Plain and Proper by M J Marlow (beach read TXT) 📕

selected for his niece settled the shawl around her shoulders and smiled. Marianne looked dazed for several precious moments, and then she blushed again. She was really quite pretty when she blushed, Gerard thought absently. He reached up to touch her lovely skin. “Travers!” The man snapped to attention and backed up a step and held his arm out to Marianne. “Eustacia,” Andrew nodded and held his arm out to his sister-in-law.
Marianne looked over at the cold-eyed man warily as he helped her aunt into the carriage. She tried quite hard not to look at the young man seated across from her, but he would catch her glances and be smiling at her in amusement. She was quite miserably certain that he now thought her a complete ninny and that thought did not please her one bit. For some strange reason, she wanted this man to think kindly of her. The journey to Tremayne Manor was soon over and she felt relief flooding into her as soon as the door opened and Hugh Tremayne, the young son of the Duke of Ravenhold, rushed out. He was the same age as Marianne and they had been friends since they were eight. He skidded to a halt as he saw the strangers and he bowed and waited for an introduction.
“Lord Hugh, this is Marianne’s uncle; Lord Andrew Macalester, Earl of Avondale,” Eustacia said to the boy. He nodded and she introduced the other man, who was eyeing the boy critically. “And this is Lord Gerard Travers, Earl of Strathmore; his Aide.” She turned to her cold-eyed brother-in-law. “Andrew, this is the youngest son of the Duke of Ravenhold, Hugh Tremayne. He and his brothers and sister are your cousin Marianne’s closest friends.”
“Marianne is at an age, Eustacia,” Andrew sniffed and looked down his nose at the boy; “where she should set aside childhood friendships and concentrate on finding a husband.”
“Come on, Hugh,” Marianne said stiffly as she put her arm through his and rushed him into the house. They continued on until they were in the kitchens. She sank down on a stool at the worktable and sighed.
“That stiff is your uncle, Mari?” Hugh hissed. “What hole did they dig him out of?”
He froze as his older brother, Robert, heir to the dukedom, came in. At twenty-four, his blond hair and blue eyes made him the very image of the fairy tale prince every other young girl grew up wanting. Marianne just found him annoying. He ruffled her hair gently so that he did not disturb the ribbons and grabbed a cookie off the cooling board. Then he froze and looked at her in shock. He made her stand up and she saw an expression in his eyes that had never been there before as he made her turn.
“You’re all grown-up, Mari,” Robert said softly; admiration plain in his voice. “When did that happen?”
“It’s the dress,” Marianne dismissed his comment. “My uncle gave it to me.” She was really glad to see him. He would keep that odious man and his disturbing aide off of her. Robert had just come back from university and she had missed him. “I’m so glad you’re home, Robert. I have a feeling I am going to need all the help I can find with that man here.”
“So this is where we sign the pact of mutual abhorrence?” Robert laughed and made a face. “Ye Gods, Mari! He is a royal bastard and that Aide of his is just as bad!”
“I’d like to sign that,” Stephen, the second son, joined them. He was struggling to tie his cravat and there was a look of annoyance on his face. “Imagine him taking exception with the way I tied my neck cloth!”
“Brrr!” his twin, Samuel, added as he took over the task and tied it easily. “I’ve never met colder fish in my life.”
“You’re only twenty two, Samuel,” Marianne laughed. “I’m sure you’ll meet…” She trailed off as she saw the twins’ expression. “It’s just a dress! I’m still Marianne!” She heard her aunt’s voice calling out imperiously and sighed. “Excuse me, gentlemen. My aunt summons and I, her obedient and loving niece, must obey.”
She hurried out and the boys looked at each other seriously. They considered Marianne their little sister and they were not going to let a man like Andrew Macalester hurt her. It was just that they suddenly realized she wasn’t a child any longer. That dress had shown them exactly how grown up their little sister had become. And they were even more determined to protect her. Men would be falling all over themselves to get to her. Robert put out his hand and his brothers added theirs in age order.
“We protect her no matter what harm may befall us,” Robert said softly. His brothers nodded. “Then let’s go out there and run interference for our little friend.”
Marianne was sitting at her aunt’s side, her small hands folded in her lap demurely. She was a pretty girl and she made quite a picture, but her eyes were anything but calm. The boys could see the Ice Man, as they had now dubbed Andrew, had said something to make her angry. Gerard stood off in a corner looking quite annoyed. She was a sweet girl but it took so little to make her explode. They accepted punch from the footman and settled in around their charge, their looks daring Andrew or Gerard to say one word to them about how inappropriate it was for a young girl to have so many young men as her protectors.
