“
I am certainly eager to meet your
cousin,
”
Carnford leered.
Samantha leaned forward and smiled. The setting sun shone on her garish bonnet, and illuminated her pretty face, with a few wayward curls slipping over her cheeks.
“
Ever so pleased to meet you, milord,
”
she said with an uncomfortable smile.
“
The pleasure is mutual, Miss Oakleigh,
”
Carnford said, and went, laughing, to his carriage.
Salverton turned on his cousin in wrath.
“
Ever so pleased to meet you!
”
he exploded.
“
Where the devil did you pick up that ill-bred phrase? You sounded like a lightskirt.
”
In his overwrought condition he failed to notice he had used improper language again.
“
I daresay I had it of Wanda,
”
she said in a small voice.
“
All her friends say it. I thought it was the smart, London way of greeting, and didn
’
t want your friend to think me a flat. I
’
m sorry if I embarrassed you, Cousin.
”
“
Embarrassment doesn
’
t begin to cover it. In future, pray use proper English if we meet anyone else.
”
“
Would you like me to sit on the floor?
”
she asked.
“
I could pull this blanket over my
—”
“
Certainly not! Damn Carnford and his long nose!
”
He jerked the drawstring and the carriage proceeded on its way. Salverton comforted himself that at least Carnford wasn
’
t going to the duke
’
s house that evening. By tomorrow he would be back himself to explain the matter to Louise.
“
Did he think I was a lightskirt?
”
Samantha asked.
“
Yes. No! No, of course not. You shouldn
’
t say
—
you shouldn
’
t even know about such things.
”
“
I am two and twenty, Cousin. And I think he
did
take me for your bit of muslin. As your match with Lady Louise is a marriage of convenience, surely it is not unusual that you should have a woman on the side.
”
“
It is not a marriage of convenience!
”
“
You called her tolerably handsome. A man in love doesn
’
t say that
—
unless she is actually an antidote. Is that the case?
”
“
You have a strange notion of my taste! I am hardly in a position where I must marry an antidote to lend me cachet.
”
“
No, you need not, but I wager a duke
’
s eldest daughter is well dowered.
”
“
It is not cream-pot love. I have money and estates of my own.
”
“
You are also possessed of an overweening ambition. I know the duke is very important, for one hears his name even in Milford.
”
“
I happen to be very fond of Lady Louise,
”
Salverton said coldly.
“
Well, I am sorry. If Lady Louise shares your feelings, no doubt she will have a good laugh at this little contretemps.
”
Salverton
’
s hopes did not soar so high as to hope for even a smile. Louise might, if she were caught in a good mood, forgive and commiserate. She would feel, as he did himself, that it was unfortunate. Though, as he considered it, it had been funny to see Carnford
’
s jaw drop. A reluctant smile tugged at his lips.
Besides, no one would believe it if Carnford were so indiscreet as to broadcast the tale. The Marquess of Salverton was not the devil-may-care sort of fellow to keep a lightskirt when he was courting a lady. But if anyone did believe it, at least they would have heard his
ch
è
re amie
was uncommonly pretty.
His carriage was recognized by two other acquaintances as he drove out of London. Brighton would be full of the ton as well. It was beginning to seem a good idea to stable his rig upon arrival there and hire an unmarked carriage.
Once on the highway to Brighton, they did not meet anyone else Salverton recognized, but at their rate of speed, they did pass a few carriages, and no doubt his crest was noticed.
Samantha paid little heed to the traffic. She gazed out the window at the swaying trees and setting sun that turned the sky a pretty peach color and gilded the rooftops, until the countryside looked like something from a book of fairy tales.
“
It
’
s really quite lovely, isn
’
t it?
”
she said.
Salverton glanced out the window and said,
“
As soon as we reach Brighton, I
’
ll stable this rig and hire a plain carriage.
”
“
I
’
ve been a dreadful nuisance to you,
”
Samantha said.
“
Why do you not just go home and let me find Darren and Wanda?
”
“
It would not be fitting to abandon a lady in distress.
”
For the next hour he asked Samantha questions about the welfare of their various relations. He was struck at the difference in their views of what constituted success. So long as relatives had married and were not living in penury, Samantha seemed to think they were doing well. She spoke with pride of someone he could not quite recall having set up a carriage, and of Cousin Francis Talbot having bought a small property near Bath.
“
Why Bath?
”
he demanded.
“
Cousin Francis is a solicitor. He would do better in London. I could send some government business his way.
”
“
His wife
’
s mama is ailing. She makes her home with them, and they wanted her to be near Bath for the waters.
”
“
He
’
ll not make a name for himself in Bath. It seems a hard sacrifice to make for the sake of his wife
’
s mama,
”
he said, dissatisfied.
“
But Francis loves Miriam, you see. He wants her to be happy, and she wants to have her mama where she can help her. Besides, he does very well in the way of wills and settling estates with all the older people there,
”
she explained.
“
Francis had great potential. Honors in two subjects at Oxford, as I recall. He should have gone into politics. He might have been a cabinet minister.
”
“
I doubt he would be as happy as he is. Being a cabinet minister isn
’
t that important to some people, Cousin.
