Vexed by a Viscount Read Online Free Page B

“Don’t know if you’ve heard the good news, Ashby,” he said, returning with two glasses and offering one to the viscount. “The parson’s mousetrap has snared Squire Jeffries at last. He and Prudence are to be married in a fortnight.”
    ***
    I t was the closest Ashby had ever come to spitting out good liquor. Married ? The squire was a decent enough fellow—odd, but decent—however the man was older than both their fathers. It would be like Ashby marrying someone Aunt Margaret’s age. He shuddered at the thought.
    Carefully swallowing his sip, he smiled to the happy couple. Or rather, to the ambivalent couple. Miss Landon looked as though she’d swallowed a cricket, and Squire Jeffries merely lifted his glass and took a healthy swig.
    “Congratulations to the both of you. May the blessed union bring you great”—he floundered a bit as he tried to think of an appropriate word—“gladness.”
    Gladness ? Uninspired word choice, but he couldn’t very well say May the blessed union not bring you misery. Miss Landon already looked miserable enough, though thankfully no one was focused on her.
    It was a telling statement, actually. Here she was, the bride, and neither her groom nor her parents paid her the least bit of attention. So was this what had prompted the little swim today? Was she feeling rebellious, perhaps? God knew Ash wouldn’t blame her.
    His own betrothal had been arranged so long ago, it was more or less simply a part of him. He had never before considered how lucky he was that Tabitha was so close to his own age. They hadn’t spent much time together, but they had plenty in common, and the thought of marrying her in two years when she came out wasn’t distressing. It just . . . was.
    Squire Jeffries stretched his lips into a pale impression of a smile. “My thanks. Tell me, how are your father’s stables looking this year? I know he bought and sold a handful of horses at Tattersall’s this Season, and I’m anxious to see the new additions.”
    Ash allowed the change in conversation, contributing as required while all the while keeping an eye on Miss Landon. She was agreeable, polite, quiet—basically the perfectly bred female. But after discovering her this afternoon, he couldn’t help but wonder what lay beneath her placid façade.
    What was interesting was that, no matter how she felt about the match, he was absolutely certain that she would go through with the marriage. The next time he saw her, she would be Mrs. Hubert Jeffries. He tried not to curl his lip at the thought. She was disastrously mismatched for the old codger, in his opinion.
    It was a damn shame.

Chapter Four
    D inner was proving to be a rather boring affair. Ash really wanted to speak with Miss Landon alone, but with both parents and her betrothed all present, such a thing wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. He actually felt a bit of pity for the girl. She kept sending furtive glances his way, a tiny V of worry wrinkling her forehead. Did she really think he would spill her secrets right here at the dinner table?
    Yes, he had teased her when he had arrived, but obviously, being a gentleman, he wasn’t going to cry rope on her.
    As the older men droned on about politics and the state of this year’s crops, Ash leaned toward her and offered a reassuring smile. “We are so fortunate to have such fine weather this week, are we not? I’m amazed, actually, that during my entire three hour ride today, I didn’t see a single other soul.”
    Her eyes rounded at his blatant lie, but then she pressed her lips together into a soft smile as her face relaxed. “What a coincidence. I was able to take my walk in complete solitude as well. The sunshine truly was a treat.”
    That was better. With her forehead smooth once more, he felt less like a villain. “Are you looking forward to exploring your new home upon your marriage? If I recall correctly, the grounds of the squire’s estate are quite impressive.”
    He wasn’t