How to Marry a Marquis (7 page)

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Ten hours later, Elizabeth dragged her weary feet through the front door of the Hotchkiss

cottage. Susan was, not surprisingly, waiting on the bottom step of the stairs, HOW TO MARRY

A MARQUIS still clutched in her hand.

"What happened?" Susan exclaimed, bounding to her feet. "Tell me everything!"

Elizabeth fought the urge to collapse in a fit of mortified laughter. "Oh, Susan," she said with a slow shake of her head. "We've mastered Edict Number One. He definitely thinks I'm unique."

Chapter 4

"Isn't it a beautiful day?"

Elizabeth looked across the breakfast table at her sister's merry visage.

Susan's smile was outshone only by the sun, which promised yet another day of uncommonly

good weather.

"Isn't it?" Susan persisted.

Elizabeth just ignored her and continued to stab her muffin with a knife.

"If you're not going to eat that, may I have it?" Lucas asked.

Elizabeth started to push her plate across the table.

"Wait! I'd like some more, too," Jane chimed.

Elizabeth pulled the plate back, split the brutalized muffin remains in two, and pushed it back out.

"You're rather grumpy this morning," Jane said as she grabbed her share.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

As if choreographed, all three younger Hotchkisses drew back and exchanged glances. It was

rare for Elizabeth to be struck with ill temper, but when she was ...

"I believe I shall go out and play," Lucas said, standing up so fast he knocked his chair over.

"And I believe I shall join you," Jane said, shoving the rest of the muffin in her mouth.

The two children dashed out through the kitchen door. Elizabeth leveled a rather insolent stare in Susan's direction.

"I'm not going anywhere," Susan said. "We have too much to discuss."

"Perhaps you noticed that I am not in a conversational mood?" Elizabeth picked up her tea and took a sip. It was lukewarm. She set it back down and got up to put more water on the stove.

Yesterday had been a total fiasco. Utter disaster. What had she been thinking?

She was supposed to have been practicing her social skills and instead she'd been prattling on about turnips.

Turnips!

She hated turnips.

She'd tried to tell herself that she'd had no choice. There was more to Mr. Siddons than met the eye, and he'd clearly been playing some game of his own with her. But turnips? Why did she

have to pick turnips? And why had she said they had something to do with diligence? Good

Lord, how was she ever to explain that?

He had probably told all of Danbury House about her bizarre fascination with root vegetables.

By the time she arrived at work that morning, the story would have probably circulated from the stables to the kitchen and back. Everyone would be laughing at her. And while she didn't much mind the loss of Mr. Siddons as a "pretend marquis," she was going to have to work with the man for months-maybe years!-to come. And he probably thought she was insane.

Elizabeth took a step toward the stairs. "I'm going to be sick."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Susan exclaimed, skidding around the table and grabbing Elizabeth's arm.

"You are going to Danbury House this morning if it kills you."

"It is killing me. Trust me."

Susan planted her free hand on her hip. "I've never known you to be a coward, Elizabeth Hotchkiss."

Elizabeth wrenched her arm free and glared at her sister. "I'm not a coward. I just know when a battle is unwinnable. And believe me, this one has Waterloo written all over it."

"We won at Waterloo," Susan pointed out with a smirk.

"Pretend we're French," Elizabeth snapped. "I'm telling you, Mr. Siddons is not a good choice."

"What's wrong with him?"

"What's wrong with him? What's wrong with him?" Elizabeth's voice rose with frustration.

"There's nothing wrong with him. Everything is wrong with him."

Susan scratched her head. "Perhaps it is my tender years, or perhaps my brain is not as fully developed as yours-"

"Oh, please, Susan."

"-but I have no earthly idea what you're talking about. If there is nothing wrong with the man-''

"The man is dangerous. He was playing games with me."

"Are you certain?"

"He has seduced hundreds of women. I'm sure of it."

"An estate manager?" Susan asked dubiously. "Aren't they usually short and fat?"

"This one is handsome as sin. He-"

"Handsome as sin? Really?" Susan's eyes grew wide. "What does he look like?"

