He hadn’t thought it was possible for a woman to get any paler, but Lady Bishop did. He actually thought she was going to faint given how she swayed in her seat. “Lady Bishop, are you well?”
She burst into tears. God, he hated when women cried. In this instance, it wasn’t only trails of tears on her face, it was almost wailing. Beth would certainly hear her before he had the chance to set things straight with her mother. “Calm yourself, ma’am.”
She stifled her wailing by placing a hand over her mouth for long moments before she seemed to gain some control. “I’m so sorry, my lord, I had no choice. I knew you would be at the theatre that night. I knew you would seek Beth out even if it was just to pay your respects on the death of my husband. We’ve not seen you since he passed. I had hoped when you saw her, you’d renew your attentions to her.”
She didn’t need to borrow funds for gowns to capture his attention. He’s seen Beth in an old pelisse in the Royal Academy and he had wanted her. “I’ve paid the debt. Mr. Jones will not be bothering you or Miss Bishop.”
“Thank you, my lord. I don’t know how we’ll repay you.” Lady Bishop’s effusive gratitude grated on his nerves. He hadn’t done it for her. He’d done it for Beth. Lady Bishop was one of those who never seemed to think about how her decisions affected others.
“And we will repay you, my lord.”
Langston jumped to his feet at the sound of Beth’s voice behind him. She stood in the doorway chin lifted, shoulders back, her hands fisted by her side. Her eyes were puffy and a bit red, but her face was a carefully composed mask. Beth valued control above all things, but he longed to hold her, comfort her, tell her things would be all right. “That won’t be necessary.”
“I don’t what your charity, Lord Langston.”
“Beth, dear, let’s not be hasty,” Lady Bishop said. “Lord Langston was willing to help us. Mr. Jones was not going to be merciful.”
“Mother, would you allow me to speak with Lord Langston alone?”
Her mother stood but paused. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, my dear.”
Beth glared at her mother. “Given what has already come to pass, I don’t think it really matters now, does it?”
“Well, when you put it that way...” Lady Bishop dipped a curtsy. “Regardless of what my daughter will say to you, my lord, I am grateful for your help in this situation.”
Langston nodded to Lady Bishop to acknowledge her comment. She left, closing the door firmly behind her. Beth moved closer into the room but did not sit, so he had no choice but to remain standing. The silence between them filled the room, and he fisted and unfasted his hands. He was in a damnable situation. Nothing he could say at this moment would make her less angry, in fact, it would probably make things worse, so he kept silent and watched as she paced. Emotions danced across her face as she moved in the small space and he wished he could know what she was thinking. Then again, maybe not.
“I will make arrangements to have the money sent to you directly, my lord. It will have to wait until after the exhibition. If my paintings sell as well as you suspect, it should not be an issue to repay you.”
Langston shifted his feet. He’d forgotten about his promise to have her work in the exhibition. “And if it doesn’t?”
The tone in his voice caught her attention. “Do you plan to withdraw your offer to show my work?”
He shook his head. The thought hadn’t even occurred to him, but it hurt to think she expected it of him. He would never strike out at her in that manner. He was reminded of how much things had changed and how she still did not trust him. “I’m sorry you lost your position at the theatre. I know you loved the work.”
Her mask slipped, as Beth squeezed her eyes shut then turned away from him. She cleared her throat and turned back to him, the mask back in place. “I will go directly to The Times and have the engagement announcement withdrawn. My mother had no right to do what she did.”
“I disagree. She had every right.”
“I will not trap you into marriage.”
Funny, the one thing he had feared most was being trapped in a marriage that made him as unhappy as his mother had been. He’d felt trapped with Lady Cassandra, but he did not feel trapped now. In fact, he felt glad Lady Bishop did what she did. She had the courage to do what he hadn’t been able to do. But he didn’t know how to fix this between them. “I have a proposal for you, Beth.”
“Seriously? Now?”
“Not that kind of proposal, but a proposition. If you go to the papers now, it will ruin your family name, in society—”
“As we are no longer part of Mayfair society, I hardly see where that matters.”
He moved to her side and pressed his fingertips to her lips. “Let me finish. I want the engagement to stand. We’ll be seen a few times in public. Perhaps a stroll through Hyde Park, and a ball. We’ll give it a bit of time and then call it off. We’ll tell people we didn’t suit. It will lessen the gossip if we do it this way.”
Beth glared at him. “So, you would have us flaunt our poverty in front of all of Mayfair? I’ll not be treated like a charity case, especially by you of all people.” She stepped away from him as if she needed the distance. “It is best to end this debacle now so we can both move on. I will find another position. You can marry your Lady Cassandra.”
“Have you thought about how this makes me look in society, Beth? To have my engagement announced to the world without my knowledge? I am going to the butt of jokes for a very long time because of it. You have the opportunity to disappear from Society, I do not.”
Beth huffed. “Fine. We will play this your way, but I want a date on which this will be over. I don’t want to see it go on. It would only give Mother hope that things are going to change.”
Langston moved back to her side. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and caressed the cool skin of her cheek. “Two weeks. That should stop most of the gossip. My father will disapprove of the match, so we can use that as an excuse to end the engagement.”
