“I’m sorry you lost your father so young, my lord.”
He looked at her surprised. “You must have been much younger than me when you lost your mother.”
She laughed lightly. “Thus my sympathy, my lord, I know exactly how difficult it is.”
The baron sighed and passed his hand through his hair, leaving some strands standing in a manner that she found endearing, revealing a degree of frustration the usually even-tempered nobleman was not wont to show.
Feeling a rush of sympathy, Anne reached out and touched his arm gently. “It has to be a little strange to watch your mother courting. I know I would struggle a little with it if my father ever decided to remarry.”
The baron put his hand over hers where it lay on his arm, a look of appreciation warming his eyes. They exchanged a smile. Anne’s faltered momentarily as she glanced across the room and saw the viscount watching them with a glower upon his face. Quickly averting her eyes from his intense gaze, she brightened her smile at the baron but pulled her hand back from his grasp.
The clatter of new arrivals ended the moment between Anne and Lord Seymour as she went over to welcome Lord Grey and the Earl of Sutton.
“My lady,” they both greeted her and kissed her hand gallantly, bringing a genuine smile to her face.
“The two of you could charm the birds out of the trees. It amazes me that you have not yet been hunted down by all the match-making mamas of the ton as you are surely immensely popular.”
As if to support her words, the air was punctuated by the giggles of some of the debutantes in the room who had spotted the noblemen at the door.
“We have ensured that our charm has boundaries, my lady.” The earl’s assurance was suave.
“Well, do come in and make yourselves useful by entertaining some of my callers. I am quite certain the ladies have called to see you, not me.”
“I find that hard to believe, my lady, but we shall do our level best.” Lord Grey winked at her as he passed her on the way to greeting others in the room, stopping first to be welcomed by Lady Sophie.
The interruption caused the baron’s mother to come to her feet.
“Seymour, my boy, it is time we should be on our way,” she called to her son. “Sophie, it was a delight to see you. And your lovely niece seems to be a success. I am certain we shall be seeing more of the two of you. We shall wish you a good day.”
Anne wasn’t sure how to respond to the woman’s words, so she smiled and curtsied as they took their leave.
~~~
“One would almost think you had feelings for the lady, the way you are glowering at her suitors,” the earl drawled to Wesley.
Wesley made every attempt to brazen it out. “Is that not the point of our presence? To give the impression that we are taken with her? So that others will follow suit and she can garner some offers of marriage.”
“We did that, it worked, now she has suitors. Unless you wish to cultivate expectations in the poor woman’s mind, you ought to pull back a little, Dunbar. Even I am wondering if you might have actual feelings for her.”
“Do not be absurd, Sutton, have I ever given you reason to think I have any desire to become leg shackled?”
“Not up until now,” came the swift reply.
“Well, I have not all of a sudden changed my thoughts on the subject. I just cannot feel quite settled that the baron is a good match for her.”
“Why ever not?” Sebastian demanded. “He’s well to do, reasonably intelligent, and reputed to be a kind, gentle soul. It’s actually rather perfect in my estimation. Besides the fact that it would appear that he has a genuine interest in the lady, unlike us.”
“But his mother! Do you really think Lady Anne ought to be saddled with her as a mother-in-law?”
His two friends looked at him as though he had lost his mind. Wesley wondered for a moment if they might be right, but then he shoved the idea impatiently from his mind. He stared at his friends belligerently. Their incredulous looks were tinged with pity, but then they shrugged and laughed.
Soon, Anne’s callers had all trickled out and her aunt was seeing out the last couple of the ladies. Wesley was glad to see that he and his friends would have her to themselves for a moment.
“Did you receive my invitation for an evening at the theatre?” he demanded without preamble.
He was gratified to see her look of delight. “We did, yes, thank you, my lord. Did my aunt not send you an acceptance? I am quite looking forward to it.”
Wesley nodded. “I haven’t read my correspondence yet today, but I am glad the date is acceptable to you.”
“You are going to an awful lot of trouble for me, my lord. Surely it is no longer necessary, as I seem to have garnered sufficient interest.”
“We need to see this thing through to completion,” he insisted before concluding, “Besides, I gave you my word, and I intend to keep it.”
She clasped her hands in front of her, looking enchantingly earnest. “Well, I do appreciate it, Lord Dunbar, and I look forward to the evening at the theatre.” She turned to the other gentlemen. “Will you be attending as well?”
They looked at Wesley, mocking grins on their faces. “We did not yet receive our invitations.”
Wesley watched closely as Anne blushed and looked away. He wondered what was going on inside her head. Was she embarrassed by her question or gratified by his friends’ reply? He dismissed his thoughts. There was a reason he was spending time with the chit, and it did not involve having feelings for her, he reminded himself.
“You seemed to be pretty cosy with Lord Seymour,” he commented, watching the surprise on her face.
“There was nothing inappropriate about our association,” she protested.
“I didn’t say there was.” His reply was verging on snide. He noticed his friends looking at him dubiously.
