Betrayal and Lies
Convenient Arrangements (Book 4)
Rose Pearson
Landon Hill Media
Contents
Betrayal and Lies
Betrayal and Lies
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
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A Sneak Peak of A Broken Betrothal
Prologue
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Chapter 2
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Betrayal and Lies
Convenient Arrangements
(Book 4)
By
Rose Pearson
© Copyright 2020 by Rose Pearson - All rights reserved.
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Betrayal and Lies
Prologue
“Good evening, Lady Christina.”
Christina’s breath caught as she turned her head to see none other than Viscount Harlow bowing before her. Had he come to find her deliberately? Or had she merely been another face in the room, another young lady that he might seek to dance with this evening?
“Good evening, Lord Harlow,” she answered, turning to her great aunt, who was watching the gentleman with very sharp eyes. “Might I present my great-aunt, who has come to reside with us this Season?” She smiled hard at the older lady who, after a moment, caught the expression and dropped the severe look from her eyes. “Lady Newfield, might I introduce to you the Viscount Harlow?”
“How very good to make your acquaintance,” the viscount said, bowing low as Lady Newfield bobbed a very quick and not entirely correct curtsy. “And you are Lady Christina’s great aunt?” His eyes were warm, his lips curving into a genuine smile. “How very nice for Lady Christina to have such company with her in London.”
Lady Newfield smiled back, although there remained that glint in her eye that told Christina she was still assessing Lord Harlow and wondering whether or not he was a suitable gentleman for her niece.
“I have been delighted to attend,” Lady Newfield replied after a moment or two. “The Earl—that is, Lady Christina’s father—is related to me by marriage. It was very good of him to invite me to London in such a way.”
Christina resisted the urge to laugh, knowing full well the only reason her father had done such a thing was so that he might enjoy a little more time at his cards and other enjoyable activities while his daughter was being taken care of by the very respectable Lady Newfield.
“And you are here for the whole Season!” the viscount exclaimed, his eyes bright and shifting between Christina and Lady Newfield. “Then I am sure we will see a great deal of each other.”
Lady Newfield raised one eyebrow, clearly aware of what the viscount was suggesting but choosing not to say anything about it. Christina felt herself glow with contentment, her smile ready for when Lord Harlow turned his attention back to her.
“Might I enquire as to whether or not you have any dances remaining this evening, Lady Christina?” he asked, his eyes filled with hope as she pulled her dance card from her wrist and handed it to him, choosing not to say that she had remained a little further in the shadows than usual, in the hope that he might have his pick of her dances. It had not been enough to escape the attention of some gentlemen, however, but there were still a good many remaining.
“Two, if that would please you?”
The way he looked up at her sent her heart racing. “That would suit me very well,” she told him, aware that her heart was pounding furiously and yet forcing herself to remain outwardly calm and gently expectant. When he handed her back her dance card, she let her gaze drift over it quickly, noting that he had chosen the quadrille, and thereafter, the waltz.
Her heart turned over in her chest.
“I do hope that pleases you,” he said, quickly writing it down on his own card before returning it to his pocket. “I can very easily exchange one dance for another if you—”
“I am very well satisfied. I thank you,” she told him happily. “I look forward to our dances, Lord Harlow.”
Lord Harlow inclined his head, his hands held loosely behind his back. “As do I, Lady Christina. Now, if you will excuse me, I will allow the other gentlemen near to you, for I am certain they believe me to be stealing all of your attention, Lady Christina, and appear to be a little displeased about it!”
She laughed as he moved away, seeing the smile on his face and feeling her happiness begin to bubble over. The quadrille was wonderful enough, but to be in his arms for the waltz was quite another! She could look forward to that delight with all the anticipation of a child receiving what would be a very precious gift indeed.
“A viscount, then.”
Christina’s smile faded as she glanced at her great-aunt. “Yes,” she answered, wondering if this was, in her great-aunt’s eyes, something that was a little lacking in Christina’s choice. “I think him an excellent gentleman.”
Lady Newfield’s eyes twinkled, and Christina let out a breath of relief. Evidently, her great-aunt did approve of Lord Harlow’s title, at the very least.
“I know that he is not an earl or a marquess, whilst I am the daughter of the former, but I do not think that a viscount is a particularly poor choice,” she said, as Lady Newfield nodded slowly. “Father will not approve, however, unless I can convince him that I am just quite set on Lord Harlow.”
“Then I must presume that you have particular affections for this gentleman, is that not so?” Lady Newfield asked, her usual blunt manner sending Christina into a spiral of embarrassment. “I must hope that you have more than just an appreciation for his handsome features, Christina! Do you know of his character?”
