Searching Hearts Box Set: Books 1-5

by St. Clair, Ellie

  “I have no feelings,” he muttered to himself, turning away from his view of the dance floor. “I was just taken a little by surprise by a beautiful woman, that is all. I’ve barely even spoken with the girl!” Telling himself that he need not stand here all night long simply to watch her and talk to himself, Sebastian chose to return downstairs, thinking he might try his hand in the card room.

  However, rather than making his way there, Sebastian found his feet wandering in the direction of the ballroom, as though, no matter what he thought, his body was determined to take him that way. He did not want to go to the ballroom, he told himself, yet something in his consciousness forced him to enter it.

  “Lord Taylor,” one of his acquaintances greeted, looking rather pleased with himself. “Thought you’d join the party, eh? I thought you rather a cold fish when it comes to these sorts of things.”

  “Not a cold fish, no,” Sebastian replied, firmly. “I just prefer to watch rather than attempt to make conversation with a great many people I do not know all that well.”

  The man looked a little taken aback, but Sebastian didn’t care. He had never particularly enjoyed the crush of the Season. He abhorred the pretentious conversation that took place at events such as this and the gossip that was continually on the lips of men and women alike.

  His own smaller estate was running beautifully and, were it not for the times he was able to assist the Bow Street Runners with their investigations, he would most likely have simply been enjoying a few quiet weeks at home.

  However, they had requested his help with a certain concern, and given that Lord Greville was currently enjoying his new marital situation and did not seem interested in his former work, Sebastian had been more than willing to assist.

  His quiet involvement with London’s burgeoning investigative force brought excitement to what would be an otherwise slightly tedious, though still enjoyable life. It also provided him with a sense of doing something that mattered. This particular case did not require much on his part but watching and listening. It was thought that one of the nobility had been taking advantage of young women. It was not a crime, per se, but noblemen had overcome the shame brought upon their families and were trying to hold the man accountable.

  They named Lord Yardley, but it was difficult to prove anything, not when young women refused to come forward publicly and say anything regarding the new earl and his actions.

  Sebastian was looking forward to when, in due time, all was resolved and he could return to his estate and ensure that the land was producing decent crops and that all was in order with his tenants. Until then, however, he felt quite at his leisure. Not that he found the actual conversation and dancing and the like of any interest, although he did enjoy simply watching the members of the beau monde as they played their little games. There was something vastly entertaining about them.

  He had played the game himself at one point in time, years ago, and it had ended rather badly. He would not make the same mistake again.

  No, Sebastian had no intention of finding himself a wife or being in any way caught up with an eligible young lady – which meant that his sudden interest in Lady Polly had to be extinguished immediately.

  Which did not explain why he now found himself standing in front of both her and her mother, bowing deeply.

  “Duchess,” he exclaimed as he rose, “how very good it is to see you again.”

  The recognition in her eyes was instant – something he would expect from any lady with a high title. It was her job to be aware of each and every one of her acquaintances, for to forget someone’s title would be something of a black mark against her.

  “Lord Taylor,” she smiled, glancing quickly at Polly. “Polly told me that she had seen you again. How good of you to come and introduce yourself once more.”

  “I thought it would be rude not to do so,” Sebastian replied, quickly. “How wonderful to hear that Lord and Lady Greville have settled in so quickly.”

  The Duchess’ eyes warmed. “Indeed, it is,” she said, with a bright smile. “I have been very glad to hear of Violet’s contentment. And now, as you see, my attention is turned to Polly.”

  More than aware of the blush that dusted Lady Polly’s cheeks, Sebastian could not help but smile. “How lovely. I do hope you have a very enjoyable season, Lady Polly. I am quite sure you shall capture a great many hearts.”

  Polly made to answer, only for her mother to interrupt.

  “Do you not intend to remain here in town then, Lord Taylor?”

  Sebastian paused, not quite sure how to answer. “I am not yet certain of my plans, Your Grace.”

  “Well, I do hope that you will remain,” came the polite reply. “Polly needs to have as wide a number of acquaintances as possible, and I am sure you are well aware of many young gentlemen.”

  Sebastian left his smile in place, as Polly let out a whisper of embarrassment.

  “But of course,” he managed to say, realizing that he was nothing more than an acquaintance who could prove useful. A woman such as the Duchess of Ware would find the second son of a marquess to be a perfect partner for her daughter’s dance card, but certainly nothing further.

  The Duchess looked up at the presence of a man standing politely at her shoulder. “Do excuse us, Lord Taylor. I can see that another gentleman is come to take Lady Polly to the dance floor.” She turned away then, and Sebastian, knowing he was dismissed, gave a quick nod to Lady Polly’s whisper of apology but did not meet her eyes, which he could feel boring into him as he walked away.

  * * *

  Finding nothing to keep him at the ball, Sebastian shortly made to leave, only to pause as an acquaintance, Lord Penn, caught his arm and invited him into the card room. Thinking that it would be rather foolish to leave simply because of the embarrassment of being so easily dismissed by the Duchess of Ware, Sebastian decided that he might linger for another hour or so before finally returning home.

