An Earl for her Hopeless Heart: A True Clean & Sweet Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Finch, Fanny

  The Viscountess of Culross turned and looked directly at her daughter. She had cut off her sentence midway to do so. “Eugenia. Did you say you are tired? You did not sleep well? How are you feeling?”

  The viscountess, tall and slender, came over to stand next to her daughter. She lifted one hand and pressed it against Lady Eugenia’s cheek. “You do not feel hot.”

  Lady Eugenia smiled at her mother, putting one hand over her mother’s. She pressed it against her cheek. “I am fine, Mother. I just had troublesome dreams.”

  Hestia watched the exchange, pushing down a bit of jealousy. Lady Callow, in her weakened condition, was worried about her daughter, when she was pushing herself to the limits. She had agreed to the party at Lady Eugenia’s behest. Hestia was sure of it.

  The woman would go the extra mile for her daughter. Even though she herself was sickly.

  Hestia’s parents would not have been so nurturing, so loving and supportive. She did not let the feeling of jealousy last for long. She wanted happiness for Lady Eugenia, just as her friend wanted happiness for her.

  She would do her best as Lady Eugenia’s companion. She could not imagine it would take long to find a good man for such a lovely young woman.

  Lady Eugenia gently pushed her mother back toward her father, nodding and murmuring soothing words. Her mother finally turned around, assuring herself one more time that Lady Eugenia was all right.

  Lady Eugenia looked at Hestia with a knowing smile. “She is so worried about me all the time. When she is bedridden, I will go in and talk to her, maybe read a book of poetry with her. And she is always asking me how I am doing.”

  “I wish there was a way to cure her illness. I do not understand what is making her so weak. She looks so frail, yet she is still such a pretty woman.”

  “Thank you, Hestia. You are sweet. I will tell her you said that.”

  Hestia smiled.

  “We are going to have a good night, Hestia, I just know it.”

  Hestia looked around at the decorations. “It is beautifully laid out.”

  “Yes, but you know that is not what I meant.”

  Hestia giggled. “I know. You have planned this so that I will have an opportunity to speak to Lord Price.”

  “I really believe the two of you would be a good match.”

  “You do not know the concept of a companion, do you?”

  Lady Eugenia laughed softly. “I know the concept of a friend and that is good enough for me. I do not devalue myself by matching you with one of the gentlemen of the season. I know he is not for me. If he is for you, which it does look obvious to me he is, you should take that opportunity with both hands.”

  Hestia liked the way her friend put it. “I will. I will take whatever opportunity presents itself. If he allows himself to be involved in conversation with me.”

  “Of course he will! I imagine he was very excited to receive the invitation. I only wished I could have added a note that Miss Drusilla was not invited.”

  “Do you not feel bad about that, Eugenia? She is well known in society and has been seen only so far in the presence of Lord Price. How will it look for him to be here without her?”

  “I cannot remember everyone in the ton, Hestia!” Lady Eugenia used a mocking insulted tone. She lifted one side of her lips in a half-grin. Hestia thought how pretty it made her slender face, how much she looked like her mother, with naturally dark lips, eyelashes and hair framing a porcelain white face.

  Lady Eugenia and her mother both looked like they never saw the sunlight. Hestia was glad she had some color to her skin.

  They turned their eyes to the end of the path leading up to the house. Several carriages were heading up, their horses kicking up small dust clouds around their feet.

  “My lord, my lady, the guests have begun to arrive.”

  All four of them turned to look at the footman, who bowed to each of them from the waist, keeping his arms rigid at his sides.

  Hestia looked quickly at the Viscount of Culross when the man said, “Why yes, we can see that, Fisher. Please stand at the ready and have everything in place.”

  “Yes, my lord, everything is ready for the festivities.”

  “Thank you, Fisher.”

  The footman turned after bowing to the Viscount of Culross. He walked briskly from the side veranda where they were standing. The Viscount of Culross crooked his elbow in his wife’s direction.

  “Shall we greet our guests, my dear?”

