“Indeed, sir,” Lady Phoebe replied, cocking her head, with a trace of a smile playing about her mouth. She didn’t look quite in his direction. “At my mere presence?”
“Y-yes, my lady,” he replied, obviously uncertain if she teased or not. He darted a quick glance at Lily, but she decided to leave him to his own devices since he’d dug the hole for himself with his enthusiasm. “Your beauty alone is enough to put wonder in my gaze.”
Lady Phoebe burst into laughter. From any other lady it might’ve been taken as an insult or at the very least a gentle belittlement—but from her it was simply a sign of joyous amusement.
Lily couldn’t help grinning in sympathy—the other woman’s laughter was that infectious.
“But Mr. MacLeish,” Lady Phoebe said, bringing her mirth under control, “I’ve been told that you are yourself quite an ugly specimen of manhood.”
The young man’s eyes widened as sudden realization washed over his features, but to his credit he recovered quickly—and without insulting Lady Phoebe’s intelligence. “But my lady, I do protest. I am accorded one of the finest-looking gentlemen in England, with milk-white skin, straight teeth, blue eyes… and shining golden hair.”
Lady Phoebe shook her head. “Lying to a blind woman, Mr. MacLeish? I’ve already heard you have bright-red hair.”
“My lady, you wound me,” the young man exclaimed, hand to heart, though Lady Phoebe couldn’t see the gesture. “I vow I’ve had many a lady at my feet.”
“And elsewhere?” she asked, her eyelashes lowered.
“You shouldn’t tease the boy, my lady,” Captain Trevillion said as he limped to the table. Caliban was by his side, his eyes alert, Lily noticed. He gave her one blazing glance and then focused on the newcomer.
The captain’s words fell awkwardly on their light flirtation, breaking the effervescent mood.
Lady Phoebe stiffened.
Mr. MacLeish sobered immediately, eyeing the pistols strapped across Captain Trevillion’s chest. “And who might you be, sir?”
Before the man could reply, Lady Phoebe said, “This is Captain James Trevillion, who has been set to guard me by my brother, like a dog chained before a tasty pork pie.”
“I think of you, my lady, as more of an apple tart,” Captain Trevillion murmured. He turned to the younger man. “And you are?”
“Mr. Malcolm MacLeish,” the Scotsman replied, and Lily was glad to see that he didn’t look at all cowed by the former dragoon’s stern manner. Caliban had explained that Captain Trevillion was some sort of business acquaintance, but she had seen the soldier try to kill him, and only recently, so she thought she might be forgiven a bit of prejudice. “I’ve been commissioned as architect for the rebuilding of Harte’s Folly by His Grace the Duke of Montgomery. He informed me that the garden designer, a Mr. Smith, was to be found here.”
Caliban had stilled during this little speech and at the end of it he nodded. “I am… he.”
Mr. MacLeish brightened. “Very good to meet you, sir.” He held out his hand and for a moment Caliban looked at it as if it were a strange and foreign thing before he seemed to recollect himself and shook hands with younger man. “If you’ll show me the grounds and what you yourself have planned, I would be most grateful.”
Captain Trevillion’s eyes narrowed and he exchanged some type of significant glance with Caliban.
Lily sighed. She really was getting quite tired of not knowing what was going on.
And apparently she wasn’t the only one.
“Your pardon,” Lady Phoebe said, suddenly sounding every inch the daughter of a duke, “but I don’t think you introduced me to Mr. Smith, Captain. I confess myself curious to meet the man you were so eager to see today.”
Lily could tell by the stiffening of Captain Trevillion’s back that he did not care for Lady Phoebe’s interruption, but for the life of her, she couldn’t understand why.
Yet he said politely enough, “My lady, may I present Mr.…”
“Sam,” Caliban supplied. “Just Sam Smith.”
“Mr. Sam Smith?” Captain Trevillion continued smoothly. “Mr. Smith, Lady Phoebe Batten, the Duke of Wakefield’s sister.”
Lady Phoebe held out her hand imperiously and Caliban was forced to take it, bowing over it as he said in his broken voice, “My lady… I am most… pleased to meet you.”
She cocked her head at his voice. “Have you a cold, Mr. Smith?”
“No… my lady,” he said so gently that Lily felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy. “I recently… injured my throat and… as a result… my voice.”
She nodded. “I see.”