How to Marry a Marquis (23 page)

He sighed as he rose to his feet again. She was a crafty old thing, and she had no compunction about meddling in his life and occasionally turning it into a living hell, but he did love her. "I'll return to my duties, then. We wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm an incompetent estate

manager."

She shot him a look. Agatha never did appreciate sarcasm from persons other than herself.

James said, "You'll have to alert me if you receive another note from the blackmailer."

"The instant I get it," she assured him.

He paused at the door. "I understand you're having a gathering tomorrow?"

"Yes, a small garden party, why?" But before he could answer, she said, "Oh, of course. You don't want to be recognized. Here, let me get you the guest list."

She pointed across the room. "Fetch me that box of papers on the desk."

James did as she bid.

"Good thing I made you change your name, eh? Wouldn't do for one of the servants to mention Mr. Sidwell."

James nodded as his aunt rifled through her papers. He was generally known as Riverdale, and had been since he'd ascended to the title at age twenty, but his family name was common enough knowledge.

Agatha let out an "Aha!" and pulled out a sheet of cream-colored paper. Before she handed it over, she scanned it, murmuring, "Oh dear. I can't imagine you don't know at least one of these people."

James read over the names, allowing his aunt to believe that his interest in the list lay with his desire to keep his identity a secret. The truth, however, was that he wanted to see the pool of men from whom he was supposed to choose a bloody husband for Elizabeth.

Sir Bertram Fellport. Drunk.

Lord Binsby. Inveterate gambler.

Daniel, Lord Harmon. Married.

Sir Christopher Gatcombe. Married.

Dr. Robert Gifford. Married.

Mr. William Dunford. Too rakish.

Captain Cynric Andrien. Too military.

"This won't do," James growled, just barely resisting the urge to crumple the paper into a pathetic little ball.

"Is there a problem?' Agatha inquired.

He looked up in surprise. He'd completely forgotten that Agatha was in the room.

"Do you mind if I make a copy of this?"

"I can't see why you would want to."

"Just for my records," he improvised. "It is very important to keep accurate records." In actuality, James was of the belief that the less put into writing, the better. There was nothing like written documents to incriminate a person.

Agatha shrugged and held out a piece of paper. "You'll find a quill and ink in the desk near the window."

A minute later, James had neatly copied the guest list and was waiting for the ink to dry. He walked back to his aunt, saying, "There is always the possibility that the blackmailer is among your guests."

"I find that highly doubtful, but you are the expert."

That caused him to raise his brows in amazement. "You're actually deferring to my judgment on a matter? Will wonders never cease."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, m'boy." Agatha craned her neck to look at the paper in his hands.

"Why did you leave off the women's names?"

More improvisation. "They are less likely as suspects."

"Hogwash. You yourself spent the first few days panting after Miss Hotchkiss, thinking-''

"I was not panting after her!"

"I was speaking metaphorically, of course. I merely intended to point out that you did originally suspect Miss Hotchkiss, so I do not understand why you should now eliminate all other women

as suspects."

"I'll get to them once I go through the men," James muttered irritably. No one had the ability to corner him like his aunt. "I really need to get back to work."

"Go, go." Agatha waved her hand in the air dismissively. "Although it's a shock to see the Marquis of Riverdale tending to menial labor with such diligence."

James just shook his head.

"Besides, Elizabeth is due back any moment now. I'm sure she will be better company than you have been."

"No doubt."

"Go."

He went. In all truth, he didn't much relish the thought of running into Elizabeth just then, anyway. He wanted time to go over the list first, to prepare his arguments concerning the

unsuitability of most-that is, of all-the men.

And that was going to take a bit of work, since two of them were men James had always called friends.

* * *

Elizabeth was walking home later that afternoon when she bumped into James, who was leaving

his little cottage. She had been tempted to take an alternative route to the main drive but had dismissed that as cowardly. She always walked past the estate manager's cottage when she

walked home, and she wasn't going to go out of her way on the off chance that James might be at home instead of in the fields or visiting a tenant, or doing one of the thousand duties he was contracted to perform.