”
This was like telling a Rothschild that money wasn
’
t important. Salverton couldn
’
t understand how any man would not choose to be at the helm of the ship of state. What greater accomplishment had life to offer? His own ambition was to be prime minister one day. He was about to explain this to his cousin, when she stifled a yawn and snuggled into the corner to sleep.
“
The sun has nearly set,
”
she said.
“
It
’
s been such a nerve-racking day that I feel sleepy.
”
Salverton realized that he was likely to be up most of the night, and closed his eyes. He pondered their discussion as he tried to doze off. How could people be so unambitious? Overweening ambition, Miss Oakleigh had said. Was it immoderately ambitious of him to want to use his God-given talents to help make England a better place, and to give himself a place in the history books while he was about it?
He thought, too, of Lady Louise and what she would do if rumors of this trip reached her ears. She would be demmed unhappy. He must make sure Louise didn
’
t get a look at Samantha, or she
’
d never believe it was all innocent. Carnford had taken one look and jumped to the obvious conclusion. A lady as pretty as Samantha had to be extra careful. If he
’
d let her come here alone, she would have had men falling over themselves in their eagerness to
“
help
”
her.
And she was such a greenhead, she would have taken them at their word. She was completely out of her depth in the city. A feeling of protectiveness welled up in him as he watched her in the fading twilight, her horrid bonnet askew and her long eyelashes fanning her cheeks. She looked about ten years old. He unfolded the blanket and tenderly arranged it over her lap. The carriage had grown chilly as the sun set.
They reached Brighton at eleven o
’
clock that night. Salverton directed his coachman to drive to a stable. Samantha woke up, covered her lips in a yawn, and said,
“
Are we here?
”
She noticed Salverton had placed the blanket over her and was surprised, but she didn
’
t mention it.
“
We
’
re changing carriages,
”
he said.
“
You mean horses?
”
“
That, too.
”
When the change was made, he said to Samantha,
“
You know the whereabouts of this house Sir Geoffrey owns?
”
“
It is just to the east of Brighton, where the Marine Parade changes into
—
whatever it changes into. I cannot recall the name of the road. It is less than halfway to Rottingdean. Is that not a horrid name for a village? One imagines a dead dean decomposing.
”
Seeing that Salverton was not interested in her imagination, she added,
“
The cottage is right on the sea.
”
“
Does it have a name?
”
“
Yes,
”
she said, and drew her brows together in a hard frown.
“
Well, what is it?
”
he asked impatiently.
“
I am trying to think, if you
’
ll just be quiet,
”
she said with matching impatience.
Salverton glared, but she was paying him no heed. She had screwed her eyes shut to aid concentration.
“
It has something to do with old Roman statues, like those damaged ones in your house,
”
she said.
“
My statues are Greek!
”
“
You need not apologize, Cousin. No one would know the difference if you
’
d only get them patched up.
”
It seemed pointless to inform her that the Greek originals, even when damaged by time, were preferable to Roman copies.
“
Surely Sir Geoffrey hasn
’
t the poor taste to call his cottage the Parthenon, or the Temple of Diana, or some such thing?
”
“
No, it wasn
’
t that. I have it! The Laurels.
”
Salverton blinked, wondering at such a modest name, when she had been speaking of classical antiquities.
“
Like the crowns of leaves they used to wear in those ancient times. Or was that bay leaves? In any case, the cottage is called The Laurels, so it should be easy to find. But before we leave, I fear I must ask you to stop somewhere for a moment.
”
“
It has been a longish trip. A cup of coffee or a glass of wine would not go amiss. Perhaps a bite, as we missed dinner.
”
“
That would be nice, but what I mean is I have to relieve myself,
”
she replied bluntly.
Salverton stared.
“
I shall ask John Groom to stop at an inn for refreshment,
”
he said in a damping voice. Really! These country girls!
“
I
’
m sure it is nothing to be ashamed of, Cousin,
”
she said.
“
Don
’
t you have to go, too? If God hadn
’
t wanted us to
—”
He raised a hand to interrupt her latest solecism.
“
I take your meaning. It is not necessary to draw me a picture.
”
Hoyden! his glare said.
Her answering glare said, Prig!
In this unpromising mood they went to an inn to refresh and relieve themselves. Salverton chose a modest establishment where he was unlikely to meet anyone he knew. He hustled his guest into a private parlor and ordered dinner while she attended to necessities.
Samantha returned to find the table set with a raised partridge pie, cold ham, a roasted fowl, potatoes, and a plentiful array of vegetables. Her appetite had been in abeyance, but when she saw the food she realized she was hungry and they both enjoyed an excellent dinner. They finished a bottle of wine between them.
At the meal
’
s end, Salverton was in a much better mood. They would be at The Laurels within the half hour. He
’
d ring a peal over Darren, hustle him back to London
—
probably have to give Wanda some money to keep her quiet
—
and call on Lady Louise early in the morning to make his peace with her. He
’
d have the morning to finish his report for Liverpool.
The evening had been unusual, but not without some pleasure. A rescue mission of this sort seldom fell in Salverton
’
s way. He usually helped his relatives by procuring them positions or arranging a desirable match, without much personal inconvenience. He was aware of a pleasant sense of excitement, almost of daring as he offered Samantha his arm to lead her out to the carriage. He was even beginning to think the coquelicot ribbons were not so very gaudy.