by Abby Ayles
“Oh, well, just a few things I heard here and there,” Winsom said, flustered. His face turned a pale red, but he waved a hand in the air dismissively.
“I would hope that you might come to me with these rumours before talking to others,” Edmund said, knowing that the threat in his voice was implied enough to not have to say it explicitly. “It would be the polite and gentlemanly thing to do.”
“Well, now that you mention it, yes, of course, I’ll be sure to…” Winsom started, his voice trailing off. “Are you quite alright, Lord Kelt? You seem a little… distracted.”
Edmund looked back at him, and realised his head had been swinging back and forth as he checked on both Joanna and Patience.
“Yes, quite alright,” he said. “Now, tell me where you heard about Africa. And from whom, if you will.”
The man struggled his way through a vague answer about sailors and markets, as Edmund tried to force himself to pay attention.
Eventually, satisfied that Winsom had at least been put in his place, he took his leave and walked some distance away.
He did not quite return to Miss Warrick’s side – not yet. He had noticed something peculiar while Winsom was speaking, and he wanted to see it with his full attention.
It had not escaped his notice that Miss Warrick was beautiful enough to catch eyes from all around the room, even if she might not have had quite as fancy or new a dress as the other ladies.
As he watched, however, Edmund never saw her return a single glance. Her eyes remained trained on Patience, and when they did flicker around the room, they landed only on the young men who were also watching her charge.
One scoundrel in a green velvet coat was watching Miss Warrick quite openly from a few groups of people away. Edmund saw him with a scowl, and how he even made some remark about her to his friends.
Whatever it was, a blond young man laughed. That made Edmund’s fist clench tight again. Who was this young upstart?
Miss Warrick seemed not to notice him, until at last her eyes swung in his direction.
When she met his gaze, he gave her a sly smile, the type that no doubt had been found awfully successful with enchanting young ladies at many a ball.
Edmund felt his heart sink, thinking that now Miss Warrick would be distracted from her duties.
But she looked away from the young dandy without so much as a change in her expression and resumed her observations of Patience.
Edmund felt a pride in his chest then, that he had chosen a governess who was serious about her position and the lives of her pupils. She clearly had no thought towards social interactions, despite the heady environment of the ball.
He could only hope that the rest of the ball would continue to be so successful, but could it really be the case?
Chapter 11
He returned to her side, giving the dandy a stern glare for good measure.
“Everything has been well, I take it?” he said.
Miss Warrick glanced up at him without surprise. She must have observed his approach.
“Quite well. Miss Patience is dancing finely. I am quite pleased with her progress.”
Edmund smiled. “I’m sure she applies herself to her dancing lessons more than to any other.”
Miss Warrick hid a laugh behind her hand. “I would not have put it in so many words, Lord Kelt,” she said, though her tone revealed that he was correct.
Edmund began to look around the room, searching for another of the old men he no doubt needed to listen to for an interminably long time in order to secure their business.
With Miss Warrick watching over things, he would perhaps be able to relax a little more than he had thought. He had been unable to find any fault with her – and, indeed, it surprised him to realise that he was beginning to entertain the notion of trusting her.
What a strange thing that was. It had never happened with any of the previous governesses that he had hired – and subsequently dismissed.
Each one of them had, somehow or other, proven themselves to be unworthy of the position. And now here was this Miss Warrick, seemingly the perfect fit for the job, just like that…
Edmund excused himself and wandered over to engage a passing gentleman with large red whiskers, who he recognised by sight as a baron of some good standing.
“Who is that young woman?” the Baron asked, leaning in with a gruff voice as their conversation regarding trade began to come to a close.
“My sister?” Edmund asked, following his gaze to where Patience and Miss Warrick stood together. Yet another young man was approaching them, no doubt to lead Patience out for the next dance.
“No, no, I recognise Miss Patience. She looks like your mother, you know. I meant the young lady accompanying her.”
“That is our governess, Miss Warrick. She is acting as a chaperone for Miss Patience tonight,” Edmund said.
“Oh,” the Baron said, an expression of surprise appearing above his bushy whiskers. “She is quite a fine-looking woman. I had thought she must be a visitor of yours, a cousin perhaps.”
“She was a lady, before,” Edmund said, though he felt an irritation at having to explain it.
Miss Warrick was a woman in her own right, and her status or lack of it was hardly relevant to her position.
“I believe there was some trouble with her father’s fortune before his death. At any rate, her mother advertised her services as a governess, and I happened upon her details. She has been good with the children, thus far.”
