by Alec, Joyce
Lady Frederica tossed her head, clearly dismissing the idea at once. “That does not mean that it could not be either of them,” she said firmly. “Miss Addington is clearly under the control of her mother, but perhaps there is a part to her character that is very well hidden. A part that seeks to release herself from her mother’s grip and to speak with her own words.”
“And Miss Chalmers is certainly not as quiet as she appears,” the duchess added with a slightly rueful smile. “I know that Lady Nottingham is something of an overwhelming character and, when she is present and busy discussing matters, it seems as though her daughter remains entirely in her shadow. But I can assure you that there have been times when I have heard Miss Chalmers speak openly and directly to others, with a confidence that I confess surprised me a little—but it has been only when her mother has been entirely absent.”
“You see?” Lady Frederica beamed, a brightness in her eyes that lifted Percy’s spirits. “It may be one of them, Lord Wetherby, and if it is, then this matter will be resolved very quickly indeed.”
“But what can we do?” he asked, feeling a flare of hope in his heart as he looked into Lady Frederica’s eyes. “What can be done to prove it is one of them?”
“I am not certain as yet,” Lady Frederica replied as they began to walk back toward the waiting carriage, knowing that they could not discuss the matter further at present, given the company that surrounded them. “But something must be done, Lord Wetherby, and soon. We are so very near to the truth.”
13
“Has Lord Wetherby arrived yet?”
The duchess laughed and slipped her arm through Frederica’s. “Not as yet,” she replied as they made their way to the drawing room, ready to await his arrival. “You look very well, my dear.”
“I thank you.” Frederica smiled at her aunt. “I feel a good deal more at ease, I confess, even though we have not yet made any decision about what to do next.”
“That is because you have an intimacy building between you and Lord Wetherby,” the lady replied. “I know of what you speak because I have experienced such a thing myself. It is a comfort, is it not?”
“It is,” Frederica replied quietly, considering what the duchess had said. “And to see the hope in Lord Wetherby’s eyes also brought a good deal of happiness to me.”
“Let us hope that whatever conclusion we reach this evening will be something that we can act upon at once,” the duchess replied, patting Frederica’s arm before she let go. “And then, mayhap, you will be able to discuss with Lord Wetherby the truth of how you feel.”
Frederica stopped and turned to face the duchess, her heart suddenly ricocheting against her chest.
“I do not think that there is any need for me to do so,” she said, as calmly as she could. “Surely he must know that I have an…affection for him.” The word seemed to stick in her throat, but she forced herself to say it regardless, not wanting to have any awkwardness between her and her aunt. “Is that not displayed?”
The duchess smiled. “Of course, I would say so,” she said quietly, “but that is because I know you very well and can see the effect that Lord Wetherby’s presence has upon you. When he is in the room, you can barely look anywhere else. Your conversation is directed, on the whole, toward him and the smile on your face is always only for him.” She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “But that is, of course, to be expected and certainly not something that I would ever dream of bringing up in conversation with him.” Smiling, she turned to open the door to the drawing room, leaving Frederica to follow after her.
“There is still the possibility that he might come to refuse me entirely,” Frederica admitted, feeling a tight knot of fear in her stomach as she spoke those words. “If he does, then I have already promised you that I will accept it without complaint or question. And yet I am fully aware that my heart will be very pained indeed if such a thing occurs.”
The duchess nodded and sat down, leaving Frederica to meander around the room, unwilling to seat herself as yet.
“I can only pray that it will not be so,” she continued quietly. “We have only just begun this courtship and yet I find myself so delighted with his company that I want nothing more than to continue on as we are.”
“I do not believe that it will occur,” the duchess answered. “I have also seen how Lord Wetherby looks at you, Frederica. Given the way that he wants nothing more than to defend you, to protect your good name, and to make certain that you are entirely uninjured by whatever you endure together, I should say that he is quite taken with you.”
Frederica sat down heavily, her heart torn between hope and her determination to remain quite sensible. “I can only hope that such a thing is true,” she replied wistfully. “I will prepare myself for either eventuality.”
“What eventuality might that be?”
Frederica turned her head sharply, seeing Lord Wetherby and the duke standing framed in the doorway, with Lord Wetherby smiling broadly at her. He appeared much more at ease this evening and bowed toward her before he came any further into the room. The duke smiled at his wife and then at Frederica, greeting them both warmly.
“Please, do be seated,” the duchess said, gesturing to an empty chair. “The dinner gong will ring very soon.”
“I thank you for your kind invitation,” Lord Wetherby replied, seating himself close to Frederica. “Might I hope that you are both well this evening?”
“Very well,” Frederica replied, glad that she would not have to explain what she and the duchess had been discussing. “How is your head?”
It had been three days since Lord Wetherby had been injured, and Frederica was relieved that he had continued to make a quick recovery.
“It does not pain me at all, Lady Frederica, I thank you,” he told her, passing one hand over the back of his head as though to prove that what he said was quite true. “I am quite at my ease now, I assure you.”
“I am glad,” she answered, just as the dinner gong sounded.
