But that was an awful, awful thought, and he was disgusted with himself for letting it take root. Shame on him!
He dashed up the stairs, reaching her in the hall.
“Caroline!” he said.
She braced her shoulders and staggered on, so he grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. They froze, both of them realizing how odd it was for him to manhandle her. He drew away at the same instant she jerked back.
“What’s the matter with you?” he asked. “Didn’t you hear me?”
“Yes, I heard.”
She looked young and vulnerable, like a mongrel puppy that had been kicked to the curb, and he wondered what was ailing her. It was likely one of those mysterious female problems they never discussed with men, so he supposed he should find Janet and have her deal with it.
“Would you like to explain yourself?” he said. “You were horrid to the vicar and his wife, and they were extremely perplexed by your behavior.”
“Were they?” she vaguely responded, as if she didn’t care about their pique.
“You’ve been nagging about the appointment ever since I arrived from town, and I feel you were hardly present. You were lost in the clouds. Are you all right?”
She studied him as if he were a peculiar insect. Then she asked the most outlandish question. “Why are you marrying me?”
He hadn’t expected the unusual query, and he’d never mentally debated the issue. It just was, so he had no answer for her. “Well, I guess. . . ah. . . because we’re engaged? We have been for years, and it’s time we get on with it.”
“That’s it?”
“What more could there be? We’re kin. We’re cousins. It’s what families do.”
“What if we didn’t marry?”
A wave of fear clutched at his innards. “What a ridiculous comment.”
“I only mean that you’ve resided in London for over a decade. Haven’t you crossed paths with any women who tickle your fancy? You’re bound to me, but what if there are better choices out there? Haven’t you been curious?”
“I stumble on all kinds of women in the city, but none of them are you.” He forced a laugh. “You’re Caroline, my dearest cousin, and you’ve always been the one for me.”
“Have I?”
She assessed him so meticulously that he had to tamp down a shudder. Had she listened to gossip she shouldn’t have? Was she about to unleash another diatribe about his gambling? His hangover hadn’t completely vanished, and he was still angry over the money Ralston had won from him the prior night. He really, really wasn’t in the mood to be scolded.
“What’s come over you?” he asked. “Should I send for Janet?”
“Why would I need Janet?”
“You’re acting so strangely. I’m not sure you’re well.”
Footsteps sounded behind them, and when they glanced over, Lucretia was approaching.
“Oh, look.” Caroline’s tone was a tad snotty. “It’s Mrs. Starling.”
“Gregory,” Lucretia said, “there are lawn games starting out in the garden. Would you like to join in the fun?”
Caroline glared at Lucretia, and Lucretia glared back, and there was a vicious undercurrent swirling, one he didn’t understand at all.
Then Caroline yanked her furious gaze to Gregory and said, “Is there something you’d like to tell me?”
“No, except that I think you ought to lie down for awhile.”
“I will do that—right after I talk to Uncle Samson. Is he here yet?”
“Not that I know of. He’s been out all day.”
“I can see the road from my room. I’ll wait for him there.”
“Aren’t you coming down to the party?” Gregory asked. “Shouldn’t you supervise the staff and put in an appearance for our guests?”
“I’d rather watch for Uncle Samson. It seems like a more productive use of my time.”
She whipped away and stomped off, then Lucretia slipped her arm into his.
“She’s a bit out of sorts,” Lucretia said. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I have no bloody idea,” Gregory replied, “but she’s behaving so oddly.”
“Don’t concern yourself. Whatever it is, I’m certain she’ll get over it shortly. Let’s go down to the garden.”
“Is there brandy on any of the tables? I need a little hair of the dog.”
“There’s plenty. I already checked for you.”
Lucretia smirked toward the corner around which Caroline had fled, then she led him off in the other direction.
“I have to talk to you.”
“About what?”
Caroline had finally tracked down her uncle. They were in his library, and he was seated behind the desk, while she hovered in the doorway like a supplicant. He waved her over, and she slid into the chair across from him, trying to ignore his impatient glare.
He didn’t like to be bothered when he was in the ostentatious room. It was his private enclave, where he could escape the chaos of the manor. The interruption aggravated him, and he couldn’t completely conceal his irritation.
He was having a brandy, which was one of his secret vices. When her grandfather had been alive, no drinking had been permitted, but after he’d died, her uncle had made up for lost time. Gregory too. They both imbibed to excess, although Gregory was the worst of the two.
“I can see you wish I’d have delayed,” she said, “but this can’t wait. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t look sorry.”
“I’d have cornered you earlier, but you weren’t home.”
He harrumphed in a way that might have meant anything. “Well, you’ve barged in, even though you understand you shouldn’t have, so your mission must be dire. What is it? And before you start, let me beg you not to raise a horrid issue. It’s too late in the afternoon to deal with a calamity.”
“I’ll get right to the point. I’ve been engaged to Gregory for seven years, but I don’t really know him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you know him. He’s your cousin.”
“He left when he was sixteen
