A Charming Lady for the Intriguing Baronet: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Bridget Barton

  “Good evening, sir. I have brought the checklist with me.”

  The papers were placed on his desk, complete with neat ticks next to each item.

  “Oh, right. Yes, best to have those before the ball tomorrow. Have they been run through already? I see the ticks here.”

  Smith nodded. “I spoke with Mrs James about the food, and she is well organised for tomorrow. Mrs Branby has briefed the staff on how everything is to run, and I have spoken with the outside staff concerning arrivals and departures. All is ready for the ball, sir.”

  “Wonderful, Smith. People always expect me to give the most lavish balls, and by golly, they will get one this year.”

  Smith regarded him with a surprised look. “Sir, do you permit me to ask a question of a more personal nature?”

  “Of course, Smith. You are all my family here–I have nothing worth hiding.”

  Smith bowed his head slightly. “Thank you, sir. You have been in a jovial mood since returning from your walk with the horses. You are also excited about the ball tomorrow when such things have always been a bore to you. May I ask what has brought about this change?”

  Alex was more than happy to inform Smith of his meeting with the lovely Selina.

  “I met a woman today.”

  His steward frowned. “A woman? Where? Here?”

  “In a way. She was on my property near the river. A wonderful woman by the name of Selina.”

  “Is she a servant from the neighbouring estates?”

  Alex laughed. “No, and that is just the thing! She is a gentlewoman, Smith, but not any that I have ever encountered. Selina is different but in a good way. She captivated me from the moment she greeted me.”

  Smith didn’t look convinced. “Why would this Selina be different from any other woman out for your wealth? How do you know that she was simply just pretending?”

  Alex’s smile fell. He hadn’t thought of that. Could Selina be after him and only found a more ingenious way of doing so? No, he didn’t think so. Selina was far too genuine.

  “No, I do not believe so, Smith. Selina truly did not know who I was. She was sketching when I arrived where she was sitting. She was totally engrossed in what she was doing. Selina is brilliant, too. I have seen her work. I have no doubt in my mind that she was simply there to sketch the scenery, and I just happened across her.”

  Smith nodded his head slowly. “Very well, sir. If she is who you say she is, that is excellent. Do you plan to pursue her? You will need an heir.”

  Did everything have to be about producing an heir? Alex wanted love, and he knew that it was attainable. He had not thoroughly thought out what he intended to do about Selina, but he knew that he wished to see her again. He would not be just Alex this time, but Sir Alexander Russell, 6th Baronet of Chesterfield. Would his title make a difference? Would it sway her opinion of him? He hoped not.

  “I am aware of the need to produce an heir, Smith. But there are more important things than that. I wish to see if Selina would be the one to fit the vision that I have.”

  “Sir, if you don’t mind me saying so, but you always did have your head in the clouds. Even as a young boy.”

  It was true that Alex wasn’t one to conform to any rules set by society. He was his own man, and he could do whatever he wanted to do. Alex had been doing so for years, and nothing would stop him. Although, he had to admit that having wealth seemed to make it easier for him. No one seemed to question his actions, choosing to see him as eccentric rather than a rebel. But he was a rebel, and always had been.

  “I wouldn’t call it clouds, Smith. I just see things differently, as should other people. It does not hurt to stop and just think for once, instead of going with the flow.”

  “The flow is what keeps you where you are sir, while others struggle.”

  Alex could not argue with that logic. The working class had the short end of the stick, while the upper class had a wide expanse of privilege to keep them comfortable and untouchable.

  “That is why I do not accept it, Smith. I may enjoy the perks associated with it, but never have I condoned the ill treatment of those that they consider being less important than they are.”

  Smith looked down and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Alex knew that Smith had a past before he had come to the estate, looking for work. He had not spoken of it, but he knew that it involved someone of the gentry.

  “I apologise, sir, for my loose tongue. You, of course, have never treated your servants with anything less than respect.”

  “Do not lose any sleep over it, Smith. On a lighter note, how many people have stated that they will be coming?”

  “I believe that everyone on your list will be attending the ball, and likely others that you have not invited.”

  What was a large function without a few uninvited guests? The House of Chesterfield always made room for at least a hundred extra possible guests, rather than turn them away.

  “Thank you, Smith. That will be all for tonight.”

