"No, why do you ask?" Beatrice shook her head feeling her blonde curls brush against her neck.
"You had a most pained expression upon your face."
Beatrice had not realized that her feelings had shown so plainly on her face. "It is nothing. My mind has been wandering, that is all."
"Are you not enjoying the ball?" Henrietta asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"Oh, goodness. Of course, I am,” Beatrice assured her. “It is magnificent."
"Then what is bothering you?" Henrietta asked again.
Beatrice had not intended to upset her friend with her troubles. She began to shake her head, but Henrietta grabbed her hand and led her from the ballroom.
"Come with me. We will get something to drink and you can tell me all about it."
Henrietta took her out the side door and into the dining room where the dining table had been set up against the wall. Trays of cakes and other sweets covered the long table, while a second smaller table had been placed in the corner with pitchers of lemonade and punch.
Henrietta handed Beatrice a cup of punch. "Now tell me what you were worrying over so much."
As much as Beatrice wanted to keep her problems to herself she wondered if talking to Henrietta may help her feel better.
"I received a letter today,” Beatrice began. "It was not unexpected and it should not have upset me, but I find myself quite preoccupied."
"Who was the letter from?" Henrietta waited until the room was empty to ask, "What did it say?"
"It was from my mother telling me that I am to return to London in two weeks’ time."
"Oh," Henrietta said quietly. "I will miss having you here. I will be coming to London in the next few weeks as well, I hope we will see each other often while I am there."
"That is good. It will be nice to see a friendly face at Almack’s." Of course, that all depended on whether her mother could acquire the necessary vouchers. As the daughter of the Duke of Castborough, Henrietta needn't worry about acquiring vouchers. The patronesses of Almack’s were quite excited about the sons and daughters of the peerage attending every Wednesday night.
"Has your mother been… well, less distressed about those other matters?" Henrietta asked, clearly hesitant about upsetting Beatrice.
It was an understandable question as Henrietta had accidentally walked in on a conversation between Beatrice and her mother. It had been a very awkward moment.
Her mother had been most upset and had said some rather wretched things to Beatrice. Henrietta had been so gracious, she apologized for the intrusion and had left at once. Unfortunately, her mother had not been so understanding and had admonished her for embarrassing her in front of the Duke of Castborough’s daughter.
Beatrice could have pointed out that it was not she who had been yelling. Or that Mother had been upset about something Father had done, but she knew it would do no good. Beatrice had learned long ago that nothing was ever her mother's fault.
Beatrice nodded. “Yes. She is quite happy we are to return to London."
At the time of the misunderstanding, Beatrice had explained her mother's behaviour away as being upset about being called back to Kent. Henrietta had been understanding as was her kind nature. Beatrice was sure that Henrietta’s mother did not get angry with her over matters that Henrietta had nothing to do with. For a moment, she had to push her jealousy aside over that detail.
Henrietta stared into her glass of punch for a moment. "I understand it may not be my place to say anything, but if you ever need someone to talk to I am here."
Beatrice began to shake her head.
Henrietta covered Beatrice’s hand with her own. "My family has seen its share of troubles. My brothers have not always gotten along with each other or with my father."
She doubted that Henrietta's family had seen the kind of troubles that Beatrice's had but she appreciated Henrietta trying to comfort her.
Before she could say anything in response, they were joined in the refreshment room by two other guests.
"Lady Henrietta!" a beautiful girl with dark hair gushed. "I am having the most wonderful time."
Henrietta smiled. "I am so glad to hear it, Lady Judith. Beatrice and I were just taking a moment for a refreshment."
Lady Judith's eyes passed over Beatrice with of the look of disdain before turning back to Henrietta without acknowledging the young woman at all.
"I have just met your brother," Lady Judith said her eyes widening.
"Oh,” Henrietta responded. “Which one?”
Beatrice tried not to laugh. Henrietta had five brothers and was most likely quite used to other young ladies coming to her to talk about them.
