Not Quite A Gentleman

wisdom he couldn’t bear to miss. Lady Victoria, who sat between Gordon and Colin, appeared to be enjoying herself immensely, smiling, chatting, laughing. No doubt because both men were showering her with compliments and attention. Bloody hell, one would think neither of them had ever seen an attractive female before. And all this for the woman he was supposed to watch over. Well, the instant he’d satisfied his obligation to her father, Colin and Gordon were welcome to her.

His gaze settled on Gordon, and the guilt and regret he’d strived so hard to bury catapulted to the surface. Gordon’s greeting had been reserved, but when Nathan had extended his hand, Gordon accepted the gesture, albeit after a brief hesitation. Nathan clearly read the lingering suspicion in Gordon’s eyes, but he hadn’t expected anything less.

“I saw the animal pen you constructed, Nathan,” Father said, jerking his attention away from the laughing trio across the table. “Impressive bit of work.”

“Thank you,” he replied, surprised and pleased by the praise.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be necessary for you to dirty your hands in such a manner if you were paid properly for your services.”

Nathan merely shrugged off the backhanded side of the compliment. “I enjoy working with my hands. Keeps my fingers nimble.”

“They won’t remain nimble if you smash them with a hammer,” Father said, “or if one of those beasts bite you.”

“Animal pen?” chimed in Lady Delia, her eyes alight with curiosity. “Beasts?”

“Since settling in Little Longstone, I’ve accumulated a bit of a menagerie,” Nathan explained. The conversation on the opposite side of the table ceased, and he again felt the weight of those stares. One vivid blue one, in particular, he felt most aware of.

“Cats and dogs?” asked Lady Delia.

“More like a pig and hens, but I also have a dog-”

“Who is the size of a pony,” broke in Colin.

“-and a cat-”

“Which is a kitten who has already required being rescued from a tree,” Colin added. “Not to mention a cow, a lamb, a pair of ducks, I’m not certain how many geese, and an incorrigible button-eating goat-most of which are named after flowers. They are loud, smelly, fond of chasing one about the grounds-when they’re not chewing off one’s buttons or decapitating the flower beds-and Nathan loves them as if they were his own children.”

“Thank you for that edifying description… Uncle Colin.”

Colin shook his head. “I refuse to be an uncle to that beastly goat.”

“Petunia is very fond of you.”

Colin glared. “She ate my button. And my personal correspondence.”

“Only because she loves you,” Nathan said very seriously. “And I didn’t hear you complaining this morning when you feasted on eggs courtesy of Daffodil, Tulip, and Guinevere.”

Colin lifted a brow. “Guinevere? I suppose you have a rooster named Lancelot?”

“No, but that is an excellent suggestion and one I plan to follow up on as soon as I return to Little Longstone so as to increase my flock. Three hens will produce an average of two eggs per day. That means to get a dozen eggs a day, I would need-”

“Eighteen hens,” said Lady Victoria. Everyone turned toward her but she seemed unaware of their surprised looks, her gaze resting on Nathan. “You must be very fond of eggs, Dr. Oliver.”

Was that a whiff of sarcasm in her voice? Nathan returned her steady look. “Actually, I am, however, even I couldn’t hope to consume however many eggs that would produce in a year.”

Lady Victoria blinked twice, then said, “Four thousand three hundred and eighty.”

Everyone chuckled at her quick wit for tossing out a random number-except, Nathan noticed, Lady Delia, who, from the corner of his eye, he could see was simply nodding in an approving manner. He performed a quick calculation, and to his surprise realized Lady Victoria had been correct.

“At the rate Nathan collects animals, he’ll most likely accumulate that many chickens before the year is over,” Colin said, shaking his head.

“Why would you want so many eggs, Dr. Oliver?” Lady Victoria asked.

“No doubt to throw from his window at unsuspecting passersby,” Colin said dryly. “I was his victim a time or two when we were lads. Had the most dastardly accurate aim.” He rubbed the back of his head and winced, as if in remembrance.

“I still do,” Nathan said to his brother, although his gaze remained steadily on Lady Victoria. “And I never pelted you unless you deserved it.”

“I never hit you with an egg.”

“Because you couldn’t.” He pulled his gaze from Lady Victoria and smirked at his brother. “Your aim is such that you could not hit water if you fell out of a boat. Which, by the way, is precisely why I pelted you with eggs on one occasion-you pushed me out of the rowboat.”

“And did you hit the water?”

“Obviously.”

“Ah. Thereby proving that I can indeed hit water.”

“Yes-when I fell out of the boat-I who possess not only flawless aim, but a trio of egg-laying hens.”

The ghost of a smile hiked up one corner of Colin’s mouth and a look born of many shared memories passed between them. “Touchй,” Colin murmured. “I’ll think twice before pushing you from the rowboat again.” He grinned. “Actually, I thought about it twice the last time I did it, and both times it seemed a capital idea.”

Everyone chuckled, then Lady Victoria said, “But you never said why you would want so many eggs, Dr. Oliver.”

Nathan shrugged. “I’ve a number of neighbors with large families who could make good use of them.”

“Why on earth do you keep such a barnyard of animals,” Gordon asked, “and why bring them here?”

“The question we have all asked, I assure you,” Father muttered.

“I wasn’t certain how long I would be away and I didn’t wish to impose such responsibility on my neighbors. Nor did I wish to split the animals up, sending some to one neighbor, some to another. They’re all quite accustomed to each other. Besides, the animals are really no trouble. In fact, I greatly enjoy their company.”

“They smell,” Colin said. He turned to Lady Victoria. “You’d be wise to give those beasts a wide berth, Lady Victoria. Especially the goat. If you see the beast, I recommend running in the opposite direction.”

“Actually, running will only tempt her to chase you,” Nathan said, looking at Lady Victoria over the rim of his wineglass. “While I recall you saying that you are a capable sprinter, I fear you would not be able to outrun a goat as easily as a persistent suitor.”

“I imagine you must have dozens of persistent suitors to outrun,” Gordon said to Lady Victoria with a warm smile, which for some reason irked Nathan.

A mischievous smile that brought back a flood of memories curved her lips. “ ‘Tis how I became such a proficient sprinter, my lord.”

Everyone chuckled, although Nathan’s laughter felt a bit forced. He vividly recalled her looking at him in that precise same way three years ago. It was a look that had led to a kiss he’d hadn’t, to this day, been able to erase from his mind.

“But the sprinting is about to end, is it not, my dear?” Lady Delia asked.

A rosy blush bloomed on Lady Victoria’s cheeks, but before she could answer, Gordon pressed his hand to his chest as if mortally wounded, then, in a teasingly dramatic fashion said, “Please don’t say you’re betrothed.”

“I’m not-”

“Excellent news,” said Gordon, smiling.

“-yet.”

“And like that…” Gordon snapped his fingers. “… the news is not so excellent. So tell us, who is the lucky gentleman to whom you are not betrothed… yet?”

“Either Lord Branripple or Lord Dravensby.”

Nathan’s brow crept upward. “Egad. Branripple and Dravensby? They’re still alive?”