Page 40 of Impetuous

“Of course.” Sir Philip rose reluctantly. “Let me walk you home. I—we need to make arrangements for your coming to Haverly House.”

He untied his horse and led him as they started along the path toward Moulton Hall.

Cassandra’s heart rose in her chest at the thought of traveling with Sir Philip to his home. She told herself it was the excitement of looking for the rest of the map. “Yes, of course. How—how soon do you think we can go?”

“How soon can you get packed?”

Cassandra smiled. “That, sir, I can do this evening. I do not need a multitude of trunks for my wardrobe.”

Sir Philip looked at her with some disbelief. He had never known his mother to be able to pack for a journey to London or Bath in less than a week.

Cassandra raised her eyebrows. “Do you doubt me, sir?”

He chuckled. “No, indeed. I am not foolish enough to issue you that challenge. You would work through the night just to prove me wrong.”

Cassandra merely smiled for an answer.

When they arrived at Moulton House, they found Aunt Ardis and Joanna in the sitting room. Aunt Ardis rose, smiling broadly.

“Sir Philip! What a delightful surprise!” Aunt Ardis gave him her hand and shot Cassandra a glare over his shoulder as he bowed. Cassandra knew that Aunt Ardis was miffed, not only that Sir Philip had been with Cassandra, but that Cassandra, by bringing him in unannounced, had not given her and Joanna a chance to primp before seeing him.

Joanna bared her teeth at Cassandra in something resembling a smile. “Why, Cousin, wherever did you find such a delightful escort?” she asked in a teasing voice, looking up at Sir Philip from beneath her lashes and dimpling.

“We met as I was returning from a walk,” Cassandra said hastily. The last thing she wanted right now was to set Aunt Ardis against her by admitting that she had spent the past two hours with Sir Philip. She was already afraid that her aunt would find a way to block her going to Haverly House. “Sir Philip was coming up the lane from town.”

“Yes. I came to call on you ladies to thank you for the delightful party yesterday evening,” Philip continued smoothly and spent the next few minutes congratulating them on the excellence of the repast, guests and entertainment, until Aunt Ardis and Joanna quite forgot their irritation at his arrival with Cassandra.

When the women were done simpering over his compliments, he went on casually, “I also came because of a missive I received from my mother this morning.”

“And how is your dear mother?” Aunt Ardis asked, as if she had known the woman all her life, when, in fact, they had never met.

“In excellent health, thank you. She wrote to say that she was delighted that I had decided to come by Dunsleigh on my way home. And she begged that you would allow me to escort Miss Verrere to Haverly House for a visit.”

Aunt Ardis’s beaming face went suddenly still. “Miss Verrere,” she repeated blankly. “Cassandra? Your mother is inviting Cassandra to visit her?”

“Yes. As you no doubt know, my grandmother and Miss Verrere’s grandmother were friends.”

Cassandra’s brows rose at this whopper, but she said nothing, hoping that Aunt Ardis would be too unwilling to admit that she did not know something to call his statement into question.

“Indeed?” Aunt Ardis replied vaguely.

“Yes. Quite good friends, actually. My grandmother is very desirous of seeing her friend’s granddaughter. So my mother urged me to bring Miss Verrere home for a visit.”

“You can’t take Cassandra!” Joanna burst out furiously. Cassandra glanced over at her cousin, whose features were drawn into a most unattractive scowl.

“Indeed?” Sir Philip looked at Joanna, his eyebrows rising disdainfully.

Aunt Ardis, catching his expression, hurried to say, “Poor Joanna. She would be quite bereft without her cousin. They are so close, you know. But I am sure that Lady Neville’s invitation extends to us, as well, Joanna. After all, she would not expect a young lady to go jaunting off alone like that to a strange house without family to accompany her. Why, I would never consider allowing Cassandra to make a journey with a gentleman unchaperoned. Isn’t that right, Sir Philip?”

She smiled blindingly at Neville, who understood the implied threat perfectly. Aunt Ardis would refuse to give her permission to Cassandra to travel to Haverly House unless she and Joanna went with them, and Sir Philip could hardly take her without her aunt’s permission or it would create a scandal.

He returned Ardis’s smile and replied blandly, “Of course, Mrs. Moulton. I expressed myself poorly. My mother invited the entire family. You and Miss Moulton and Lord Chesilworth, Master Hart and Miss Olivia, as well. My grandmother is eager to see all her friend’s grandchildren.”

“The children?” Aunt Ardis’s voice rose uncontrollably. “Sir, you must be joking. The children are far too young.”

“Twelve and fourteen, I believe. Just the right age to enjoy a journey. I believe I was about that age the first time my parents took me to London.”

Cassandra’s eyes danced with laughter at her aunt’s outraged expression, and she had to press her lips together tightly to keep from chuckling.