Christina nodded. “I do,” she said, aware that, whilst they had not yet been courting, she had spent enough time in his company to believe him a very kind gentleman indeed, who was, in her opinion, more than suitable for someone such as she. “I believe him to have a generous heart, Lady Newfield. I think he treats me very well, indeed.”
Lady Newfield turned her head and observed Christina closely. “But as yet, he has not asked to court you?” she said, and the smile fell from Christina’s face almost at once.
“I do not ask you such a thing in order to harm you or to bring your spirits low,” Lady Newfield continued kindly, “but only to assess where things presently stand between yourself and Lord Harlow. Indeed, I can see that you are very drawn to the gentleman, but I cannot see his responding to that emotion in the same way.”
“As yet, he has not,” Christina answered truthfully, even though the pain sliced through her heart as she did so. “But I must hope that, in time, he will be eager to speak to father and begin a courtship.”
Lady Newfield nodded slowly, her eyes watchful as she looked into Christina’s face. “You have great hopes for this particular gentleman, I think.”
“I do,” Christina admitted softly. “I find him to be utterly charming. Our conversations—although never of a partic
ularly long duration—remain in my mind for days afterward. My thoughts are fixed upon him, reminding me of all and any interaction between us.” She shrugged, aware that there was heat in her cheeks but finding that she was not embarrassed to admit it. “I cannot ask him about courtship, of course, so therefore, all I can do is wait.”
Lady Newfield tutted, looking at Christina with one raised eyebrow. Christina laughed softly, knowing full well that her great-aunt was something of an eccentric who appeared to care very little for the strict rules of propriety. Most likely, if she were the one who was in this situation, then she would go directly to Lord Harlow and tell him directly of her eagerness to pursue courtship. That was not something Christina herself had any desire to do, however, and certainly was not something that she thought her father, the Earl of Enfield, would agree to either!
“You know that I cannot do anything else,” she told her great-aunt, “even if you would not do the same.”
“I certainly would not simply wait for a gentleman to decide whether or not he wished to court me,” the lady replied, although she could not help but laugh at the look on Christina’s face. “But, if you are willing to do so, then I shall swear not to say another word about the matter.” Her smile faded, and she put a gentle hand on Christina’s arm. “But do take care, Christina. Make certain that you know the gentleman very well indeed, that you are contented with him and that you believe he would be entirely suitable for you—whether that be before courtship or during. There is no need to rush to any sort of decision. You might very well be filled with joy at the attentions of Lord Harlow but do not allow such an overwhelming emotion to cloud your judgment.”
Christina nodded, looking at her aunt with a careful eye and wondering where such advice had come from. Had she seen such potential happiness turn to dust before? Or was this merely a gentle warning from a lady who had been wed for many, many years and knew precisely what sort of emotions now rose in Christina’s heart?
“I will be careful, Lady Newfield,” she promised, only for their conversation to be brought to a sudden end as another gentleman approached them, his eyes fixed to Christina’s. Lady Newfield smiled at Christina, gesturing towards the gentleman as though to suggest that she had a good many more choices before her than merely Lord Harlow, but Christina did not take any notice. As far as she was concerned, Lord Harlow was the only gentleman worthy of her attentions, and she did not want to give them to anyone else.
Chapter One
“And how is your investment?”
Richard shrugged, his brow furrowing. “It is very difficult to say as yet,” he said slowly. “To invest in shipping is something of a risk, although it might well bring a great blessing with it also.” Nothing more was said for some minutes, allowing Richard to become a little lost in thought. His wealth, for a viscount, was substantial, and it had seemed wise to invest it in something such as shipping. However, he was still waiting to see whether such an investment would bring success, and that was becoming a trifle frustrating.
Viscount Prestwick clicked his tongue in annoyance, startling Richard from his reverie.
“Whatever is the matter, old boy?” he asked, a little irritated that he had been caught so off-guard. “Is there someone present that is a frustration to you?” He lifted one eyebrow, but Lord Prestwick only sighed heavily, gesturing to the other guests that were present at this little soiree.
“I find that I can see no one of particular interest this evening, Harlow,” Lord Prestwick said, sounding quite forlorn. “I thought there might be, at the very least, one or two young ladies who could capture my attention, but it appears there is not!”
Richard chuckled, his irritation fading away almost at once. “You are being quite foolish,” he told his friend, looking around the room and finding that he appreciated the many beautiful young ladies that were present with him that evening. “There is charming company to be found here. What can you be speaking of?” A grin began to spread across his face as he saw the slightly irritated expression of the viscount. “Unless it is that you were expecting a particular young lady to be present this evening and she is, thus far, not present as yet?”