And then there he was, opening the front door of his cottage, just as she walked on by.

Elizabeth made a mental note never again to depend upon luck.

"Elizabeth," he practically barked. "I've been looking for you."

She took one look at his thundercloud expression and decided that now was an excellent time to develop a life-or-death emergency at home. "I'd love to chat," she said, trying to breeze past him,

"but Lucas is ill, and Jane-"

"He didn't look ill yesterday."

She tried to smile sweetly, but it was a difficult maneuver while her teeth were gritted together.

"Children can fall ill so quickly. If you'll excuse me."

He grabbed her arm. "If he were truly ill, then you would not have come to work today."

Oh, blast. He had her there. "I didn't say he was desperately ill," she ground out, "but I'd like to tend to him, and-"

"If he isn't desperately ill, then surely you can spare two minutes for me." And then, before she had a chance even to yelp, he'd grabbed her by the elbow and yanked her into his cottage.

"Mr. Siddons!" she shrieked.

He kicked the door shut. "I thought we'd gotten past 'Mr. Siddons.' "

"We've regressed," she hissed. "Let me out."

"Stop acting like I'm about to ravish you."

She glared at him. "I don't see why that seems such an impossibility."

"Good God," he said, raking his hand through his hair. "When did you develop these termagant tendencies?"

"When you forced me into your cottage!"

"I certainly wouldn't have done so if you hadn't started lying about your brother."

Her mouth fell open, and she let out a little huff of outrage. "How dare you accuse me of lying!"

"Aren't you?"

"Well, yes," she admitted testily, "but that is only because you are a rude, arrogant boor who refuses to accept no for an answer."

"Refusing to accept the negative usually guarantees a positive result," he replied, his voice so condescending that Elizabeth had to grab on to her skirt just to keep from smacking him.

Her voice and her eyes pure ice, she said, "It appears my only escape is allowing you to speak your piece. What was it you desired to say?''

He shook a piece of paper in front of her. "I obtained this from Lady Danbury."

"Your notice of termination, I hope," she muttered.

He let that one pass. "It's Lady Danbury's guest list. And I regret to inform you that none of these gentlemen is acceptable."

"Oh, and I suppose you know them all personally," she scoffed.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

She yanked the paper out of his hand, ripping a small corner off in the process.

"Oh, please," she said derisively. "There are two lords and a sir. How could you know all of them?"

"Your brother is a sir," he reminded her.

"Yes, well, your brother is not," she shot back.

"You don't know that."

Her head jerked up. "Who are you?"

"My brother isn't a sir," he said in an annoyed voice. "I don't even have a brother. I was merely pointing out that you have the unfortunate habit of leaping to assumptions without sorting

through your facts."

"What," she said, so slowly that he knew her temper was hanging by a frayed thread, "is wrong with these men?"

"Three of them are married."

Her jaw shook, probably from grinding her teeth together. "What is wrong with the unmarried guests?"

"Well, for one thing, this one"-he pointed to Sir Bertram Fellport-"is a drunk."

"Are you certain?"

"I could not in all conscience allow you to marry a man who abuses spirits."

"You didn't answer my question."

Damn, but she was tenacious. "Yes, I'm certain he's a drunk. And a mean one, at that."

She looked back down at the torn paper in her hand. "What about Lord Binsby?"

"He gambles."

"Excessively?"

James nodded, beginning to enjoy himself. "Excessively. And he's fat."

She started to point again. "What about-"

"Married, married, and married."

She looked up sharply. "All three of them?"

He nodded. "One of them even happily."

"Well, that certainly bucks tradition," she muttered.

James declined to comment.

Elizabeth let out a long exhale, and he noticed that her sighs were bridging the gap from

annoyed to weary. "That still leaves Mr. William Dunford and Captain Cynric Andrien. I

suppose one is deformed and the other a simpleton?"