Elizabeth paused, trying not to blush as Mr. Siddons's face floated in her mind. What was it about that man that was so compelling? Something about his mouth, perhaps.

His finely molded lips had the tendency to curve ever so slightly, as if they held the key to a secret joke. But then again, maybe it was his eyes. They were a rather regular shade of brown, the same color as his hair, actually, and should have seemed ordinary, but they were so deep, and when he looked at her, she felt...

"Elizabeth?"

Hot. She felt hot.

"Elizabeth?"

"What?" she asked distractedly.

"What does he look like?"

"Oh. He-oh, goodness, how am I supposed to describe him? He looks like a man."

"How descriptive," Susan said in a droll tone. "Remind me never to advise you to seek work as a novelist."

"I couldn't possibly make up a story any more ridiculous than the one I'm living right now."

Susan sobered. "Is it really as bad as that?'

"Yes," Elizabeth said with a sigh that was two parts frustration and one part irritation, "it is. We are almost completely out of the money Father left, and my wages from Lady Danbury are not

nearly enough to support us- especially once the lease on the cottage runs out. I have to marry, but the only available man in the district besides Squire Nevins is Lady D's new estate manager, and he, aside from being far too handsome and dangerous and thinking that I am completely

insane, couldn't possibly earn enough to qualify as a suitable candidate. So I ask you," she added, her voice rising in pitch and volume, "since you've already pointed out that I am not going to

make a fortune publishing my letters, what do you propose I do?" She crossed her arms, rather pleased with her speech.

Susan merely blinked and asked, "Why does he think you're insane?"

"It doesn't matter," Elizabeth ground. "What matters is that I am in a complete bind."

"As it happens," Susan said with a slow, deep smile, "I have the answer."

Elizabeth saw her sister reach behind her back for something and felt anger explode within her.

"Oh, no, don't you even dare to pull that book out again."

But Susan already had the little red book open. "Listen to this," she said excitedly. " 'Edict Number Seventeen-' "

"We're already up to seventeen?"

"Be quiet. „Edict Number Seventeen: Life is a rehearsal until you meet the man you marry.' "

Susan nodded enthusiastically. "See?"

Silence.

"Elizabeth?"

"You're joking, aren't you?"

Susan looked at the book, then looked back up at her sister. "Noooo," she said slowly, "I-"

"Give me that!" Elizabeth snatched up the book and looked down.

LIFE IS A MERE REHEARSAL UNTIL YOU MEET THE MAN YOU MARRY. THUS YOU

MUST PRACTICE THESE EDICTS AT ALL TIMES, ON EVERY MAN YOU MEET. IT

DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF MARRYING A CERTAIN MAN;

HE MUST BE DEALT WITH AS YOU WOULD A MARQUIS. FOR IF YOU SLIP OUT OF

THE HABIT OF FOLLOWING MY EDICTS, YOU WILL FORGET WHAT YOU ARE

ABOUT WHEN YOU DO MEET A MARRIAGE PROSPECT. HONE YOUR SKILLS. BE

READY. YOUR MARQUIS MAY BE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

"Has she gone completely mad?" Elizabeth demanded. "This is not a fairy tale. There are no marquises around the corner. And frankly, I find this all rather insulting."

"What part?"

"All of it. To listen to this woman say it, I don't even exist until I find a husband. It's preposterous. If I'm so unimportant, then what have I been doing these past five years? How

have I managed to keep this family together? Not by twiddling my thumbs and hoping some kind

gentleman will deign to marry me!"

Susan's mouth parted in silent surprise. Finally she said, "I don't think she meant-"

"I know she didn't-" Elizabeth broke off her words, a little ashamed by the violence of her outburst. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean- Please forget I said anything."

"Are you certain?" Susan asked, her voice quiet.

"It's nothing," Elizabeth said quickly, turning away and looking out the window.

Lucas and Jane were playing in the garden. They'd devised some game involving a piece of blue fabric tied to a stick and were squealing with glee.

Elizabeth swallowed, love and pride brimming within her. She ran her hand through her hair,

her fingers stopping in place when she reached the top of her braid. "I'm sorry," she said to Susan. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"I don't mind," Susan said sympathetically. "You've been under a great deal of strain. I know that."

