The Lady's Fate (The Reluctant Grooms Volume II)

by Anne Gallagher

  It seemed to Violet the Earl of Greenleigh had a sixth sense and would always find her in those moments of despair and make her smile again. Every night he displayed a rather curious dispensation toward her and Violet could not fathom his attentions. And although he neither hinted at, nor told her outright of his affection, she still maintained his flattery was just as a friend.

  Her mother, delighted at the prospect of having an earl for a son-in-law, made excuses to Violet’s other suitors when Greenleigh took Violet for a turn about the room. Countess Flowers made excuses to the crones who gossiped it was unseemly for them to be seen on the terrace together. She whispered to the friends she had regained in Society her daughter was well on her way to becoming a countess.

  Violet hoped her mother would not have an apoplectic fit when she announced her intentions to marry Mr. Garrick. And even though the Earl of Greenleigh displayed an illusion of attachment, she knew he would never offer for her.

  Of all her suitors, Lord Greenleigh notwithstanding, Violet liked Mr. Garrick best. None of the other gentlemen was as well read, or well-mannered, or as kind as Mr. Garrick. Violet made up her mind. If she could not have Haverlane, she would choose the man who made her feel most at ease. If she could not have love, she could at least find a small measure of comfort.

  On the night of the Peyton ball, Violet dressed with care, and when they entered the mansion on Chapel Street, Lord and Lady Peyton met her mother and sister with everything that was amiable. However, their greeting to her, though not exactly a cut direct, did not make her feel welcome.

  Violet and Lilly fought the crowd to find Welbey and their friends. Upon reaching them, several of the young women with whom Violet had a friendly acquaintance, took their leave. Only Welbey’s sister remained, although she did not speak to Violet, and Violet asked Lilly if she had said anything amiss in their previous encounters.

  “Not that I know, dearest,” Lilly said. “I cannot imagine why they are so unfriendly.”

  Welbey took Lilly out for the first dance and Welbey’s sister accepted the hand of Lord Crewe. He did not even acknowledge Violet’s presence.

  A bit miffed Lord Crewe would be so ill mannered, Violet looked around the ballroom. Lady Penny and Lady Olivia stood on the far side of the room. As Violet walked toward them, it seemed people deliberately turned their backs to her. Had something spilled on her dress? Was there a blemish on her face she had not seen?

  “Ah, Violet,” Lady Penny exclaimed. “I am glad to see you. How do you do?”

  Violet looked out over the dance floor. “I am well. And yourself? How do you fare?”

  “I am well,” she said. Penny glanced at the entrance to the ballroom. “Why are you not dancing? I see several of your suitors standing idle. Do they not know you are arrived?”

  “I have seen them all, but I cannot explain it,” Violet said. They had not snubbed her as viciously as Welbey’s friends had, but they did not treat her with the same cordiality that had been forthcoming previously. “Is something wrong with my dress, or my person I cannot see?”

  “No, you are everything that is divine.” Penny looked to the entrance. “Well, here now, you shall find a dance partner.”

  The Earl of Greenleigh headed their way. He kissed Penny’s hand as well as Lady Olivia’s and Violet’s.

  “I am come with bad tidings, dear ladies. Our Prince has deemed it necessary to call a late meeting, and I submit to his whim we are bid to attend him. A matter of national emergency, our Highness impressed upon us. I have only stopped this moment to convey my apologies we shall not be able to dance this evening.”

  “Oh, Greenleigh, that is too sad. I am sure Violet is very distressed to hear of it.” Penny took up Violet’s hand and patted it.

  “Yes,” Violet said absently. Haverlane would not be here. All the joy had gone out of her night.

  “Well, I hope His Highness does not mean to keep you from any more entertainments,” Penny said. “Our Regent he may be, but he is rather rude at this short notice. I’m afraid I am very vexed with him and you may inform him I said so.” Penny’s pout brought a smile to Greenleigh’s face.

