My Elusive Countess

by Carolynn Carey

  “You must not allow the Duchess of Parcell to intimidate you,” Lady Cordelia said. “She is extremely high in the instep, but she was delighted to hear I am bringing a guest with me today. The duchess is forever telling me I need a new interest in life. And sponsoring you, my dear, is like a dream come true.”

  “Why, thank you, my lady,” Amanda murmured. “This is most kind of you.”

  “Not at all,” Lady Cordelia responded. “I have always regretted not having a daughter of my own to bring out. Of course, sponsoring someone else is not quite the same as bringing out one’s own daughter. Still, I am determined to enjoy myself. I just regret that my silly headache prevented me from helping you select your wardrobe. However, you have done quite well on your own. That gown is particularly attractive. And I am so looking forward to your accompanying me to the theater this evening. Do say you’ll come.”

  “I would be delighted.” Amanda hoped her amazement didn’t show on her face. She had expected Lady Cordelia to be reserved to the point of haughtiness. She certainly had never thought Lady Cordelia would be so accommodating.

  Perhaps Blackbourne’s aunt was merely trying to put her at ease. If so, she was succeeding, Amanda reflected. She was feeling more relaxed with each passing moment. Even when they stopped in front of the Duchess of Parcell’s elegant town house, Amanda did not experience the flurry of butterflies in her stomach she had anticipated.

  She was, however, a bit unnerved when she happened to glance toward an enclosed carriage sitting across the street and thought she saw Blackbourne staring out at her. She immediately decided she must have been mistaken, for the man’s head quickly disappeared into the interior of the plain black coach. Amanda could not imagine Blackbourne ever giving the appearance of skulking. She feared her imagination was conjuring up visions of the man who so frequently haunted her dreams.

  She pushed thoughts of Blackbourne to the back of her mind when she and Lady Cordelia were admitted to the duchess’s drawing room. Several ladies and gentlemen were already clumped in small groups around the room. Amanda took a deep breath and allowed Lady Cordelia to present her to their hostess.

  If the Duchess of Parcell’s welcome was not effusive, neither was it frigid. The grand lady extended two fingers and favored Amanda with a regal nod. “Lady Willowvale, is it?” she said. “I knew your father-in-law. He was a wonderful gentleman.”

  “I never had the honor of meeting the sixth earl,” Amanda replied. “He died before Oliver and I were introduced.”

  “And now your husband is dead also,” the duchess noted. “I am pleased that the title did not die with him. I understand you have a son who is now the eighth earl.”

  “That is correct, Your Grace,” Amanda responded with a fond smile. “David is five years old.”

  “I see.” The duchess’s gaze shifted to someone who had come up behind Amanda, and a sincere smile accompanied her next words. “Well, Judith, what do you want, you silly chit?”

  Amanda glanced around and was delighted to find Judith Clemmons standing just behind her, an impish grin on her face. “I have come to beg your indulgence, Duchess, and to request your permission to introduce Lady Willowvale to some of my friends.”

  “You know Lady Willowvale?” Lady Cordelia asked swiftly.

  “Yes, my lady,” Judith responded after a brief curtsy. “Lord Blackbourne introduced us at Gunter’s a few days ago. I have been most anxious to renew our acquaintance.”

  The duchess smiled indulgently. “Then take her with you, my dear, and make whatever introductions you wish.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace. You are, as ever, the essence of kindness.”

  The duchess’s smile broadened. “And you, my child, are the personification of blandishment. Go on with you now, before you try my patience.”

  Amanda barely had time to drop a swift curtsy before Judith started pulling her toward the far side of the room. “The duchess tries extremely hard to appear lofty,” Judith explained in a soft tone as she guided Amanda toward a group of people gathered around one of the windows. “But she adores people who are unimpressed by her manner. Never allow her to intimidate you. I am so delighted to see you again, my dear Lady Willowvale. Mother has been looking forward to meeting you.”

  Amanda had no trouble picking Judith’s mother out of the group they were approaching. Although the lady’s hair was gray and her figure a bit thicker than Judith’s, the two women looked amazingly alike. Amanda was especially pleased to find that Mrs. Clemmons’ smile was just as sincere and kind as Judith’s.

