by Fiona Miers
“You may thank me later when all the guests at the duke’s estate are smitten with you, and all the ladies wished they had such a talented seamstress as you.”
Julia giggled as she and Arabella left the bedchambers. On their way to Julia’s room, they briefly encountered Freda. Arabella requested she inform Maria that her presence was required in Julia’s bedchambers.
Soon they were standing in front of Julia’s wardrobe, looking for a suitable dress that could be altered.
“What of this one?” Arabella asked as she retrieved one of Julia’s most favourite gowns.
It had been worn numerous times, but the fabric was still strong and in good condition.
“It can surely do with some alterations,” Julia said with a sigh. “I do not wish to trouble Maria, great-aunt. I can simply wear one of my—”
“Nonsense. You deserve to wear a beautiful dress, my dear. A beautiful gown for a beautiful young woman,” Arabella interrupted, and revealed one of her rare and genuine smiles.
Heat rushed to Julia’s face. “Thank you, Great-aunt.
“My lady,” Maria said as she appeared in the doorway. “You requested my presence?”
“Indeed. This is a matter of urgency. Please, shut the door to allow me to speak freely.”
Maria nodded and closed the door behind her.
“Maria, your skills as a seamstress have never disappointed me in the past, but today I wish to ask you to do your best work,” Arabella said.
Maria exchanged glances with Julia before she turned back to Arabella. “What is it that you require of me?”
“Julia and I have been invited to the Duke’s soiree tomorrow evening, and as it is too short notice to have a new gown made for Julia, it leaves us no choice but to alter an existing dress of hers.”
“Certainly. The blue one is an excellent choice,” Maria said as she approached them. “It will compliment your skin perfectly, Miss.”
“Wonderful,” Arabella smiled.
Julia reciprocated her great-aunt’s smile, and her heart pounded in her chest. Hopefully, she would attract the attention of only one man tomorrow evening.
Robert Melton.
Chapter Eight
“There you are, Miss,” Maria said with a triumphant smile.
Julia glanced at her reflection in the mirror and a pleased smile formed on her lips.
Maria’s amazing skills with needle and thread had produced a lovely new garment that exceeded all expectations. Maria had added lace sleeves and trim to the bodice of the gown, as well as sewn delicate gloves. Narrow matching blue ribbons were braided into her dark brown hair, which made Julia feel beautiful. She had not dreamt that her appearance would change so drastically, and in such a manner.
Despite what her mother, and of course Arabella, had said about her being beautiful, she’d never believed them. But now she saw herself in a different light. Perhaps it was because of Robert’s lingering stares the previous morning.
Maybe it was just wishful thinking. After all, it was rather improbable that a man such as Robert Melton would be attracted to her.
Julia dismissed those pessimistic thoughts and lightly touched the tendrils of hair hanging down her shoulders. “It is wonderful, Maria. Thank you.”
“I am delighted you approve of it.”
“I not only approve of it, I’m in deep adoration of it. Your work is exquisite. Truly.”
“Thank you, Miss.”
A short knock sounded from the door of her bedchamber and she slowly turned. The door opened immediately, and Arabella stood in the doorway. She was dressed in a lovely, dark violet gown of silk and lace, her hair pinned atop her head. She appeared jovial, youthful, and it made Julia very happy to see her that way.
“Great-aunt, you look utterly beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Arabella nodded with grace. “Although, I can say the very same of you, my dear. I have never seen a more beautiful young woman... apart from myself, of course.”
Julia giggled at the amused old woman and shook her head. Having Arabella in high spirits would certainly make for a delightful evening.
“We must be going,” Arabella said.
“Agreed. We would not want to insult the duke and duchess by arriving late.”
As they left her bedchambers, Arabella glanced over at Julia.
“Is the reason for your hasty strides the same as mine?”
“Your reason?” Julia asked.
“It is you and I who were invited. We would not want to have another person invite himself,” Arabella said quietly.
“Indeed. That is my reason as well,” Julia said with a nod.
Of course, that was not Julia’s only reason. She was hasty to leave the estate in order to see Robert again. Although she was not a noblewoman with an important title, she somehow believed – or perhaps hoped – that would not matter to Robert.
The two women reached the bottom of the stairs and as they approached the front door, footsteps sounded down the hallway behind them.
“My, my, aren’t we looking rather lovely this evening?” Freddy said.
Julia froze for a moment but turned as Arabella coldly glared at him.
“Freddy.”
“Is there a social event that I have forgotten? Or was not made aware of?”
“Indeed. The duke and duchess have invited Julia and me to their estate for the evening. But it is strictly by invitation only, I am afraid,” Arabella said.
“I am certain the duke and duchess would not mind if I attended as well,” Freddy said. “I will quickly rush upstairs and change.”
“We are already running late.”
“I shall only be a moment,” Freddy said insistently, his eyes glaring sharply at Arabella before he dashed up the stairs.
“Shall we simply go without him?” Julia asked with a sigh.
“That would only be delaying the inevitable, my dear.”