Frederica rose to her feet. “Shall we make our way through for dinner?” she asked, and Lord Wetherby nodded, coming to offer her his arm as the duke took the hand of his wife. She smiled up at him as they walked together, feeling her heart full of contentment and hope that one day, perhaps one day very soon, they might be free of this difficulty for good. And who could tell what would happen then?
* * *
“If we suspect Lady Preston and Lady Nottingham, then there must be something that can be done to reveal their true intentions entirely.”
Frederica nodded, lines forming across her forehead as she frowned. Their dinner had been a most enjoyable evening, with a good deal of laughter and excellent conversation. Now, however, the duke and Lord Wetherby had taken their port to join the ladies with their tea in the drawing room and matters of importance were coming into play.
“I confess that I have very little idea of what to do,” the duchess said as Frederica picked up her teacup, sipping her tea carefully. “I know that we must find a way to prove that it is they who have been pursuing Lord Wetherby, but how we might go about it without—”
“Could we not use the ball?”
Frederica had not meant to interrupt and hastily apologized, only for the duchess to wave a hand and encourage her to continue.
“There is to be a ball here in two days’ time,” Frederica said as the duchess nodded. “Lady Preston, Miss Addington, Lady Nottingham, and Miss Chalmers have all been invited, have they not?”
“They have,” the duke replied as Lord Wetherby listened carefully. “You mean to say that you think we could set up some sort of situation where we might prove for certain that it is one or the other?”
“Or that it is neither,” Lord Wetherby replied, grimacing, although Frederica knew that such an outcome was quite possible.
“Yes,” Frederica said, setting her shoulders. “That is precisely what I am thinking.”
There was silence for a moment as the others looked f
irst at each other and then back to Frederica. Frederica searched her mind for what they might arrange, but nothing immediately came to her. All she knew was that the ball that evening would be an excellent time to put something in place.
“Very well,” the duke said gruffly. “We have the ball. What is to happen next?”
Lord Wetherby took in a long breath. “They both are aware now, of course, that I am courting Lady Frederica,” he said as Frederica looked back at him, praying he had some sort of idea. “They will expect me to dance with her.” Hesitating, he paused for a moment before continuing. “Lady Preston will be just as eager, no doubt, to push me away from Lady Frederica. Perhaps, Lady Frederica, you ought to listen to her and let her speak to you as she wishes. You could pretend to be concerned by what she had to say during the fashionable hour and beg of her to tell you more as to why she is so very concerned.”
A frown crossed Frederica’s brow. “I do not wish to speak ill of you, Lord Wetherby.”
“But it would only be as part of our façade,” he said hastily. “Lady Preston might think, therefore, that she has been somewhat successful.”
“And might then seek to push you toward her daughter once more,” Frederica finished as Lord Wetherby nodded. “Although, again, we could not be certain as to what she might do.”
Lord Wetherby frowned, rubbing his chin for a moment. “Mayhap I could join your conversation with the lady,” he said slowly, his eyes running all over the room as he spoke his thoughts aloud. “State my anger and my upset and tell you that I am to go out to the gardens to quieten my temper before it becomes too great.”
“Thereby setting up a situation for Lady Preston and her daughter to do as she has done before,” the duchess said as Lord Wetherby nodded. “It is something of a risk, however, for she may choose to do nothing.”
“And it does leave Lady Nottingham also,” the duke added. “What about her?
Frederica let out a long, slow breath and tried to put her thoughts into coherent order. “We must do the very same thing,” she said quietly. “If Lady Nottingham is the one who sent her daughter to the gardens to coerce Lord Wetherby, then she will be the one who appears. If it is Lady Preston, then she will step forward. However,” she continued quickly, “I think we should not use the gardens as the place for you to go, Lord Wetherby. It must be stated, very clearly to both Lady Preston and Lady Nottingham, that you are to make your way to the small parlor near to the duke’s study. You will know of it, given that you have called upon me before and have joined us for dinner. Perhaps with Lady Preston, I might suggest that you go there in order to quieten your temper, and with Lady Nottingham, you could state that this was where you were going.”
The duchess sat forward, her hands clasped but her elbows on her knees as she looked back intently at Frederica. “You will have to have both conversations, one after the other,” she said as Frederica nodded. “How will you manage such a thing?”
“Mayhap that is where you and I can play a part, my dear,” the duke replied as the duchess’ brows lifted in question. “Mayhap you could strike up a conversation with Lady Nottingham at the very same time that Frederica speaks to Lady Preston. Make sure you are close to each other and, as you speak to Lady Nottingham, share with her one or two concerns you have about Lord Wetherby and his courtship of Frederica. No doubt, Lady Nottingham will have something to say on the matter, and as you leave Lady Preston’s side, Lord Wetherby, you could overhear something being said.”
