Alexandra

Chapter Seventeen

"Mr. Nesbitt is Lord Hawkridge now," Griffin informed her. "The Marquess of Hawkridge."

"Of course." She finally turned to Tristan, her expression a mixture of apology with curiosity and a touch of alarm. "How could I have forgotten?"

Clearly she'd remembered the scandal. Tristan wished she'd go back to staring at Griffin.

"Let me escort you to my sisters, Lady Rachael," Griffin interjected. "You came to visit them, didn't you?"

"I came to see you, as your butler has informed you." She lifted her reticule off one of the ornate iron treasure chests. "Shall we discuss this somewhere private?"

"Very well," Griffin said and guided her up the staircase, his feet obviously dragging.

Tristan had a quiet laugh at his friend's expense. "I shall arrange for refreshment to be brought to you in the study!" he called after them lightly. And with that, he took himself off, leaving Griffin to the mercy of his sultry cousin.

There were no servants hovering about, so Tristan made his way toward the side door that led to the household offices and kitchen, hoping to find Boniface, or perhaps the housekeeper or cook. Then, hearing footsteps and feminine voices drifting from the quadrangle, he turned back.

Boniface reappeared from nowhere and opened the door to admit Alexandra, Juliana, and Corinna. "Welcome home, my ladies."

"Good afternoon, Boniface," they chimed in chorus, belying the gray day in cheerful straw bonnets and pale pastel dresses. Walking dresses, Tristan presumed, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out what made them such. They were high-waisted and slim-skirted, like all the other dresses he'd seen them wear this summer.

"Lord Hawkridge," Juliana said in surprise. "Have you and Griffin returned already?"

"No, he's a mirage," Corinna quipped.

Juliana laughed. Alexandra didn't.

"What have you there?" Tristan asked, indicating the baskets they all carried.

"Lemon cakes," Juliana said. "Or what's left of them."

"We've just come from the village," Corinna elaborated. "We were visiting with the infirm."

"All of the tenants and villagers look forward to our sweets," Juliana boasted. "Would you care for one?" Her gaze flicked from him to Alexandra and back as she reached into her basket and handed him a cake. "They're reputed to cure melancholy."

Did he look distressed? "How kind of you, then, to bring some to the ill." He bit into the confection and smiled, wishing Alexandra would say something. "I was just on my way to procure some refreshment for your cousin, Lady Rachael. Perhaps she'd enjoy some of these."

"Rachael is here?" Corinna squealed. "Where is she? Did Claire and Elizabeth come along as well?"

"I don't believe she brought her sisters with her. She's with Griffin, in his—"

"Griffin?" She frowned. "Whatever does she want with him?"

"Oh, it has to do with some flooding on her land. I think." He laughed, remembering the way they'd interacted. "Has Lady Rachael previously shown an interest in your brother? Or he in her?"

"A romantic sort of interest?" Juliana looked intrigued. "She was little more than a child when he left for Spain."

"She's not a child now."

"Of course she isn't." Juliana handed Alexandra her basket. "Take this, will you? We'll see that refreshments are brought to the drawing room for when Rachael is finished with Griffin."