Page 51 of No Ordinary Lady

“The stars?”

“This place has been her obsession since she was just a little girl. Knows everything about it and the occupants. I’d not be surprised if she weren’t already taking over subtly, you know. You should hear her when Lady Scarsdale is not around. Quite dreadful.”

“What does she say?”

“It’s subtle, but over time she hasn’t painted a flattering picture of the woman we both respect,” Gabby warned. “She’s bound to the past. Dull and unaware of her own deficiencies as a countess and a widow. I tried to tell my cousin about her criticisms and slights once, but he’s deaf to that sort of thing. Says it’s none of my business or that I’m imagining things. I so hoped he’d speak to Scarsdale about her. They were good friends once.”

“I see,” Marian said, looking back over her shoulder at the countess. They were too far away from the manor terrace now to see anyone, and she spun back to Gabby. “Lady Scarsdale adores Miss Wilson.”

“That is true, unfortunately,” Gabby whispered. “Despite my cousin’s warning, I tried to say something about it to her once. But Lady Scarsdale won’t hear a bad word said against Miss Wilson from anyone, least of all me. Miss Wilson found out, too, and I ended up on the outs for six months. All because I tried to do the right thing. It taught me a valuable lesson. Do not cross Miss Wilson, at least until after my season.”

“What about Mrs. Nolan? I cannot believe she’d be so blind or enjoy hearing the countess maligned.”

“Oh, Granny’s a completely different story. That’s what she wants me to call her, but Lady Scarsdale insists I do not. Granny tried to talk to her daughter about Miss Wilson, but they argued so much it was horrible,” Gabby warned. “I hope that Lord Scarsdale sees through Miss Wilson’s false affection on this visit and long before it’s too late.”

But Danny would propose soon, and then it would be the end of everything. The end of his happiness? And his mother’s, too, perhaps.

That did not sit well with Marian. The family had been nothing but kind to her so far.

It was on the tip of her tongue to pledge to help reveal Amy Wilson’s nasty side. But what good would that do if Danny were determined to marry the woman? She’d only be sowing further discord.

Danny would not thank her for interfering with his love life, either.

He could become furious with her, in fact, and have her thrown out before she was ready to go. He already had plenty of reasons to be cross with her. Not for following him home to return the stolen ring, but for staying.

She’d promised she’d be no trouble for him and his family. Marian never went back on her word.

“We should go back,” Marian murmured. “Mrs. Nolan might need me.”

“Not yet. We’ve arrived at the grotto. Come and see,” Gabby whispered, pushing through a veil of weeping willow to reveal a dark tunnel. “Don’t be scared. The dark only lasts a little way in.”

Marian had good eyesight and followed Gabby into the short tunnel. She put her hands out to each side of her and discovered rough brickwork.

“There’s a turn here,” Gabby said, fingers reaching back for her hand.

Marian gripped her fingers tightly, and they walked into a dazzling chamber together. She looked up and found windows of glass above her head.

“Careful or you’ll get a wet hem,” Gabby warned.

Marian lowered her gaze to the ground and saw water immediately before her.

“It starts shallow but drops deep almost immediately,” she told her.

When Gabby stepped aside, Marian got a better look at the large chamber they were standing in.

“Someone built this?” she said in awe as she spun in circles. The walls were studded with quartz stones and the light from overhead hit them to dance over the lapping water. There were flagstones around the edge of the pool and stone benches to sit upon.

“The late Lord Scarsdale had it built for his first wife, although I understand she never came here often.”

“It must have cost a fortune,” Marian whispered.

“The spring was always here,” Gabby told her as she removed her bonnet. “Lord Scarsdale just built over and around it to add privacy. Each summer they open the grotto so the village families can enjoy it, too.”

“So, Miss Wilson uses the pool?”

“Of course not. If she had her way, this place would be torn down, and the spring destroyed.”

“Why would she want to do that?”