The Wary Widow

by Jerrica Knight-Catania

  “You’re right,” she said at last. “I’m sorry. I promise not to say another contrary thing the rest of the afternoon.”

  Lizzie seemed pleased, if not a bit skeptical with her apology—if her highly arched brows were any indication—and grabbed her arm to tug her out the door. Chloe practically had to skip to keep up with her cousin’s pace. Usually her cousin strolled in a manner befitting a lady. Today she practically ran to the park. Chloe had never known her to be in such a hurry to get somewhere before. It didn’t help matters that Lizzie’s legs extended at least five inches longer than her own.

  They reached the park in what Chloe assumed was record time, and she was thankful when Lizzie finally slowed down. She knew it wasn’t on her account, but that was all right, they had slowed nonetheless. It was a lovely day and Chloe didn’t wish to rush their sojourn. Fluffy clouds passed lazily overhead, gravel crunched beneath carriage wheels and children squealed as they ran through the grass.

  Members of the ton made up the majority of the scene, walking, riding, flirting; it was like some kind of civilized mating ritual. Chloe blushed at the thought. She really ought to stop reading so much about animals and their rituals.

  She followed along behind Lizzie, enjoying the warm, April sun, tilting her face towards the light.

  “Why do you lag so, Chloe?” Lizzie asked as she looped her arm through Chloe’s. “You needn’t walk behind me like a maid.”

  “Sorry,” she answered. “What shall I do if you wish to walk with Lord Andrew, or a friend?”

  Lizzie looked at her with a sly smile. “Well, then you should walk behind. Especially if it’s a gentleman.”

  A gentleman? What did that mean? Her cousin was betrothed to one gentleman, and she couldn’t imagine Lord Andrew being very amenable to his future bride taking private walks with another man. And for that matter, she couldn’t imagine wanting to take walks with another man if she were the one engaged to Lord Andrew.

  “You never mentioned whether or not you enjoyed your time at Ashbury Manor yesterday,” Lizzie cut into the silence as they crested a hill that looked down on what Chloe assumed was the Serpentine. She’d heard it was the place to see and be seen in London, but she never imagined it would be so beautiful.

  Bright green grass dabbled with tall, leafy trees made up its banks. And the vast body of water rippled with every stroke from the little boats that carried lovers and friends alike. Gaggles of geese waddled about, ducks and Swans glided across the water. Groups of silly young ladies and young bucks teased and flirted with one another while their chaperones looked on. Aside from the fauna, it was quite similar to the ball they'd attended the prior evening. Minus the heat and overcrowding, or the abundance of oppressive perfume, of course.

  “You seemed a bit distracted at times,” Lizzie continued.

  “Oh, no, I had a lovely time. It’s just that...”

  “Yes?”

  “I suppose hearing about their husbands and families and such made me miss Sam all over again.”

  Lizzie turned her fallen features toward the Serpentine, clearly uncomfortable with the way the conversation had turned. Never mind that she’d been the one to ask.

  “I’m sorry,” she said at last, and it almost sounded like a question. As if she were asking if that were the right thing to say to a widow who was missing her husband.

  But before either could say anymore on the subject, Lizzie tensed her arm around Chloe’s. Chloe had no idea why until her cousin greeted a puffed-up looking dandy on the path. His blond hair was slicked into a greasy coif beneath a tall top hat. And his pants hugged even tighter than Lord Andrew's. Unfortunately, he did not seem nearly as fit or muscular.

  “Lord Edgmond,” Lizzie breathed. “How pleasant to see you here this afternoon.”

  She had a wistful look in her eye as she regarded the man, but Chloe couldn’t figure out why. He had a handsome enough face, but one could hardly see past his brightly colored ensemble.

  When did men start wearing purple striped waistcoats?

  “Why, Lady Elizabeth,” the man drawled, taking Lizzie’s hand in his and kissing the tips of her fingers. “I certainly didn’t expect to find you here this afternoon.”

  Why not? Chloe tried to puzzle out the relationship, and came to the conclusion that neither one was surprised to see the other at all. Lord Edgmond’s next words confirmed Chloe’s suspicions.

  “But since you are here, I’ve something I wish to discuss with you.” He held out his arm to her. “Would you care to stroll with me for a bit?”

