The Frog Earl (10 page)

She shook away the memories. This was home now, the fresh fragrance of lilac breaking into bloom nearby, the green, fertile farmland stretching into the distance, and the church bells in the village striking twelve.

“How pretty you looked yesterday,” she said, taking a seat on the cushioned bench beside her friend. “Yellow suits you. You must have that gown I wore at dinner the other day, I don't know why I didn't think of it before.”

“Oh, I couldn't.”

“You must. I look a fright in it, and as long as it's hanging in my wardrobe I shall be tempted to wear it to see if it's really as bad as I think it is. How annoying it was of Lord Litton yesterday to take you away before you could speak to Simon.”

“Simon?”

“That's what Lord Litton calls Mr. Hurst, and Lady Thompson too, and after hearing them, that's how I think of him. It's a nice name, isn't it? Don't worry, I wouldn't address him by it to his face. Or maybe I would,” she added darkly. “He calls me Princess when we're alone.”

“Alone!”

“With no one around but Jacko. What do you think of him?”

“Of Jacko, Mr. Hurst, or Lord Litton?” asked Harriet, laughing.

“Of Mr. Hurst, of course. It doesn't matter what you think of the other two.”

“He seems a pleasant, well-spoken gentleman. I have not seen enough of him to know more.”

“Did he not stay and talk to you when he brought the note? I sent him specially.”

“Yes, we talked for a while, about the navy.”

“The navy! How on earth did you come to mention that Ferdie is in the navy?”

“It was Mr. Hurst who raised the subject. He used to be a naval officer.”

“I wonder why he left? I should think that would suit him much better than estate management. He's nicer than Sir Wilfred and Albert Pell and the others, don't you think?”

“Oh yes, he is much more sensible.”

“And amiable,” said Mimi firmly. “How very annoying of Lord Litton to come along just then and drag you off like that.”

“He did not precisely drag me away. It was Prue, rather, who dragged him. I was surprised at how kind he was to the children. I always found him rather daunting before.”

“Well, no matter. He's a viscount. It's Simon Hurst we must concentrate our efforts on, though I daresay we had best not give up on the others quite yet. I wonder if he likes music?  You have such a lovely voice, Harriet. I shall give a musical evening.”

Harriet chuckled. “That is particularly noble of you, when I know how you hate sitting through Sophia's endless performances upon the harpsichord.”

“All in a good cause. Besides, it will be the perfect occasion for an idea I have to offend the others.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing too shocking, but it's a secret. In the meantime, I'm going to ask Albert Pell to teach me to fish. That should upset him, don't you think? He is always fulminating against females getting in the way on the hunting field.”

“Yes, and Sir Wilfred will consider it unfeminine, besides risking untold damage to your attire.”

“It's a pity he didn't see me yesterday,” said Mimi, giggling. “Lord Litton stared at me with such haughty disapproval I wanted to... Oh, look! They are coming!”

She jumped up and ran to the top of the steps, followed at a more dignified pace by Harriet. Two horsemen had just entered the paddock through the gate that led toward Mere House. Mimi waved and started down the steps.

She reached the bottom just as the riders trotted up.

“Well met, Miss Lassiter, Miss Cooper,” cried Simon, while his lordship doffed his hat and bowed. “I persuaded Gerald to ride this way so that I could inspect yesterday's handiwork.”

“I am on the same errand,” said Mimi, smiling up at him, then turning with a slight curtsy to the viscount. “Good day, my lord.”

“How do you do, Miss Lassiter. I own myself all agog to discover the progress of your cottage industry. Your servant, Miss Cooper.” He bowed again, but remained mounted when Simon swung down from the saddle.

“Shall I hold your horse, sir,” Harriet offered, “while you and Mimi look at your plants?”

“I'll take Intrepid's reins,” said his lordship quickly. “While not the most fiery of steeds, he is too large for you, ma'am.”

Simon handed him the reins, and he and Mimi moved closer to the pond.

“The reeds and rushes look quite happy,” said Mimi. “And see over there—two yellow flags in bloom already. Are they not pretty?”

“I'm afraid the watercress has wilted. It was difficult to avoid breaking the stems.”

“Perhaps it will put up new shoots. Harriet's mama says you sometimes can't say for several days, or even weeks, if a new plant will take. Look, the tadpoles are all clustered around the reeds. You were right, they like them.”