Beth’s gaze met his and her eyes narrowed. “Why do I not believe you?”
“Since it’s only two weeks, it’s of little matter, isn’t it? Now you and your mother must be outfitted with clothes for this to work.” Beth opened her mouth to speak and he placed his fingers on her lips. “No arguments, Beth. I will not be embarrassed by you in Society.”
Beth jerked away from him. “Of course not, my lord. God forbid we encroach upon Society wearing dresses that are years old and threadbare. What will your father think of that?”
The pain in her voice gutted him, but he needed time to convince her to be his. Time to show her things would be all right. “Leave my father to me. Should I have a modiste sent over to outfit you appropriately?”
“No.”
“Fine. I will send the invitation to our first public appearance directly.”
“We shall await direction, my lord.”
The bitterness in her voice was more than he could take. He couldn’t pretend any longer. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. She struggled for a moment, then relaxed against him as if she didn’t have the strength to fight any longer. She trembled and he pulled her closer, his hand moving along her back. This small woman had taken so much upon herself for too many years. She had more strength in her than he would ever have and if he could bring her comfort in some small way, he wanted to. He wanted to for as long as they both lived.
“Why are you doing this?” Her voice was muffled against his coat. “You have every right to throw mother and I to the wolves.”
It was a valid question and if he answered honestly, he wasn’t sure how she would take it. It would probably ruin everything. “Because, you need me, and so few people in my life have ever truly needed me.
She lifted grey wet eyes to his. He used his thumb to brush away a tear that trailed down her smooth cheek. “You are so strong. Let me be strong for you, even if it’s just a little while,” he whispered and then
he spoke a bit of what was in his heart. “I won’t do anything that will hurt you, Beth. Trust me.”
He held his breath while he waited for her answer which came in the small nod of her head, her cheek brushing his coat. He tightened his arms and pressed a kiss to her hair and held her safe.
Chapter Nineteen
Two weeks later, Beth allowed herself to be assisted from the carriage by Langston. His hand squeezed hers as he released her to assist her mother. She gave herself a brief moment to take in how splendid he looked in his evening wear. He was so handsome, it took her breath away, almost as much as the way he looked at her did when she came down the stairs of their modest house in her new gown. It was a memory she would always treasure, the way his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened before they heated as they moved over her body taking in every detail. No man had ever looked at her that way, as if she were the most beautiful creature in the world.
She smoothed the skirts of her pale green heavy silk gown. She tugged on her long gloves and stepped to the walkway to wait for her mother. In the weeks since the announcement and his visit to their home, so much had changed. Invitations flowed in. Merchants were in and out of the house. Tansy had brought in her daughter to help with the house and to help with Beth’s hair. Heaven help them all if Langston was embarrassed by their appearance and his lavish spending made quite sure that neither her mother nor her would embarrass him in public. Beth was dizzy by how fast everything had happened, even how quickly the time had passed.
And they had made their betrothal public. They had strolled together through Hyde Park. He took her shopping at Hatchard’s for art books. They had haunted their favorite shops for art supplies. They had attended Royal Academy events together as part of the preparations for the Royal Exhibition. He called upon them every day to have tea. He kissed her chastely, treating her as if they’d never made love and he was actually courting her. There were flowers and cards. She was quite overwhelmed by all of the attention, but it would soon be over. The date they’d agreed to end their engagement was upon them. This would probably be their last event.
“My dear, have you ever seen such splendor?” Lady Bishop whispered as she came beside her.
“Mother, don’t get used to it. Midnight is approaching and we return to being pumpkins.” Beth winced at the harsh tone, but she couldn’t allow them to wish it could last forever. This would be the final test. This would be their only ball. She looked up at the grand house of Lord and Lady Danielson. This ball would be attended by the cream of Mayfair society. The Duke of Stafford would be in attendance as would Lord and Lady Hamilton and their daughter. Beth’s stomach lurched at the test before her. Despite her appearance, she was completely out of her realm.
“Relax, Beth. They are people just like you and I,” Langston’s voice was low as he offered her his arm.
“I don’t belong here, Langston. I never did.”
He placed his hand over hers on his arm. “You have no one to prove that to but yourself, Beth.”
She nodded and allowed him to lead her into the well-lit entrance hall where they waited to be announced before entering the ballroom. The house was lit with gas lamps and was as bright as daylight. The halls were crowded with others attending. Ladies dressed in fine silks, glittering with precious jewelry. As they made their way into the ballroom, Beth could feel eyes upon her, judging.
Langston led them into the room to the wall where he seated her mother. “See that wasn’t so bad.”
Beth gripped her hands together. “Everyone is watching me.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Langston said. “Now if you both will excuse me, I see a few gentlemen I should say hello to.” He lifted Beth’s hand and gently kissed it. “The first dance and the supper dance are mine, my love.”
Beth nodded. She’d not been so nervous in all her life. She was relieved when Langston walked back with another lady by his side. She was beautiful, with glossy blond hair and dancing blue eyes. She was dressed in a burgundy silk and rubies and diamonds glittered at her throat and wrists. Beth felt a twinge of jealousy. This was the type of woman Langston should marry. Langston’s smile was easy as he leaned down to talk to the lady.
