by Rose Pearson
Much as Selina had expected, Lady Amelia blushed furiously and dropped her gaze.
“We must have left him with another,” she said, haltingly. “I – I did not notice, given that I was speaking to my dear friend, Miss Newington.” She gestured to the young lady beside her. “Miss Newington, this is Lady Hayward and Lady Selina Forrest, daughter to the Duke of Landon.”
Miss Newington – a young lady with very pale blue eyes, a sharp nose and cheeks that were entirely absent of color at present – dropped into a quick curtsey, although she said nothing at all, clearly aware that both she and Lady Amelia had been seen in the company of a gentleman without a chaperone beside them.
“And this gentleman you were conversing with?” Lady Hayward asked, one brow lifting as she turned to the yet unnamed stranger. “Might you introduce us also, Lady Amelia?”
A coldness came into her eyes as Lady Amelia hastily introduced one Lord Telford and Selina was all too aware of Lady Amelia’s flushed cheeks, as well as the gentleman’s clear embarrassment. He bowed and murmured a greeting to both Selina and to Lady Hayward, only for his eyes to flare as he caught sight of someone – or something – just to Selina’s left. She turned and, to her relief, saw none other than Lord Barrington approaching.
“Do excuse me,” she heard Lord Telford say, turning back to see him bow low. “I shall leave you to your conversation.”
“How very strange,” Lady Hayward murmured, as Lord Telford hurried away. “I do hope that he –”
“Amelia!”
The Earl’s furious voice crashed between them, ending Lady Hayward’s words and making the group, as a whole, turn towards them.
“Barrington,” Lady Amelia replied, her voice a little hoarse as she tried to smile at her brother, although Selina could see the wariness in her eyes. “We – we must have wandered off without realizing you were not with us. I –”
“Did I see Lord Telford conversing with you?” he interrupted, speaking directly to his sister as though Selina and Lady Hayward were not present. “I have told you before that such a gentleman must be entirely ignored, no matter how many words of flattery he puts before you.”
Selina, who still thought Lady Amelia most unwise and believed that she had deliberately escaped her brother in order to have a conversation with Lord Telford, turned towards Lord Barrington a little more.
“If I might, Lord Barrington, Lord Telford was only in your sister’s company for a few moments,” she said, a little surprised at how confidently she was speaking. “Lady Hayward and I joined them very soon after he drew near.”
Something flickered in Lord Barrington’s eyes, although he swiftly inclined his head by way of thanks.
“Then I am relieved to know that no harm has come to my sister or to her friend,” he replied, shooting a hard glance towards Miss Newington, who had dropped her gaze to the floor and kept it there. “It was foolish of you, Amelia, to walk away as you did. I do hope that you have expressed your own gratitude to Lady Selina and Lady Hayward for coming to your aid.”
Lady Amelia’s color heightened all the more, and she lifted her chin, her eyes a little narrowed as she returned her brother’s hard stare. For some moments, she said nothing, her lower lip curled in defiance – but evidently, the anger in her brother’s eyes was enough to force her to capitulate.
“I thank you,” she murmured eventually, dropping into a quick curtsey as she turned to Lady Hayward and to Selina. “As I have said, we must have accidentally left my brother’s company without realizing it. I am very grateful that you came to join us when Lord Telford was present.”
Selina, who did not believe a word that came from Lady Amelia’s mouth, nodded and then forced a smile to her lips.
“But of course,” she said, as Lady Hayward caught her eye. “We shall leave you to your conversation now. Good evening.”
“Good evening,” Lady Hayward added, turning on her heel and coming to join Selina as they made their way back to where Selina had been sitting.
“Goodness,” Lady Hayward murmured. “It appears that Lord Telford is a gentleman we must be wary of, Lady Selina. Lord Barrington certainly appeared to think so!” She smiled at Selina as they sat down together, with Selina’s eyes drifting back towards Lord Barrington, who was now, it seemed, quietly berating his sister all over again. “You did very well, Lady Selina. I commend you for your concern and for your actions.”
Selina shook her head.
“I am sure anyone would have done such a thing,” she answered, seeing how Lady Amelia now dropped her head, no longer staring defiantly back at her brother. “I do hope that he is not too harsh with her.”
“I hope that he is!” Lady Hayward replied, with a small smile. “I believe that Lady Amelia is the sort of young lady who will do whatever she wishes without hesitation, unless she is checked. And that, Lady Selina, is a sure path to disaster and disgrace.”
Letting out a long breath, Selina sat back in her chair and nodded, surprised that there was no longer any weakness or fatigue in her limbs. Rather, she now felt like rising to her feet and joining the other guests, so that she might converse with them. Perhaps being in Lord Barrington’s company and forcing herself to speak with both confidence and strength had done her more good than she had at first realized!