“That reminds me, I brought Sir Josiah's butterfly net and stopped by the mere, much to Gerald's disgust, to fish out some pondweed for the casseroled tadpoles. We forgot to get any yesterday. The net's stuck through my stirrup leather, much to Intrepid's disgust. I hope the weed didn't fall out.”

They returned to the horses, where Lord Litton had dismounted and was chatting with Harriet. Simon produced several long, dripping strands of greenery from the net.

“You cannot carry that, Mimi,” Harriet protested. “You will ruin your dress.”

Mimi had no particular fondness for that dress and would have taken the pondweed anyway, but Simon held it away from her.

“So you will. I'll ride up to the Hall with it.”

“All right. I'll meet you in the scullery in ten minutes. Harriet, my lord, will you come and have some luncheon?”

“I must be going home,” said Harriet regretfully. “I promised Mama not to be away too long.”

“Then pray allow me to escort you, Miss Cooper,” Lord Litton requested. “I had in any case intended to pay my devoirs to the vicar today.”

So they parted. Hurrying up the steps and across the gardens, Mimi realized remorsefully that despite her best intentions she was monopolizing Simon while poor Harriet was left with the disdainful viscount. She hoped Harriet recognized that it was no use setting her cap at his lordship; toplofty noblemen of his ilk simply didn't go about marrying the daughters of impecunious country parsons.

At least, she was fairly sure they didn't. But what had he meant by paying his `devoirs' to the vicar?

When Simon reached the scullery, Mimi was already there, peering into the casserole. She looked up as he deposited the butterfly net in the nearest sink.

“What does `devoir' mean?” she asked him without ceremony.

“Devoir?” He was startled, having forgotten his cousin's use of the word. “It's a French word meaning to have to, to be obliged to. Did you never learn any French?”

“No, but I speak Hindi and some Urdu, and I can read a little Arabic. That doesn't make sense. Lord Litton said he was going to pay his devoirs to Mr. Cooper.”

“Oh, that's an English phrase meaning to pay his respects. The living of Salters Green is in Gerald's gift now, I imagine, since Sir Josiah's demise.”

“Then shouldn't Mr. Cooper pay his respects to Lord Litton?”

“There are those who would expect it, certainly.”

“Oh.” She frowned in thought, biting her lower lip, her little teeth gleaming white against her dark skin. “Perhaps Lord Litton is not as disagreeable as I thought.”

“He's not such a bad fellow when you get to know him,” Simon told her, hiding a smile.

She dismissed the subject, turning back to the tadpoles. “We had best change the water before we put the pondweed in. I have the sieve. Cook wouldn't take it back after it had `them nasty slimy creatures' in it.”

“All right. I'll draw some water first.”

“I can call Jacko to do it.”

“That's all right, Princess. I'm not such a useless fribble I can't pump water.”

“You're not a fribble at all. Harriet says you used to be a naval officer.” She sounded accusing.

“I was,” he admitted, remembering too late that Aunt Georgina had advised him to conceal the fact.

“Why did you leave the navy?”

“My brother died, and my parents wanted me at home.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” With instant sympathy she laid her hand on his arm. “How sad to lose your brother and your profession at once. That must be why you are learning estate management. I hope you will like it and not miss the sea too much.”

“Less and less,” he assured her, and realized that it was true.

Chapter 9

“It's utterly infuriating,” said Mimi. “Albert Pell was positively enthusiastic when I asked him to teach me to fish.”

With Jacko's help, Harriet mounted Shridatta and settled herself in the sidesaddle. They rode toward the village.

“Papa says it's because the Pells' farms are in shocking condition,” Mimi continued. “Albert will endure even a female indulging in sporting pursuits for the sake of my fortune.”

“Your father told you that!”

“Why, yes. He would not stop me marrying anyone I truly loved, but he cannot approve of Albert Pell, nor of Sir Wilfred.”

“My father would prefer to see me wed to Mr. Lloyd or Mr. Blake,” Harriet admitted. “Though they are both of lower station in the eyes of the world. He says they are both respectable and well-intentioned. But oh, Mimi, Mr. Blake is so dry, and I cannot like Mr. Lloyd. He is not at all what I believe a clergyman ought to be.”

“That's because no one can measure up to your papa. Mr. Lloyd talks about religion a great deal, but it is Mr. Cooper who... who makes one want to become a better person.”

“I begin to think I shall never marry,” said Harriet dolefully. “Maria was so very fortunate to meet Mr. Talmadge at the Chester assembly.”