  “I have heard so much about you from this chatterbox of mine, Lady Willowvale,” Mrs. Clemmons said by way of greeting. “She would not give me a moment’s peace until I agreed to call on you. We were disappointed to find you had gone out of town.”

  “I regret having missed your call, ma’am.” Amanda quickly explained that she had been called to the country because her son had contracted chicken pox. “Apparently David is experiencing a mild case,” she concluded. “He was feeling perfectly well by the time I left him.”

  “How fortunate,” Mrs. Clemmons responded. “My own children were always ill for two full weeks with the chicken pox. Don’t glare at me, Judith. I am not going to launch into a detailed description of my offsprings’ childhood illnesses.” She turned back to Amanda with a smile. “Judith wishes to introduce you to several of her friends. But before I relinquish you, my dear, I must request your presence at a small gathering we are having next Wednesday. Just some of our closest friends, you understand.”

  Delighted to be included among the Clemmons’ acquaintances, Amanda quickly accepted and then allowed Judith to introduce her to several of the younger people. By the time Lady Cordelia approached with word that it was time to leave, Amanda was enjoying herself thoroughly. Many of the ton, she had discovered, were as friendly and kind as anyone she had ever met and she was beginning to think she had misjudged them.

  “I had a very pleasant time this afternoon, my lady,” she told Lady Cordelia when the two women were once again settled in the coach. “I deeply appreciate your generosity in allowing me to accompany you.”

  A spark of fury appeared to flare in Lady Cordelia’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that Amanda decided she must have imagined it. “Do not forget that you are to accompany me to the theater tonight, my dear.” Lady Cordelia flashed a bright smile. “Would you object if I ask a gentleman to call for you before he stops by my town house to collect me? You will like Lord Appelton, I am sure. He was always one of my nephew’s closest friends.”

  Lady Cordelia’s suggestion brought a quick frown to Amanda’s face. She hated to appear unappreciative, but she knew she should not ride in an enclosed carriage with a man she didn’t know.

  When Amanda continued to hesitate, Lady Cordelia laughed. “Of course I would send my companion along so you would not be alone in the carriage with Lord Appelton. Then, when you stop at my town house, I will take Miss Whitehead’s place. You will have a proper chaperone at all times.”

  Amanda breathed a soft sigh of relief. “In that case, my lady, I shall be looking forward to the evening.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  After allowing Stephens to help him shrug into his formfitting coat, Blackbourne turned to the mirror and grimaced at the reflection he saw there.

  It was not that he was dissatisfied with his appearance. In fact, after critically examining his image for several seconds, he decided that Weston had done an admirable job of fitting the coat across his shoulders. No, it was not his appearance that disgusted him. Rather, it was his frame of mind. He’d spent days avoiding Amanda, and her absence from his life was like the persistent ache of a deep wound that had not yet healed.

  Of course having seen her earlier that day was not helping him forget her.

  He flushed, recalling his activities of that afternoon. He’d felt like an idiot, hiding in a hired coach across the street from the Duchess of Parcell’s house. But he’d felt he had
no choice but to spy on his aunt. Despite the note he’d sent her, reminding her that she would never get another shilling from him if she did not fulfill her part of their bargain, he still did not trust her.

  Knowing his aunt as he did, he had feared she would wound Amanda by making clear her reluctance to sponsor her. He had been delighted when he peeked from the coach window and saw Amanda smiling and obviously at ease with his aunt. Unfortunately, seeing Amanda had also reignited his feelings for her, feelings that he had no desire to examine too closely.

  “Ye don’t act like ye want to go to the theater tonight, yer lordship,” Stephens commented. Apparently he’d noticed Blackbourne frowning at himself in the mirror.

  Blackbourne shrugged. “I’m not enthralled with the idea, but Anthony insists that I accompany him and his family. He assures me that while almost no one now believes my half brother’s lies about me, I must continue circulating among the ton lest those paragons of trust and human kindness forget that I am not the reprobate they once believed me to be.”

  “People is people, I say,” Stephens responded. “And everybody likes to believe the worst of everybody else. It’s ’uman nature.”

