The Rebel Bride by Catherine Coulter

After sharing a glass of sherry with Stokeworthy, he saw the good man off, consulted his watch, and deemed it time to change into evening apparel.

A few minutes after Julien descended the staircase, the exquisite folds of his neckcloth perfectly placed, Mannering informed him of the imminent arrival of Sir Percy and Lord Launston.

“It appears, my lord, that their lordships have journeyed together.” He motioned a footman to open the great oak doors to admit them.

“Good Lord, Julien, what an outlandish place,” Percy said the minute he entered. “I forget how in the very middle of nowhere at all you live. Ah, but it’s a grand house, just nowhere, if you know what I mean.”

Mannering relieved him of his cloak and hat and stood in tolerant silence as Percy stepped forward to shake Julien’s hand.

Hugh appeared but a moment later, a calm smile of pleasure on his intelligent face. He bade a polite good evening to Mannering, who unbent a trifle at this gentleman’s welcome sobriety, and removed his cloak and hat.

“Feel as if I’ve stepped back into the pages of my history books,” Percy continued, letting his gaze travel about the hall. “Not, of course, that I ever read many of the bloody things, but rest assured that I’ve seen pictures, pages of pictures.”

“I know just what you mean, Percy,” Julien said, grinning. “I too have seen many of those same pages, I daresay.”

He turned to greet Hugh Drakemore, who remarked in his well-bred voice, “A beautiful estate, Julien. We should visit more often. As you know, my great-aunt Regina lives not twenty miles to the west, and I count this like a visit home.”

“It’s always a pleasure to have you here, Hugh. I trust this madcap here did not overturn you on your way north.”

“Dash it, Julien,” Percy said, “damn Hugh’s eyes, he wouldn’t let me take the reins until we were on the widest roads with the fewest turns. He is cowhearted. I didn’t come even near to overturning him.” Percy looked pointedly at Hugh.

Never one to let his friends down, Hugh said with unruffled composure, “Quite true, all of it, Julien. When Percy was handling the ribbons, why I believe I took a nap and dreamed of the green hills of Ireland.”

“Enough of your bloody insults, Hugh, even though they’re smooth as honey. Dash it all, Julien, it’s later than you can begin to imagine, at least to my stomach. I’m near to fainting with starvation.”

“Quite right, Percy. Why do not you and Hugh repair to your rooms and change? You see, I can’t allow guests to dinner in their traveling clothes. It would be a great disservice to my consequence.”

“Humph,” Percy said. “You’re a damned dog, Julien. You wish us to change simply because you do not want to feel foolish alone in your evening clothes.”

Julien laughed his agreement. “True it is, but bear with me.”

Hugh said, “We shan’t be long, Julien, unless”— he cast a quizzing glance at Percy— “our exquisite here must needs dandify himself.”

Julien could not resist a rueful grin, thinking of the half a dozen neckcloths he had ruined before achieving his own elegant appearance. He turned to Mannering. “Lord Launston and Sir Percy will go to their rooms. If you will, please have a footman escort them.”

“Very well, my lord.” Mannering bowed in his most formal manner, as if to impress upon Sir Percy that St. Clair was indeed an earl’s establishment.

“Mannering tells me that the lake has abundant trout,” Hugh said, as he walked with his friend across the east side of the lawn toward St. Clair lake.

Julien inhaled the fresh morning air and hiked his fishing gear more securely over his shoulder. “Yes, so full that those trout might just jump into our baskets.”

“It’s a pity Percy can’t rouse himself, for the country air is quite invigorating.” He turned his dark eyes to Julien, a smile breaking his usually composed features.

Julien laughed. “What? Watch what you say, Hugh. Percy up and about before noon? Why, it’s unheard of, something to be devoutly avoided. And you know that Percy can’t stand to see the beasts wriggling around on the string when you haul them in.”