Free What the Fates Decree: The Caversham Chronicles-The Titans of the Revolution by Sandy Raven Page A

Beverly was also your aunt.”
    “She is my godmother,” Isabel said. “Aunt Beverly is as close to our family as a beloved aunt would be.”
    “Oh, I wasn’t aware.” The other girl looked like a puppy that had been corrected. Had Isabel been curt in her explanation? She didn’t intend to be.
    “I’m sorry, Miss Gordon,” Isabel said, “I didn’t intend to sound terse. Perhaps I, too, am more tired than I thought after two long days of travel.”
    “That is completely understandable, Lady Isabel,” the young miss said. “Why just traveling by coach from Edinburgh is enough to exhaust me!”
    They arrived to their seats, and Isabel discovered Miss Gordon was to sit on her right with Charlotte to her left. Across from them, Marcus was seated on Lady Adina’s left, as she was at the head of the table with Aunt Beverly on the hostess’ right, and next to her brother, Lady Edgar, then Doctor Gowrey. Lady Adina shared her seat at the head of the enormous table with Aunt Beverly and the two were deep into their discussion of Lord Huddleston’s whereabouts in his latest letter to her.
    Lady Edgar, upset that she was left out of the conversation at the end of the table, brought up the subject that had been been on Isabel, Charlotte, and Penelope’s mind since their arrival.
    “When is Rathcavan due to return with Mr. Santiago?”
    Lady Adina passed a pointed glance from Lady Edgar, to Miss Olivia, then to the rest of her guests. “As soon as they are able. There has been an accident at the mill, and my grandson has said he will not restart production until the problem that caused the accident has been resolved.” Lady Adina, sipped from her crystal wine goblet.
    The older woman met Isabel’s gaze before she turned her attention to her brother seated across from her. Her hazel eyes danced with merriment and pride in the new earl. “My grandson is a charming rake with a singular obsession—industrialization of the country. Several years ago, he and his cousin purchased an iron mill in Glasgow. This was just before he inherited the title.”
    Lady Edgar, unsatisfied by her mother-in-law’s reply, pushed the matter again. “Well, surely they will arrive before the festivities are to begin on Saturday? Mr. Santiago has a betrothed here whom he abandoned almost immediately after their agreement—”
    Lady Adina, didn’t miss a beat. She jumped into Lady Edgar’s annoying display of false temper. “They will get here when they get here, Margaret. We can hunt without them, my grandson knows this.” She gave Isabel and Charlotte a smile. “Though my grandson loves the hunt as much as I.”
    While the talk was now about horses, hounds, and hunting, the footmen cleared the soup bowls away then brought in the next course, a pâté of some sort, on a bed of seasoned vegetables. Isabel wished dinner would end quickly so they could claim exhaustion and return to their rooms. There was much to discuss with Penelope. Isabel was certain their friend waited for them to return and get the gossip from their dinner conversation.
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    C harlotte closed the door behind Isabel when her cousin entered Penelope’s room after dinner. The trio had begged to be excused from the evening’s entertainments because of lingering fatigue from travel.
    While they were truly tired, they also wanted to be spared Penelope’s cousin’s pianoforte playing and singing. Charlotte was sure the girl was satisfactory at both, but she had no desire to listen.
    And Marcus was acting strange—as though he was interested in the chit. So the girl was passably pretty… it didn’t warrant paying her that much attention. Marcus couldn’t take his eyes off her when he thought no one was looking. To make things even more strange, the betrothed miss was acting equally as besotted with her cousin. The hussy! She had a fiancé, and she was flirting with her cousin!
    Charlotte could not see Olivia as Marcus’ marchioness, and forced the image trying to