"La, let's have none of that 'my lord' business. Why, I held you as a babe in arms." The earl smiled warmly, his brown eyes twinkling.
Edward could not help but respond to this friendly old man with a smile of his own. He immediately liked the earl and countess very much and was beginning to think that maybe this visit would not be such a bad thing.
"You must call me Henry," the earl continued jovially.
"And I am Edward, of course," responded Edward. He really had no choice. Propriety did not seem to be high up on the earl's list of priorities.
"Your grace."
Turning he found Lady Ranford bringing a pretty young woman forward for introduction. Edward did not know how he had missed her before, she was extremely like her mother, though in the first blush of youth.
She was as tall and willowy as her mother, and where Lady Ranford's hair was greying and her skin gently lined, this lady's hair was as bright as the sun, her face unlined and blushing prettily.
She was dressed in a pale lemon summer dress, which highlighted her slim figure. Edward cut a quick glance to his mother. Standing before him was the very picture of what the dowager would want for a daughter-in-law, he was sure. His thoughts were confirmed by the sheer joy on his mother's face.
Biting back a sigh of frustration, he smiled politely and bowed over the lady's hand. Yes, she was pretty, carried herself well and was no doubt a lady.
And was just like every other debutante that had been flung his way since he reached the grand old age of eighteen. His father had warned him about the debs and their mamas, but to see them in action was quite an experience. And, as he got older, they got more intense and, well frankly, frightening.
"May I present my daughter, Lady Caroline," Lady Ranford continued.
"Your grace," Lady Caroline demurred, curtseying very formally, and very properly, to the duke.
"How do you do, Lady Caroline?"
"Very well, I thank you. And you? I hope your journey was not too tiresome."
Did she think he was ancient, for goodness sake? Incapable of travel in a plush and luxurious coach?
"No, not at all Lady Caroline, I only wish I could have ridden part of the way. I found myself in need of fresh air."
"Why Edward," his mother pounced like a cat on a mouse, "what a wonderful idea. Why don't you let Lady Caroline show you around some of these beautiful gardens?'
As subtle as a blacksmith's hammer, his mother.
"I'd be delighted to, your grace."
Well, he could not bloody well say 'no' now, could he?
He looked around at the faces of the occupants in the room. Every one of them wore matching expressions of calculated delight and it suddenly dawned on Edward, sending an icy chill down his spine, why it was he was here.
So they'd decided he and Caroline should marry, had they?
Damnation. He would be having serious words with Mother as soon as he had the chance.
Now, however, was not the time.
"Care to join us, Mother?" Edward asked through gritted teeth.
His mother blinked innocently at him. Too innocently.
"Oh no thank you, dear. I am quite tired out by the journey. I should much rather take tea and catch up with my very– "
"Dear friends," finished Edward bitingly.
He wanted to say to hell with the lot of them and storm out to the nearest inn.
But he was raised impeccably and good manners won out.
"Lady Caroline, it looks like it is just us," he said smoothly. Though she blushed rather fetchingly at his words, her eyes remained ever so slightly calculating and Edward could not help but feel that everything she was saying and doing was nothing other than a performance. Bearing that in mind, Edward turned to Tom who was studiously ignoring him and instead looking at his hands rather intently. "Tom, I do apologise. Did you not say you felt the need to stretch your legs too?" Edward's tone and expression remained unfailingly polite but Tom knew him well enough to know that this was nothing other than a command. Albeit sugar coated.
He coughed a couple of times before smiling. "Yes, yes I did. I should be glad of a walk." Edward nodded ever so slightly in approval and pointedly ignored his mother's audible sigh from his left.
He waited in the parlour, listening to the chatter of old friends while Caroline fetched her bonnet. Within a couple of moments they were ready to go.
As soon as they left, the earl puffed out a relieved breath.
"Well, that went very well," he commented happily.
"Yes," agreed Lady Ranford, "and how beautiful they look together."
The dowager smiled her agreement, but she knew that her ear was in for a bashing when her fiercely independent son returned.
Outside, the sun beat pleasantly down on the trio as they made their way down the sweeping lawn toward the pond.
They were silent for a moment or two, each wondering what they should say. Somewhat to Edward's surprise, it was Lady Caroline who broke the silence first.