"Charles, of course. He is rather charming." Lady Judith told her. "I cannot believe that I have not seen him all Season. Where has he been hiding?"
"On the Peninsula," Henrietta said dryly. "He has only just gotten back."
"An officer? Goodness, I had no idea all that charm came from a man who was also a hero." Lady Judith glanced back toward the ballroom. "Perhaps I should be going back."
"Yes, of course. We would not want to keep you," Henrietta replied her turning cold.
Henrietta let out an exaggerated sigh. "I cannot abide by Lady Judith's rude behaviour. Her superiority complex is too much for me to bear."
"Well, she did seem rather abrupt," Beatrice agreed unsure what to say.
Henrietta started back to the ballroom. "Beatrice, you are much more gracious than I."
They had barely returned to the ballroom when Henrietta groaned.
"What is it?" Beatrice asked looking past her.
"Lady Judith is dancing with Charles again. I am quite annoyed that he is seeming to enjoy her company."
"It is not surprising. She is rather beautiful. She is the daughter of a viscount after all. It would be a very favorable match."
Henrietta turned to her horrified look on her face. "I cannot imagine a more horrible fate for Charles."
"That seems to be a great exaggeration," Beatrice remarked.
"Exaggeration or not. I will have to speak with Charles immediately." Henrietta stepped away to look around the ballroom. “Ah, there he is. The dance is over and he seems to be alone for the moment. I will be back directly.”
Henrietta had barely been gone when Lady Judith walked by sneering at Beatrice. Then she stopped and stood squarely in front of Beatrice blocking her way. "How on Earth did you get invited to a ball at Castborough? Surely your father..."
"Lady Judith, surely you know that Beatrice and I have been friends for years."
Lady Judith was so startled that she very nearly jumped. "Oh, yes, of course. How silly of me," she said quickly before she and her friend, Lady Sarah Mockersly, moved away.
"She is a vile creature," Henrietta muttered through gritted teeth.
"I'm feeling much less gracious," Beatrice admitted following Henrietta as they walked along the edge of the ballroom.
Beatrice had no idea what she would have done if Lady Judith had finished the sentence about her father. Hopefully, she would never have to know.
Chapter Five
Beatrice stood in her room at Castborough staring at her reflection in the large mirror. She could not help smiling as she looked at her favorite dress, mint green with white lace on the sleeves and hem. Originally, she had planned to wear her yellow dress but it was to be her last event before her return to London and she wanted it to be special. She had to look her best.
Looking at herself in the mirror Beatrice watched as her smile faded. She truly did not know what to feel, she missed her mother terribly. For a long time, it had been just the two of them, as her father spent much of his time in London.
Her mother had not always been awful, everything had changed when Beatrice had begun her first Season. Mother had become increasingly angered and annoyed, blaming Beatrice for silly things and for the most ridiculous reasons.
First, it was that Beatrice was too quiet and timid. Then she angril
y claimed that Beatrice had become overly loud and boisterous. It had upset Beatrice so much that she had missed several parties at the end of the previous Season claiming she was ill. It was not a complete lie either as each time her mother had begun to lecture her about how important it was to find a good match, Beatrice had felt a certain sickness in her stomach.
It was not the fact that she needed to marry well, everyone wanted that. No, it was the fervor in which her mother would talk to her about it. Her intensity on the subject was unnerving.
Her mother had been obsessed in her desire for Beatrice to marry well. Like most girls Beatrice had always known that she would need to marry a man well placed in society. If not a peer, then an older son from a respected and revered family.
While she was prepared to marry well she also hoped to find a good match that would yield a companionable relationship. After watching her parents, Beatrice had long given up on the idea of love. Friendship would be a worthy goal.
Beatrice sat down with a sigh. A soft knock sounded on the door just before it opened slowly.
"Beatrice?" Henrietta peeked around the door.
"Yes, Henrietta, please come in," Beatrice stood smiling at her friend.
