Page 48 of The Bridal Quest

Irene lifted her eyebrows. "I am Lady Irene Wyngate. I am here to help his lordship, but no, I have no plans to marry him."

"That is what Mama says. She said it would never happen. But Lady Pencully said it would. And people always do what Lady Pencully wants."

"Indeed?" Irene smiled faintly. "I imagine they do, most of the time. But I think, this once, she will not get her way."

"Really? I hope not. I don't want Gideon to marry. Mama says that if he does, that will be the end of me."

"The end of you?" Irene repeated, shocked. "Whatever do you mean?"

Again he shrugged. "I don't know." He paused, then confided, "I think she does not like Gideon." He heaved a little sigh. "She does not like for me to be with him. But I like Gideon." His face lit up as he went on. "He is my brother, you know. I didn't have a brother until he came."

"It's very nice to have a brother," Irene commented. "I have one, too."

"Really? Is he as big as Gideon?"

"No, I do not think so. Your brother is rather large."

"I know. He says that I will be large one day, too. I hope so. I would like that."

"I imagine he is right. Your uncle Jasper is tall, as well."

Timothy nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, he is. Uncle Jasper is nice. But not as nice as Gideon. He doesn't say much to me. Mama doesn't like Uncle Jasper, either. But I don't think he's bad. Do you?"

"I don't know him well enough to say. Nothing about him struck me as bad, though. He is a little quiet and stiff."

"Gideon is much better," Timothy circled back to what was apparently one of his favorite subjects. "He likes to see the things I collect. Rocks and bugs and such. Sometimes in the afternoon he comes through the garden. That's why I come down here when Miss Tyning falls asleep."

"I see." Irene cast a look around, her heart suddenly picking up its beat. Drat the man! Must he be everywhere? "Do you think that he will be here today?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Perhaps I should go back into the house then—so that you and your brother can have your talk."

"He won't mind that you're here," Timothy assured her. "He likes people."

"Really?" This was a side of Gideon Irene had never noticed.

Timothy nodded. "He always talks to the gardeners and the grooms. Sometimes, when I sneak down to the kitchen for a snack, he's down there, talking and laughing with the cooks and the footmen and all. Except Horroughs." The boy pulled his face into a fair approximation of the butler's taut face. "I don't think Horroughs likes him."

"I'm not sure Horroughs likes anyone," Irene commented.

Timothy giggled and began to jump, chanting, "Horroughs doesn't like anyone. Horroughs doesn't like anyone."

Irene watched the boy's antics, smiling. It was hard to imagine this cheerful, lively child being Teresa's son. Irene hoped that he would manage to remain relatively unspoiled by his mother's influence. At least he seemed to have disregarded her when it came to Gideon.

Because of the noise Timothy was making, she did not hear the crunch of boots along the path until they sounded right behind her. She whipped around to see Gideon stepping through the ivy-clad trellis that she had passed under a few moments earlier. He stopped when he saw her.

"Ah. Lady Irene. I wondered who Timothy was talking to."

"Lord Radbourne." She had delayed too long, she thought. She should have left as soon as Timothy had raised the possibility of Gideon appearing.

It occurred to her that he might think she had come this way in an effort to meet him. There were women, she knew, who spent a great deal of time making careful, precise plans to run into a man "accidentally". The practice was particularly in use at house parties.

"I was just out for a stroll when I ran into Master Timothy," she explained, then instantly regretted that she sounded as if she were making excuses for herself.

"I told her you might come," Timothy said, jumping happily into the conversation. "And you did!"

"Yes, I did. I am doubly glad that I did so now, as I get to see both you and Lady Irene." Gideon's face softened as he looked down at the boy, and he smiled, his usual wariness falling away. "What have you got to show me today?"