  Blackbourne lifted one eyebrow. “An expert on human nature, are you, Stephens?”

  “I can see the nose on my face, yer lordship, and people are the same all over. Some has more polished manners than others, but underneath, they’re all alike.”

  “Have you no faith in bloodlines, then?”

  “Fer dogs, maybe. But even then, there’s a lot to be said fer mongrels.”

  Blackbourne laughed. “A good point, I must concede. But, regrettably, I cannot linger to continue our philosophical discussion. The Clemmons family is expecting me to join them for dinner before the theater. I’ll be late getting home, so don’t wait up for me.”

  “Whatever ye say, yer lordship. Hope ye have a pleasant evening.”

  “So do I,” Blackbourne muttered, reaching for his gloves. He wished he knew what Amanda would be doing tonight. And he wished even more fervently that he could stop wondering what Amanda would be doing tonight.

  Judith Clemmons, seated at Blackbourne’s side at the theater, tapped him on the arm with her fan. “Look, my lord, is that not Lady Willowvale in your aunt’s box? And if so, why would your aunt expose her to Lord Appelton? Anthony says that Appelton is one of the most unprincipled rakes in London.”

  “I know,” Blackbourne responded, his mind racing. He could not be sure, of course, but there was a good possibility that, in hopes of spiting him, his aunt intended to hinder Amanda rather than help her. Which meant that instead of avoiding Amanda, he must now watch over her to ensure that, owing to his aunt’s machinations, she did not unwittingly ruin herself socially. “Damn it all,” he muttered. “Can a man not coerce his own aunt into doing him a simple favor?”

  “What did you say?” Judith asked, an arrested expression on her face.

  Blackbourne took a deep breath and forced a faint smile. “I said my aunt must have thought she was doing Lady Willowvale a favor by bringing her to the theater tonight.”

  Judith regarded him with narrowed eyes. “I wasn’t aware that Lady Cordelia is in the habit of doing favors.”

  “No doubt you underestimate my aunt, Judith, just as I have done,” Blackbourne said. “I think I shall visit her box during the intermission and make mention of her thoughtfulness. Now hush, my dear. The play is beginning.”

  Amanda had been a bit dismayed to discover that only she and Lord Appelton were to make up Lady Cordelia’s party for the theater. Still, she could find no fault with the earl. A man of medium height with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes, Appelton also boasted a handsome face, exquisite manners, and a charming smile.

  At least Amanda assumed most people would find Appelton’s smile charming. She could not help comparing his lips to Blackbourne’s and finding Appelton’s lacking. She did not understand why. Blackbourne’s mouth was not as exquisitely shaped as Appelton’s. Still, Amanda knew she would never forget the way Blackbourne’s lips had touched hers, first gently and then with a passion that had ignited a fire within her such as she had never known before.

  At that moment, Amanda lifted her gaze, feeling drawn to look toward a box directly across the theater. She quickly suppressed a gasp.

  Blackbourne’s gaze captured hers, his eyes burning with an intensity that was brighter than any of the flickering lamps lining the stage. Amanda felt her heart soar and quickly lowered her gaze. She knew it was fanciful, to think he could read her emotions in her eyes across an entire theater, but she feared it nonetheless. It would never do for Blackbourne to know how much she had come to care for him. The last thing she wanted was his pity and the last thing she would ever expect from him was his affection.

  “The play is about to begin, Lady Willowvale,” Appelton murmured, leaning close to her ear. “Are you fond of Hamlet?”

  Amanda swallowed and turned toward him. “Very much so. Are you?”

  Appelton flashed a crooked grin. “Not particularly. Ah, I can tell by the repugnance in your gaze that you think me beneath contempt. Perhaps you are correct. You see, while I will admit to enjoying the Bard’s comedies, his tragedies depress me. Has my confession forever condemned me in your eyes?” A comical grimace twisted Appelton’s lips, while a teasing twinkle brightened his eyes.

