“For you are not going to be ‘Lady Altringham’, even though that is what you are,” Lady Newfield continued, her eyes darting from one part of the room to the next, as though the plan were only just forming in her mind. “You shall be Miss Sussex.”
Julianna’s lips parted in surprise, a stammering sound coming from her mouth, but no full words being formed.
“And I am a friend of your parents who has begged to take you into society,” Lady Newfield finished, looking quite satisfied. “Although…” Her brows furrowed and she looked back at Julianna. “Did you speak to many people last evening at the assembly? Did you inform them as to who you were?”
Such was the shock of what Lady Newfield was suggesting that it took Julianna a few seconds to react. “No. No,” she said slowly, not quite certain that she liked what she was hearing. “Of course, I spoke to Lady Tillsbury but I was not introduced to anyone new and certainly none present sought out my company.” It had been something of a disappointing evening, although Julianna had berated herself for believing that it might have been a little different simply because she was now Lady Altringham. And, of course, once she had seen her husband, once she had realized that he did not know who she was, she had wanted the evening to be over almost immediately.
“Then I shall have to speak to Lady Tillsbury,” Lady Newfield said pensively. “But I am sure she shall be agreeable.”
Julianna held her hands up. “But Grandmama,” she said quickly, “you forget that I was introduced to a good few others the last time I was in society. What of them?”
Lady Newfield shrugged. “I will make certain that your appearance is so altered that they will not recognize you,” she said decisively. “Now, Julianna, there is much for us to do.” She eyed her keenly. “Do you have the strength and the courage to do as I have asked, believing that it will be for your best?”
It took a moment or two for Julianna to reply. Still, she was a little uncertain as to what her grandmother would ask her to do and what she fully intended, but the question still hung in the air. Did she have the courage to just trust what her grandmother had planned for her? And could she find the strength within her to step forward in the hope that her husband would know precisely who she was, in both face and character?
“Yes, Grandmama,” she said, the words pulled slowly from her lips. “Yes, I believe that I do.”
* * *
“Are you ready?”
Julianna let out her breath slowly as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had been trimmed and then beautifully arranged so that a cascade of curls fell from the back of her head. Her grandmother had then insisted that she went immediately to the dressmaker to find some new gowns that were the very height of fashion, although Julianna had to admit that she was not quite certain of the color she now wore.
It was a deep, luscious blue that Lady Newfield had stated would bring out Julianna’s eyes a little more, but such was the depth of color that Julianna feared it would make her rather obvious at whatever occasion they were to attend next. The long, white gloves were quite lovely, however, and of course, she would have to take her fan with her also.
“My dear!” Lady Newfield entered the dressing room with her hands clasped and her face lighting up with evident delight. “You look wonderful!”
The dressmaker stepped in behind Lady Newfield, her eyes flicking over Julianna as she cocked her head, bird-like, in order to assess her.
“I think that color does suit you very well, my lady,” she said approvingly, and Lady Newfield nodded in agreement. “The color of your eyes is much more vivid, just as your companion has said.”
Lady Newfield beamed. “I was quite certain that it would,” she said, walking all around Julianna as though to take her in from every angle. “You will have to wear it to the ball tomorrow evening. It is quite lovely, truly.” She smiled at Julianna. “You are quite lovely.”
“I thank you,” Julianna murmured, not wanting to voice her concerns now that her grandmother and the dressmaker appeared to be so contented with the gown.
“I think that will do for the present,” Lady Newfield said, satisfied. “You have now three new evening gowns and two walking dresses.” She smiled at the dressmaker and Julianna let out a small sigh of relief, glad that they would not insist that she try on yet another dress given that they had been doing so for some time. “Will you change?”
“Yes, of course,” Julianna said gratefully. “I thank you, Grandmama.”
* * *
A short time later, Julianna stepped out from the dressing room and back into the main part of the shop, seeing her grandmother bending over some ribbons.
“Come and look at these,” Lady Newfield said, without so much as glancing up at Julianna. “And tell me what you think.”
Quickly, Julianna made her way over toward the ribbons, only for her head to come up as she heard the bell on the door chime as it opened.
Her breath caught almost at once. It was none other than Lord Altringham. Lord Altringham, who had walked into her last evening and did not recognize her. Her husband. The one gentleman she had been dreading setting eyes upon again.
Hastily, Julianna dropped her eyes back to the ribbons, but it appeared she was much too late.
“Good afternoon!” Lord Altringham boomed, his voice filling the shop, and he strode across the floor toward her. “My lady.” He bowed low, sweeping forward and making a most elaborate show. “You disappeared last evening without permitting me to know your name, my lady, and I simply cannot allow such a situation to continue, not when I made such a fool of myself.”
Julianna darted a glance toward her grandmother, who straightened, turned, and looked Lord Altringham full in the face. There was something of a risk in it, for Lord Altringham, whilst having never been formally introduced to Lady Newfield given his desire to stay far from Julianna herself, had been told of her connection to the family by Julianna’s father.
“Lord Altringham,” he said, bowing again to Lady Newfield. “I must beg your pardon for my lack of consideration and less than appropriate introduction, but the circumstances in which we met,” he sent a quick glance toward Julianna, “were less than agreeable.”