“I chanced upon a piece of music the other day,” the Dowager, their grandmother, was saying as they started to listen; “that I thought Marianne would adore. It is from an old French opera…”
“Nothing French could possibly be good,” Gerard spoke up, sniffing in disdain. He saw their shock. “We are at war with the people, are we not?”
“We are at war with the man who claims to represent the people,” Marianne spoke up coldly. Being a quarter French, she was very touchy about the subject. She met his eyes easily. “Many of the French abhor Napoleon Bonaparte, Lord Travers.”
“And what would a child only recently released from the schoolroom possibly know about such things?” Andrew said coldly.
Marianne flushed with anger as she met his disdain. She was not used to being treated like her opinion didn’t matter. Aunt encouraged her to read and study and form opinions. This man, obviously, was not used to women who had intelligence. But he had not been the man who has insulted the French people. She looked over at Gerard now and he was watching her quite closely, as if he expected her to do something childish. But then she noted that his eyes were not on her face for long; they trailed down to take in her slim yet curvaceous form and she was mortified. Had he any right to look at her in that manner, as if he wanted to see what lay underneath her pretty gown? She was certain he did not!
“Aunt Eustacia,” Marianne turned to her guardian. “If you would excuse me, I am in need of some fresh air.”
“Dinner is served,” the Butler intoned as Eustacia was deciding.
Marianne sighed and found the stiff Gerard offering her his arm and she turned and accepted Robert’s instead. She was not going to let herself be anywhere near the man if she could help it. But she was seated next to him, she found to her dismay. At least Margaret, the Duke’s only daughter, was on her other side. She was nineteen and newly returned from a trip to the Continent with her other grandmother. She quite happily encouraged Margaret to speak of her travel and ignored her other dinner companion completely. That ended when Andrew knocked his knife against a glass and rose to his feet with it in his hand after dinner had ended. They were in the sitting room then enjoying after-dinner pleasantries.
“I have the great pleasure of announcing an engagement,” he said to the company. “Gentlemen,” he nodded to the Duke and his sons; “Lady Margaret,” he smiled briefly at the duke’s daughter. “Please join me in a toast to Lord Gerard Travers and my niece, the Lady Marianne Pumphrey.” He watched her choke. Margaret patted her back gently and murmured pained congratulations. “May they have a long and happy life together.”
He waited for the explosion. He saw it there in her eyes, but she just sat there silent and fuming as Gerard took her hand in his and kissed it. She looked up at him in mute horror and Gerard looked uneasy. He had told Andrew this would not work. The girl was a mere child, despite her pretty new dress. She knew nothing of men. But looking down into her brilliant eyes, the violet enhanced by her tears, he found he wanted her to know of only one man; himself and no other. He sank back in his seat, stunned. She was not like the women he associated with; what was it about this chestnut-haired urchin that appealed to him?
“The girl is completely lacking in manners, Eustacia,” Andrew said the moment they got in the carriage to return home. “It is not proper to ignore dinner companions, Miss.”
Marianne sat in the corner, making herself as small as possible and shook with anger. How dare he decide whom she was going to marry! He had announced her engagement as if she should be happy about it. She looked over at Gerard and saw that he was not happy either. He didn’t want to be engaged to her? Then why had he offered for her?
“If you find me disagreeable,” Gerard added, as he looked quite annoyed; “that is because you are not giving me a chance to make myself known to you.”
“I don’t want to know you, Lord Travers,” Marianne told him bluntly, no longer able to keep her tongue. “And I most certainly do not wish to be engaged to you!” She heard her aunt’s shocked gasp. “You taught me to be honest, Aunt Eustacia.” She looked at her uncle. “I do not like you, Uncle. You make me very uneasy with your sudden appearance in our home.” The moment the carriage arrived home she was out the door and up the stairs into her room. Estelle was helping her into her robe when there was a knock on the door. She knew it would be him. “Come in, Uncle.”
“Would you leave us a moment, Estelle,” Andrew asked the maid. “I need to speak with my niece alone.”
“That would hardly be proper,” Marianne snapped at him. “If this is something that Estelle can not hear, then I do not wish to hear it.” Andrew moved so fast her head was still spinning as he yanked her to her feet and slapped her across the face. She put her hand to her cheek and looked at him in shock. “How dare you lay your hands on me! You have no right!”
“I have every right,” Andrew replied stiffly. “I am your guardian and I will not condone your lack of respect.”
“Aunt Eustacia is my guardian,” Marianne protested.
“No, child,” Andrew shook his head. “Your parents awarded that ‘honor’ to me in their wills. I left you with Eustacia because I felt a woman would be better at raising a girl than I would. I was wrong.” He looked quite annoyed. “She has allowed you to run loose like a gypsy, Marianne. That ends here and now.” He sat down and looked at her seriously. “Lord Travers has asked me for permission to marry you and I have given it. For some reason I cannot understand, he