by Abigail Agar
“Like your English missionary?” Lady Stanton asked as she eyed her daughter challengingly. “I let your little ruse go, Gwyn because I saw you were upset and hurt. Now it is time for you to act like the young woman that you are and do your part for the family.”
Her mother’s tone silenced any protest that Gwyn might have mustered. Visions of her father’s frail form and how he had struggled to recall Gwyn’s name, his own daughter, returned to her and reminded Gwyn of her guilt for not being there when her father needed her most. Gwyn lowered her head. “Yes, Mother. You are right. I will do what I need to do,” Gwyn said with resignation.
“Now, now, cheer up,” Lady Stanton said with a sigh. “There is no need to look so downtrodden. You have a lot to look forward to in married life and much happiness moving forward.”
Gwyn nodded as she let her mother guide her back toward Sergeant Chavers who asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Oh yes,” Lady Stanton said with a bright smile as she all but shoved Gwyn towards the man. “Gwyn was just a bit nervous. You two go and have fun, and I shall be right here waiting.”
Sergeant Chavers held out his arm, and Gwyn put her hand lightly on top of the man’s forearm so he could lead her towards the dance floor. It had been so long since she had danced formally, that Gwyn feared she might have forgotten the steps. To her delight, she found Sergeant Chavers to be a splendid dancer and Gwyn just had to follow the man’s lead.
Gwyn smiled at him as she became at ease with the dance. “You are an excellent dancer, Sergeant Chavers.”
“Why thank you,” the man said with a delighted smile. “You are quite the danger yourself. I had feared that we would both be so rusty at this that we would fall down and gum up the whole ball.”
Gwyn laughed and was amazed that she did not have to force the smile that came to her face. “I had that same fear, to be honest with you,” Gwyn whispered to the man.
They both took a moment to laugh at each other before they fell into a companionable silence which was only broken occasionally by some idle chatting. They knew each other pretty well from India, so there was not as much for them to find out about each other as the couples around them whose chatter drifted across the dance floor to Gwyn’s ears.
“Mother said your father was a merchant?” Gwyn asked the question as the song shifted to a slower one.
Sergeant Chavers nodded. “That is correct. He imports sugar cane actually. That is one of the reasons I volunteered to go to India when the chance came up.”
“So, you would be going back there?” Gwyn asked this with great curiosity, not only for herself but for her family situation.
Gwyn did not know if she could leave her mother to deal with her father alone while she traipsed back off to India. It seemed a selfish thing, and yet part of her wanted nothing more than to run back to India. It was probably the same part of her that discreetly had been scanning the crowded ballroom for any signs of Jack Shelton since their arrival, Gwyn informed herself.
“I find myself quite parched. Could we seek out some refreshment?” Gwyn asked hopefully.
Sergeant Chavers nodded eagerly. “Of course, Milady,” the man said chivalrously. “What sort of suitor would I be if I let you perish of thirst on the very first dance?”
Gwyn grinned. “You might not get many other ladies to accept your dance invitations if you did.”
“Good thing that I only am interested in the one lady then, and I like her well-nourished. So, let us go find some of that mulled wine I saw earlier, shall we?” Sergeant Chavers gently led Gwyn off the dance floor by her hand which was bold, but Gwyn allowed it.
Gwyn gave the man a point for the fact that he was not afraid to commit to one lady. Perhaps he would not be like some other men had been. Gwyn’s eyes cut around the room as Sergeant Chavers led her towards the refreshment tables. There was still no sign of Jack, and Gwyn felt an odd sensation of disappointment. She silently scolded herself for feeling that way, after all the man had betrayed her.
***
“Mother, if you touch my shirt again, I will scream,” Henry said with deadly calm as they walked towards the ball. They were already a good deal late due to Henry’s tardiness, and the man was in a right state.
Lady Shelton scolded, “Stop grousing on like a child, Henry. Jack, straighten your coat.”
Jack looked at his coat, and although he could see nothing wrong with it, he gave his formal coat a tug as if straightening it. His mother had been on edge and being late always set the woman in a bad mood. Inside, the music and voices drifted and mingled together much like the people within the ballroom and surrounding seating. There were a few couches here and there along the wall for those who wished to observe the dancing, but not participate. There were also tables set up near the refreshment tables for people to sit at and enjoy their drink and food.
It was at one of those tables that Jack first spotted Gwyn. He almost forgot to walk when his eyes landed on her. Her dark curly hair had been tamed into an upswept style that made her neck look long and inviting to Jack’s eyes. He quickly took his eyes away from her before his stare was noticed by anyone. Gwyn was with a man, probably a suitor with the way he leaned forward when he spoke to the young woman.