  Smith bowed and left, leaving him to ponder his unexpected afternoon. The red-haired beauty would come to his ball, and he would dance with her. At least he hoped that he could. Alex wanted to get her alone and speak with her. He wanted to know if she would be the same woman he had met at the river–Alex could not abide two-faced women. That went for men as well. He decided to retire to his bedchamber.

  “Tomorrow is a big day. I would rather tackle it with all my wits about me, for the evening will bring its own set of challenges.”

  Selina found that she could not sleep. She had tossed and turned for more than an hour before sitting up in bed.

  “It’s that ball that is keeping me awake. I find myself too excited to sleep.”

  She slipped out of bed and padded to the window, throwing her windows wide. The cold autumn air swept into the room, chilling her. Selina was only wearing a light nightdress, hardly anything to combat the cold of autumn. Her bed had a warm brick in it, but she did not wish to return to it. Instead, she rummaged through her trunk and found a warm, small blanket that her grandmother had knitted for her. It was wonderfully thick and soft, perfect for standing in front of windows on a cold autumn’s night.

  “Or is it morning? It could very well be. We all retired to bed rather late, which was surprising as Mama always swears by beauty sleep. Perhaps she means to sleep in late.”

  Highly unlikely. Her mother was an early bird who enjoyed a head start on her day. Would Selina be the same once she began to run her own household? Possibly so. She had read somewhere that daughters became like their mothers once married and settled down with children.

  “Mama is a great mother and wife. It would not be terrible to become like her in that respect, but I would hope to keep my own beliefs.”

  In that, they were very much so different from one another. Selina gazed outside, trying to see something of the neighbour’s estate.

  “I wonder if Alex is awake right at this moment? It would be quite romantic if that were so.”

  Selina started giggling. Just that morning she had woken up, only caring about getting out of the house and sketching. But now she had something else on her mind, or rather, someone else.

  “Life certainly has a way of turning things topsy-turvy.”

  However, all her thinking about Alex would get her nowhere. She could never marry a man of his social status, her whole family would be against it. And if she still chose to get married, she would be ostracised by her own family. Her children would never get to meet their grandparents or their great aunt, and she would miss them terribly.

  “If only they thought as I did. Class means nothing! We are all human beings, and that is the truth. Why do the gentry believe that they are somehow better? I have always said it, and I will repeat it: Money does not maketh the man. Or woman for that matter.”

  Selina turned away from the window and stared at the bed. No, she could not go to sleep; she was far too awake for that.

  “Perhaps s
ome milk will do me good.”

  She crept downstairs as quietly as she could and entered the kitchen, nearly jumping in her skin when her mother appeared out of nowhere.

  “Mama! You could have given me a heart seizure.”

  Her mother was clutching her chest with one hand, while the other held a few biscuits.

  “I could say the same of you, Selina. What are on earth are you doing here?”

  “I am just getting some milk, Mama. I cannot sleep.”

  Her mother nodded knowingly. “It is the ball, isn’t it?”

  “You too?”

  “Yes. I find myself rather anxious for you. Your social skills leave a lot to be desired, and I am worried that you will be looked over once more. You are an exceptionally beautiful woman, Selina. Anyone with eyes in their heads can see that. But all the beauty in the world will not make a sharp tongue pretty and acceptable to men that expect their wives to be dim witted, docile, and pretty.”

  “But you are not dim witted, Mama.”

  “That is my point, Selina. You do not have to be stupid to play stupid. Men just want their women malleable, but if you come with your own ideas, then they are chased off. They become intimidated because they cannot handle a strong woman.”

  Selina had never heard her mother speak like this. It was an eye opener for her, a different view of how her mother’s mind worked.

  “And yet father is not intimidated by you.”

  “Yes, but I had to ease him into it. I acted a certain way until it was safe enough to be myself. I am lucky that I chose a man who is learned. I probably had more freedom than most women, but I still knew my place. Trying to fight against the current only makes you unhappy and tired. One day you’ll look up and realise that your life is gone, and you were unhappy with it most of the time. I do not want that for you.”

  Neither did Selina want that for herself. There were not many men like her father, so pickings for her seemed few and far between, despite the multitude of men that were sure to be at the ball tomorrow.

  “Mama, I don’t want to give my life to a husband that will not appreciate me for me. If I cannot find someone who will value me, then what is the point of getting married?”

  Her mother sighed and pulled a chair to her, sitting down heavily.