“Lord Barrington was grateful to you,” Lady Hayward murmured, as Selina frowned, catching Lady Hayward’s knowing look. “He might well come to seek you out again to thank you once more, the next time we are at the same social occasion as he.”
Laughing, Selina shook her head.
“He may very well do so, Lady Hayward, but I highly doubt that he will have any genuine interest in me, and certainly I have none for him!” Recalling how he had frowned at her when she had first been talking to Lady Amelia, as well as the way that he had allowed himself to be dragged into conversation with someone else rather than finish what he was saying to Selina, she shook her head again, although with a little more fervor this time. “I shall be quite glad to know Lord Barrington, certainly, but there will be nothing more than an acquaintance between us.”
“Are you quite certain of that?” Lady Hayward asked, but Selina nodded her head.
“I am,” Selina declared, with a small smile lighting her lips. “And for myself, I shall state that I have no interest in furthering an acquaintance with him regardless.” She looked across the room at him once more, taking in his dark expression, his heavy brows and the firmness about his mouth. “No, certainly not,” she murmured, half to herself. “Such a thing shall never be. I am certain of it.”
Chapter Four
Charles cleared his throat, grasping both his mother and his sister’s attention. They glanced at each other, and Charles was well able to see the fear in his sister’s eyes.
He did not care. Whatever his sister had said to their mother, whatever excuses they had devised together, he was not about to allow such a thing to happen again.
“Last evening,” he began, slowly, “you chose to step away from both myself and mama, in order to pursue conversation with a gentleman who, I am sure you are fully aware now, is entirely unsuitable.” Amelia said nothing, although she did hold his gaze rather than drop it to her plate or to her lap. Charles was not certain whether or not he ought to be irritated by this, wondering silently if his sister was about to defend herself to him yet again. “Lord Telford, I believe, came to speak to you for the sole purpose of settling himself into your affections,” he continued, one hand curling into a fist as he spoke. “Whilst I had no choice but to introduce you at last week’s ball – for he approached, if you recall, and expressed a keen desire to know you – that does not mean that he is a gentleman whom you should further an acquaintance with.”
His mother shook her head.
“Your sister did not know such a thing, Barrington,” she said, reproachfully. “How can she understand such an important matter if you do not take the time to explain it?”
Charles looked to hi
s sister and saw a faint touch of color come into her cheeks.
“That is where you are mistaken, mama,” he said, quietly. “I did explain this to Amelia. I informed her of it, last week at the ball, the moment Lord Telford departed, as well as once more, when we returned home.” He smiled grimly as he saw his mother’s eyes flare and a small exclamation leave her lips. Whatever Amelia had said to her was now being proven to be quite incorrect. “Is that not so, Amelia?”
His sister let out a heavy sigh and shrugged.
“I do not know,” she stated, with a glance towards her mother. “There have been so many gentlemen that it is difficult for me to recall them all.”
“That is not the truth and you well know it,” Charles replied, grimly. “You deliberately left my side last evening to go with your friend in the hope of speaking to Lord Telford. Is that not so?”
“Amelia!” their mother exclaimed, turning in her chair to look at her daughter, her upset now all the more evident. “You told me that you were entirely unaware of Lord Telford’s unsuitability and that it was quite by chance that you were in his company once more. In fact,” she continued, her voice rising higher and higher, “you stated that it was your friend, Miss Newington, who drew you towards him.”
At this, Amelia dropped her head, no longer any trace of defiance about her.
“I have already warned you, Amelia, about your conduct,” Charles continued, a little more gently. “First of all, you purchase items without even asking me whether or not such a thing is permitted, and now you throw aside my company and mama’s companionship in order to escape to another part of the room, so that you might be in the company of a gentleman who wants nothing more from you than the dowry you would bring to the wedding.”
Lady Amelia lifted her head sharply.
“That is not true,” she stated, angrily. “Lord Telford was most attentive. He –”
“He is practically insolvent!” Lady Barrington interrupted, before Charles could speak. “Do you not understand, you foolish girl?” She slammed one fist down on the table, making the crockery tremble and her daughter stare at her, wide-eyed. “I believed you when you stated your meeting was entirely accidental - and now, I discover that you have told me untruths!”
“I – I just wanted to speak to him!” Lady Amelia stammered, looking from her mother to Charles and back again. “There is nothing wrong with that desire, surely?”
“There is when you are forced to practically run away from your brother!” Lady Barrington exclaimed, her anger and upset still clearly visible in her words and her expression. “I trusted your words, Amelia, only to now realize just how foolish I have been!”
