The Pursuit Of Marriage (18 page)

“The risk is enormous.”

“But well worth it. And isn’t risk part and parcel of any,” Delia paused to emphasize her words,

“adventure.”

“I simply do not understand how an intelligent woman with the courage of her convictions and any number of other admirable qualities would want perfection in a man rather than excitement or adventure or the passion inherent in such a life.”

Berkley’s words rang in her ear.

“Adventure and excitement and passion,” Cassie said under her breath. Was it possible, right from the start, the man knew her better than she knew herself?

Was Delia right? Was this fate?

“I really don’t have a choice, do I? I think about him night and day. And when I think about never seeing him again when I’ve finished with his house or worse, living the rest of my days without him…” She drew a deep breath. “I’ll do it. I’ll pursue Lord Berkley. And then, if I must, I’ll reform him if indeed he needs reforming at all, because admittedly, I like him precisely as he is.” She met her sister’s gaze.

“Good Lord, Delia. I do love him.”

“Now you just have to catch him.”

“What if I can’t?” Panic widened Cassie’s eyes. “What if I can’t pry him away from Miss Bellingham?

What if she’s already grasped on to him? Sunk her claws into him? What if I’ve lost him?”

“You haven’t lost him, you’ve never had him, and you’ve only just realized you want him. As for Miss Bellingham, you, my dear, are Cassandra Effington. You are confident and assured and I can’t recall you ever failing to get precisely what you want.” Delia patted her sister’s hand. “If indeed you set your sights on Lord Berkley, he’s as good as yours.”

Cassie stared at her sister for a long moment. “You may be right. I have never failed to get whatever I have set my mind on, and I have always been the mistress of my own fate. A simple thing like love doesn’t change any of that.”

“Once again, dear Cassie, you’re wrong.” Delia grinned. “Love changes absolutely everything.”

“That,” Cassie grimaced, “is exactly what I’m afraid of.”

Nine

When a woman has a particular look in her eye, a gentleman has two options. He can succumb to the inevitable and be leg shackled for life. Or he can flee. Thus far I have been remarkably swift. C. Effington

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to finally meet you.” Lady Pennington, Gwendolyn, hooked her arm through Cassie’s and led her along the gravel path through the Holcroft Hall rose gardens. “I am delighted you could join us.”

“I’m delighted to be here,” Cassie said with a genuine smile. Indeed, in the four days since she’d received Lady Pennington’s invitation, she had scarce thought of anything but her stay at Holcroft Hall and the possibilities it presented for sharing the company of Lord Berkley. She’d filled the endless hours by working on her designs, and had paid several visits to Berkley House, meeting with painters and plasterers and seam-stresses. She’d found that much of the furniture, while worn, was of excellent quality and could be reused with new fabric and some repair. She’d also discovered it was far easier to concentrate on the house with Lord Berkley and his family already in the country in spite of her impatience to begin on a far more important project than his house. His heart. The only disturbing aspect was a brief note she’d received from Berkley informing her, as time was growing short, he would produce a Lord Perfect for her during their stay in the country. Her curiosity on that subject only increased her impatience.

Cassie and Lady Pennington strolled along the path, Delia, Lord Pennington’s mother, and a Miss Hilliard following some distance back. Lord Pennington’s mother was apparently explaining to Delia and the other woman all the nuances of her prized gardens, and Cassie was relieved she had escaped that lecture. She’d always been far more interested in the interior of houses than their grounds.

“Are we the first to arrive then?” Cassie asked.

She, Delia, and Tony had arrived a scant hour ago, and aside from Miss Hilliard and Lord Pennington’s mother, they had not yet seen any other guests. One guest in particular.

“My cousins, Lord Townsend and his sister Miss Hilliard, arrived early this morning.” Lady Pennington cast a quick glance over her shoulder, obviously to ascertain how close the other ladies were, then lowered her voice confidentially. “I must tell you, Miss Effington, my cousins and I are not especially close, although I have made an effort recently toward improving our relationship. Aside from my nieces, whom I don’t see nearly as often as I should like, Townsend—Adrian—and Miss Hilliard—or rather Constance—are my only living relations.