He was sorely tempted to agree with her, but one look at Dunford and the captain and she'd

know he'd been bamming her. "They are both considered to be handsome and intelligent," he admitted.

"Then what is the problem?"

"Dunford's a rake."

"So?"

"He's certain to be unfaithful."

"I'm hardly a prize, James. I can't expect perfection."

His eyes glowed hot. "You should expect fidelity. You should demand it."

She stared at him in disbelief. "It would be lovely, I'm sure, but it hardly seems as important as-''

"Your husband," he growled, "will remain faithful to you or he will answer to me."

Elizabeth's eyes bugged out, her mouth fell open, and then she collapsed into a fit of giggles.

James crossed his arms and glared at her. He was not accustomed to having his shows of

gallantry laughed at.

"Oh, James," she gasped, "I'm so sorry, and that was very sweet of you. Almost"-she wiped her eye- "sweet enough for me to forgive you for abducting me."

"I didn't abduct you," he said sullenly.

She waved her hand. "How on earth do you expect to defend my honor once I'm married?"

"You're not marrying Dunford," he muttered.

"If you say so," she said, so seriously and so carefully that he knew she was dying to laugh again. "Now, then, why don't you tell me what is wrong with Captain Andrien?'

There was a long pause. A really long pause. Finally James blurted out, "He stoops."

Another pause. "You're ruling him out because he stoops?" she asked incredulously.

"It's a sign of inner weakness."

"I see."

James realized that Andrien was going to have to do more than stoop. "Not to mention," he added, stalling while he tried to think up a suitable fib, "that I once saw him yell at his mother in public."

Elizabeth clearly couldn't manage a reply. Whether that was due to suppressed laughter or utter stupefaction, James didn't know.

And he wasn't entirely certain he wanted to find out.

"Er, it was most disrespectful," he added.

Without warning, she reached out and touched his forehead. "Do you have a fever? I think you have a fever."

"I don't have a fever."

"You're acting like you have a fever."

"Are you going to put me to bed and tend to me with loving kindness if I have a fever?'

"No."

"Then I don't have a fever."

She took a step back. "In that case, I had better go."

James sagged against the wall, utterly worn out. She did this to him, he realized. If he wasn't grinning like an idiot, he was furious. If he wasn't furious, he was overcome with lust. If he wasn't overcome with lust-Well, that was a moot question, wasn't it?

He watched her as she swung the door open, mesmerized by the delicate curve of her gloved

hand.

"James? James?"

Startled, he lifted his head.

"Are you certain Captain Andrien stoops?"

He nodded, knowing he'd be proven a liar the next day but hoping he could devise another, more clever lie to patch up this one.

She pursed her lips.

His gut clenched, then did a flip.

"Doesn't that seem odd to you? A military man who stoops?"

He shrugged helplessly. "I told you not to marry him."

She made a funny little sound from the back of her throat. "I can improve his posture."

He could only shake his head. "You're a remarkable woman, Elizabeth Hotchkiss."

She gave him a nod, then walked out the door. Before she shut it, however, she poked her head back in. "Oh, James?"

He looked up.

"Stand up straight."

The following afternoon found Elizabeth skulking near the front gates of Danbury House,

cursing at herself first for her idiocy, then for her cowardice, and finally just because.

She'd followed Susan's advice and left her notebook- the one in which she scribbled all of her household accounts-at Danbury House the day before. Since the notebook was so essential to

everyday life, she was required to retrieve it during the garden party.

"There is nothing suspicious about my presence here," she said to herself. "I forgot my notebook. I need my notebook. I can't possibly survive until Monday without it."

Of course that didn't explain why she had brought the notebook-which had never before left the Hotchkiss cottage-with her in the first place.

She'd waited until nearly four, when the guests would probably be outside enjoying the warm country sunshine. Lady Danbury had mentioned tennis and tea on the south lawn. It wasn't

precisely on the route Elizabeth would need to take in order to retrieve her notebook, but there was no reason that she could not make a special trip to find Lady Danbury to ask her if she'd