Chapter Six

“Thorney.”

The softly spoken word whispered through his mind. Thorne groaned. Why the devil did his back feel as though it had been pulled in several directions and put back together? His muscles screamed in protest when he lifted his head and blinked to clear the haziness from his vision.

Lilith tilted her head and eyed him. “You should have gone to bed hours ago,” she scolded gently.

He eased up from the desk and put a hand to the knot at the top of his spine. “I was not aware you were trying to take the place of Mother,” he grumbled as he plucked off a piece of paper that had stuck to his face.

His sister giggled, licked a thumb and swiped something from his cheek. He tried to bat her hand away, but she came in again and rubbed furiously before perching her bottom on the desk and sighing. “You are working too hard.”

“Is there such thing as working too hard?” He pulled several papers from underneath her and tried to recall how he’d organized them before he had fallen asleep in the study.

“I should imagine when one forgets to eat and rises earlier than the servants, one is working too hard.” Lilith gave a little pout. “It was terribly lonely at dinner.”

A pang of guilt shot through him. It probably did not matter that he was doing this for her—well for all his siblings really. Their sister was well situated enough but their brother needed a good deal of income to support him. Unless Felton married an heiress, Thorne’s younger brother would always rely on him for money.

So would Lilith for the foreseeable future. If she was to marry happily and well, Thorne would need a sizable dowry so she was not forced to choose an unhappy match simply for money like Nancy had.

But, of course, Lilith would not understand that. Their mother had sheltered her so much so that she hardly realized the damage Father had done. If it was up to Thorne, he would keep it that way.

“I apologize. I shall be sure to join you tomorrow.”

Lilith let out a dramatic sigh. “This house is too large and quiet. I am not used to being so alone.”

Thorne nodded. Before the death of their father, Lilith had enjoyed an active social life within the realm of not being entirely out in society. Thorne did not miss it one bit, but Lilith was not the sort to enjoy solitude and quiet.

“A grand house like this is designed to be enjoyed. We need guests. Lots of guests.” She grinned. “Just think how it will be when the ballroom is full for my coming out ball. It will be wonderful.”

“Yes, wonderful,” he intoned.

The idea of a ball and all those people sent a tremor of dread down is spine and into his gut. He could do without all these visitors who would bring nothing but feckless gossip and mildly irritating conversation. His time was far better spent working on the estate than entertaining people he did not give one damn about.

However, as soon as the house was ready to host people, he would ensure Lilith had the ball she deserved. She had been so patient that he owed her that much.

“Oh do not be such a grumps.” She gave his arm a nudge with a hand. “I know you are not one for dancing, but I am sure there shall be some beautiful women in attendance that will make it worth your while.”

He resisted rolling his eyes and gave a twisted smile. A wife would have to be in his future eventually but where he would find a woman suited to being his marchioness, he did not know. Most of the women of his acquaintance were too young, too silly, and would likely cause him nothing but hassle. An older woman would suit, perhaps. A widow maybe—someone closer to his age—who understood the ideas of responsibility and hard work.

Certainly not someone like the young Miss Chadwick. Even when he’d been sleeping, he could not rid himself of the image of her dashing along, her skirts held high and covered in dirt while she screeched in delight at causing utter chaos in the village. Her sisters might be well married and titled but the youngest one had not one ounce of decorum. It did seem, though, that Lilith had taken quite a shine to her.

“Perhaps you should visit with Miss Chadwick tomorrow,” he suggested. “I am sure she shall be able to keep the boredom away for a while.”

“I just might,” Lilith agreed. “She is wonderfully funny, do you not think? I almost wish I could be like her. She does not give one hoot about what people think of her. How marvelous it must be to feel like that.”

“Marvelous indeed,” he said dryly.

He could not quite decide if the wild Miss Chadwick would be a good influence on Lilith or not. His logic said not but his gut said otherwise. His sister was sweet and beautiful in her way, but society would overlook her once she was out. Were it not for her holding the title of lady and sister to a marquis, he would have little hope of her finding someone to love her. He knew all too well how fickle people could be and had already witnessed her being ignored by ladies and gentlemen alike simply because she was not traditionally beautiful. His sister was unfortunately far too aware of this fact.

Perhaps if he ignored the unconventional attitude of Miss Chadwick, she could teach Lilith to care less about what others thought. 

“You are working too hard, Thorney.” His sister stood and plucked a sheet of paper from the desk to eye it. She shook her head and flung it back down.

On the wrong pile.

Thorne bit back his annoyance and lifted the paper to put it in its rightful place. “There’s much to be done, Lil. I do not have much choice.”