"It's just that I'm so worried." Elizabeth moved her hand to her forehead and rubbed. Suddenly she felt so tired and so very old. "What good is practicing my wiles upon Mr. Siddons when there aren't even any real marriage prospects to be found?"

"Lady Danbury invites visitors all the time," Susan said in an encouraging voice. "Doesn't she?

And you told me that all her friends are rich and titled."

“Yes, but she grants me my free days when she entertains. She says she has no need of my

company when she has guests in residence."

"You'll just have to find a way around that. Concoct some reason why you need to visit. And what about this party at the end of the month? Didn't you say she always invites you to such functions?'

"It's to be a masquerade, actually. She informed me yesterday."

"Even better! We might not know enough to sew you a fashionable ball gown, but we can

certainly manage a costume. You don't need to dress up as anyone fancy."

Susan moved her hands animatedly as she spoke, and for one odd moment Elizabeth thought

she was looking at herself at fourteen-back when she'd thought anything was possible. Before her father had died and left her with mountains of responsibility. Before he had died and taken the innocence of her childhood along with him.

"We look so alike, you and I," she said in a small whisper.

Susan blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"It's nothing. It's just..." Elizabeth paused and gave her sister a wistful smile. "It's just that sometimes our similar looks remind me how like you I used to be."

"And you're not any longer?"

"No, not really. Sometimes, just for a little bit, though." She leaned forward impulsively and kissed her sister's cheek. "Those are my very favorite moments."

Susan blinked back something that looked suspiciously like tears before assuming her usual

businesslike mien. "We need to return to the matter at hand."

Elizabeth smiled. "I'd quite forgotten what that was."

"When," Susan asked with an impatient sigh, "is Lady Danbury next entertaining visitors? Not the masquerade. Just visitors."

"Oh, that," Elizabeth said grimly. "She's expecting people at the end of this week. I believe it is to be a small garden party. More of a gathering, really, than a formal party. I wrote out the invitations."

"How many will be arriving?"

"No more than ten or twelve, I think. It is only for the afternoon. We are close enough to London, after all, that people can make the trip to and from in one day."

"You must attend."

"Susan, I am not invited!"

"Surely that is only because she does not think you will accept. If you tell her-''

"I am not going to angle for an invitation," Elizabeth said hotly. "Even I have more pride than that."

"Can't you just leave something there by accident on Friday? Then you would have to return on Saturday to fetch it." Susan made a face that was more hopeful than convincing. "Maybe you would be invited to join in the festivities."

"And you don't think Lady Danbury will find that a trifle odd?" Elizabeth scoffed. "I've been her companion for five years now, and I've never forgotten any of my belongings before."

"Perhaps she will. Perhaps she won't." Susan shrugged. "But you won't know until you try. And you certainly won't find a husband if you hide yourself here all day."

"Oh, very well," Elizabeth said with great reluctance. "I shall do it. But only after I check the guest list, and then only if I can be certain that there will be an unmarried man in attendance. I'm not going to embarrass myself in front of Lady Danbury just to find that all of her guests are married."

Susan clapped her hands together. "Excellent! And in the meantime, you shall have to practice upon this Mr.-"

"No!" Elizabeth said loudly. "I will not."

"But-"

"I said no. I will not seek this man out."

Susan raised her brows innocently. "Fine. There is no need for you to seek him out. Mrs. Seeton says one isn't supposed to do that sort of thing anyway. But if you should just happen upon

him ..."

"That won't be likely, since I plan to avoid him as if he carried the plague."

"Just in case-"

"Susan!" Elizabeth leveled her sternest glare in her sister's direction.

"Very well, but if you-''

Elizabeth held up her hand. "Not another word, Susan. I am going to Danbury House right now, where 1 will attend to Lady Danbury, and only Lady Danbury.

Have I made myself clear?"

Susan nodded, but she clearly didn't mean it.

"Good day, then. I am certain I shall have nothing to report when I return home." Elizabeth tramped to the front door and wrenched it open. "Today shall be so dull. Utterly, blessedly dull. I am sure of it. In fact, I probably will not see Mr. Siddons even from afar."