“You are exceedingly lucky, Miss Effington, to have such a large family and one that apparently, well,”

she smiled wryly, “likes one another.”

“Most of the time.” Cassie laughed. “However, the problem with a family like mine, probably because we do share a fair amount of affection, is that everyone considers everyone else’s business fair game. No one hesitates for a moment to intrude in your decisions or your life. And everyone thinks they know what is best for you regardless of what you think or want.”

“Still, they act as they do because they care.”

“It’s quite the proverbial double-edged sword.” Cassie grinned. Lady Pennington laughed and squeezed Cassie’s arm. “I must confess I had an ulterior motive for my invitation to your family, most specifically to you and your sister.”

“Oh?” Cassie raised a brow.

“This is rather awkward to admit.” Lady Pennington’s brow furrowed. “I married my husband just over a year ago, shortly after I returned to England. I had spent several years in America, after my father died, in a misguided effort to make my own way in the world as a governess. I was a dreadful governess.” She shuddered. “At any rate, while I have met any number of people, I have yet to develop friendships with ladies near to my own age and station in life. Oh, Marcus’s mother has been wonderful, and there is a woman who was once my teacher and her sister that I am very close to, but still I find myself longing for the type of comradeship I shared with the girls at school in my youth.”

Lady Pennington drew a deep breath. “I was rather hoping you and I and your sister and your cousin Lady Helmsley, too, of course, as her husband and mine are quite good friends, could perhaps become, well, friends ourselves.” A hopeful note rang in the lady’s voice.

“My closest friend has always been my sister. My cousins and I have always been friends as well.”

Cassie thought for a moment. “Good Lord, although I have a great number of acquaintances, I’m not sure I can name any woman I’m not related to that I consider a true friend.

“Lady Pennington, I should be more than honored to be considered your friend.” Cassie grinned wryly.

“Apparently I need them.”

“As do I.” Lady Pennington laughed with relief. “But you must call me Gwen. I quite like being Lady Pennington, but it’s far and away too formal between friends.”

“And my friends, few though they may be, call me Cassie.” The very idea of having Lady Pennington—

Gwen—as a friend was not merely lovely in and of itself, but didn’t one’s friends lend a helping hand when necessary?

“Lord Berkley and I have agreed to be friends,” Cassie said casually.

“Have you indeed? How very interesting.” Gwen slanted her a speculative glance. “Lord Berkley is most charming and quite amusing. He and Marcus are extremely close and have been since their youth. Reggie’s estate is a scant half hour’s ride from Holcroft Hall and is quite lovely.”

“You call him Reggie?”

Gwen winced. “I know it’s terribly improper, but he spends a great deal of time with Marcus and I’ve grown very fond of him myself. Indeed, I think of him as a brother that I never had.”

“I’d be more than willing to give you one of my brothers if you’d like.” Cassie grinned. “In the spirit of friendship, of course.”

Gwen laughed. “I shall pass, but thank you.”

They continued on past all manner of roses just beginning to bud, planted artfully around assorted topiaries and urns and edgings of low boxwood hedges.

“You like him, then,” Gwen said casually. “Reggie, that is.”

“Yes.” Cassie braced herself. “Rather a lot, really.”

“But he’s not…perfect.”

Cassie stopped and stared at the other woman. “You know about the wager?”

Gwen nodded.

“It’s really rather absurd, isn’t it?”

“Yes, well, I suspect it may shortly get more absurd. I expect most of the rest of the guests to arrive before dinner. Among them”—reluctance sounded in Gwen’s voice—“Miss Bellingham and her family.”

“Really? How nice.” Cassie forced a pleasant smile.