Lady Newfield smiled but Julianna noticed that it did not reach her eyes.
“Indeed,” she said, bobbing a quick curtsy. “Might I then introduce myself as Lady Newfield?” Lifting her chin, she looked into his face and Julianna’s hands tightened as she held them in front of her, her fingers laced together. She wanted to see if there was any flicker of recognition in Lord Altringham’s face, but as she watched his hazel eyes take in Lady Newfield, she saw nothing of the sort.
“My lady,” Lord Altringham murmured, bowing. “And might you be so good as to introduce this young lady to me?” His eyes turned back to Julianna, lingering on her for a greater length of time than ever before. He was smiling at her too, something she had never seen on his face when he had been in her company before.
“But of course,” Lady Newfield said quickly. “Might I present Miss Sussex? I am a friend of the family and begged to take her to London for the Season this year.”
Julianna noticed that her grandmother made no mention of any particular father or mother in her introduction but quickly sank into a curtsy, keeping her eyes low as she rose. There was a bit of heat in her cheeks now and she did not want Lord Altringham to think that she was reacting to his charms.
“Miss Sussex,” Lord Altringham said with such a warmth to his voice that Julianna could not help but look up at him, her surprise perhaps evident on her face, for his smile broadened as she watched him. “I am very glad to make your acquaintance. I am also very sorry for walking into you last evening. It was entirely my fault and I can only beg your forgiveness.”
She gave him a small smile but did not keep her gaze on his face, finding his presence to be quite overwhelming. He was so very different from how he had been on their wedding day and she found the change to be quite aston
ishing. There was no hardness in his face now, no burning anger in his voice. No sneer touched the corner of his mouth, no furious fire alight in his eyes. Instead, he was all smiles and delight, trying to make her warm to him, to make her glad to be in his presence.
“You do not forgive me?”
Her face burned and she darted her eyes to his, her smile a trifle disingenuous. “But of course,” she said, her voice low and quiet. “It was an accident, nothing more.”
“You are most kind.” Lord Altringham bowed low but Julianna did not curtsy. She felt overcome in his presence, finding him to be a very strong character that threatened to overwhelm her should she allow it. There was a moment of silence, silence that Julianna felt to be rather awkward, with Lord Altringham now clearing his throat.
“Might I ask if you are attending Lord Irvingshire’s ball tomorrow evening?”
Julianna glanced toward her grandmother, seeing the tiny nod and trying to put a smile back on her face.
“We are, yes,” she said, and Lord Altringham beamed at her, evidently filled with delight that this was to occur. “And you?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” he said, waving a hand as though she ought to expect that his attendance was a given. “Then I must hope, Miss Sussex, that we will be able to dance together at the ball. I shall, with your permission, seek you out tomorrow evening so I can write my name on your dance card.”
Her throat constricted, her heart hammering at the thought of being in her husband’s arms without his awareness of her true identity. Knowing she could not speak to confirm such a thing, she merely forced a smile and curtsied, hoping that this would be enough to satisfy him for his answer.
Evidently, it was.
“Capital!” Lord Altringham boomed, bowing low. “I shall let you return to your ribbons now, of course. Thank you for the introductions, Lady Newfield, and Miss Sussex…” He smiled at her, his eyes fixed to hers, and Julianna again felt her heart thump furiously. “I look forward to tomorrow evening when we are to meet again.”
Chapter Four
“You are in good spirits this evening, Lord Altringham.”
Thomas grinned as he bowed to Lord Fairfax. “You did not expect me to be in such a good state?” he asked, lifting one eyebrow. “Or is it that you did not think I would be in a happy mood since my dear wife is not present?”
Lord Fairfax rolled his eyes, his smile tilting to one side. “Very well, I shall not suggest such a thing or even speak of your wife again, if that is what you wish.”
“I do wish it,” Thomas said firmly, not holding back from his friend. “I am determined to enjoy the rest of the Season even without her company.” He saw his friend sigh but nod, allowing a sense of relief to wash over him as he did so. There was nothing he wanted to think about in terms of his wife for fear that it would take away from the enjoyment of this evening. Already, he had seen and spoken to a number of acquaintances, as well as one or two young ladies who had passed him some very warm glances indeed.
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he did so. They were all very eager for his company and it made his delight at being back in society grow all the more. The way the ladies looked at him, the knowledge that so many would simply melt into his arms if he danced with them, and the awareness that there was much willingness on the part of the ladies simply added to his arrogance and pride, puffing out his chest a little more with every smile he saw.
“You are, no doubt, going to make the best of the gardens this evening,” Lord Fairfax said with a wry smile. “The only question is which of the ladies present this evening will be the first to garner your attentions?”
Thomas chuckled, glad that his friend had decided to stop asking about Lady Altringham and instead converse as they usually did. “I cannot imagine what you mean,” he said, feigning injury. “If I am to walk in the gardens, it will simply be because of the need for fresh air in what is bound to be a very warm evening indeed.” With a sly glance, he chuckled loudly. “Besides which, I intend to go and see Lady Guthrie tomorrow afternoon.”