Julia bit her lower lip, well aware that this would certainly be the last time the duke and duchess would invite them to the estate, and Julia’s chances of enjoying the presence of Robert’s company in future had just dropped to zero.
The carriage came to an abrupt stop and Julia glared at Freddy, who had intentionally wedged his knee against hers, but of course would blame the abrupt motions of the carriage.
The smug grin on his face revealed that it was intentional. Clearly, Freddy was still under the illusion that Julia was encouraging his advances despite her words and actions that said the complete opposite.
Upon their arrival in the ballroom of Finlay Hall, Julia searched for Robert and found him standing beside his brothers. He was certainly the most handsome of the siblings, although Julia must admit she was truly biased. He smiled warmly when he saw her, but his smile faded as he noticed Freddy had accompanied them.
During dinner and much to the guests’ horror, Freddy began to misbehave. He had spent too long at the refreshment table, and the whiskey caused him to be even more boisterous and insulting than usual. His slurred words managed to offend and insult most of the guests, and Julia could not believe how much he embarrassed himself as well as Arabella and her.
Much to her relief, Robert tried to place as much distance between Julia and Freddy as possible. He asked her to dance on numerous occasions, and it certainly helped relieve the tension she carried. He was a lovely and caring man, and his protective nature over her safety was most welcome. The warmth of his hand against hers gave her great comfort, and she most certainly did not wish for that to end.
Freddy continued to spout his insults and inappropriate words during the dinner and the only thing Arabella and Julia were able to do was ignore him. It was no use reacting to him, as it only fuelled him to become more obnoxious.
After Julia’s last dance with Robert ended, Julia walked back to where Arabella was seated. The old woman, having a lovely time despite Freddy’s presence, appeared tired.
“Are you all right, Great-aunt?” she asked.
&nb
sp; “I am merely catching my breath, my dear,” Arabella assured her.
“Julia,” a slurred voice said behind her and she turned around.
Freddy stood before her, sipping the last bit of whisky in his glass.
“Yes, Freddy?” she asked.
“I do believe you have danced all evening, but not once with me.”
“There is a reason for that, cousin.”
“Oh, and what would that be?”
“I do not wish to dance with you. You are rude and uncouth this evening and I do not wish to be anywhere near you. I thought I had made that abundantly clear,” Julia said, very much surprised by her courage.
As she turned away, Freddy grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.
“Freddy, release me at once.”
“You do not fool me with your old gown and your pretentious smile,” Freddy said with a hiss.
“Stop it, Freddy.”
“And what is this? A silly ribbon for a silly girl,” Freddy said and yanked at the ribbon in her hair.
The knot in the ribbon came undone and her locks tumbled down her shoulders, her lovely braid ruined by Freddy’s aggressive behaviour.
“Stop it, Freddy.” Hot tears stung her eyes and she willed them away. She did not wish to show any form of reaction, as that was precisely what Freddy wanted.
“Did you not hear the lady speak?”
Julia glanced up and her eyes widened as Robert approached them.
Robert threw a powerful punch against Freddy’s jaw, causing the drunk man to stumble backwards.
“This is no place for such behaviour,” Robert said with an icy tone.
The punch had knocked Freddy off his feet, and although Julia did not think violence was the answer for dealing with problems, it certainly quieted Freddy. Perhaps much to the relief of all the guests.
Robert stepped away and turned to Julia. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Perhaps it’s time to leave,” Arabella said, placing her hand on Julia’s shoulder. “We have disrupted the evening more than enough.”
“Allow me to walk you to your carriage, Julia, Arabella,” Robert said.
“Very well, young man,” Arabella said with a nod.
Robert turned to his brother, James, and gave him a nod. “Would you escort Freddy to the upstairs parlour and keep him there? I will be back shortly.”
“Of course,” James said and grabbed Freddy’s shoulder. He yanked him upright and practically dragged him out to the hallway.
Robert returned to Arabella and Julia and escorted them outside. Arabella’s strides were quicker than Julia’s and she had placed considerable distance between herself and Julia, allowing her the privacy they required.
“Are you certain you are all right, Julia?” Robert asked her.
Julia took a deep breath, a shiver of relief beginning to shake her body. “I cannot say yes, as it would not be entirely truthful.”
“There is no need to fear him or his actions. He will remain at the estate until he is sober. And if it were up to me, he’d never return to your home.”
Julia pursed her lips to prevent them from trembling and she nodded. “Thank you, Robert.”
“May I share something?”
“Of course,” she said.
“When you explained his behaviour to me yesterday, I did not think it was as abominable as you described. Not that I questioned your integrity, but I didn’t know how it was possible for a man to act in such a manner to his own cousin. Now I can see it is much more serious than you initially stated.”
“Thank you, Robert. That is most kind of you. I am sincerely sorry for his behaviour. The dinner was rudely interrupted and I...”
“Do not apologise for his behaviour ever again. You are not the one at fault.”
Julia nodded and lowered her gaze. Despite Robert’s reassurance that she was not at fault, she could not help but feel responsible for the spectacle caused by Freddy. They had brought him to the estate, after all.