  The card room, however, held no enjoyment. Sebastian poured himself a glass of brandy from the sideboard and simply stewed after badly losing one more hand of whist. Instead of concentrating on the game, he began overthinking the situation, as he so often did. That was what made him valuable to the Bow Street Runners, but it was rather tedious in personal situations such as this one, as he mused over what had occurred and why, therefore, he was reacting so badly to it.

  Lady Polly had apparently been surprised to see him and had made as quick an exit from his presence as she could. Of course, that might have been simply because it was improper for her to be alone with him, but he could not help but feel that there was more to it than that. When the duchess had turned her back on him, clearly favoring another, Sebastian knew exactly why.

  “Is something the matter with you?” Lord Penn asked, cutting into his thoughts. Sebastian looked up to see the man had raised his eyebrows in question.

  “I say, Penn, have you ever found yourself completely overlooked, simply because you are the second son?”

  “All the time,” laughed his friend. “Is that what has you so deep in thought? I figured you would be rather used to it by now.”

  “I suppose so,” he said. “I know I’m not anyone’s first choice as I’ll never gain the lofty title my brother will inherit, but it does rather cut to be completely ignored.”

  “Is there a particular woman you rather have in mind, then, Taylor?” asked Penn, smirking at him.

  Sebastian just shook his head. Did he hope Lady Polly would see him differently? She was clearly looking for a suitable husband, and, to her mother’s way of thinking, a suitable husband he was not. Besides, he himself agreed with that sentiment, so what did it matter?

  Pushing his empty glass away from him, Sebastian shook his head at his own foolish behavior as he rose from the table.

  “Had enough, then?” Penn asked and Sebastian nodded, having lost enough for one night. He took a seat at a side table. Whatever was the matter with him? One look at Lady Polly and he had
lost his head. He had no intention of marrying, being quite content with his life as it was, and yet here he was wondering desperately what the girl thought of him.

  “Quite foolish, indeed,” he muttered aloud, passing a hand over his eyes. “Get a hold of yourself, man.”

  Lifting his hand so as to summon the footman to refill his brandy, Sebastian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, trying to regain his sense of equilibrium. He had no need to worry about Lady Polly or her mother. There was no sense in being upset over such a small thing, especially when he had no intention of pursuing the lady. He was being quite ridiculous.

  “You should have seen the way her mother dragged her away from me!” came a rather loud voice from behind him, as laughter rang out. “She took one look at me and hauled her quite delectable daughter away.”

  Sebastian’s eyes opened, and he gripped the arm of the chair, wondering who it was that was speaking. He could not exactly pull himself out of the chair and look, for to eavesdrop was one thing but to make it so obvious that he was doing so was entirely another.

  “What do you expect, Yardley?” cried one of the fellow’s acquaintances.

  Yardley! The very man Sebastian had been following. “You are well known to be a rake and a rogue—”

  “Something I take very great pride in, I assure you!” Yardley exclaimed, drawing more laughter from his friends.

  “And that is well known amongst the ton,” the first fellow continued. “It is no wonder the Duchess of Ware pulled her daughter away.”

  “Yet, she was so very beautiful,” Yardley replied, his words a little dry. “Quite pretty indeed. And so young and rather innocent…”

  Sebastian’s hands tightened on the chair as he struggled to contain himself at the malice in the man’s words.

  “You do not intend to pursue her, do you?” asked one of Yardley’s friends, his astonishment obvious. “That I cannot believe!”

  Yardley chuckled, his tone dark. “Marry her I will not, but pursue her — you think I cannot do it? That I cannot secure her affection when her mother has made it so very obvious that she is not to come near me?”

  “She is the daughter of a duke, Yardley,” came a warning voice. “You had best not.”

  “No, indeed,” Sebastian muttered to himself, anger beginning to boil in his veins. “You had best not, Lord Yardley.”

  There was a short pause, as though they were all waiting to hear what Yardley had to say.

  “We shall see,” Yardley murmured, quietly. “Lady Polly would be something of a challenge, would she not? And you all know how I respond to such things.”

  His friends laughed and scoffed, and soon the conversation began to drift toward other things.

  Sebastian remained in his chair, dampening down his anger. All thoughts of leaving London and returning to his estate left his mind in a moment. Lady Polly would need to be protected from Lord Yardley’s intentions, and he fully intended to be the one to do it.

  4

  Polly’s step was light, and she tried not to let her exuberance show. There were to dine al fresco! It had taken some convincing, but her mother had finally agreed to the picnic at Vauxhall Gardens. Marie wasn’t sure it was an altogether proper place to dine in the middle of the day, but Polly thought it was a rather intriguing idea.

  “Caroline!” Polly called, seeing her friend standing with other young ladies Polly had known as acquaintances for some years, all being the daughters of titled gentlemen. Her friend, the daughter of the Earl of Sandringhill, waved and motioned her over. Polly said farewell to her mother, who was still climbing out of the carriage, complaining about the stiffness in her joints after the long ride. Polly tried to help her, but Marie waved her off, telling her to go enjoy the festivities she knew Polly had been looking forward to.