“I do not know what you are talking of,” Lord Prestwick replied, his voice stern. “I am sure you are being quite foolish, Lord Harlow. Sniffing, he turned his head away from Richard, but the action only convinced Richard all the more that what he had said was quite correct. Evidently, his friend just did not want to admit to it.
“Foolishness,” Lord Prestwick muttered darkly, but Richard only continued to grin. “There is no one here who has captured my attention, hence my remark. That is all.”
Richard lifted one shoulder. “Very well,” he said in a quiet voice. “I shall say nothing more of the sort.”
“Good,” Lord Prestwick replied stoutly. “For otherwise, I shall have to begin to mention a particular young lady that you have been showing some noticeable attentions to. She is here this evening, I believe.”
A swell of heat rose in Richard’s chest, but he forced himself not to react.
“You are not going to entertain me, I see,” Lord Prestwick grinned, clearly delighted now that he had the upper hand. “Very well, I shall not name her nor make any further remark—save to ask you as to whether or not you have any intention of courting the girl.” Elbowing Richard, he continued to chuckle as Richard scowled back at him. “No? You shall not even tell me that?”
Letting out a slow breath, Richard looked up at his friend. “I do not think that such a thing is important to discuss with you, Prestwick,” he answered slowly, finding himself quite unwilling to discuss matters of the heart with his friend. Whilst he had been jesting with Lord Prestwick, given he was a gentleman who was inclined to fall in love with one lady and then another a fortnight later, Richard himself was not such a gentleman. No, he was determined to keep his thoughts about a particular young lady entirely to himself, no matter what Lord Prestwick wanted.
“Indeed!” Lord Prestwick replied, now appearing to be a little affronted. “You are quite able to rib me about Miss Allerton, but you will not mention Lady Christina!”
“That is because there is nothing to mention,” Richard answered with a shrug. “I will not pretend that she is not very lovely, both in form and in character, but as to what I have decided, that is not at all your business and certainly not something that I wish to discuss with anyone.” A small twist of guilt needled his heart. “However, you are quite correct that I should not rib you and then be so unwilling myself.” He cast a quick glance towards his friend, seeing the expectation growing on Lord Prestwick’s face. “Therefore,” he said, with a grin, “I shall not bother you in such a manner again.”
Lord Prestwick’s shoulders slumped, and he shook his head, a small groan emitting from his mouth as he did so. Richard chuckled and turned his attention back to the small gathering. Whether Lord Prestwick had noticed it or not, he had given the name of the young lady he was currently interested in, and Richard was eager to meet her if he could. It was always fascinating to see how Lord Prestwick behaved around such young ladies, for Richard knew all too well the gentleman fell in love in the strongest manner, to the point that no one could be compared to the person in question, only to then catch sight of or be introduced to someone who would then exceed the current lady of interest in almost every way.
“It is very difficult, I must say,” Lord Prestwick muttered, taking a glass from the waiting footman’s tray and taking a large sip of their host’s brandy. “Finding a lady to wed appears to be much more bothersome than I had first anticipated. How is one to choose?”
Richard considered this question without mirth, looking out at the sea of guests and realizing just how many beautiful young ladies were present. Lord Prestwick was quite correct. Just how was he to choose only one when there were so many? And what was it about Lady Christina that made her a better choice than any other? His lips twisted as he continued to think. He could not pretend that there was no in
terest on his part when it came to Lady Christina, for she made him laugh and spoke with intelligence and wit that certainly made their conversations together very enjoyable indeed. Her beauty was undeniable, for with her dark raven hair and her sparkling blue eyes, she could capture the attention of any gentleman in the room. There was no reason why he should not consider her, could not begin to court her, but there was still something that held him back. Was it because he himself did not wish to consider such a thing? That he enjoyed the ability to do as he pleased, to speak to whomever he wished, and to dance with any lady he chose? Should he begin to court Lady Christina, there would be an expectation that he would draw close to her whenever they were in company together. This evening was a perfect example, for as yet, he had not made his way to her side, had not made any effort to greet her and converse with her thereafter. Was it that he enjoyed the distance he could place between them, whenever he chose? Or was it his lack of willingness to settle upon one living soul for the rest of his days?
“Good gracious! She is here after all!”
His attention pulled back to Lord Prestwick, Richard turned his gaze in the direction Lord Prestwick had gestured. He saw a young lady curtsying to their host, her fair hair in gentle curls piled on the back of her head. She appeared demure and, of course, elegant and gentle in her manner. Standing next to a lady whom Richard presumed was her mother, the young lady caught sight of Lord Prestwick—and in an instant, heat poured into her face. Richard’s brow rose. Evidently, this particular young lady was rather interested in Lord Prestwick—or perhaps she was merely reacting to his very obvious attentions.
Betrayal and Lies: Convenient Arrangements (Book 4) Page 1