“I am truly sorry that this happened to you, Julia,” Robert said as he reached up and gently touched a lock of her hair. “And again, I will do my very best to assist. I do not wish for anything untoward to happen to you.”
Julia smiled up at him, the warmth of his skin close to her face causing her heart to pound in her chest. Much to her surprise, Robert leaned into her and kissed her very briefly on the cheek. It was over very swiftly, but the attraction lingered even after he stepped away.
“I must go,” Julia said breathlessly and glanced over her shoulder at the carriage, which was ready to leave. “Thank you for a pleasant evening, and for coming to my aid.”
“It was more than a pleasure, Julia.”
Julia nodded and made her way to the carriage, gazing upon Robert once more before climbing into the carriage.
Despite the disastrous events of the evening, Robert Melton had managed to come to her aid and kissed her. A wonderful way to end an evening.
Chapter Nine.
It was with mixed feelings that Robert marched to the upstairs parlour the following morning. Although he was ashamed of himself for kissing Julia last evening, he was also glad that he had.
He had very much wanted to kiss her, especially during one of their dances together. It had not seemed appropriate at the time. Perhaps kissing her after she had been treated so cruelly by her cousin Freddy was not the appropriate time either, but at least she had not slapped him. It could have been much worse, and Robert was thankful it was not.
He drew in a deep breath and entered the parlour where Freddy had slept the previous evening. In his heavily intoxicated state, he had fallen asleep on one of the sofas, and James had locked him inside the room for the night as instructed.
Freddy seemed disoriented and rose to a sitting position as Robert entered the room and the pungent stench of whiskey and sweat hung in the air.
Robert charged over to the windows and abruptly opened the curtains, allowing the bright beams of light to illuminate the parlour. Freddy groaned and dropped his head into his hands.
“Is that necessary?” Freddy asked with a grumble.
“Indeed, it is. After your disrespectful behaviour last evening, I should have thrown you out on the street,” Robert said and paced around the room.
“Why did you not?”
“Because you would have brought more embarrassment and shame to your family than you had already. I am fairly certain your father would not be at all pleased by the aggressive nature of your actions,” Robert said.
Freddy scoffed and ran his fingers through his light brown hair. “Are you even aware of who I am?”
“It is quite unfortunate for me, but indeed I do. And perhaps your status intimidates others, but it does nothing of the sort to me.”
Freddy cocked his head and slowly rose to his feet. “Is that so? Simply because your older brother is a duke, you think you are better than I am?”
“I do not consider myself better than any man on this earth, Freddy, but in comparison to your actions towards your grandmother, and the manner in which you treated Julia, I am, in fact, a better man than you.”
Freddy scoffed. “Perhaps you should mind your own business. These things do not concern you.”
“They do. Arabella is a dear friend of mine, and I shall not allow you to treat her in such a manner. Julia as well. She is a proper young woman who does not deserve the kind of treatment you bestowed on her last evening. Not to mention how you humiliated your family name and hers, for that matter.”
“You are most certainly exaggerating.”
Robert stepped closer to Freddy and sneered at him. “Are you too blinded by your own arrogance that you cannot see what you did was wrong?”
Freddy stepped closer, an intimidating expression on his face. “I did nothing wrong.”
Robert’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched once more. He was most certainly not a violent man. He much preferred to use the law rath
er than his fists, but the character of Freddy Montclair brought out the worst in him. There was no reasoning with this self-centred man. The only person who mattered in Freddy’s eyes, was himself.
Freddy glared at Robert, but he did not intimidate Robert in the least.
Being a barrister, he had been faced with many people—plaintiffs, accused, and the like. He had been threatened, cursed at, shouted at, and even physically attacked by the family of an accused.
“You wish to punch me again?” Freddy asked, his voice taunting Robert. “You would most certainly like that, wouldn’t you? Only this time, I will return the favour.”
“From the floor?” Robert’s fists tightened even more.
Rage flickered inside Freddy’s dark eyes. “I don’t know who you think you are, but your words have no effect on me. You should mind your own business and stay in line.”
“If it concerns Arabella and Julia, it concerns me.” Robert ground out, wishing more than anything that he could let his control fly away and he could strike this man in the face again.
“Why?” Freddy asked. “She is an old woman who serves no purpose except for the vast fortune she sits upon so greedily.”
“She is most certainly not the one who is filled with greed.”
“At ease, gentlemen.” James’ voice sliced through the tense atmosphere in the room and he approached them. Using his arm as a barricade, he separated Robert from Freddy.
“That is quite enough,” James said with disapproval. “From both of you.”
Freddy backed away quickly and went to rest on the sofa once more, suddenly silent.
Somehow, Freddy seemed more fearful of James than of him, which was not surprising. James was taller and had much broader shoulders. His stern – and perhaps even military – stare was intimidating.
But it was more than that. Freddy was more obedient towards James, as if there was some kind of unspoken agreement between the two. Or perhaps he was simply imagining it.
“Are you feeling better, Freddy?” James asked.
Freddy mumbled something incoherent and turned away.