Frederica bit her lip. It was all very precarious indeed and yet there was still a chance that it would all fall into place. After all, given that it would be the duchess herself talking to Lady Nottingham, Frederica knew all too well that Lady Nottingham would not reject the opportunity to speak to her. And Lady Preston was certainly more than eager to disparage Lord Wetherby, should Frederica give her even the most meager of opportunities
“It sounds as though we have a plan,” she murmured as Lord Wetherby nodded, his expression rather grave. “I will, of course, make my way to the parlor soon after you, Lord Wetherby, in the hope that whoever comes to join you will reveal their intentions openly.”
“As will I,” the duchess added as the duke nodded his agreement. They all looked to Lord Wetherby as one, waiting to see what he would say about this particular consideration.
Lord Wetherby rose to his feet, his eyes still holding fast to Frederica’s and his forehead puckered.
“There is a great deal resting upon it,” he said quietly. “And yet I am most profoundly grateful for all that you have suggested, for all that you now wish to do.” He looked to the duke, then to the duchess, and then, finally, to Frederica. “Your willingness to help me when I am nothing but an acquaintance to you has been overwhelming. I can only pray that our plan will go as well as we expect, so that the truth might be discovered.”
“Here, here,” the duke murmured as Lord Wetherby smiled, a faint hope shining in his eyes.
“I shall take my leave of you now,” Lord Wetherby finished, turning first to bow to the duke and to thank the duchess before he turned to Frederica. “I have had the most wonderful of evenings. I have felt myself contented, free of worry, even for a short time, and I cannot thank you enough for that.”
Frederica found herself on her feet in a moment, seeing the surprise leap into the duchess’ expression but praying that she would be permitted to do as she now intended.
“I will accompany you to the door, Lord Wetherby,” she said, seeing how her uncle frowned, only for the duchess to reach up and press his hand, her face upturned toward his. “Perhaps we can make arrangements to meet again tomorrow, in order to continue our courtship?”
Lord Wetherby glanced to the duke, who nodded his assent, before turning back to smile broadly at Frederica.
“I should be very glad if you would do so,” he said as Frederica made her way to the door, her heart hammering furiously in her chest. “Thank you, Lady Frederica.”
They walked together in silence for a few moments, the door closing behind them as they stepped out into the hallway.
“Lord Wetherby,” Frederica found herself saying, feeling a deep urge to express something more of her heart but finding it almost too difficult to do so. “I do hope—that is to say, I pray that you will find your freedom very soon in this matter. I know that it cannot have been easy for you to struggle all this time.” It was not what she had wanted to say, and Frederica felt a great irritation seize her, pushing her to say more. “You shall soon be without any difficulty, I am sure, and will be able to resume your life such as it was.”
“And what if I do not wish to?”
Her breath caught and she turned to face him, seeing how he looked deeply into her eyes, his nearness so close to her that she could barely breathe.
“We have only been courting for a few days,” he continued quickly, “but I find that even the thought of stepping back from you and bringing our courtship to an end is so very painful to me that I cannot even think of it.”
Frederica swallowed hard, unable to look away from him, caught by the deep intensity of his gaze.
“If you would be willing, Lady Frederica,” Lord Wetherby continued, speaking a good deal more quickly now as though he was desperate to say everything that was on his mind all at once, “I should very much like to continue our courtship, even after the truth has been found.”
Certain that Lord Wetherby could hear just how loudly her heart was beating, Frederica put one hand over it as though it might muffle the sound. “You wish to continue courting me, Lord Wetherby?” she asked, aware of the almost wistful tone of her voice. “Truly?”
A smile pulled at his mouth. “It is my heart’s desire, Lady Frederica,” he told her as Frederica closed her eyes in utter relief. “I have found myself becoming all the more grateful for you, have found myself in awe of your beauty. Your character is one that I am certain I could never find again and thus, given the affection for you within my heart, given that I
find myself drawn to you time and again—each time, with a stronger hold—I must hope that you would be willing to accept my courtship once more.” His hand reached out and ran down her arm until their fingers met. “Although this time, it would not be a façade,” he finished, his voice low. “What would you say, Lady Frederica?”
She opened her eyes and looked up into his face, seeing the question lingering there. Her smile was broad, her hopes lifting all the more as she pressed his fingers.
“My own heart has been calling for you, Lord Wetherby,” she told him as his smile slowly returned. “I would be more than glad to accept such an offer, given that it is the only thing that I have found myself longing for,” she said softly. “We have grown very close, have we not? Why, then, should I want to cause myself a great deal of pain by separating myself from you?”
For a moment, she thought he might lower his head and kiss her, such was the intensity of his eyes and the way that he moved closer to her, but instead, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. The stirrings of her heart grew all the more, her joy abounding in such great swaths that she did not think she would ever be able to contain it.
“I should take my leave,” he murmured, reluctantly letting go of her hand and stepping back. “I will call for you tomorrow, if I may?”
“I am already looking forward to your arrival,” she answered, watching him walk away from her and feeling as though her heart would burst with the sheer amount of happiness and delight that tore through her. This was more wonderful than she could ever have imagined.
14
Percy made his way into the ballroom with Lady Frederica by his side. The knowledge that this was to be the evening they attempted to uncover the truth about either Lady Preston or Lady Nottingham ran around his mind a great deal, rendering him a little more nervous than he would usually be.