Free The Earl's Passionate Plot by Susan Gee Heino Page B

wedged between Ella and Miss Vandenhoff on the seat facing forward, and the two gentlemen sat in the seat facing them.
    The hood s were down so they could enjoy the weather, but after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Mariah was wishing they could put them up again and tell the coachman to race the horses out to their selected picnic area. The sooner this dismal event could be over, the better. Miss Vandenhoff was like a dark cloud hovering over all of them.
    "The flowers this year are so lovely," Ella chirped as they rolled past Mrs. Saunders house with her many window boxes and well tended garden.
    "Indeed," Mr. Chadburne replied brightly. "I always forget how vivid the colors are here in the country. What is the name of this little village we are coming into?"
    "This is Hinders Sundry," Mariah replied. "As you see, not a large village but it has its own market one day each month and the shops provide most of what we need."
    "See there?" Ella pointed out as they clattered along the old road. "That shop has the most delightful hair ribbons! Perhaps tomorrow you might like to walk into the village with me, Miss Vandenhoff, and look at them?"
    The heiress peered at the shop and then shrugged. "St. Peter warns us about the outward adorning of plaiting the hair and wearing of gold," the heiress replied, though Mariah wasn't entirely sure what she meant by it.
    Ella seemed equally confused. She wrinkled up her nose and frowned. "Well, I know they have ribbon, but I don't believe they sell anything gold..."
    How on earth was Mariah going to redirect this? She glanced at Ella for support but her sister merely blinked huge blue eyes in mute befuddlement. It seemed for the moment they were all doomed to uncomfortable silence again. Fortunately, Mr. Chadburne came to the rescue.
    "How true that often the simplest adornment is the best ," he said lightly. "That little grove of trees, for instance, could be in a painting by one of those new romantic artists."
    "Oh, but I adore art," Ella said, nearly stumbling over her words on a subject that Mariah knew was very dear to her. "I brought my chalks along today and hope to make some sketches of the views on our outing."
    Mr. Chadburne seemed every bit as eager to embrace this subject as Ella had been. "Brilliant idea, Miss Renford. I'm already impatient to see what you'll create for us. Do you always use chalk or do you dabble in watercolors, as well?"
    "You are a lover of art, Mr. Chadburne?" Mariah asked, happy to capitalize on such a cheery topic at last.
    "My mother is, actually," he replied. "She's forever forcing me to take her to galleries and such. I'm hardly an expert on the matter, but I will admit to having an appreciation for the talent and craft required for painting or sketching."
    Ella agreed whole heartedly and at last it seemed as if the group might embark on actual conversation. It was not to be, however. The earl made the foolhardy mistake of asking Miss Vandenhoff for her thoughts on the subject.
    "I think the time spent smearing paint could much better be put to other uses and the vast sums of money wasted to support such activities could surely go toward more productive efforts," the American replied in her usually snippy tones.
    Mariah glared at the earl. How could he possibly expect her to help make the chit appear to advantage if he went about tossing questions at her? Clearly her contrary nature had to be treated much more carefully. She needed to be managed with extreme caution and certainly not given opportunity to rant over questions thrown at her willy-nilly.
    Somehow Mariah simply had to find a subject that the girl could agree with. There must be something! Miss Vandenhoff could not possibly be negative about everything on the planet, could she?
    "Well, I certainly admit that any time I might spend smearing paint could certainly be put to better use," Mariah said. "I fear I have no talent for it whatsoever, though I am glad that some people seem to find