The Baron gave him what was no doubt intended to be a well-meaning elbow in the ribs.
“I couldn’t have her as a governess in our house. The Baroness would get jealous, eh? Pretty thing like that. You ought to dance with her.”
Edmund gave him a startled look. “Dance with her? Whatever for?”
The Baron scoffed, tapping his wife on her shoulder and getting her attention.
“My dear Baroness, don’t you think Lord Kelt ought to dance with his young governess over there?”
The Baroness’ gaze darted over to Miss Warrick and lingered, apparently assessing her. “She is of family?”
“Trouble with the family fortune,” the Baron said. “Lord Kelt was just telling me.”
“The best kind of governess,” the Baroness nodded, proclaiming her opinion as if all had been settled. “The Earl should dance with her. Just once, as a courtesy. It would be polite.”
“I really don’t think I’m the best dance partner,” Edmund said, shaking his head.
“Elizabeth,” the Baroness called out, tugging the sleeve of a woman standing nearby. “Don’t you think it’s right that Lord Kelt ought to spare a dance for his governess? She’s come to chaperone the sister.”
Elizabeth, whoever she might have been, turned and gave her own assessment of the situation.
“It would be polite,” she said. “After all, no one else will dance with the poor woman tonight.”
Edmund gritted his teeth, trying very hard not to give them an answer he would regret. “I see you are determined to force my hand, Baron,” he said, with an air of resignation.
“Quite so, Lord Kelt!” the Baron laughed heartily. “It’s about time you had some fun, my dear lord. Your father was a shrewd businessman, but even he would spare some time for socialising at a ball.”
Edmund sighed, and looked back at Miss Warrick.
Now that he thought about it, perhaps it would provide him with an excuse not to dance with any other ladies for the rest of the night if he had turned around the floor at least once.
It seemed, too, that his group were not going to let things drop. Of course, he could argue, but it might create a scene; and the Baron had seemed interested in the idea of placing an order or two in the coming week.
He walked up to her, thankful that Patience was already being led away – by the red-headed third Haverham son, no less. At least that meant she would not be left standing alone while he indulged in this ridiculous dance.
�
�Miss Warrick,” he said, glancing over at the group that were now watching his progress closely, “I have been told in no uncertain terms that it is quite rude of me to leave you without a dancing partner.”
Miss Warrick looked up at him in some confusion. “But I’m here as a chaperone,” she said. “I did not think there would be any call for me to dance. And, who…?”
Edmund gave her a level look, until she began to blush furiously.
“Oh. I see,” she said, looking down at his feet. “Are you asking me to dance, Lord Kelt?”
“Just one,” Edmund said, extending his hand towards her. “We have an audience. We’d better get it out of the way as soon as possible.”
Miss Warrick placed her hand on his without another word, and he carefully led her to join the other couples in the centre of the room.
He was all too aware of the fact that he was still under close scrutiny from the Baron and Baroness. It did not help that the red flush on Miss Warrick’s cheeks had yet to die down.
In fact, as the first strains of music began and they moved towards one another, he even thought that it might have been getting more pronounced.
It was only as they passed around one another in the steps of the dance, and he looked down the line to see Patience dancing with her young admirer, that he realised Miss Warrick perhaps did not want to dance with him at all.
She did not have much choice when it came to refusing him – after all, he was her employer.
Perhaps that was why her cheeks still shone red, even while she executed the steps of the dance with perfect precision. Because the other young ladies dancing up and down the line had been asked by attractive young men who might one day ask for their hand in marriage – and she had had to wait for the pity of her employer to be paraded in front of all of them.
Such insensitivity he had shown! She must think him so cruel!
He tried to think of a way that he could improve the situation, but one did not easily come to mind. After all, to abandon the dance partway through would only give her more shame and draw more attention her way.
He settled on at least trying to say something nice. But a direct compliment might be seen as inappropriate.
He stuttered out the only thing he could think to say.
“Patience’s dancing has improved much under your supervision,” he said, as their heads passed by one another in the circular patterns of the dance.
“Thank you, my lord,” Miss Warrick said. “She has obviously benefited greatly from having someone who cares enough about her to insist on the continuance of her education, in the absence of your parents.”
Edmund felt a certain pride well up at her statement. “Our house has greatly benefitted from your skilled presence, more so than with our previous governesses. I am very glad to have found you,” he said.
Then, feeling that he had gone too far, he quickly added: “For the children’s sake, of course.”