Lord Fairfax laughed harshly, a slightly angry tone to his laugh. “You are always able to have whatever you wish, are you not, Lord Altringham?” he said with a shake of his head. “I should feel sorry for the young ladies that you set your eyes on, but I cannot for I know that they go with you willingly.”
Thomas put one hand on his heart and tried to look shocked. “I should never take a lady out for a short stroll in the gardens if she was not willing,” he said, although the truth, he knew, was that he was well able to encourage a lady who might be a little reluctant to do so. “And besides which, is it not expected that I behave in such a way?” He grinned as he let his gaze trail across the room. “In fact, I am sure that if I did not do such a thing as you have suggested, then there would be shock and disappointment within the ton.”
Lord Fairfax shook his head. “I must pray that you find a lady unwilling to bend to your flattery and your charms,” he said, rather grumpily. “Perhaps that will make your arrogance begin to die away somewhat.”
Thomas merely laughed, only for his eyes to fix upon a young lady in a blue gown which shimmered slightly as she moved. Her face was rather anxious, her eyes wide as she looked out across the ballroom, her gloved hands held tightly in front of her.
Thomas let a small smile tug across his lips as he watched her. She was not beautiful by any means, certainly not a diamond of the first water, but this was now the third time he had seen her and there was something about her that seemed to draw him toward her. She was elegant and graceful, which he certainly appreciated, but perhaps it was that reluctance in her manner, the hesitation that had her looking to Lady Newfield in almost every moment that passed, but for whatever reason, he could not help but want to go to her almost at once.
He did not, however. To rush toward her with long strides, to make himself so obvious and persistent, was not a wise idea. He had to take his time, to make sure that his meeting her was done carefully and with great precision, so that the ton would not notice any sort of interest on his part.
“Might I enquire as to which young lady has captured your attentions?”
Thomas turned his head back to Lord Fairfax, noting the flicker of interest in his friend’s eyes and finding himself more than a little reluctant to say anything at all.
“You are quite mistaken,” he said with a chuckle. “There is no one in particular. There are plenty of young ladies here this evening. I was merely assessing which ones might be worth my time.”
Thankfully, he was spared any more questions by the arrival of the widowed but lovely Lady Darlington, who came to stand directly in his path, curtsying beautifully but keeping her head up and her eyes looking into his without hesitation or demureness.
“Good evening, Lord Altringham,” she purred, not even glancing toward Lord Fairfax. “How very glad I am to see you this evening.”
“Lady Darlington,” he replied, bowing warmly. “I do hope you are dancing this evening? I should very much like to steal the waltz from you.”
She laughed and held out her ribboned dance card to him, her eyes glowing with evident delight as she watched him peruse the dances. He quickly wrote his name down for the country dance and the waltz.
“Wonderful,” she murmured as he handed it back to her with a warm smile, knowing that the waltz might lead to something a little more. “I do hope that you will not sign up your name to the quadrille, Lord Altringham, for it comes directly after the waltz and I should like to keep you in my company for a short time thereafter."
He grinned at her, knowing precisely what she meant. “I would be glad to keep that particular dance free, my lady. I look forward to your company later this evening.”
As she walked away, Thomas heard Lord Fairfax sigh heavily, evidencing his displeasure at Thomas’ plans.
“You must excuse me,” Thomas said quickly, feeling himself growing a little weary of Lord Fairfax’s censure, whether spoken or unspok
en. If Lord Fairfax did not want to enjoy the warm company of a lady, then that was entirely his choice. Whereas he, himself, wanted to do precisely that and was well able to do so.
“Going to find more young ladies to dance with, no doubt.”
“Indeed,” Thomas said without hesitation. “Do enjoy your evening, Lord Fairfax.”
“I am sure I shall,” came Lord Fairfax’s voice as Thomas turned away and began to walk away, leaving Lord Fairfax far behind. He smiled and inclined his head to many ladies as he walked, as well as to some gentlemen, of course, but there were a few that he made quite certain to ignore. The ladies he did not greet were those who were with their husbands, or who were clutching the arm of the gentleman they walked alongside with. He would not intrude on a marriage or even a courtship, even if he was given the option to do so. Yes, he was a rake, but he had some principles—and principles he prided himself on.
“Good evening, Lord Altringham.”
Within a few minutes of greeting Lady Smythe, Thomas found himself practically surrounded by ladies of the beau monde. When he requested the dance card from one, he was presented with not only the one he had asked for, but also many others from those who stood near to him. They did not wait for him to enquire as to whether or not they had a dance free that he might occupy but rather held out their cards with the expectation that he would want to dance with them. Thomas felt his chest puff out a little with pride as he took one card after the other, knowing in his mind which ladies he might steal out to the gardens with for a short time and which ones he ought to make certain to return to their companions or mothers.
And then, he recalled Miss Sussex.
His heart sank as he realized that he had written his name down for almost every dance. Pulling out his own dance card—to remind him who he was to dance with next as well as to advise him which ones were still remaining—he realized that he had only one dance left.
In Search of Love: Convenient Arrangements (Book 2) Page 4