  “No, of course not.” Amanda returned Appelton’s infectious smile and breathed a small sigh of relief. She had feared Appelton would either flirt with her or snub her. Never would she have expected a handsome nobleman to treat her as though he were her brother. Such a relationship, Amanda realized, was just what she needed, especially now when her emotions were in such turmoil as a result of Blackbourne’s withdrawal.

  The curtain rose and Amanda quickly lost herself in the beauty of Shakespeare’s words. She was disappointed when the intermission arrived.

  “Well, my dear, what do you think of the play thus far?” Lady Cordelia asked.

  “It’s wonderful.” Amanda made no effort to hide her enthusiasm. “The actors are extremely talented. I have never been so engrossed by a performance before.”

  “Nor I,” Appelton said, gazing at Amanda. “Do you suppose, Lady Willowvale, that a gentleman cursed with a penchant for the ridiculous can learn to appreciate tragedy?”

  “I should think so,” Amanda responded, matching his bantering tone. “After all, I have noted that tragedy is generally interspersed with the ridiculous. Even Shakespeare spoke of ‘very tragical mirth’.”

  Appelton raised his eyebrows in subtle approval but he did not have time to respond. Lady Cordelia was tapping on his arm.

  “Appelton,” she said, her tone a bit sharp. “I believe my nephew is about to pay us a visit. I happened to glance across the theater and saw him nodding toward our box before excusing himself to his companions.”

  Amanda immediately looked toward the Clemmons’ box. She was just in time to watch Blackbourne’s exit and her heart started hammering. If he was headed in their direction, it would be the first time she had seen him since the morning he drove away from Willow Place after their embrace.

  “Did you not tell me, my dear Appelton, that you wished to visit your aunt during the intermission?” Lady Cordelia lowered her brows and skewered her guest with an intense stare.

  Appelton stood quickly. “Thank you for reminding me. Aunt Mabel becomes irritable if she thinks I’m failing in my attentions to her. I shall return at the end of the intermission.”

  Amanda took several deep breaths, trying to compose herself before Blackbourne arrived, but she was still unprepared when he stepped into the box. Her pulse quickened as he stopped, smiled at her and then bowed to his aunt.

  Lady Cordelia nodded. “Blackbourne,” she said aloofly.

  “My lady,” he responded in a cool tone.

  Amanda gazed at the two in confusion. Lady Cordelia and Lord Blackbourne were regarding each other very much as a dog and a cat might stare, hac
kles raised, each attempting to take the other’s measure. Something was wrong, but Amanda could not imagine what.

  Lady Cordelia spoke first. “How thoughtful of you to tear yourself away from your friends to greet your aunt, Blackbourne.”

  “Did you doubt I would?”

  “No.” A self-satisfied smile touched Lady Cordelia’s lips.

  “You are as wise now as you ever were, ma’am,” Blackbourne said. He bowed again to his aunt before turning to Amanda. “Good evening, Lady Willowvale. I hope you are enjoying the play.”

  “Y-yes,” Amanda stammered, distressed to see that his eyes were as cold as they had been on the first day he walked into her life.

  “If you are not otherwise occupied, I hope you will join me for a drive in the park tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I had intended to take Lady Willowvale with me on calls tomorrow,” Lady Cordelia interjected.

  Blackbourne turned to face his aunt. “No doubt you can find a way to return Lady Willowvale to her house before I call for her at four thirty.”

  Amanda could not see Blackbourne’s expression, but she noted that Lady Cordelia instantly turned sulky. “I suppose I can if I must,” she said.

  “Of course you can, my dear aunt,” Blackbourne said. “Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.”

  Amanda took a deep breath. Realizing that she had been gnawing on her lip, she forced a smile when Blackbourne turned back to face her.

  “I shall see you tomorrow,” he said. “Good evening, ladies.” He bowed briefly before turning to exit the box, leaving Amanda to wonder exactly what had been going on between Blackbourne and his aunt.

  Later that evening when she was back in her bedchamber staring at herself in the dressing table mirror while Janie brushed her hair, she pondered the fact that Blackbourne had not given her the opportunity to refuse his invitation to drive in the park. Of course in retrospect, the invitation had been delivered more in the tone of a command than a request and certainly with no indication that he was looking forward to spending time in her company.