  “That would be fine, my lord,” the Viscountess of Culross replied. She slipped her thin hands around his elbow and held on, even though he was somewhat shorter than her. They walked to the edge of the veranda and stood, looking elegant and relaxed in the sunlight beaming down on them.

  When she recognized the people in the first carriage, the Viscountess of Culross lifted one hand and waved it in the air, calling out a woman’s name.

  Hestia looked at Lady Eugenia. “Your mother is so happy to be having company. Why, she is almost glowing!”

  Lady Eugenia smiled wide. “Yes, it is wonderful to see, is it not? I do adore it when Mother has a good day.”

  “I have been with you for some time and I have never seen her looking this good.”

  Lady Eugenia reached out and grasped Hestia’s folded arm, giving her a frantic, excited look. “Let us go stand with Mother and Father. That way, we will know when Lord Price arrives and set up a meeting between you two.”

  “Do you think this is proper, Lady Eugenia?”

  “Oh it is fine. I want you two to think of yourselves this evening. This will be a turning point, surely.”

  Hestia’s heart thumped nervously. If this truly was the night, she could be courting Leander by the end of the evening.

  Or she might have her heart broken.

  She knew which one she would choose.

  Whether she was courting Leander by the end of the night or not, she would still be in the same position the next morning. She was losing nothing by giving it a try. And if it worked, she would gain everything she ever wanted.

  “You look lost in thought,” Lady Eugenia leaned over and stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Hestia’s ear. Hestia looked down at her and smiled. “I bet I know what you’re thinking about… or rather, who…”

  Hestia giggled with her, covering her mouth with her hands. They were standing a few feet behind the Viscount and Viscountess of Culross. When the viscountess turned to give them an inquiring look, both girls wiped the grins from their faces and attempted to look serious.

  The viscountess grinned. “You two need not hide your excitement. I know how much you are looking forward to this party. I have heard the excitement in your voices for days.”

  “Thank you for agreeing to the party, Mother,” Lady Eugenia said, her voice a little higher than usual. “We hope for good things tonight!”

  The Viscountess of Culross just nodded, turning back to the approaching guest. She opened her arms wide and received the air kisses of her old friend.

  Hestia and Lady Eugenia curtsied and nodded to the guests as they entered.

  When Leander’s carriage came rumbling up the pathway, Lady Eugenia grabbed Hestia’s hand so tightly it was a little painful. Hestia looked where Lady Eugenia’s eyes were directed, noticing the carriage.

  She released her hand gently, nodding at Lady Eugenia. “I see it, Eugenia. He is coming.”

  “I knew he would come,” Lady Eugenia said in a proud voice. “I just knew he would; after seeing me with you, how could he ever decline the invitation?”

  Hestia waited rather impatiently for him to get to the front of the house and depart from his carriage. When he finally did, she noticed how grand he was dressed, how handsome he looked in his greatcoat.

  “He is looking so nice tonight,” Lady Eugenia whispered, leaning over so she was the only one who would hear.

  “Yes,” Hestia was afraid to say more, should she be overheard.

  Both young women waited with tense
bodies and focused eyes as Leander got down from the carriage and began to ascend the steps to greet the Viscount and Viscountess of Culross.

  The viscount was extremely welcoming. Hestia was happy to see that Leander looked so pleased to see her. l

  Leander came toward the two girls, smiling.

  Before he could say anything, Lady Eugenia took a step forward. “Lord Price? I would like you to meet Lady Hestia Stalwood. I am not sure if you remember meeting us before?”

  Leander raised his eyebrows, taken aback by the second introduction. He looked closely at Lady Eugenia and then, seeming to understand her motives, he bowed to Hestia, saying, “It is good to meet you, Lady Hestia.”

  “We were about to enter the parlor, Lord Price, if you are interested in joining us?” Again, Lady Eugenia took the initiative.

  Leander nodded. “I would be delighted to escort you both into the parlor.”

  He offered his elbows to both girls and they each took one, smiling at each other.