  They all had picnic baskets in hand, and their cook had ensured theirs was well stocked with cheese and crackers, as well as plenty of fruit, sandwiches, and scones.

  Polly was particularly pleased with her afternoon muslin dress in a pretty lavender with a matching bonnet to keep the sun from bringing out her dreaded freckles.

  As Polly approached Caroline and their friends, she noticed that a rather large crowd had formed for this particular excursion. If there was one thing she could say for her mother, it was that she had a rather wide and important group of acquaintances.

  “You finally convinced your mother?” Caroline asked, smiling at her as her red curls fell loose from the band she wore round her head to charmingly frame her face.

  Polly laughed as she watched Marie greet her friends. “I did,” she responded. “She’s not one to enjoy the outdoors, but when I told her who all was coming, she decided that she couldn’t miss it. I must admit, I have never been to such an event before in London!”

  “Never?” Caroline asked, her eyes widening.

  “No,” Polly shook her head. “Of course there have been teas at our country home but as my mother abhors dining outside — she talks only of the insects and the sun and the wind — more often we hold indoor events.”

  “Fair enough,” Caroline said, her smile widening. “Well, I must say, if there is a certain gentleman who catches your eye, there is no better place than a picnic to find the opportunity to talk to him alone — without your mother.”

  “Goodness,” Polly said with a grin. “I hadn’t quite thought of that. At this point, however, there is no one gentleman, though I rather wish there were.”

  “Soon enough,” Caroline said. “Ah, here come some potential suitors now. Good afternoon, Lord Markhall, Lord Yardley.”

  Polly turned to see the men approach, and Lord Markhall quickly took Caroline’s arm. Polly didn’t miss the blush that stained her friend’s cheeks as he led her down the path. She turned to greet the tall gentleman who remained. She still wasn’t sure what she thought of him. For all of her mother’s warnings, the man was rather handsome, and he seemed interested in reacquainting himself with her.

  “Lady Polly, you look splendid this afternoon,” he said, nodding his head at her, his smile seemingly much more sincere today. Perhaps she had read too much into their encounter at the ball the other night.

  “Thank you, my lord,” she replied, bowing her head and looking up at him through her eyelashes, as she had practiced so many times before. “You look rather dashing yourself.”

  His smile grew as he offered his arm and she took it, following him down the path.

  “Tell me, Lady Polly, how has a woman as beautiful as you escaped my notice for so long?” he asked, and Polly felt her cheeks flush.

  “This is only my second Season, Lord Yardley,” she responded. “Last year, when you were away on business, my sister was still out, though she was married during the Season. I was not overly involved in many events while she was looking for a husband.”

  “I see,” he said. “Your sister would be Lady Violet, then, would she not?”

  “She is,” Polly responded, a little bit thrilled that he knew of her family.

  “Well, as you look nothing at all alike, I never would have guessed had I not known better. I have hardly ever seen curls such as yours, that shine quite as bright as the sun, nor lips that would rival Helen of Troy’s.”

  “Oh, my lord, that is very kind of you, but there is no need to flatter me such,” Polly said, shock running through her system as his words warmed her regardless of her protestations.

  “Not at all, my dear,” he replied, and Polly started at his familiarity even though this was only their second encounter.

  “As for you, Lord Yardley, have you not yet found a woman who would fulfill what you are looking for in a wife?” she asked, unable to help herself despite knowing her question was rather forward.

  “Not prior to this moment,” he said, and Polly looked down at her feet, unsure of what else to say. She was thankful that they were approaching the picnic location, saving her from having to answer.

  The maids and footmen who had accompanied
the group soon had the blankets spread, the tea poured, and the food laid out for the entire party. Polly took her leave of Lord Yardley and found her friend once more. Caroline winked at her as she patted the blanket beside her, and soon Polly was back in conversation with the other young ladies, though she couldn’t quite push Lord Yardley and his words from her mind.

  * * *

  Sebastian sat a distance, away from the woman he was following, his emotions stewing. He was only at this blasted picnic to safeguard her virtue, and yet he found there was nothing he could do when Lord Yardley had attached himself to her side but follow at a distance with an eye on them.

  “I say, Taylor, whatever is the matter with you?” asked Lord Penn, who had told him of the excursion.

  “Nothing at all,” he muttered, trying to draw his usual smile back to his face. “It is a rather fine day, is it not?”

  “It is,” agreed Lord Penn, “although I have to say I was rather surprised when you agreed to come along. You do not normally partake in such events.”

  “No, typically when I am in London I do not find I have much time for social outings such as this, particularly during the day,” Sebastian replied. “But now that the weather has finally warmed, I found myself drawn to the outdoors.”

  “Understandable,” replied Penn. “And has a certain young lady caught your eye?”

  “Not at all,” replied Sebastian, frowning. “Why ever would you say that?”

  “You have been gazing rather intently at a particular group of young women,” replied Lord Penn with a grin, and Sebastian shook his head to clear it of the cobwebs that filled it.