

“Are you my friend, Marius?”

Marius raised his hand to her cheek. “Yes,”
he whispered as he looked toward her lips. As his head started to
descend, Sabrina looked deeply into his eyes, wondering if friends
kissed and what exactly she was to Marius.

“It appears we have arrived just in time,
dear.” Lord Sandlin’s voice came from the doorway.

Startled, Sabrina and Marius pulled away
from their near embrace. Marius stood, while Sabrina busied herself
straightening her skirts, hoping to hide her embarrassment. At
least it was only Lord and Lady Sandlin. They wouldn’t force Marius
into something as permanent as an unwanted marriage.

“Were you trying to sneak away with your
wife, Taylor, or has Phoebe taken to wandering again?” Marius
asked.

“We were following you, following Sabrina.”
Lord Sandlin grinned, as if much pleased with himself, though
Sabrina had no idea why.

“You took your time getting here.”

“Actually, Phoebe tended to slow me down,
stopping and talking as she does, insisting no harm would come to
Sabrina.”

Marius turned to Phoebe and smiled. “Thank
you for your confidence, Lady Sandlin.”

Marius executed a bow to her and Lady
Sandlin. “Now, if you will excuse me. I will return and you can
escort Lady Sabrina back inside so that there is no gossip.” He was
out the door before she could respond.

Sabrina watched him leave and willed herself
not to cry. She should be grateful for his friendship because she
did have far too few real friends, yet her heart insisted on
breaking regardless.

*

Today was the type of day Sabrina never
thought she would long for. There were absolutely no plans to visit
with anyone and they were staying in for the evening and she vowed
to make the most of the peace.

Without a definite plan for the day, by
mid-morning Sabrina was becoming restless and found herself
wandering from room to room. Everyone had a task or a purpose.
Juliet had taken advantage of the freedom and retired with a book
to read when she wasn’t dozing. Perhaps a book would relieve her of
the restlessness as well. Sabrina turned toward the library. After
all, she had enjoyed
Sense and Sensibility
and wondered if
the author had written anything else.

The room was in a state of chaos. Books had
been completely removed from one wall and Helen, one of the maids,
was busy dusting the books and the shelves. “Surely more than one
maid is assigned to this task.”

“Oh no. Only I, Lady Sabrina,” Helen
answered cheerfully.

Sabrina looked around the room and noticed
additional walls of books had yet to be dusted. Closer inspection
revealed the entire room was in need of a very thorough cleaning.
When her attention returned to Helen, the maid was just climbing
onto a small stool to begin putting books away. Walking to the
maid’s side, Sabrina requested which stack the maid needed
first.

“Lady Sabrina, you shouldn’t be helping me.
It isn’t right.”

“Nonsense. You’ll have the books back on the
shelves in half the time if I hand them to you.”

Helen smiled gratefully down at Sabrina and
indicated to a stack on the floor. When Sabrina handed her the
books, she waited as they were placed on the shelf. Helen swayed
slightly and had to grab a shelf to steady herself. “Is anything
the matter?”

“It is nothing. I just tend to get dizzy
when I have to look up.”

“Does this happen often?”

“For as long as I can remember. Strange it
is.”

Sabrina looked around the room and realized
Helen would spend a good part of the cleaning looking up. The maid
was liable to fall. “You come down and hand me the books.”

“No, I couldn’t.” Helen’s hands came to her
chest and her face paled as if Sabrina had shocked her somehow.

“Yes, you can. I am quite used to working
and it would serve nobody’s purpose if you fell and injured
yourself.”

Helen looked between the shelves, the books
and the stool a few more times before she reluctantly returned to
the ground. “Thank you, my lady.”

The next two hours flew by as Sabrina and
Helen both cleaned the library. Ramsey came by only once and
Sabrina cheerfully explained the situation to him before sending
him on his way. For the first time in a long time she was actually
enjoying herself. That is all she needed all along – something to
do.

Sabrina had pulled a sturdy pedestal table
over to clean the dust away from above the windows. It was higher
than the stool she had been using and would give her better access
to the ceiling where some cobwebs had collected. Standing on
tiptoes, she set about her task as Helen hovered behind.

“Oh, do be careful, Lady Sabrina.”

“Don’t worry Helen. I’ll be fine.”

*

Marius stood in the doorway, unable to
believe his eyes. Didn’t Sabrina realize this part of her life was
over? Ramsey stood next to him. “Do you have any idea what she is
up to?”

“Yes.” Ramsey continued to watch his
cousin.

“Why didn’t you stop her?”

Ramsey shrugged and turned to Marius.
“Because it is the happiest she has been in some time.”

“Oh, Lady Sabrina, I do wish you would come
down from there.” Helen exclaimed as she wrung her hands
together.

The maid’s voice brought Marius’s attention
back to Sabrina. She stood on her toes and was trying to reach the
far corner of the window. As she reached, she stepped further to
the edge. Marius held his breath and began walking toward her. He
knew she was completely unaware of him and remained quiet so as not
to startle her.