“Jack,” Lady Shelton said imperiously, and Jack’s eyes snapped to the woman questioningly. “I was just telling you that that young lady you were speaking with at the last event is here. Miss Rayburne is right over there with her chaperone. Why don’t you go and have fun? I will stay here and sort your brother out.”
Jack’s eyes went over to Henry who looked less than pleased that Mother thought he needed to be straightened out. Jack gave his brother a smile and a shrug as he left to go do as his mother had bidden him. There was little he could do to help his older brother that Henry could not turn around and immediately undo by opening his mouth without a thought.
There was little he could do other than to carry on with what his mother wished at the moment. Jack approached Miss Daphne Rayburne and her uncle with a friendly smile and a cordial bow. “I apologize for our lateness. We were detained,” Jack said apologetically. He could not say what detained him without giving even more substantiation to the rumours that abounded around his family.
Miss Rayburne’s smile said plenty, but she assured Jack, “We were not bored at all. We were watching all the couples and admiring the skill with which everyone dances.”
“Yes,” her uncle said with an amiable nod. “I do hope everything is okay?”
Jack nodded and told them both, “Everything is fine. No matter how much anyone tries to account for all possibilities, there will always be that one thing that is left unaccounted for. That one thing has a tendency to make it known at the worst of times. But all is well now that I am here.”
“Yes,” Miss Rayburne beamed. “And lucky I am to have such an accomplished dance partner. You might just make up for my lack of skill this go around.”
Jack chided, “Nonsense. You do a grand job.”
“You are too kind,” her uncle said with a grin.
Miss Rayburne gasped at the man. “Uncle, that is most cruel.”
“Yet, you did not deny it, Dear Niece,” her uncle reminded her.
Jack shook his head with a laugh. “I better get her on the ballroom floor for your safety, Sir Rayburne.”
“Might be a good idea,” her uncle agreed. “She has that same look in her eyes that my brother always got right before he decided to twist my arm a bit.”
Miss Rayburne seemed happy to let Jack lead her away from her irritating uncle and onto the ballroom floor. Miss Rayburne said softly, “I am glad you are here. I do not think that I could have stood one more minute of uncle telling me about all the times he fell while dancing. He had me so nervous that I thought I might have a panic attack and run out of the room.”
“Well, I am very glad I got here when I did then,” Jack said as he led her into the first dance. It was thankfully a slower one. The young woman
, despite what Jack had said, was not the best dancer, and he hoped that a slower dance would help her be more confident.
Miss Rayburne leaned in closer than was rightly necessary. Jack had escorted a few young women over the first few weeks of the Season, and most had suffered from the same clinginess. It was clear that they all aimed to find a husband this very Season. Unfortunately, it was also clear to Jack fairly quickly that he was not the husband they were looking for.
Jack allowed the girl to lean into him as he kept himself proper by only holding the young woman where it was permissible to do so. The weight of her arms around his neck seemed heavier with every passing second, and he was beginning to worry that the slowness of the song had lulled the young woman to sleep.
***
Gwyn had gone to the powder room, and she eyed her reflection carefully. She had seen Jack briefly, but he had gone swiftly to a young woman that Gwyn had to assume was the man’s date for the evening. As Gwyn was taking a deep breath to calm herself before she went back to Sergeant Chavers, the young woman that Jack had been dancing with came into the powder room.
The young woman came over and splashed a bit of water from the basin onto her face. Her cheeks were pink, and the woman eyed herself critically as if looking for some flaw. Gwyn cleared her throat. “Hello there, I am Gwyneth Stanton,” Gwyn said as she held out her hand to the young lady.
The woman smiled and turned towards Gwyn with a big smile. She gave Gwyn’s hand a dainty shake and said, “I am Daphne Rayburne. It is very nice to meet you.”
“And you,” Gwyn said as the young woman turned back towards the mirror. Gwyn gathered her courage and asked, “That man you were dancing with. Is he your betrothed?”
Daphne blushed, the colour rising rapidly to her cheeks and making her blue eyes sparkle. “He is not as of yet. We are merely cordial. He has not asked to officially court me, but my uncle feels it might not be far off.”
“Poor you,” Gwyn muttered.
Daphne frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Nothing,” Gwyn said quickly.
Another young lady laughed. “I think even Daphne knows about the rumours around Shelton Hall. They say that it is not a safe place for females, especially servants.”
Daphne fumed. “I have heard that.” She put her hands upon her hips and said, “Captain Shelton’s brother and his indiscretions should not taint Captain Shelton. Any who think it should are fools.”
“I do not think it has tainted him,” the other young lady said as she lay on the fainting couch catching her breath. “In fact, you will be lucky if you can keep his interest. He has every eligible young lady and their chaperones trampling each other to get in some time with him.”
