Page 27 of An Affair at Stonecliffe

Noelle smothered a smile at the martyred look on Carlisle’s face. It was almost enough to make her mellow a bit toward him. Almost.

“No need to sacrifice yourself.” Nathan Dunbridge spoke up. “I shall be happy to escort the ladies in your stead.” He smiled and bowed to the countess and Noelle. “I’ll be the envy of all in the company of two such beautiful women.”

TO NOELLE’S SURPRISE, the expedition turned out to be enjoyable. It had been a very long time since she had gone shopping for pleasure. The countess was a pleasant companion, lightly chatting about this or that and displaying no disapproval of Noelle or her unfashionable attire, and Nathan Dunbridge proved to be a far more amiable escort than Mr. Thorne.

He was as charming as he was handsome. He was amusingly, unobjectionably flirtatious, not only with Lady Drewsbury and Noelle but with every other woman, from an acquaintance they met on the street to the flower girl on the corner (from whom he gallantly bought a posy for each of his companions). Noelle found herself chatting and smiling in an easy way she rarely did anymore.

Noelle was stunned by the quantity of Adeline’s purchases. “But, Lady Drewsbury, this is too much. You have bought so many things, I’ll never be able to wear half of them.”

“You’ll need a good deal more than just day dresses. Even living in the country as we do, one has assemblies and dinners and dances.”

“Indeed, ma’am,” Nathan said. “I am your nearest neighbor, and I’m sure I will have a party to welcome you. It will be a reward for visiting my dreary lawyer.” He proceeded to entertain them with a description of his last visit to the solemn young solicitor. The man was urging him to sell some of his property. “Thompkins is correct, of course; the manor is under far too much debt, but Grandmother’s ghost would haunt me the rest of my life if I sold it,” Nathan added in a far more lighthearted tone than Noelle could imagine in the same situation.

In the face of Lady Drewsbury’s insistence, Noelle accepted the clothes, but when Lady Drewsbury had the carriage stop at her own modiste’s for even more frocks, she pulled Adeline to the side and said, “Please, you need not do all these things for me. You needn’t try to pamper or persuade me. I am doing this for Gil’s sake, not for any sort of payment.”

The countess looked taken aback. “Of course not, dear. I’m not trying to bribe you, only to give you some of the things you should have had all this time. I—” She took Noelle’s hand, tears shining in her eyes. “My son loved you, and the only thing I can do for him now is take care of his wife. I was so wrong before. I didn’t want to go against my husband. I was sure I could persuade the earl to welcome Adam back into the family. I did, with Carlisle’s help, but it was too late by then. Adam was gone. And I had given up my last few moments with my son because I chose the easier path. I will always regret that.”

Noelle felt her years-long resentment of Lady Drewsbury melting into sympathy. She squeezed Adeline’s hand. “Adam loved you very much. He never spoke of you with aught but affection. I know he didn’t blame you.”

“Thank you.” Adeline smiled, blinking away her tears. “I cannot change what is past. But I can—and I will—take good care of those who are left to me. Carlisle and Gil...and you. You are Adam’s wife, and you are family to me.”

CHAPTER NINE

WHEN THEY RETURNED from shopping, the countess went upstairs to rest and Noelle left to check on Gil. Carlisle turned to Nathan. “You deserve a drink after enduring a shopping trip. Let’s go to my study.” When they had settled down in the study, drinks in hand, Carlisle said, “Truly, I appreciate your doing that.”

“It was no chore,” his friend replied lightly. “I quite enjoyed their company.” He paused, taking a sip, then went on carefully, “Lady Rutherford is...not what I expected.”

“No, she’s not,” Carlisle agreed. “It may just be that the woman is an excellent liar, but...damn it, Nathan, I think I may have mucked up everything entirely. The woman despises me, and she’s Gilbert’s mother.”

“I’m sure she will grow to like you when she’s been around you awhile.”

“I doubt it. She thinks I’m a sanctimonious, rigid, overbearing snob.” Carlisle sighed. “And I don’t know. Maybe she’s right.”

Nathan’s eyebrows went up. “You? What are you talking about?”

“I wanted information about these attacks that happened to them previously, but I managed to offend her...again. I must protect her and Gil, and I need to know who might have a grudge against her. It seems more likely to me that these men are trying to harm her, not Gil. He’s just a boy.”

“A boy for whom you would pay a ransom.”

“I thought of that. But how would anyone have even known he’s related to me? They’ve been on the run since he was born, living under false names, changing their appearance. But Noelle—she’s a woman whom no man would let go of easily.”

“I suppose.” Nathan studied his friend’s face. “Certainly, you were determined to track her down.”

“Of course. Because she had Gil. I hope you aren’t implying that I have any feelings for her.” A persistent stab of lust was not having feelings for her. “Noelle is the bane of my existence. The thing is, I asked her about her former lovers. Who had been her protector since Adam died. She denied that anyone had. She claims that she has been working all this time to support them. Doing menial tasks.”

“Well, her attire would be proof of that. And you did find her working in a shop.”

“I know.” Carlisle set his drink aside. “If any man was providing for her, he certainly was doing a poor job of it. She’s too thin and tired. And I cannot help but think—what if I have misjudged her all these years? What if she is telling the truth and she wasn’t an adventuress who tricked Adam into a disastrous marriage? She says Adam courted her in her parlor and that he was the one pushing to marry, which would be just like him. Adam was always impulsive and emotional. The nature of an artist, I guess. I have never really understood it.”

“Because you are a rational fellow; you think things through.” Nathan paused, then said, “You weren’t the only one who believed that of her. I envisioned her that way, too.”

“Yes, because I told you so.”

“And you believed it because the earl told you.”

“Yes. I never questioned it. He hired a Bow Street runner to look into it, but perhaps the investigator told his client what he knew the client wanted to hear. Or Lord Drewsbury might have colored the man’s findings to fit his beliefs. He was furious at Adam’s defiance. I think he believed Adam married the worst sort of woman he could just to spite him.”

“Which is also something Adam might have done.”