  Hestia felt a chill of nervous excitement when she wrapped her small hands around his arm. She could feel the muscle underneath and it made her feel warm throughout her body. He seemed so strong to her, powerful.

  If her were her husband, she would fear nothing. He would take care of any intruders, animals, anything that posed danger.

  She was sure of that.

  “I suppose we can take our normal spot, Hestia,” Lady Eugenia said. She glanced at Leander. “There are several chairs, small tables and a beautiful large window that looks out over the garden, which I have had redone in the last few days.” There was a hint of pride and satisfaction in Lady Eugenia’s voice that Leander immediately caught on to.

  “I will make it a point to look at the new garden, Lady Eugenia,” he said, drawing admiring looks from both women.

  He brought up the rear as Hestia and Lady Eugenia walked to the other side of the parlor and stepped behind a half wall that made a small hallway to the door. On the other side of the door was another hallway with an arched ceiling that led to another part of the mansion.

  It was a rather large hallway, almost creating another room. The Culross interior designers had placed four burgundy, high-armrest chairs along the wall in front of the huge window that ran behind each one.

  Two tables separated the four chairs from each other, two chairs to a table.

  Leander continued when the ladies stopped. He went to one of the tables and pulled out a chair for Lady Eugenia. The young woman sat down, smiling up at Hestia. Leander then pulled out the other chair and waited for Hestia to sit.

  Once she was seated, he pulled a chair from the other table so that he could sit facing Hestia at an angle.

  “This is so nice,” Lady Eugenia said. She flicked her eyes over Leander’s shoulder and lifted one hand to greet someone behind him. “Oh, look, I see a friend. I will return shortly.”

  She was up and gone in a flash, leaving two smiling people behind her.

  Chapter 21

  At first, Leander was unsure what to say or think. He wondered if Hestia was as uncertain as he was. From the way she quickly moved her lowered eyes from one side to the other, he could see she was.

  Finally, he got the bravery to say, “It is good to see you again, Lady Hestia.”

  “I was uncertain if you would come,” Hestia said, finding the words were just spilling out. Once the ice was broken, she had so much she wanted to tell him, about her life, her thoughts, her dreams for the future.

  “Why would I not come?”

  “I know you were aware that Lady Eugenia is my employer. I was afraid I had embarrassed myself too much at Lord Wake’s party.”

  Leander shook his head. “No. You did not embarrass yourself. In a way, it would appear you placed yourself firmly in my mind. It has been very difficult to think of other things since then.”

  Hestia was thrilled to hear him say such words. On the other hand, she was still aware that he was courting Miss Drusilla, most likely through no fault of his own.

  “I must admit, that is nice to hear.” She kept her voice low and did not look directly at him, speaking from the corner of her mouth. She was keenly aware of her station and it made her slightly uncomfortable.

  Leander did not seem to be bothered by it. He looked directly at her with admiring eyes and spoke in a low but distinct tone. “I do not lie, Lady Hestia.”

  “What, may I ask, is the situation with the lady you are courting? I believe it is Miss Drusilla Sirey? Is that right?”

  Hestia knew full well what Miss Drusilla’s name was and who she was. She wanted to give the impression she had not been thinking about Leander as much as she had been.

  Leander’s expression dissolved into one of disappointment as soon as he heard Miss Drusilla’s name.

  “I do not wish to speak about her. I know there must be many more interesting things you and I can talk about without having to mention her name even once.”

  “I am sure of that,” Hestia replied. She studied his face, trying to tell how he was feeling by what she saw. She understood he did not want to talk about Miss Drusilla. She was curious, though, and the thought recurred to her mind through their conversation. She needed to know where he stood with Miss Drusilla and sought out the information by talking about other things.

  “It was Lady Eugenia who planned this out, my lord,” Hestia said with a smile. “She has intended for you to meet me this way, so that we could have a conversation.”

  He nodded. “I thought that was what happened. When I received the invitation, I was hoping as much.”