  Lizzie giggled, and her cheeks turned a bright pink. What in the world was going on here? “Goodness, I hope it’s nothing serious,” Lizzie said and then turning to Chloe, added, “Why don’t you rest for a bit, dear. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

  Chloe hesitated. Was this a test? Was she supposed to say “no” like a good chaperone, or was a good chaperone one that allowed her charge a bit of freedom?

  Oh, blast it! This was her cousin, who was not even six months from her own age. Chloe was merely there to keep up appearances, not to keep Lizzie from doing as she pleased.

  “Yes, all right,” she agreed finally, and then made her way to a soft patch of grass near the water.

  ***

  “Good God, Michael, can we go home now, please?”

  “We’ve only been here for a half an hour, Andrew. What on earth is your rush?”

  Michael took his eyes from the path to observe his brother who had thrown his head back to look at the sky.

  “You know I hate being here during the fashionable hour,” Andrew replied, not hiding his sarcasm. “I much prefer an early morning ride.”

  “As do I, but the Lionesses aren’t going to give up, so it’s best we try to appease them once in a while.”

  Phoebe and Katherine were relentless when it came to their social mores. As members of such an influential family, they felt it was part of their duty to parade about town and involve themselves in Society. Michael and Andrew had received the “duty” speech more times than they could count, and could recite it verbatim, but they knew their sisters’ concerns went far beyond obligation. They wanted the boys to marry, and soon.

  And not for any conventional reasons like connections or heirs. Oh, no! They wanted another sister. Another goose to add to their gaggle to provide them even more topics of gossip and frivolous conversation.

  When Andrew had announced he was to marry Lady Elizabeth the women were nearly beside themselves with joy. Lady Elizabeth was just their sort. Lively and pretty and smart. She would certainly be a fine addition to their little club.

  Elizabeth would be a fine addition to any gathering.

  “Besides,” Michael continued, shaking away his wayward thoughts, “six o’clock is hardly the fashionable hour.”

  “It’s fashionable enough,” Andrew rejoined. “And I have appeased them, remember? I’ve already found a wife, so why in hell am I required to come on these rides with you?”

  “You’re not,” Michael retorted, suddenly annoyed with his brother. “It’s your betrothed you should be riding with, anyhow.”

  Andrew fell silent and Michael looked over at him, but before his eyes could fall on his brother’s brooding countenance, someone caught his eye in the distance.

  Lady Elizabeth.

  Walking alone with Lord Edgmond, damn her.

  The pair disappeared around a bend, and Michael pondered the situation. Was it true that Edgmond was after his brother’s fiancée? He’d assumed, as Andrew had, that it was merely idle gossip. But perhaps they’d been wrong.

  His eyes scanned the bank of the Serpentine as they approached and he saw that Elizabeth’s cousin sat there, her foot tapping anxiously.

  “Look.” Michael pointed toward the woman and Andrew followed his gaze.

  “That’s Mrs. Hawthorne,” he remarked. “But what is she doing in the park alone? And at such a late hour? It’s almost six o’clock now.”

  “I’m
not sure, but perhaps you should go and find out.”

  Michael hoped his brother would take the bait so he might follow to where Elizabeth and Edgmond had gone. Andrew didn’t need to know of her indiscretion, if there was in fact an indiscretion. But Michael couldn’t allow Elizabeth to dally with other men while she was engaged to his brother. It just wouldn’t do.

  “Where are you going?” Andrew asked, his gaze still fixed on the little widow.

  “I’m just going to give Thor here a hard ride up Rotten Row.” And then he rode off, without an ounce of guilt over lying to his brother.

  ***

  “We meet again, Mrs. Hawthorne.”

  Chloe looked up to find Lord Andrew climbing down from his thoroughbred. She hadn’t noticed how dark it had become until he arrived. The air was turning heavy with fog and the smell was quite offensive. She'd heard stories about the awful fog in London. If they didn't leave soon, it might be impossible to find their way home. Where on earth was Lizzie?

  “Lord Andrew,” she said, standing to her feet and faltering a little. She felt suddenly awkward and unsure of herself.

  “This is the second time today I find you out and about alone. It isn't safe, you know?”

