Read Online Scandal By The Ton by Virginia Henley - Free Book Online
Authors: Virginia Henley
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riding gloves and decided to walk over to Royston Hall.
When Nicholas arrived in the breakfast room, he was surprised to see his brother sitting at the table enjoying gammon ham, eggs, and sausages.
"When the devil did you arrive?"
Michael grinned. "An ungodly hour to someone as civilized as you, I suppose. But when I read your note that you'd traveled to Hertfordshire, I became quite envious. Then last night, after spending hours at Brooks, where the gaming rooms were packed with noisy, heavy-drinking gamblers, I decided the fresh air and open countryside of Hertfordshire were exactly what I needed."
"Yes, Mick, I quite agree Hertfordshire will be much healthier for you than the dissipated life you lead in London." Nicholas helped himself to breakfast from the sideboard.
"Perhaps I will take you as my role model, and make something of myself."
"Don't be facetious."
"Nick, I swear I'm not mocking you. I am perfectly sincere."
"Good. We've already harvested an early barley crop. Why don't you take a look in the malthouse and see if the green malt has started to sprout yet?"
"Speaking of malt, why don't we start a brewhouse so we could produce our own beer?"
"Why not? You can oversee the project. Are you hunting this morning?"
"I thought I might. Will you join me?" Michael invited.
"Not today. I'm expecting a visitor."
Mick grimaced. "If it's the reverend from St. John's Church, I think I'll be off to the stables."
"As you wish."
They left the breakfast room together and walked through the Great Hall. A manservant appeared and announced to Nicholas, "Lady Julia Shelborne has arrived, my lord."
Michael smiled with delight. "Your visitor, I presume?" They headed to the reception hall.
"Good morning, Julia. Look who the cat dragged in," Nick jested.
"Poor Luna gets blamed for everything." She held out her gloved hand to Mick.
"Lady Julia, how absolutely marvelous to find you here in Hertfordshire."
"I invited Julia to browse through the books in our library." Nicholas smiled into her eyes. "Mick is going hunting."
"No, I'm not," he declared. "It would be rude to leave when we have a visitor. I'll look at the books too. It couldn't hurt."
Julia looked about with interest as the brothers led the way to the library. "Your Great Hall is lovely. I remember visiting once with my father, but I was too young to appreciate it then."
"Royston Hall is Elizabethan," Nicholas said, "right up your alley."
"Yes, Bess Hardwick would have loved it; she coveted property."
"Here's that Culpepper Herbal I was telling you about yesterday." Nick handed the colorfully illustrated book to Julia, and she leafed through it with reverence. "Over here we have the complete works of Shakespeare, and right next to him Christopher Marlowe."
Julia smiled. "You don't believe the rumor do you?"
"No, I don't. When you read them side by side, Marlowe falls short."
Michael was looking at the books in a different section. "Hello, here's a set of military books, showing the colorful uniforms of the different regiments for the last hundred years." He carried them to the desk. "I'll take these up to my room tonight and study them."
"Ladies cannot resist a man in a uniform," Julia teased.
"You know, I've noticed that."
Nicholas ran his hand along a row of books. "Here are a few books about people in Tudor and Elizabethan times. This one in particular should be helpful: The Life of the Thrice Noble William Cavendish ."
"Oh, Nicholas, that's marvelous. He was Bess's second husband. Thank you so much."
"And here's one on the great country estates of England that includes both Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall."
"You don't mind if I borrow them?"
Nicholas piled the books on the desk. "Of course I don't mind."
Michael asked, "Since you're a student of history, are you interested in Royston?"
"Yes, I'd like to learn about Royston Hall, and also the town. I know the Romans built roads through here."
"How about visiting Royston's chalk cave?"
When Nicholas arrived in the breakfast room, he was surprised to see his brother sitting at the table enjoying gammon ham, eggs, and sausages.
"When the devil did you arrive?"
Michael grinned. "An ungodly hour to someone as civilized as you, I suppose. But when I read your note that you'd traveled to Hertfordshire, I became quite envious. Then last night, after spending hours at Brooks, where the gaming rooms were packed with noisy, heavy-drinking gamblers, I decided the fresh air and open countryside of Hertfordshire were exactly what I needed."
"Yes, Mick, I quite agree Hertfordshire will be much healthier for you than the dissipated life you lead in London." Nicholas helped himself to breakfast from the sideboard.
"Perhaps I will take you as my role model, and make something of myself."
"Don't be facetious."
"Nick, I swear I'm not mocking you. I am perfectly sincere."
"Good. We've already harvested an early barley crop. Why don't you take a look in the malthouse and see if the green malt has started to sprout yet?"
"Speaking of malt, why don't we start a brewhouse so we could produce our own beer?"
"Why not? You can oversee the project. Are you hunting this morning?"
"I thought I might. Will you join me?" Michael invited.
"Not today. I'm expecting a visitor."
Mick grimaced. "If it's the reverend from St. John's Church, I think I'll be off to the stables."
"As you wish."
They left the breakfast room together and walked through the Great Hall. A manservant appeared and announced to Nicholas, "Lady Julia Shelborne has arrived, my lord."
Michael smiled with delight. "Your visitor, I presume?" They headed to the reception hall.
"Good morning, Julia. Look who the cat dragged in," Nick jested.
"Poor Luna gets blamed for everything." She held out her gloved hand to Mick.
"Lady Julia, how absolutely marvelous to find you here in Hertfordshire."
"I invited Julia to browse through the books in our library." Nicholas smiled into her eyes. "Mick is going hunting."
"No, I'm not," he declared. "It would be rude to leave when we have a visitor. I'll look at the books too. It couldn't hurt."
Julia looked about with interest as the brothers led the way to the library. "Your Great Hall is lovely. I remember visiting once with my father, but I was too young to appreciate it then."
"Royston Hall is Elizabethan," Nicholas said, "right up your alley."
"Yes, Bess Hardwick would have loved it; she coveted property."
"Here's that Culpepper Herbal I was telling you about yesterday." Nick handed the colorfully illustrated book to Julia, and she leafed through it with reverence. "Over here we have the complete works of Shakespeare, and right next to him Christopher Marlowe."
Julia smiled. "You don't believe the rumor do you?"
"No, I don't. When you read them side by side, Marlowe falls short."
Michael was looking at the books in a different section. "Hello, here's a set of military books, showing the colorful uniforms of the different regiments for the last hundred years." He carried them to the desk. "I'll take these up to my room tonight and study them."
"Ladies cannot resist a man in a uniform," Julia teased.
"You know, I've noticed that."
Nicholas ran his hand along a row of books. "Here are a few books about people in Tudor and Elizabethan times. This one in particular should be helpful: The Life of the Thrice Noble William Cavendish ."
"Oh, Nicholas, that's marvelous. He was Bess's second husband. Thank you so much."
"And here's one on the great country estates of England that includes both Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall."
"You don't mind if I borrow them?"
Nicholas piled the books on the desk. "Of course I don't mind."
Michael asked, "Since you're a student of history, are you interested in Royston?"
"Yes, I'd like to learn about Royston Hall, and also the town. I know the Romans built roads through here."
"How about visiting Royston's chalk cave?"
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