“How many other titled gentlemen spend their time cleaning out stables and digging flower beds and goodness knows what else? Catherine was quite astonished by your state the other day.”

“Was she indeed?” He was surprised she mentioned it at all. He did not think anything he did would pass the notice of such an unusual young woman. She would be too busy thinking of her next entertainment, surely? Or perhaps pondering the stars as she had said she’d liked to do.

“She asked if that was usual for you and I had to explain that you were working very hard at the moment, but you would never normally let anyone see you in such a state and that you were still a proper gentleman. I think your appearance shocked her greatly.”

Thorne smirked. He doubted that. Miss Chadwick was not easily shocked, of that much he was certain.

Lilith did a small loop of the room, stopping to brush her fingers over the few framed silhouettes that hung on the walls of their various ancestors. “Mrs. Seton says you should stop interfering.”

He lifted both brows. That did not sound like their housekeeper who was sweet and nothing less than polite usually.

“Well, she did not say it quite like that. But I knew what she meant.” She propped her hands on her hips and faced him square on. “Face it, dear brother. You need to slow down. If you begin to rile the servants and the groundskeeper, nothing will ever get done and we shall be looking for new staff before long.”

“So I should stay in bed until noon and barely lift a finger, is that it?”

She shook her head. “You know that is not what I mean, but perhaps you should leave some jobs to the professionals.”

“No one knows more about horses than I do,” he said firmly.

“Well, at least leave Mrs. Seton to her work. You cannot say you know more about running a household than she does.”

A grumbling noise escaped him before he could prevent it. His sister might be a good fifteen years his junior, but she was too damned smart and observant. He sucked in a breath and released it slowly while she eyed him, awaiting some sort of promise probably.

He wasn’t sure he could give her one. What right did he even have to sit around like a pampered dandy while others did all the arduous work? This was his estate now, his livelihood—and his family’s. If he was to ever ensure a good future for them all, he needed things running smoothly sooner rather than later.

“Thorney?” Lilith pressed.

“Very well, I shall try to leave things alone. But I will not sit idly by. The sooner we get the stables ready for a breeding program, the sooner this estate will make a decent living.”

She gave a soft smile and came around his desk to sit directly in front of him. “There is more to life than money and work, you know.”

Thorne snorted. “I would like to see any of you survive with no money.”

“We would if we had to and you know it. We are made of sterner stuff than that, especially given what Father put us through.”

“What do you even know of Father?” he asked, his chest tight. All the effort he and his mother had put into shielding her had not been enough it seemed.

“Plenty. After all, there is no escaping gossip. I know of the gambling in Italy and the many lovers and how indiscrete he was. I know he nearly had Mother ostracized from society by accusing her of all sorts.”

Thorne pinched the bridge of his nose. She was right—it was hard to avoid the gossip—but he did not think there was any chance she knew of how their father had tried to draw attention away from his own misdeeds by pointing the finger at their mother, who was only guilty of trying to be a loyal wife.

“Clearly I should have been paying more attention to who you were spending time with if you know that.”

Lilith pressed her spectacles up her nose. “Hardly. You spent enough time ensuring I was glued to your side these past years. At least with Father gone, I can have my debut and put an end to that. I know you are frightfully tired of playing my escort.”

He shook his head. “I will always be here to play escort should you need it. It’s my duty.”

“Well, once I am out, Fenton can escort me more often.

He tried not to grimace at the idea of his younger brother looking after Lilith. He must have done a terrible job of hiding his dislike for the idea as his sister laughed.

“He is not so bad! He will do a fine job.”

“Fenton is one step away from becoming our father.”

She shook her head vigorously. “No, he is not, and you know it. Simply because he enjoys cards and is a little rakish does not make him like Father. He’s a good man for one. He simply knows how to have fun. You could learn something from him, Thorney.”

“Fun and rakish behavior is all very well for the second son. Anyway, I know how to have fun when I want to.”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Which is never.” She held out a hand and hopped off the desk. “Well, I have done my duty and said my piece. Now will you come and join me for a nightcap before bed. I do not want you working another hour.”

“Since when did you start indulging in a nightcap?”

“Since Miss Chadwick told me she sometimes steals her mother’s brandy when she cannot sleep.”

Thorne frowned. “I’m not at all sure you should have told me that.”

“If she is old enough to have a tipple, then so am I,” his sister said defensively.

He sighed and took her hand, allowing her to lead him into the drawing room. As he poured a few fingers of brandy for his sister, he began to wonder if he had been wrong to encourage a friendship between her and Miss Chadwick. The woman was certainly not the ideal lady.