  “I wasn't alone this morning, my lord. Daisy can be far more ferocious than any maid. And even now, I'm not...” alone, she was about to say, but stopped herself. She was indeed alone, and the reason was because her cousin—his betrothed—was off somewhere with another man.

  Oh, dear. She had not signed on to lie for her cousin. She looked up at Lord Andrew. Blast Lizzie and her blasted Lord Edgmond.

  “Mrs. Hawthorne?”

  “Yes, sorry!” she exclaimed all of a sudden. Lord Andrew jumped a little at her abruptness. “I meant to say, I didn’t come here alone...that is, I came with Liz- Lady Elizabeth, but...”

  Come on, Chloe, you've been talking since you were two! Find your tongue, for pity's sake!

  Lord Andrew smiled, seemingly enjoying her inability to form a coherent sentence. Blast him. If he didn't smell so very virile, or look so very handsome, and if she didn't remember their scandalous discussion about his whore-maid that morning, she might be able to compose herself.

  “Where is Lady Elizabeth?” he asked, and Chloe clamped her mouth shut.

  She would not rat out her cousin.

  “She met with a friend and they wanted to walk together, but I was a little tired, so I asked to stay here and wait, so they walked off, but that was quite some time ago, though I don’t have a watch, so I can’t tell you exactly how—”

  She cut off as Lord Andrew let out a booming laugh. She blinked several times, trying to assess why he’d be laughing at her, and waited for him to calm down.

  Really, it was awfully rude of him.

  “Forgive me, Mrs. Hawthorne, but I’ve never heard anyone speak for so long without taking a breath...well, that's not entirely true, now is it? My sisters could talk the hide off a mule.” He rubbed his eyes, which pooled with tears of hilarity. “Quite remarkable really.”

  Chloe had no idea what to say to this. She merely stood there, dumbstruck. No one had ever funned her this way before. People always thought she was too reserved or too sensitive to be able to laugh at herself. She had thought that, too. Until now. She felt a giggle forming deep in her belly, gurgling its way to her throat until she could hold it in no more.

  The feeling was quite freeing. She almost didn’t want to stop. But Lord Andrew was staring at her now as if she’d grown a second head, so she forced herself to remember the gravity of the situation.

  The fact of the matter was that she was standing here, at dusk, with her cousin’s fiancé, while her cousin was who-knew-where with some other lord.

  Chloe sobered rather quickly.

  “Well, Mrs. Hawthorne,” Lord Andrew said, breaking the awkward tension. “I suppose it’s a good thing I found you here then. Would you even have known how to get back home by yourself?”

  Chloe’s back went up like an alley cat. Never mind that she didn’t have a single clue where home was from here, she didn’t want Lord Andrew to think she was some kind of helpless ninny. “Of course I would,” she lied, then added, “I’m not helpless, you know.”

  Lord Andrew quirked his brow for the first time in their conversation. “No, of course not. You don’t seem at all the helpless sort and I’m sorry if I insinuated otherwise.”

  “Oh,” was all she could think to say to that. He really was a gentleman, wasn’t he?

  She was about to concede that perhaps he should walk her home, when Lizzie appeared. Thankfully, she was alone.

  “Andrew!”

  Lord Andrew spun around. “Lady Elizabeth,” he said, and Chloe noted the cool tone to his voice.

  Lizzie offered her hand and he took it, but did not kiss it. Instead, he leveled her with a rather intimidating glare.

  “Is everything all right, Andrew?” Lizzie laughed uncomfortably.

  “Where is your friend?” he asked, and Lizzie’s cheeks turned a bright pink.

  “Friend?” Her eyes shifted to look at Chloe, who immediately looked the other way.

  “Mrs. Hawthorne has been waiting for you to finish your walk with your friend for some time.”

  Oh, dear. Was he really coming to her defense? Poor Lizzie looked dumbfounded. She looked from Lord Andrew to her, clearly wondering if she had betrayed her trust. Chloe gave her the slightest shake of her head.

  “Yes, I was with Miss Lovell,” she said slowly. “She wanted to speak with me about a certain gentleman who wants to court her.”

  Lord Andrew's brow shot up mockingly. Oh, Lord, he didn't believe her. “Oh, really? Miss Lovell, you say?”