He reached the pedestal table just as
Sabrina stepped too close to the edge, upsetting the balance,
causing the table to tilt to the side. With a screech, Sabrina’s
arms flayed as she toppled from the table and landed in Marius’s
arms. Startled, she looked into his eyes.

Marius couldn’t have planned this better.
The woman he longed for had just landed neatly where he would like
to keep her. He wished he could just walk out the front door and to
his own home, cradling her this way. “I think that is enough
cleaning for the day, Cinderella.” He smiled at her, not yet
willing to put her down, even though propriety demanded he did.

She grinned back up at him. A second later
she stiffened and her lips pursed for a moment. Marius couldn’t
comprehend her sudden changed mood. Had he done something wrong
already?

“What brings you here Mr. Parker?”

Marius quirked an eyebrow at the sudden
formality, but dismissed it due to the presence of the maid. “I
have business with your cousin. Luckily I happened by at the right
time.” Marius knew he should set her on her feet, but couldn’t
bring himself to do such a thing. Besides, Sabrina seemed perfectly
content.

Ramsey stepped further into the room. “Yes,
Parker. Now that Sabrina is safe, why don’t we discuss the matter
you mentioned?”

A slight blush formed on Sabrina’s
cheeks.

Marius walked to the closest chair and
deposited her into it. “Stay off tables, Sabrina. Your Season would
be quite ruined with a broken neck.” Bowing, Marius took his
leave.

*

Marius took a seat across from Ramsey, while
he tried to erase the feel of Sabrina in his arms.

“You said there was a situation that
concerned you?” Ramsey prompted.

Marius shook the thoughts of Sabrina from
his head and faced her cousin. “Yes.” He answered and proceeded to
tell Ramsey of his investigation and the deaths.

By the time he was finished, Ramsey was
sitting back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him.
“What do you make of it?”

“I am not sure, but it can’t be a
coincidence.

“No, I suppose you are right.” Ramsey
drifted off into thought for a moment and turned to look out the
window. “I don’t like this Marius. My uncle dies, yet my other
uncle offers no explanation. Then Uncle James lies to both Sabrina
and me. Now, with the deaths, they have to be related.”

“That is what has bothered me. I am not
completely convinced that you, Sabrina, and your uncle fit into
this. But, I do believe the other deaths must be linked to Jonas
Chester. Why else would the man at the home have been murdered just
two days after Sabrina asked him how her father died?”

Ramsey nodded his head.

“I’ll continue looking for the last two. I
know who they are and they should be close to London.”

“Let me know what you learn.”

As Marius was leaving, he passed the library
once again. He was too close and couldn’t ignore the fact that she
was there. Stepping into the room, he found Sabrina standing on a
stool while the maid handed books up to her. What had Ramsey meant
that it was the happiest she had been in weeks? Could he hope she
missed him as much as he missed her?

Though he knew he should continue on out of
the house, and stick with his plan to allow her to be courted and
admired without his constant presence, Marius couldn’t bring
himself to do so. Soon he found himself standing directly beside
her as she placed the last book on the shelf. Today she looked more
like the woman he had first met with smudges of dirt on her hands
and dust on her work gown. Far different from the elegant lady who
appeared in society, but just as desirable.

After putting the last book on the shelf,
Sabrina dusted her hands together to erase any remaining dirt. The
library had now been cleaned thoroughly and she felt a sense of
accomplishment that had been lacking since she had left the
academy. Perhaps she should involve herself in household duties
more often. It would certainly keep the boredom at bay.

Turning around to survey the room she
spotted Marius standing at her side. He had to be the quietest man
on earth. Sabrina stepped down from the stool. “Is your meeting
finished with my cousin?” Sabrina asked with reserved
politeness.

Marius quirked his lips. “Yes, we just
finished.”

She folded her hands before her. “I hope the
meeting was productive.”

“Why the formality, Sabrina?”

Her brows knitted together as she studied
him. After he had caught her earlier, Sabrina had decided that the
best way to deal with her own feelings was to keep him at a
distance, and treat him no differently than any other gentleman. “I
simply felt it more appropriate, now that we are in London.”

“Perhaps, when we are in society. Here, we
are virtually alone and I have given you leave to use my name.”

“Very well, Marius, I shall do as you
wish.”

He studied her, looking into her eyes, as if
he wasn’t quite sure of her. “Would you care to walk in the
park?”

Panic rose within her. She couldn’t spend
time with him and fight her feelings at the same time. Nor could
she be his friend. That was not where her heart lay. “I couldn’t
leave this house dressed as I am, though I thank you for the kind
offer.”

“I would be happy to wait while you change.”
Marius grinned at her, an odd glint in his eye as if daring her to
come up with another excuse.

“I couldn’t impose on you. It would take
much more than a few minutes to wash the dust away and change my
gown.” Why was he being so persistent? If he was thinking to fill
an empty day in case she lacked entertainment it certainly was not
necessary. Perhaps he was acting this way because he had seen her
so vulnerable the night before. After all, he did say he was a
friend. That bothered her most. If he had any clue to how she felt
he would run for the door. As much as she liked being within him,
she wanted to avoid humiliation that much more.