“If your sister was lucky enough to meet a pleasant and eligible gentleman, there's no reason you should not be too. It's less than a month until the next June ball. I must say it's a pity, though, that you're disillusioned with our local beaux. I see what it is: the company of Mr. Hurst and Lord Litton has spoiled you.”

“Oh no, I hope not!”

“Mr. Hurst is more agreeable than any of them,” Mimi pointed out, “while the viscount's elegance puts Sir Wilfred's foppery to shame and his manner is not near as obnoxious as Albert's.”

“You are unfair. Lord Litton's manners are excellent, not merely superior to Mr. Pell's.”

“It's not easy to be fair when someone looks at you as if you were a frog who has just jumped out of his salad.”

The thoughtful look in Mimi's eye made Harriet decidedly uneasy. “Mimi, you would not!”

“Well, no. There's no reason to drive the viscount away, for he does not admire me in the least.”

“And he would never think of me as an eligible bride anyway.”

“I'm afraid not. I wish I could give you half my fortune, Harriet! But as I cannot, I had better persevere with my plot just in case you don't meet anyone suitable at the assembly and Mr. Hurst doesn't come up to scratch. Oh, here we are at Mullins's already. You won't mind waiting while I choose some ribbons?”

They dismounted in the middle of the row of whitewashed shops with their Welsh slate roofs and crooked black beams. Leaving Jacko standing by the bow window with the horses, the girls stepped down into the tiny, low-ceilinged room where Mrs. Mullins sold ribbons and buttons, needles and knotting-shuttles, thread lace and handkerchiefs.

Mimi was at once absorbed in discussion with the proprietress, while Harriet passed the time of day with an elderly parishioner who had dropped in for a chat.

The church clock struck the quarter.

“Mimi, you have an appointment.”

“Oh, yes, though it will not hurt to keep him waiting. Which of these ribbons do you prefer, Harriet?”

“The russet satin, but that poppy-red velvet will suit you better.”

“I'll take five yards of each, Mrs. Mullins, and wrap them separately, if you please.” While the parcels were tied with string, she peered out through the distorting panes of the bow window at the village green opposite. “Drat, there's Sir Wilfred and he's seen Jacko. Never mind, he can ride with us to the mere and then escort you home.”

She took the packages with a word of thanks and they went out into the street, blinking in the sunshine after the gloom of the shop.

“Good day, Miss Lassiter.” Sir Wilfred swept off his curly-brimmed hat and bowed. “Buying yourself some pretty fripperies, eh?” He nodded carelessly to Harriet. “Miss Cooper.”

“We are going to the mere to meet Mr. Pell and catch some fish,” Mimi told him.

“Fish!” At that moment the baronet looked rather like a fish himself, his eyes popping and his mouth round with surprise. “Oh, ha ha, you mean you're going to watch Pell fishing.”

“I am going to catch fish. I hope,” she added.

“Oh... ah... I... er... How... er... interesting. You too, Miss Harriet?”

“I am just riding with Mimi, sir.”

Sir Wilfred sighed with relief. “Didn't suppose for a moment... Allow me to help you mount, Miss Harriet.”

Mimi cast a triumphant glance at Harriet and saw an answering twinkle in her friend's eye. She was feeling pleased with herself as they rode down the village street toward the mere. Sir Wilfred might be a popinjay but he was the wealthiest of her four suitors, able to keep Harriet in comfort if only he could be persuaded to offer for her.

Albert Pell was waiting impatiently on the flat stone bridge over the stream that fed the mere. He strode to meet them and helped Mimi dismount while Jacko unloaded Sir Josiah's tackle from Brownie's back. Harriet and Sir Wilfred seated themselves on a nearby wooden bench, but Mimi, disappointed, noted that they seemed to have nothing to say to each other. Instead, they both watched her with obvious anxiety.  Albert's scorn was equally obvious as he inspected Sir Josiah's rod, though he didn't comment. Indeed, beside his own it looked sadly primitive, eight feet or so of split cane to his twelve, and a reel mounted on a wooden pin rather than metal. Mimi didn't care.

“Show me,” she demanded.

“First you bait your hook. I brought some worms.”

“You mean you stick the hook through the worm?”

“'Sright. Feeling squeamish?” He laughed, looking smug in his masculine superiority to such feminine sentimentality. “Here, I'll do it for you.”