Gwyn had stood silently listening to all of it. She had heard of the rumours surrounding Shelton Hall, but she had no idea that they had spread so far. Part of her was indignant that everyone seemed to think Jack innocent of any crimes. Perhaps he was in comparison to his brother Henry, but Gwyn knew very well that the man was far from innocent.
Chapter 3
Jack walked along the promenade to get some air. The crowd was pressing into the ballroom, so much so that some couples and their chaperones had moved outside to have room to breathe. Jack took a deep breath of the all too warm and damp air.
He stared up at the sky which was covered with too many clouds to see the stars. “No stars to see by tonight,” Jack mumbled to himself.
A voice answered behind him, “We will be lost at sea for sure.”
Jack spun around and saw Gwyn standing behind him with her arms behind her back. She eyed him with an uncertainty that made Jack uneasy. Surely she should not look at him as if he owed her something. It should be the other way around, Jack reasoned.
Jack sighed, “Gwyneth, it is …” Jack paused momentarily before he breathed out, “good. It is very good to see you.”
For a moment Jack wondered if the young woman was going to respond or merely turn on her heel. Gwyn slowly nodded. “It is good to see you also.” It was neutral at best, but Jack reasoned it at least was not venom.
“I had heard you were back from India,” Jack said.
Gwyn rocked on her feet slightly and said, “I heard you went to war. I did not expect that, to be honest.”
Jack shrugged and said, “There was very little to keep me here.”
Gwyn looked stung, and Jack wondered if she had taken that too harshly. He started to explain, but then the young man that had been accompanying Gwyn earlier crossed the stone walk and was swiftly beside them.
The man gave Gwyn a concerned look. “Is something the matter? Did this gentleman do something to offend you?”
For a moment Jack wondered if Gwyn was going to tell the man that Jack had indeed done something to her. Instead, Gwyn just shook her head. “No. This is Captain Jack Shelton. Captain Shelton, this is Sergeant William Chavers,” Gwyn said as she introduced them.
“Captain, huh?” Sergeant Chavers asked.
Jack nodded. “Yes. They go through officers rather quickly in France. Where were you posted?”
“India,” Sergeant Chavers said before he continued eagerly, “so, you really fought in the war then?”
Jack looked down at his feet causing his long brown hair to fall across his shoulders. He sighed. “I did, unfortunately.”
“I fought for my father to allow me to go, but since I am his only son, he would only hear of me going somewhere less volatile,” Sergeant Chavers said as if he had regret about that.
Jack assured the man, “Your father is a wise man, and you are a fortunate son.”
“You have a brother then?” Sergeant Chavers asked. Jack noted the way that Gwyn shifted, clearly uncomfortable, yet Sergeant Chavers seemed oblivious to the woman’s discomfort.
Jack nodded. “Yes. My older brother is the one who will inherit the titles and such. My mother was not thrilled when I chose to go to war, but she had little she could say against it,” Jack said quietly.
“I am quite sorry if I have offended you by not calling you by your proper title,” Sergeant Chavers said eager to assure that he had not transgressed against a peer of the crown.
Jack laughed and assured the man, “I go by Captain and Captain only.”
“A title well-earned, I am certain,” Sergeant Chavers said. His eyes cut to Gwyn, and he finally said, “We should probably get back to the ballroom. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Jack simply nodded as the man turned and led Gwyn back towards the ballroom where the music still emanated.
***
“Is he a friend of yours?” Sergeant Chavers asked curiously as he escorted Gwyn back to the ballroom.
She felt uncomfortable relaying the information, but she said, “We grew up together. Captain Shelton lives on the property next door to my family home.”
“Oh,” Sergeant Chavers said, and then he frowned. “Should I be worried about his intentions then? It might be that children’s fondness has turned to something else?”
Gwyn waved off the man’s ridiculous jealousy. “We have no such delusions about each other. He likes me no more than I like him. I merely saw him and said hello.” Gwyn suddenly felt very weary. She had only been in the Season for one night, and already she was done with it. “I feel very tired all of a sudden,” Gwyn said softly. “I think I shall just sit on one of the couches for a bit. I am sorry.”
“Nonsense,” Sergeant Chavers said. “It will give me a chance to go say hello to some of my father’s business acquaintances. He wanted me to, and it would be good to keep my word.”
Sergeant Chavers made sure she got to one of the soft couches safely and then he left with a smile. Gwyn watched the man weaving through the crowd, occasionally stopping and saying hello to someone he knew. He was not a bad looking man. His short brown hair was short and trimmed neatly. Major Gallagher would have had it no other way, of course. The man was fit and strong. His temperament seemed even and amicable, and yet Gwyn was not drawn to the man.