  “Indeed, I shall, Lady Penelope. Forgive me, the carriage awaits, as well as Prince George. I must take my leave of you.” He bowed before them and was gone.

  Violet watched him go and considered running after him to see if he would take her home. Without Haverlane in attendance, there was no reason to stay any longer.

  For the next hour, Violet stood with Penny and Lady Olivia and watched the dancers. She spoke with the Duke of Cantin’s sisters who were on very friendly terms with the duchesses. They were all that was cordial and Violet let some of her apprehension fade. Perhaps the snubs were not intended for her, but for her connections. Her mother could be so egregious in her flattery of her betters it would not surprise Violet if her mother had overstepped her boundaries in Society once again.

  Mr. Foley approached and asked for her hand for a quadrille. He was not the most graceful dancer, but Violet was glad for the turn about the room. When the dance ended, he brought her back to Lady Olivia.

  “Penny has gone to the withdrawing room,” Lady Olivia said. “I believe it shall be an early night for the both of us.”

  Panic clutched Violet. What would she do? Whom would she talk with, stand with? Certainly, her sister’s friends would ignore her again. Oh, fie on the Regent! Could he not hold these sessions during the day?

  When Penny returned, Violet said good-bye to her friends and walked slowly to her mother’s side.

  “Why are you not dancing, Violet?” Her mother seemed vexed.

  “I have not been asked.” Violet stood with her hands clasped and looked on the dance floor. Viscount Winsbarren danced with Lilly.

  “What have you done to upset your suitors? Where is Lord Greenleigh? I saw him speak with you earlier.”

  “His lordship had to attend Prince George. He only came to tell Lady Penny and me he would not be attending tonight.”

  “That is a shame.” Her mother poked her in the ribs. “Stand tall now,” she whispered. “Here comes Mr. Garrick.”

  As Mr. Garrick drew near, her mother fluttered her fan and said hello. Garrick stopped to reply, bowed quickly, nodded to Violet, and walked past.

  “Well, I declare, that was certainly strange. Violet, what have you done to merit such a disapproving glance from Mr. Garrick?”

  “Mother, I do not know.” And Violet honestly didn’t. This whole night was something of a puzzle and she could not figure it out. She neither had done, nor said anything to anyone to meet with such censure. “Mother, I think I must take my leave.” She leaned in to whisper a lie. “I believe I am in the ladies way.”

  Her mother stared at her with pursed lips. “Very well.” She dug in her reticule and handed her some coin. “Only hire a hack if you cannot find anyone to take you home. Money is not to be wasted.”

  “Yes, Mother.” Violet folded the coins in her palm and departed.

  She found her cloak and walked out into the warm night air. Carriages lined the street, but she saw no one familiar. Her house, situated a few blocks away, was not too far to walk. Violet set off not bothering to hire a carriage.

  The walk provided the perfect opportunity to think. She ran every conversation with everyone she had ever met through her mind and could not find a single reason why people would cut her. She had always been polite and amiable to everyone. Violet did not deny she preferred Lady Penny’s more sedate company to Lilly’s friends, who were high-strung creatures, given to bouts of giggling and nonsense, but whenever they had met, Violet had always been interested in their lives and maintained a pleasant cordiality toward them, as they did her.

  And now, Mr. Garrick, who, even after her dismissal of his intentions remained particularly attentive, had slighted her tonight. He had not even looked her in the eyes.

  Violet could not comprehend it. Mayhap they reasoned Haverlane and Greenleigh’s solicitude were more th
an she deserved. But no, that could not be. There had never been any marked grievances toward her until tonight.

  Violet made it to her house and crept on silent feet to her room. She could not understand the condemnation and did not want to think about it any longer. Tomorrow she would see Jane and that kept her from a fitful night’s sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The next morning during breakfast, her mother perused the invitations deciding on which fete to attend. “Now this is singularly odd,” she said.

  Lilly asked, “What is it, Mother?”