Cassie should have guessed Miss Bellingham would be invited. However, Delia was right when she’d said the young woman might not be at all interested in Berkley—or, rather, Reggie. Cassie rather liked thinking of him as Reggie and didn’t think it sounded at all like the name of a hound. And more and more, Cassie wondered, or perhaps hoped, that Miss Wonderful was just as wrong for Reggie as Lord Perfect was for her. Miss Bellingham’s presence might well prove rather beneficial in that respect.

Cassie straightened her shoulders and cast Gwen a confident smile. “I’m certain we shall all get on famously.”

“There’s more. I believe Reggie has arranged for yet another guest. I suspect that to be…well…” Gwen held her breath. “Lord Perfect.”

“Really? He’s actually found a Lord Perfect? He sent me a note, but I never imagined…that is…” Cassie shook her head in disbelief. “So we shall indeed have both a Lord Perfect and a Miss Wonderful? Not to mention the eccentric Miss Effington and the infamous Lord Berkley?”

“It does appear that way,” Gwen murmured.

“Good Lord, Gwen.” Cassie met her gaze directly, a note of undisguised awe in her voice. “You certainly do know how to put together a party.”

The women stared at each other for a long moment, then burst into laughter.

“Oh, this is going to be nothing short of a disaster, isn’t it?” Gwen sniffed back a tear and smiled ruefully. “This is my first attempt at any kind of party, you know.”

“I would never have guessed.” Cassie grinned. “The entertainment alone should be unforgettable.”

Gwen groaned. “Oh dear. I should probably send everyone away right now.”

“Don’t be absurd. Nothing enlivens a party, especially one where all are trapped in the same house in the country, like an interesting mix of guests, and I daresay you have surpassed any conceivable expectations in that regard.”

Panic glinted in Gwen’s eyes. “What do I do now?”

“My dear friend.” Cassie linked her arm through the other woman’s and they continued along the walk.

“You do precisely what any good hostess does. You make certain your guests are comfortable. You oversee your servants. You provide excellent meals.” She inclined her head confidentially. “Nothing destroys a good party as thoroughly as poorly prepared food. People will forgive anything as long as they are well fed.”

“I shall remember that,” Gwen murmured.

“In addition, you should provide a fair number of activities. Out-of-doors preferably, as long as the weather is pleasant.”

“I had planned a picnic for tomorrow.” Gwen brightened. “And we have very good stables. I quite enjoy riding.”

“Excellent,” Cassie nodded. “It seems to me that everything is well in hand. And should you run into any problems whatsoever, do feel free to call on myself or my sister.”

Gwen stared at her. “How on earth do you know all this?”

“I’ve been training for functions precisely like this one since the day I was born. You see, while I discovered a gift for the decoration of houses, my life up until that point prepared me for one thing and one thing only: to be a proper wife, preferably to a man with a good title and better fortune, and an accomplished hostess. I daresay my sister and I could put together a grand ball on a moment’s notice.”

She laughed. “Of course, it would require a great deal of money, but then we’ve always had a great deal of money.”

“I haven’t. Or at least I didn’t until I received my inheritance and married Marcus. It’s quite awful not having money.” Gwen frowned as if remembering past times.

“I can’t imagine being poor.” Cassie studied the other woman. “I don’t think I would do at all well at it.”

“Well, it does…” Gwen searched for the right word, then grinned. “Reek. However, those days are well behind me, and I have everything I could ever want, far beyond money.”

“And now you have friends as well.” Cassie returned the other woman’s smile. The ladies continued their walk in a companionable silence. Cassie had never particularly thought about her own lack of female friends. She’d always had Delia and the endless Effington relations. It was really quite pleasant to think that she had a new friend now.

“So,” Gwen said after a few moments. “You like Reggie rather a lot, do you?”

Cassie bit back a smile. “So it appears.”

“And what of Lord Perfect?” Gwen shook her head. “Do you think there could possibly be a perfect man?”

“No, but I am most curious as to who Lord Berkley will present as perfect. Of course, per the terms of our bargain, I have to agree that he is indeed perfect.” Cassie chuckled. “It may well be that our wager is a draw.”