“It was kind of the three of you to stop by,” Anne said, clearly dismissing them, much to Wesley’s amusement. The chit was a delight, he thought with a grin. He watched as she did her best to stand firmly gracious, despite her nerves.
The earl was the first to graciously accept being dismissed. “We shall see you this evening, my lady. Save me a dance,” he added with a wink.
Sebastian didn’t bother saying anything, just bowed over her hand and took his leave. Wesley was the last to go. He recognized the discomfort in her eyes and decided not to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. He bowed, making her an elegant leg and kissed her wrist.
He held onto her wrist, knowing he was probably invading her space, but he didn’t want his friends to hear what he said. “You looked lovely this afternoon, my dear. And you handled your callers like an experienced matron. You are a success and should be proud of yourself.”
He had no intention of upsetting her, so he was shocked when her eyes welled with tears and her lip trembled. Thunderstruck, he was swept with the urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her. He resisted the impulse but did tighten his grip on the hand he was still holding.
“My apologies, my lady, I did not wish to upset you.”
Tears still swam in her eyes as she smiled tremulously at him. “You did not upset me, my lord. It is just that that was the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me, and it touched my heart. Thank you for saying such a reassuring thing.”
The look on her face made Wesley think she was wishing she could do something more than just squeeze his hand, as though she wanted to throw her arms around him. While he would no doubt enjoy that, it certainly would not do, so he took a step back from her and finally released her hand.
He bowed again, and with a teasing note to his voice he told her, “I, too, shall see you tonight. Don’t save just any old dance for me, my dear, I expect you to save me a waltz.”
This must have been just the right note, as she took it for a joke and offered him a watery sounding chuckle. “Good day, my lord, and thank you for coming.”
Wesley strode from the room
, restraining himself from looking back to see if she were watching him. He could feel her gaze but resisted the urge to wave. He would see her again within a few hours.
~~~
His friends were waiting for him on the front steps of Lady Sophie’s house. “What took you so long?” grumbled Sebastian. “Have you no idea how thirsty that has made me?”
Wesley chuckled. “Come along then. The club shall quickly make short work of your thirst.”
“But seriously, Dunbar, what did take you so long?” the earl asked quietly. “You weren’t giving Lady Anne any trouble, were you? She has been handling the attention we have garnered for her quite graciously, and I think we should be advising her, not admonishing her. In fact, she might not even require our advice. I know we started this venture with serious misgivings about the chit, but I think she is a nice young lady who was sadly misguided before we came along. You need to offer her your support, not the rough edge of your tongue.”
Wesley was surprised but gratified by his friend’s words. “You are absolutely correct, Sutton. And no, I was not ringing a peal over her. I was just taking a moment to say a few words to her as I did not get to talk to her, despite being there for much longer than was perfectly acceptable. It seems as though we have done our job too well, and she is too popular. Some of her callers cannot even get to exchange words with her!”
“I hardly think anyone is feeling slighted when they visit her,” the earl pointed out reasonably. “From what I could see, she was a gracious hostess and all her guests were enjoying themselves.”
The viscount could not explain what he had meant, so with impatience he blurted, “Never mind about that, let us head to the club and assuage Sebastian’s thirst. I could certainly join him in tossing back a glass or two.”
The other two men exchanged amused glances but did not argue with their friend. Before long, they were ensconced in their usual seats being served their favourite brandy.
After a couple of glasses, Wesley turned to his friends, no longer able to keep his concerns to himself.
“I think I’ve found her father,” he said without preamble.
“Whose father?” Sebastian was puzzled.
“Lady Anne,” Wesley answered, keeping his voice low and glancing around to ensure they were not being overheard.
The earl laughed. “I think you are turning into a fribble, Dunbar, it would appear you can no longer hold your liquor.”
Wesley scowled at his friend. “I can hold my brandy just fine, but that doesn’t mean I know what to tell her ladyship about her father.”
His two friends eyed him for a moment, waiting to see if he would elaborate. “I did not realize Lord Austen was missing,” the earl stated carefully.
Wesley shrugged. “There has not been a hue and cry about it, but her ladyship is concerned about his whereabouts.”
“And this prompted you to mount a search?” the earl prompted, his eyebrows elevated.
“Don’t look at me like that, Sutton. We agreed the chit is our responsibility. She was worried, so I said I would look into it. Nothing in it to make you look like that.”
“If you say so,” Sutton replied with an amused grin.
“So, what did you find out?” Sebastian demanded.
“Not sure if I should tell you two before discussing it with her ladyship.”
“Then why did you even bring it up?” Sebastian seemed disgusted.
“All right, children, don’t get yourselves tied in a bunch,” Sutton soothed, restraining his laughter. “Finish your drinks. It’s high time we got on our way. If we are to meet up with our lady, we ought to hie ourselves home and change our togs.”
Chapter Eleven
Anne was dressed and ready, every hair tucked precisely into place, her new kid slippers comfortable on her feet. She waited until she heard her aunt and uncle making their way down to the foyer. She did not want to face the teasing she would have to endure if she were downstairs before them.
“Very well, milady, I think you are set.” The maid was looking at her quizzically, wondering why she had not yet left the room.