  “The address for the garden party this afternoon at Lady Bellingham’s.” Her mother showed it to Lilly.

  “What does it say?” Violet asked.

  “Why, it is only addressed to me and Mama,” Lilly said. “Your name has been left off the invitation, Violet.”

  “Well, is she someone you met last year?” Violet asked. “It could be she does not realize I am your sister,”

  “It could be,” Lilly said thoughtfully.

  “Well, that is certainly nonsense, you have been to every ball this Season, thus far. I cannot fathom how your name has been left off the invitation. Surely, it is a mistake. Nevertheless, you shall dress and I shall present you,” her mother said. She turned to go.

  “No, Mother,” Violet stood. “Is it not what you have always said? We should not go where we have no invitation. When you arrive, you may inform Lady Bellingham of who I am. If she so desires she may invite me to her next affair. I shall not embarrass you or my sister by showing up uninvited.”

  The Countess looked at her daughter, deliberating an answer. “Yes, you may be right on this point, I grant you. It would not do to embarrass your sister.” She left the room.

  Violet was glad she did not have to go to the party or make excuses not to attend. Truth to own, she thought her mother knew of her visits with Jane. However, Violet always used Lady Penny as an explanation. Her mother would never dare question Lady Penny outright. Violet thought she would do well to write a few letters to Mrs. Jeffers and her friends at Fairhaven before she saw Jane.

  At Haverlane’s, Manning opened the door. “Lady Violet, so nice to see you again.”

  “Thank you Mr. Manning.” Violet entered and took off her bonnet. “Where is Jane, in the nursery with Mary?”

  “Yes, mum. She has been waiting for your arrival with great anticipation.”

  Violet smiled at the butler. “Then I shall find her straight away.”

  Violet climbed the stairs and met with shrieks of laughter from the little girl.

  “Imma, Imma, You have come for Jane.”

  Violet gave her a hug. Impressed Jane no longer used baby gibberish to convey her thoughts Violet took a small amount of pride it owed to her care.

  “Come, my lovely, it is such a glorious day outside, let us walk in the garden for awhile. We shall count the flowers on the vines. How does that sound?” Violet asked.

  Violet dismissed Mary and she and Jane ventured out to the gardens on the side of the house. High boxed-hedges lined the wrought iron fence that enclosed the space and hid them from view from on-lookers street side. Small raised beds filled with budding flowers of every kind accentuated the small fountain in the middle. Roses climbed trellises near the house and a small bench sat beneath a lovely arbor filled with clematis. A lovely peaceful place, Violet and Jane picked weeds and dug out underbrush from some of the burgeoning clumps of peonies.

  They worked for an hour and Violet thought that was enough. Jane looked tired.

  “Dearest, did you have a fretful night last night?” she asked the child.

  “Jane did not sleep goodly,” the little girl said.

  Violet smiled. “Well, come then, let us sit on the bench and I shall sing you a song and you may rest. It is far too lovely to go inside.”

  Violet sat and placed Jane’s head in her lap. Not even halfway through her song, Jane fell asleep. Violet closed her eyes and listened to the birdsong in the trees. The warmth of the mid-May sunshine must have made her doze as well, for she woke to the sound of male voices coming from the open library windows over the terrace.

  *****

  “I had a conversation with Georgiana’s father yesterday at my club,” the Duke of Chesnick said. “He enquired when you would make your attachment with his daughter more than it already is.”

  “I beg your pardon, Father,” Ellis said, a hard edge to his voice.

  “Do not turn this on me. I was minding my own business drinking coffee when he sat down. I told him you were a grown man capable of making your own decisions.”

  “Good. My affairs are none of anyone’s business.”

  “Well, for someone intent on maintaining his privacy, you are providing more than enough fodder for the gossip mongers.” The duke’s voice held a smug tone.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Good Lord, Ellis, every night you are seen dancing with your nanny, to the waltz, of all things. Do you not think that has had every tongue wagging since the Season began? The rumormongers hound your mother night and day. You are the topic of conversation at every tea, dinner, card party, and ballroom. There is even a wager in the club whether or not you’ve taken her.”

