Page 53 of Better Than a Duke
“Thank you for finding a riding habit for Mama. She’s excited to go riding, even though Aunt Lady Margaret says padded shoulders and big buttons fell out of style before I was born.”
“I don’t mind them at all,” Mama said with a grin, nudginghim with her elbow. “I am not pushing Aunt Margaret about Bond Street, which makes the entire morning quite wonderful.”
“I think you look lovely, Mrs. Silbern. Have you seen Delilah Biscuits?” Becks took his mama’s hand and led her toward the stable door. “She’s so pretty.”
“Parsley’s bringing them out, Rebecca. We’ll wait here.”
“Oh, very well, Papa. She’s a bay. And her mane is very long. I helped brush it this morning.”
Edmund frowned at her. “Don’t ruin the surprise, Becks.”
“I’m not. I’m just saying her name and what color she is.”
A moment later Parsley and Will, one of the grooms, walked out the main doors of the stable. Will had Dandelion Biscuits and Flintlock Biscuits, and the head groom led Charles Llewelyn Biscuits and the new mare, Delilah Biscuits. Lord Hentrose had done a wonderful thing, and he didn’t even want Mama to know the mare was new. It meant that she and Hentrose were friends. And that was a start.
“Eddie,” Becks whispered, taking hold of his arm to pull him around the side of the building.
She looked very serious, which wasn’t good. “What is it?”
“Masquerade wants to send me to boarding school,” she said, cupping her hands to whisper into his ear. “I told her Papa wasn’t the only one living in the house, and she said, ‘For now.’”
“Maybe she meant that when she married your papa, she’ll be living there, too,” he offered. “Did she say the words ‘boarding school’?”
“No. But she didn’t mean she would be there, too. She meant Iwouldn’tbe there. I’m sure of it. And when Brubbie saw me crying, I had to tell her why, so now she’s helping us with Papa and your mama.”
“You told?It was supposed to be a secret, Becks. Our secret.”
“I couldn’t help it. And Brubbie is on our side. I think Butler might be, as well, and George, too, but I haven’t asked them yet. Do you think they would join us?”
“They’re all your father’s employees. Don’t be daft. They’ll tell Lord Hentrose, and then we’d be sunk. Adults don’t like it when children meddle.”
“I know.” She sighed. “But Papa thinks we need Lady Pauline because she can teach me how to act in Society. She gives me the nightscares, Eddie.”
“You mean ‘nightmares.’”
“No. I’m awake, and I think about what might happen. That’s nightscares.”
That made sense. He’d had those, too, for the past few years. “The Duke of Trent told Mama there was only one other lady still in his contest. I met his sons last night. They’re both nearly as old as Uncle Lord Harold. And he has grandchildren. The oldest boy is Michael, Lord Howard, and he’s sixteen. He said I was simpleminded.”
Becks wrinkled her nose. “That’s not at all nice.”
“He also said that since Lord Elmond is Trent’s oldest, and he was Elmond’s oldest, that he would inherit everything one day, and when he became the Duke of Trent, or even when he reached his majority and took control of his viscountcy, he would see to it personally that I would never have as much as a shilling because no simpleminded farm boy was ever going to become a Howard.”
“But you’re not a farm boy. You only lived in Shropshire. And Trent said you would have some money and could be a soldier or a landowner if you wanted to.”
“Yes, but Trent is ancient. He probably only has another six months to live. And then Elmond will become Trent, and Michael will become Lord Elmond, and I’ll still be… Edmund. Noteven close to being old enough to purchase a commission in the army, or a boardinghouse for mama to run.”
“This is why we need help,” Becks insisted. “Papa and your mama would just pat us on the heads and tell us to go play, and they’d never believe us even if we could tell them.”
“Cricket, are we going riding this morning?” Lord Hentrose called.
“Yes!” she yelled, grabbing Edmund’s hand. “Come on. But we need more help. Think about it.”
If he didn’t agree to that at least, she would pester him all morning. “I’ll think about it.”
They came back around the corner to see Lord Hentrose lifting his mother into the sidesaddle. She smiled again, her cheeks turning pink when he said something to her that Edmund couldn’t hear. That was good, but with everyone about to propose, they needed to fall in love and do it quickly. Perhaps Becks was right, and theycoulduse some additional assistance.
“You’re next, Cricket,” the marquis said. She pranced over to Dandelion, and Edmund could see the moment she remembered she was supposed to be slow and smooth, because she stopped so quickly she nearly fell over her own skirts. Tiptoeing, she continued over to the small chestnut mare and lifted her arms so her papa could put her in the sidesaddle.