“Thank you, Sally.” Anne did not bother to explain herself, knowing it would sound ridiculous if she even tried.
As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Anne greeted her aunt. “You look lovely this evening.”
“Oh, why thank you, my dear. You are in your looks this evening as well. I do believe the Season is agreeing with you.”
Anne had no ready response to her aunt’s words but was saved from having to do so by her uncle’s impatience. “Come along, ladies, let us not keep the horses standing.”
Anne couldn’t help giggling over this. Was it not the horses’ job to wait for them? She managed not to utter her rhetorical question. No doubt her uncle would not take well to her wit.
Despite leaving the house earlier than usual, there was still a long line of carriages waiting to disgorge their occupants at their destination. Anne recognized her uncle’s irritation with the wait as he tapped his foot and fidgeted in the seat next to her aunt. Lady Sophie reached her hand out and touched her husband’s knee.
“It won’t be too many more minutes, my lord. Do try to contain yourself.”
He made a sound of disgust in his throat. “This is all a bunch of foolishness, my lady. Why are we bothering with this Season business?”
Lady Sophie shot her husband a quelling look while Anne tried to swallow her guilt for her uncle’s discomfort. “You needn’t have accompanied us, my lord,” she pointed out, obviously endeavouring to be reasonable.
“Well now, I couldn’t let the two of you go traipsing about the city by yourselves at night without any sort of escort, now could I?” He looked at his wife with contrition shining in his face. “I should never have sent away the girl’s father. For all he’s a loose fish, he would have been a sufficient escort to allow you to gad about without me.”
Anne wasn’t sure if she should put her nose into the conversation, and she was certain she could not comment on her uncle’s opinion of her father, but her guilt for involving her uncle rose to the fore. “Perhaps we could call upon the services of some of the gentlemen who call on me to offer their escort for the evening if you feel that it is such a trial for you, Uncle. Then you need not worry about us, and we need not inconvenience you.”
Her uncle smiled kindly at her. “You are a good girl for thinking of that, but I’m not so sure I should allow the two of you to go off with just anyone.”
“No, of course not just anyone, my lord. But perhaps we shall be able to think of a solution.” Anne averted her face by gazing out the window into the darkness beyond their carriage. She was swept with a desire to be home at Rowanwood once more.
“The girl has a good idea, my lord.” Aunt Sophie stepped into the silence. “It will be far more enjoyable for her and me if we don’t have to worry about you glowering at us. If she has callers tomorrow, I will see if any of them would be suitable as an escort.” She turned to Anne. “Perhaps that lovely Lord Seymour would be willing. I am certain his mother would be glad for our company.”
Anne smiled at her aunt but held her silence.
Finally, their carriage lurched forward. They were at the front of the line, and it was their turn to disembark. As Anne climbed the stairs, holding her skirts away from her feet, she looked up at the elegant home they were about to enter. Every window glowed with the light from within, and she could see that the rooms were already becoming crowded. Since they were so early, guests would continue to arrive for at least another hour. She felt a slight shudder at the thought of the crowds. Memories of home made her almost weep with longing. She shoved the thoughts from her head and concentrated on the evening before her. She needed to determine her future so evenings like this could be an occasional experience rather than a nightly one.
More heads turned as she and her aunt were announced, and she was grateful for the beautiful gown her aunt had gifted her. She fingered the fabr
ic to give her hands something to do as she fought to control her nerves at the attention she was garnering. Young ladies and gentlemen came near to greet her, and her nerves ratcheted up another notch. Taking a deep breath, she prayed she could remember everyone’s names as she returned greetings and made conversation.
Anne saw out of the corner of her eye her aunt’s satisfied smile as she watched Anne fielding the attention of so many. Anne was glad her aunt was happy with her success. She was surprisingly ambivalent about it herself. She was grateful for the help of Lord Dunbar and his friends, but this much attention was a little difficult for her to manage. For the thousandth time, she wished her mother were there. She shoved that thought from her mind as well. It would not do to begin weeping in the middle of the crowded ballroom.
That thought brought a smile to her face, and she was able to carry on. When the orchestra started to play, it became easier. As she passed from gentleman to gentleman, the evening began to pass in a blur. And then Lord Dunbar came to claim his waltz.
“You have been busy this evening,” he commented with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
“Yes,” Anne replied without elaborating, wondering why he seemed displeased.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his kind tone causing her to search his face for answers she could not find.
“Somewhat, my lord. I do not wish to disparage Lady Talbot’s hospitality, but I cannot say I enjoy the crowds at events such as these. Actually, everywhere I have been since I arrived in London is crowded. Except for that drive you took me on to Uxbridge. That was a breath of fresh air.”
“Many of the debutantes love the crowds.”
Anne sighed. “Yet another proof that I am not like other girls.” Her disconsolate tone caused the viscount to chuckle quietly. The sound caused a not unpleasant flutter in Anne’s chest.
The Viscount Deception: A Sweet Regency Romance Adventure (Mayfair Mayhem Book 3) Page 13