  “Were you?” Hestia’s hopes were high. She allowed herself to meet his eyes and felt a streak of nervousness slide through her. Her breath caught in her throat and she dropped her eyes again. No other man had made her feel like this.

  She felt like a small child. Suddenly, she could not think of anything to say. She was glad when he began the conversation again. She wanted to hide her attraction to him as much as possible, so as not to hurt his reputation.

  She had a feeling if anyone was watching her, though, they would be able to tell what she was thinking. She glanced back up to see a warm smile on Leander’s face.

  “Yes. It is my belief that our conversation at Lord Wake’s party was ended much too soon. I would like to know more about your interest in books. Particularly if you are interested in writing them. Do you write poetry, Lady Hestia?”

  Hestia thought about it for a moment before replying. “I must say I have tried my hand at it, Lord Price, but I have never been satisfied with the end result.”

  “Have you let anyone else read them? Lady Eugenia perhaps?”

  Hestia shook her head. “No, I have not written any poetry since becoming employed by the Callow family. I have not had the time or inclination to do so.”

  “You mean you have had no inspiration,” Leander corrected her gently. “With the right inspiration, any poet can lay pen to paper and come up with something poetic.”

  “Perhaps. I have not had any inspiration, so you may be perfectly correct on that.”

  Leander smiled. “I have been known to dabble in poetry myself. I have read as much as I can get my hands on. I have had little inspiration to write anything this season. I believe that has changed, though. I know what I want to write about now.”

  “Do you?” Once again Hestia blushed softly, lowering her eyes.

  Leander chuckled.

  “Is your home nearby?” Hestia asked, steering the conversation away from herself.

  “It is on the south side of London. There are several homes on that acreage but we have the largest plot. The house stretches out some. It is two floors of very large rooms.”

  “I would like to see it someday.” The words were out of Hestia’s mouth before she could stop them. She pressed her lips together and put one gloved hand in front of them to hide her grin.

  Leander did nothing to hide his.

  “I think that can be arranged. I will be holding a
party at my house in the near future. Father has already mentioned doing so but he is thinking about other things to celebrate rather than just having the party in honor of the season.”

  Hestia thought she knew what Leander was talking about. The Earl of Coventry wanted to hold a party to honor the upcoming marriage of his son. But would that marriage be to Miss Drusilla? Or to Hestia?

  Hestia’s heart hammered against her chest as she pictured arriving at the mansion of the Earl and Countess of Coventry, intending to marry their son.

  “I hope to be invited,” she said softly.

  “That is a guarantee, Lady Hestia.”

  “I am expecting my mother to arrive at any moment,” Hestia said.

  Leander’s eyes opened wide and his eyebrows raised. “Oh? It will be my pleasure to meet her.”

  Hestia smiled. “My mother is a brave woman. She has a good heart and is very loyal to my father, despite the problems that have come up. I am happy she is coming.”

  “I am happy for you, Lady Hestia.” He looked around the room, that was quickly filling with guests. “It looks as though many people were invited.”

  Hestia nodded. “I believe Lady Eugenia invited half of London.”

  “Ah,” Leander’s eyes scanned the crowd. Hestia thought she knew who he was looking for.

  “Miss Drusilla was not on the list, I believe.”

  Leander glanced at her quickly. He did not want to say it did not take an invitation for Miss Drusilla Sirey to show up wherever he was. If there was truly a spy in his household, she would come without invitation, knowing that he was attending.

  “I do not see her, no.”

  Hestia watched as Lady Eugenia made her way back to the couple, stopping at times to say a few words to her other guests. She finally reached the table and sat down in the chair she had abandoned.

  “Well, there are certainly a lot of people responding to my invitation!” she said in an exhausted voice.

  “It is too soon for you to be tired, Eugenia,” Hestia said in a soft voice.

  Lady Eugenia nodded but fanned her face with one gloved hand. “Oh yes, I know, little Hestia. But nonetheless, I am exhausted from just one round in the parlor.”