  “I blame myself for how you have become. I allowed you too much freedom, and now that you have a taste of it, you want to hold onto it. I did a better job with Ophelia, but you are my eldest daughter, my first responsibility. Your father certainly didn’t help by filling your head with high notions, making you read all those books about finding your way and being independent. Those books have never been a reality, at least not for you. I understand your wish for equality and freedom, but that is just not possible right now. Maybe in years to come, I do not know. But I am begging you to give this ball a chance, Selina. Do not go in there with a mindset that will immediately repel any man that may want to get to know you. You might be surprised by what you may find.”

  Perhaps her mother was right. Selina had the tendency to judge a person based on how they ranked. That did not seem any better than her kind judging the working class based on their lowly status. Was she too harsh? Selina thought about Jane. No, she wasn’t too harsh. Harsh was turning your back on a woman that you had just impregnated, telling her that she wasn’t good enough.

  “I’ll certainly try, Mama, but I’m not making any promises.”

  Her mother got up and came to kiss her on the forehead.

  “That’s all I’m asking for. Goodnight, Selina. Do not stay awake for too long–your alabaster skin is fair and will easily declare to the world that you are fatigued.”

  “Yes, Mama. I’ll just get my milk, and then I’ll be off to bed. Mrs Albermale does have fresh milk? I seem to remember her talking about a cow being milked.”

  “Yes, in that jug over there.”

  Her mother pointed to a brown jug covered with a cloth. Selina immediately went to it, lifting the material to see the creamy liquid inside. Her mother took herself off to bed, Selina soon following after her. She would heed her mother’s warning and get to her bedchamber, but what would she do once she got into bed? Her mind was still wide awake, but her body wanted rest.

  “Perhaps this milk will do what I need it to do.”

  Within half an hour she was asleep.

  Chapter 4

  Selina looked stunning, and she knew it. She had taken careful preparations with her appearance this evening, even weaving a thin gold chain into her hair. Her dress was the one that her mother had chosen, but Selina had added a few gold accents that morning. Selina wanted to stand out at the ball, and judging by the appreciative looks that she received, she had achieved her goal.

  The only fly in her ointment was that she was doing this for Alex, not the sea of men currently looking at her. As they had entered the country estate grounds, Selina had kept her eyes peeled, hoping to see him. She had been sorely disappointed when she had stepped out of the carriage with her family and saw neither hide nor hair of him. Selina had even paused on the steps leading to the ballroom just to see if she had passed him, but he truly was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where is he?” she mumbled, standing by a window and gazing outside. The ball did not interest her, although it was a relatively lively event. Nothing so lavish as the ones that she had experienced in London, but it held its own.

  “Did you say something, Selina?” Ophelia asked.

  “Do not mind me, Phee.”

  But Ophelia pressed on. “You look as though you’re looking for someone, Selina.”

  Selina decided on a whim to confide in her sister about her interaction with the stable groom.

  “If I tell you, do you promise not to judge me, become angry with me, or tell Mama?”

  Ophelia crossed her heart. “I promise. I would never do anything to hurt you, Selina.”

  “Okay, come. Let us find somewhere a little more private to sit–I would hate anyone to overhear our conversation.”

  They left the ballroom and looked for any room that would give them some privacy. They finally found one and closed the door behind them before settling into some comfortable armchairs.

  “So, tell me what or who has got you hot and bothered.”

  Selina blushed. “I wouldn’t say hot and bothered, but more so intrigued.”

  “Alright, intrigued. Who has fascinated you to the point of distraction? You have to tell me; I’m your sister. If not me, then who?

  “Just be patient, Phee. All in good time. I took a walk yesterday.”

  “Yes, we all know that. Tell me something that I do not know.”

  Selina laughed. “Now, don’t get snippy with me. I am still getting to the important part. If you interrupt me once more with a smart answer or question, then I will not tell you.”

  Ophelia took an imaginary key, wound it by her lips, sealed them, and then threw the key away. Trust my little sister to be overdramatic.

  “Well,” she continued, “in an effort to avoid detection, I took a different route to the river and wound up in a place that I was not familiar with. However, the view was beautiful, so I decided to sit down and start sketching the scene before me. After some time, I looked up and saw a man approaching me. He was leading two horses.”

  “See!” Ophelia said. “I knew that it had to be a man!”