  Lizzie laughed again. A strained, uncomfortable laugh that made Chloe want to cringe. “That is what I said, Lord Andrew.”

  “Curious,” he said, looking away and tapping his chin while he dug his riding crop into the dirt.

  “Why is that?”

  “Well, it's just odd, that's all, especially since I saw Miss Lovell and her two sisters heading out of the park less than an hour ago.”

  Lizzie visibly gulped, as did Chloe. She had to say something.

  “It’s really all right, my lord,” Chloe stepped in.

  His dark eyes turned on her and their gazes locked. Chloe quickly looked away, suddenly ill at ease.

  “It would be good of you to remember that I am no fool, Lady Elizabeth. Once we are married I expect you to tell the truth. Right now, you are still free to do as you please, within reason. However, I am appalled to realize that you not only lied to me, but you left your cousin, who knows little of this city, all alone at dusk.”

  Honesty? Chloe wondered at his double standard. Would he eventually tell Lizzie about his housekeeper? Or his trips to the bawdy houses, which he'd inadvertently admitted to visiting?

  “All alone? Andrew, she was hardly alone. I was just over there, beyond that small copse of trees.”

  “You will not argue with me, Elizabeth. The park is a dangerous place after dark.” Andrew's nostrils flared slightly. Goodness, he was upset. Chloe wondered what made him angrier, the fact Lizzie had lied or that she'd left her alone.

  Lizzie’s one brow rose in annoyance. “I’ve lived in London all my life, Andrew, and I would never put myself or my cousin in danger. Now, if you will excuse us, we’ll be expected for dinner soon.”

  Lizzie grabbed Chloe by the arm and began to pull her away from Lord Andrew. The sound of horse’s hooves pulled her focus to their left. A man, almost identical in looks, trotted toward them on a stallion every bit as lovely as Lord Andrew’s.

  Her cousin’s grip tightened as he approached, but she managed an easy smile. Chloe felt as if she’d been caught in a maelstrom. What on earth was going on here?

  “Mrs. Hawthorne, I presume?” the man on the horse said.

  “I am,” Chloe admitted.

  “I am Andrew's twin brother, Lord Michael Wetherby.” He dismounted his horse and gave
her a little bow.

  Chloe curtsied as best she could with Lizzie gripping her arm.

  “Goodness, have I come upon a funeral?” Lord Michael asked.

  Chloe looked back at Andrew, who stood staunch, clutching his riding crop under his arm. He stared back at her for a moment before shrugging and turning to his brother.

  “Come, Michael,” he tutted with a toss of his riding crop. “We will see Lady Elizabeth and her cousin home.”

  “We can make our own way home, thank you,” Lizzie shot back acerbically.

  Lord Michael gave a wry smile as he looked back and forth between Lizzie and Lord Andrew. “We just happen to be heading in your direction, Lady Elizabeth,” he said in a placating voice. “It would be our pleasure if you would allow us to see you safely home.”

  Lord Andrew and Lizzie both seemed to back down slightly, and Chloe wanted to applaud Lord Michael for his ability to diffuse the situation. Still, far more than met the eye was going on here, and it was going to take more than just a few diplomatic words to get to the bottom of it.

  Six

  A deafening clap of thunder sounded just as Lizzie stuck her head around Chloe’s door. It was late, but she was still up, finishing the letter to her mother.

  “May I come in?” she asked.

  “Of course.” Chloe rose to admit her cousin and shut the door behind her. She couldn’t help but notice the troubled look on her face. “Is everything all right?”

  Lizzie turned and nodded. “I just wanted to apologize for this afternoon. Andrew was right. I should never have left you alone like that.”

  Chloe held up her hand. “You needn’t worry about it.”

  “But I should not have put you in such a position.” Her blue eyes turned downward. “Thank you, though, for not telling him the truth.”

  “You mean for lying,” Chloe bit back. Lizzie’s expression grew pained at this and Chloe felt awful for having spoken so bluntly. “Listen, Lizzie, I’m not here to judge you, only to chaperone you, and frankly, I’m not even comfortable with that. Your affairs are your own, but I should probably warn you to be more careful next time.”