"Oh, I do adore that dress on you and the lace on the hem is a very special touch," Henrietta said taking Beatrice's hand.
"Thank you, Henrietta. It is my favorite." Beatrice looked at herself in the mirror.
Beatrice noticed the look on her friend’s face. "Is everything all right? You do not look happy."
Henrietta sank down into one of the high-back chairs that were positioned under the window. "I cannot believe that we must endure another party with Lady Judith." She grimaced. "And in her own home as well. I anticipate she will be even more disagreeable than usual with people there adoring her estate and her family’s wealth. I almost do not want to go."
"Surely that cannot be the case. Every party I have been to the hosts have been most gracious. I am sure it will be fine." Beatrice looked at her friend with curiosity at her opinion.
“That is what I have encountered as well, but I am afraid that Lady Judith will not be so gracious.” Henrietta went on to explain, “She has been coddled horribly by her parents. They have given her anything she has ever asked for and more. Therefore, she believes that the rest of us are rather beneath her touch."
Beatrice could not help but agree with Henrietta but dared not speak her mind on the matter. Instead, she patted Henrietta's hand and said, "I suppose then it will be up to us to be polite."
"Yes, of course." Henrietta nodded several times. "We shall be courteous to a fault, all while ignoring and avoiding Lady Judith and Lady Sarah whenever possible."
"I think that is an ingenious idea," Beatrice agreed. "We shall have a grand time in spite of them."
"Undoubtedly," Henrietta agreed with a laugh. "I suppose we should go downstairs. The carriage should arrive at any moment."
Chapter Six
The carriage ride to Colchester had been short and it was not long before the carriage pulled up and stopped in front of a magnificent home. The door to the carriage opened. "Good evening, Lady Henrietta. We have arrived at Colchester Manor."
"Thank you, Porter," Henrietta told him before stepping down from the carriage. Beatrice followed close behind.
Lord and Lady Castborough were led into the ballroom with Henrietta and Beatrice not far behind. As discreetly as possible, Beatrice took in her surroundings she had been surprised when the carriage had stopped in front of the grand house. It was nearly as large as Castborough she had expected a more modest country home. It was a ridiculous thought on her part as Lady Judith's father was the Viscount of Colchester and clearly held a great deal of entailed land. It was no surprise that the inside of the house was decorated lavishly.
Henrietta turned to Beatrice suddenly with a tight smile. "It seems as though we will be tested from the start."
Beatrice had no idea what her friend meant and was about to ask when Henrietta squeezed her hand and smiled brightly and said, "Lady Judith, what a lovely party."
Beatrice turned just in time to see Lady Judith along with Lady Sarah walk up to them.
"Oh, thank you, Lady Henrietta. It was a last-minute decision but I told Mother that we just needed to have another gathering before we returned to London."
"We are so glad to be here, are we not, Beatrice?"
"Yes, thank you. It is quite wonderful." Beatrice smiled.
"I heard you shall be returning to London, as well,” Lady Judith replied making a quiet sniffing sound. Then smirked before saying, “Perhaps I will see you at Almack's."
Beatrice ignored the smirk and nodded. "Yes, of course. I look forward to it."
Lady Judith's eyes widened. "Yes, I am sure you are." Then she turned to Henrietta. "I must admit much of my excitement is due to the arrival of your brother."
"My brother?" Henrietta repeated looking about the room. "Philip? I believe he and Caroline arrived in the coach before us."
"Oh, Lady Henrietta, you are so very amusing." Lady Judith giggled behind her fan. "Although I am always glad to see Lord Holgrave, it is Lieutenant Remington, I am excited to see tonight."
"Charles?" Henrietta's hand went to her chest. "Please forgive me, Lady Judith. I had no idea you had become acquainted with Charles. He is quite popular though, of course, so I imagine it is possible that your paths have crossed."
Lady Judith flushed at Henrietta's implication and quickly said, "Lieutenant Repington asked me to dance several times at the ball held at Castborough."