Miss Warrick inclined her head gracefully. “I have enjoyed my time with you greatly. With the children, I mean.”
“And we, you,” Edmund replied. “I have been impressed with your conduct as a chaperone. I know Patience is safe under your eye.”
“You flatter me greatly,” Miss Warrick said, flushing even deeper.
By now, Edmund began to wonder whether there could be any blood left in the rest of her body.
“You have earned it,” he said.
He wanted to tell her that she looked quite beautiful as they spun around one another, and that she was not so far from the ladies in attendance as he had expected.
He suspected, however, that this might come across as a thinly veiled insult, and so said nothing.
“I am quite happy that I have found my home with you,” Miss Warrick said. “I feel more comfortable than I had thought possible.”
“I hope you do not think me forward in saying that the home would not be the same, were you now to leave,” Edmund replied, caught up in her sudden praise. “Your presence has improved us greatly.”
“I do not know about that,” Miss Warrick said, smiling shyly as she stepped away and then towards him again. “I was charmed on the first day of my arrival, and I remain so.”
“You continue to surprise and delight me, Miss Warrick,” Edmund said, just as the music came to an end.
They stood looking at each other, a little out of breath and lost in the awkwardness of their positions now that the dance was over.
At a loss for what to say, he added: “I talk of your work with the children, of course.”
“Of course,” Miss Warrick nodded. “The children. I was speaking of them, too.”
She dipped a quick curtsey by way of concluding their dance, and after a short pause, rushed over to Patience to resume her chaperone duties.
Damn him. Why had he had to add that last comment?
The rest of the ball spun on around him, and he reluctantly returned to his conversations.
The Baron and Baroness complimented him on his footwork and his grace at dancing with an employee, and Edmund could not remove himself from their vicinity quickly enough.
He buried himself in negotiations and discussions with the patriarchs scattered around the sides of the room, and only occasionally found himself glancing to check on Miss Warrick and Patience.
As all good things are wont to do, the ball came to an end.
“I don’t want to go yet,” Patience whined, and Edmund found himself having to put a firm hand on her shoulder.
“The ball is over, sister,” he said. “What do you expect to gain from staying? You will be here on your own.”
Patience pouted but climbed into the carriage anyway. As Miss Warrick followed her, Edmund caught a smile of amusement on her face.
It echoed onto his own before he could stop it, and he realised that it was a genuine one.
Despite all of his misgivings, it had been a good evening. There had been no incident whatsoever involving either Patience or Miss Warrick – aside, perhaps, from their misjudged attempt at dancing together.
Deals had been made, and many of the men he had seen this night would no doubt be appearing in his office over the following weeks, ready to sign contracts.
All in all, they had achieved their goals, and Patience was still giddy with the excitement of it all.
Miss Warrick helped her take down her hair inside the carriage, removing some pins that had become uncomfortable through the course of the night, and Edmund watched them with a feeling of satisfaction.
He could not remember the last time he felt strangely happy like this. Perhaps it had been a long time ago, in his boyhood.
But he had been a serious child; perhaps, he thought to himself, it was the first time he had ever really felt this way.
Chapter 12
The ball was such an enjoyable night, but it was over so quickly.
Just to be back in that environment, revelling in the atmosphere and in the reflected fun that Patience exuded, was more than Joanna could have wished for.
Of course, it was not without a certain personal enjoyment. Being in the thick of it again, even if only temporarily while she danced with Edmund, had been like a return to her former life.
He had been such a skilled dancer – quite unexpectedly – and so kind in his words.
Though there was some bittersweet mixture of her feelings on that part.
He had been kind, yes, though only about her skill at her position of governess. Was it too much to wish that her days of being praised for a pretty hairstyle or a charming laugh were not behind her?
Though such flattery was not the most important thing in life, still, she felt a strange longing that he might have said something about her person while they danced.
Particularly from Edmund, though she could not explain why, she longed to hear such praise.
Still, when it was over, the next day dawned much the same as any other.
Their little spark of excitement was now in the past, and it
seemed sad to think that it might be a long time again before they could participate in something similar.
Perhaps fortunately, and perhaps not, it was not long before Joanna had more excitement to deal with.
This excitement, however, was of an altogether different character, and one that she would have preferred to avoid if given the chance.
Despite having argued with Edmund so viciously on his last visit, Christopher Hardwicke did not stay away for long. Soon, they would all wish that he had – and perhaps for a much longer period than any of them had ever wished before.