“Beth, this is my dear friend, Lady Caroline Waring. Her husband and I were school chums. Lady Waring, Lady Bishop and her daughter, Miss Bishop.”
Beth sank into a curtsy. “Very nice to meet you, my lady.”
Lady Waring took her hands and squeezed. “My dear, you look positively petrified and we can’t have that. The cats will have their claws out tonight since you managed to steal Langston’s heart and about time, I say. Lady Bishop, would you mind if I took your daughter and introduced her to a few of my dear friends. I promise to return her to your side directly.”
“Of course, not my lady. Thank you,” Lady Bishop said, her smile bright. “I believe I see an old friend I’d like to catch up with.”
Looking at her mother’s face, Beth realized that this was Mother’s dream-come-true. While she had fought this transformation, her mother had relished it. Beth just couldn’t believe it could last. Their agreement was almost up. Beth turned back to Lady Waring, “Thank you for your assistance, my lady.”
“We are going to be good friends, you and I, so you must call me Caroline. May I call you Beth?”
Beth nodded dumbly. Lady Waring possessed an energy that took over the room.
“Now Langston, leave Beth with me and go do what you normally do at these things, but don’t forget to dance with your lovely lady.” Lady Waring shooed Langston away. “We shall make her the belle of this ball in a snap.”
Beth shot a panicked look to Langston as he disappeared into the crowds. All of her old fears were caving in upon her. She hated crowds. She hated being watched, judged, and found wanting.
“Beth, look at me.” Lady Waring’s voice was sharp.
“Yes, my lady?”
“Breath, dear. There is no one in this room who wants to harm you.”
Beth glanced around her and found Lady Cassandra Hamilton glaring at her before turning her back on her. “I’m not exactly sure of that, my lady.”
Lady Waring glanced over to where Beth had been looking. “She’s very angry at you right now. You stole Langston right from under her nose out of nowhere.”
Beth felt herself being tugged along beside Lady Waring, and being introduced to so many people who were friends of Langston she couldn’t remember their names. She started to relax and feel welcome despite the crowds and the eyes upon her. She talked about her painting and her father. No one seemed to mind that she’d painted sets or did not live in Mayfair. In fact, for the first time in a long time, she felt as if she did belong.
“I’ve come to claim my dance, Miss Bishop.”
Langston’s voice was soft in her ear. He was behind her but she could feel the heat of him close. His scent, clean linen, bay rum, and man, teased her senses. She turned and smiled widely. “I thought you’d forgotten me, my lord.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth. “Never, my love.”
Beth could almost hear the women around her sigh. Perhaps the world was full of romantics, if only for tonight. She allowed Langston to lead her out for a waltz. “I hope I remember how,” she whispered so only he could hear. “I’m liable to step on your toes.”
“Sweetheart, I would not allow that to happen.”
The music began and Langston’s hand was at her waist. She grasped his hand and let him whirl her into the dance. She stared up at him, meeting his heated gaze as they danced. The room disappeared in the warmth of his eyes, so full of emotion. An emotion she dared not give a name because it could break her heart. The music surrounded them and no one else in the room existed but Michael. Yes, Michael, this man she loved so much, not the marquis, not the artist, but the man. She wanted to close her eyes and lose herself in this dance. Her lips parted as he pulled her closer, much closer than propriety would allow, then she smiled as his body grazed hers through the mo
vements.
It was another way of making love with him, this dance. Brief teasing touches. His hand warm through the silk of her gown, strong and warm through their gloves. His thigh brushing hers as he turned her into the steps. She was so lost in the music and in Michael’s touch, it took her a few moments to realize the music was over. She was breathless, aroused.
“Don’t look at me that way, love, or I’ll have to steal you out into the garden.” His voice was soft in her ear, stirring the tendrils of hair at the base of her neck.
“I might let you, my lord,” she whispered back.
“Beth!”
Beth turned her head to smile back at him, but noticed the joy of the dance was gone from his face. She faced forward and found herself face to face with Michael’s father, the Duke of Stafford. She immediately dipped into a deep curtsy. “Your Grace.”
The man turned his back on her and walked away. She could hear the collective gasp of those around them, then the snickers. Michael cursed low under his breath.
Beth felt her face flush and she trembled. Like an icy wind, the duke had cut her to the bone, brutally reminding her she did not belong in this world. The noise around her rose in volume as she caught bits and pieces of words confirming her worst fears. “Please, I must—”
The urge to run and hide was so strong, she couldn’t stop herself from pulling away from Langston. Just like that, it was over.
“Beth, wait.”
She turned to Michael. “I can’t.” It was her worst nightmare—the pitying glances, the knowing stares. She needed an escape.
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her off the dance floor.
The crowds closed in upon her, brushing against her as she passed. Snide comments whispered under breaths stabbed at her. Finally, they reached the doorway. “Langston, please stop.”
The Art of Seduction (Kings of Industry) Page 12