  “How dare they!” Ellis hissed. “Lady Violet is a member of the Queen’s household for pity’s sake.” Ellis clenched his fists. His propensity for violence was growing stronger by the day.

  “Yes, she is, and far too young for you. You are twice her age, boy. And let us not forget the inferiority of her circumstances.” Chesnick paused. “Dalliances aside, you must think about remarriage. Stop dancing with your nanny. Little Jane cannot grow up without a mother and Georgiana is ready, willing and able to make that commitment. Her father said he thought you would have made your engagement known by now considering you have been squiring her about Town these last eight months together. And quite frankly, so have I.”

  Ellis shuddered at the thought of marrying Georgiana. She, along with everyone else, must now think it a forgone conclusion.

  Ellis tried to remain calm. “I have been thinking about marriage again, Father. I know Jane needs a mother and I need someone to fill my lonely hours. Anne’s death was a blow from which I thought I could never recover. And though I have inured myself to her not being here anymore, it is still hard to wake up in the morning and realize she is not coming back.”

  “I know, son, and I do not mean to pressure you, but you must realize you need an heir. How many years was it before Jane came along? You are not getting any younger. The sooner you get this marriage business over with the sooner you can start on producing sons of your own. Your brother has the Caymore title now and if you die without issue, who knows where the line will end up. Perhaps to your cousin Hubert, and I tell you now, I would rather let the line revert back to the Crown than let that happen.”

  Both men were silent. Finally, his father asked, “Well, what shall I tell Georgiana’s father? How soon will you be ready to make an offer for her?”

  Ellis raised his brow. “I never said I would make an offer for her. I may have marriage on my mind, but that does not mean I’m going to marry the first available woman I meet. And I do not know if Georgiana Baxter is the right woman for me, or for Jane.” Ellis knew without a doubt there was only one woman for him and his daughter.

  “Not the right woman?” the duke scoffed. “Do not be addle-brained. You already know Georgiana. She is beautiful, still young, and has the right family connections. You thought once about marrying her, and now she has old Baxter’s fortune to add to the Marquisate. What more could you ask?”

  Ellis thought of Violet’s words the day in the kitchen at Fairhaven. “How about love, Father? How about someone who will love Jane and myself? Someone with whom we’ll be happy.”

  “Love!” His father sneered. “That is balderdash, falderal, and nonsensical. sentimental claptrap and you know it. None of us marries for love. Have you been reading poetry again? Foolish waste o
f time.” His father took a breath. “Now, I should not think you would have to marry Georgiana before the Season is over, but I would like to hear of an engagement at least. And I know your mother would as well. She is sick to death listening to the twitter about you and the nanny. As pretty as she is, the chit does not have a penny to her name and once you are done with her, the only thing she’ll be good for is to pass along. Perhaps Greenleigh could take her off your hands. He has shown a marked attention of late. However, if you must keep her, marry Georgiana first, and keep the gel as your nanny down at Fairhaven as you have done before. As long as you retain some discretion, I’m sure Georgiana will not mind. Believe me, son, once you commit to Georgiana, I’m sure you shall find your way to love as you did with Anne.”

  *****

  They talked a few more minutes. Violet had stopped listening. Everyone thought she and Haverlane were lovers! No wonder she found herself on the receiving end of the cuts and snubs in the ballrooms. No wonder the invitations did not have her name on them. Oh, Good God, how long would it be before Lilly was shunned as well?

  And her mother, oh, what would her mother do? Exile her? To where? They had no family to which she could go. Marry her off? But to whom? Violet’s only consideration had been Mr. Garrick, but now he had obviously heard the vicious rumors and believed them as well. Perhaps if she went to him and begged him to believe her he would consent. But what if he didn’t? What would she do then? She needed to talk to someone about all this. Lady Penny, of course, was her only hope.