"Did he?" Henrietta asked. "Well as I said he is quite popular, so it makes sense he would dance the night away with anyone willing."
Beatrice was surprised by Henrietta's bold comments, although she understood Henrietta's reasoning, she was filled with a mix of gratitude and apprehension.
Lady Judith narrowed her eyes at Henrietta and huffed. "I do not..." She trailed off abruptly as Charles and Matthew approached them.
Charles smiled at Beatrice and his sister. "Here you two are. I had wondered where you had gone off to."
"Lieutenant Repington, how lovely to see you again." Lady Judith stepped up before Henrietta could respond, pushing her way in front of Beatrice.
Charles glanced over at Beatrice before replying. "Good evening, Lady Judith."
"I was just telling Lady Henrietta how honoured we are to have you at our party."
"Honoured?" Charles repeated. “Really?”
"Of course, you are a hero."
"Not I," Charles began to disagree.
"Oh goodness, I have embarrassed you,” Lady Judith said opening her fan hiding her face behind it only her eyes were visible over the top. "My apologies, Lieut."
"Nothing of it," Charles replied politely. "And just to show my good nature please promise me the next dance."
Lady Judith fluttered her eyelashes at him. "I would love to." The music quieted signaling the next dance and Charles offered Lady Judith his arm.
Beatrice watched as they began to move around the ballroom. She tried to ignore her growing irritation. It made no sense for her to be jealous. Clearly, she was letting her personal feelings for Lady Judith affect her. The other girl’s blatant rudeness and obvious disdain had upset both Henrietta and Beatrice.
"I think I shall look for a cup of punch."
She took one last look at the ballroom just as Charles expertly navigated Lady Judith through a turn. Charles took that moment to look up, locking eyes with Beatrice. Her breath caught and suddenly her stomach seemed to flutter out of control. Startled, Beatrice nearly ran from the ballroom.
Chapter Seven
Charles watched as Miss Beatrice rushed from the room. He glanced back to where Henrietta still stood wondering what had upset her friend. His sister was frowning at him but she stood by herself, he had no inkling of what could have caused the young woman to flee the ballroom.
"Is something amiss, Lieutenant Repington?"
; "Not at all." Charles smiled down at Lady Judith. "I was merely thinking how fortunate I am."
"How so?" She looked up at him demurely, clearly expecting a compliment.
"I am here at this wonderful party, enjoying some wonderful company. How could I not be happy?"
"You are too kind, Lieutenant Repington, but I expect that you would have no trouble finding a party or dance partners here in Surrey, or London for that matter." She looked away with a laugh.
Charles shrugged elegantly. "While that may be true, after my time on the Peninsula, I have found that even the little things make me rather grateful."
"I am not sure how I feel about being included in that list,” she told him a skeptical look on her face. “I would rather that you were enamored or fascinated by me, rather than simply grateful for my company.”
Charles laughed jovially. "I am quite sure that you have many admirers that are both enamored and fascinated by you."
She was quite beautiful, tall and slender, her hair so dark it was nearly black. Charles had been away for some time but even he could see that she was in the latest fashion. It was no surprise that she was well-versed in the social graces as her father was the Viscount of Colchester, a revered member of the peerage.
Charles appreciated the irony, Lady Judith would be a good match, if he were actually looking for a wife. It is not as though he had not thought about marriage. Indeed, someday he would need to think about looking for a wife. But not for a while. For now, he appreciated the attention and that was that.
Lady Judith was not the only young Lady that had expressed interest in him, even Lady Sarah, Lady Judith's closest friend had cornered him in the refreshment room during the ball at Castborough. He had become more acquainted with Lady Judith only because they had crossed paths quite often. It was most likely by Lady Judith's doing but Charles did not mind at all. It was flattering to be sought out and the attention provided a much-needed distraction.
The dance ended and Charles led Lady Judith back to where his sister and Lady Sarah still stood.
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