Charles found his heart filling with relief as he saw the way that his mother now spoke to his sister. He had believed that Lady Barrington would present herself before him with the intention of defending Lady Amelia’s actions, only to now see that his mother was very upset indeed. He was not glad for her upset, of course, but he was certainly relieved that she was not attempting to defend Amelia’s actions. Evidently, she was fully aware of the sort of gentleman Lord Telford was, and could see the danger that had been so very close to Amelia.
“You did find them in time, I hope?” his mother asked, turning wide eyes towards Charles, her voice filled with desperation. “There were not any others who noticed him speaking to my daughter unattended?”
“They might well have done, had it not been for Lady Selina Forrest and Lady Hayward,” Charles replied, solemnly. “When I approached, it was with such relief and gladness to see them both standing with Amelia. Lord Telford took his leave the moment he saw me approach, which is yet another reason for you to realize just how unsuitable he is, Amelia!”
“I did not ask for her company,” Lady Amelia replied, ungratefully. “I knew Lady Selina had seen us, but I did not think she would bring Lady Hayward to join us. We were simply having a conversation, Barrington!” Her head lifted slowly and she looked back at him, a flicker of resentment growing in her eyes. “I thought it a little rude that they both forced their company upon us!”
“Then you are even more of a fool than I first thought,” he responded swiftly, as their mother shook her head, closing her eyes for a long moment. “Can you not see just what Lady Selina and Lady Hayward did for you, Amelia? By having Lady Hayward’s company, she made the gathering quite respectable. No doubt she would have lingered beside you until I or Mama came in search of you. You cannot know just how grateful I am to them both.”
“Nor I,” Lady Barrington added, passing one hand over her eyes before she pushed herself up from the table, her desire to eat evidently gone entirely. “Barrington, I have thought you too harsh with your threat to return Amelia to the estate, should she continue on with such silliness,” she continued, standing behind her chair now and looking at him. “But now that I have heard the truth of this, now that I have come to realize just how much of a fool I have become in trusting my daughter’s words, I no longer think you too severe.”
“Mama!” Lady Amelia gasped, turning her head to look at her mother, but Lady Barrington remained firm.
“If such a thing should happen again, Amelia, I will personally put you in the carriage myself and have us both driven back to the estate,” Lady Barrington said, glaring at her daughter. “Your brother can remain here, if he so wishes, for there is no need for him to forgo the rest of the Season on your account!” She looked back at Charles, who nodded his head, appreciating her determination and her willingness to now come alongside him in encouraging Amelia to behave properly. With a deep breath, she delivered the last part of her proclamation. “This is your only warning, Amelia. Anything more and I shall have our bags packed and your Season will be at an end.”
“Thank you, Mama,” Charles said quietly.
Lady Amelia rose from her chair, one hand balling up her napkin as tears flooded her eyes. She made to say something, opening and closing her mouth many times before, finally, with a strangled sob, she rushed from the room.
“I do not mean to upset her so,” Charles said, softly as Lady Barrington made her way to the door. “But you must understand that it is for the best, Mama.”
She looked back at him, her face set and her coloring still rather pale.
“Have no fear,” she replied, shaking her head. “I understand everything now, Barrington. Your sister made a very severe mistake last evening.”
“Are you going to go after her?” he asked, but Lady Barrington shook her head.
“I am going to write to Lady Hayward,” she responded, with a small smile. “I wish to thank her for keeping my daughter safe from Lord Telford’s advances last evening, and to inform her that such a thing will never happen again.”
Charles nodded, but said nothing more, waiting until his mother had closed the door behind her before he allowed himself to flop back in his chair, a long and heavy breath escaping him. Closing his eyes, he recalled all that had occurred last evening. He had been most displeased with Amelia’s conduct from the very beginning, finding her looking all around her with an air of dislike.
When Lady Selina and Lady Hayward had come to join them, there had been such a curl of disdain on his sister’s face that he had wanted to drag her to one side and berate her furiously. It had been all the more irritating to see her so changed when she realized just who Lady Selina was, for she had immediately become eager to be in her company, glad to converse with her and doing all she could to further their acquaintance – although Charles suspected that Lady Selina herself was not particularly eager for such a thing.
Opening his eyes, he reached for his coffee and finished it quickly, trying to find the force of will needed to remove himself from the table and continue on with all that he had to do but, for whatever reason, he could not harness the impetus to do so. Instead, he found himself weary and deflated. The look on his sister’s face had been one of utter dismay, but Charles did not regret what he had said nor what his mother had said either. It was a re
lief to have Lady Barrington agreeing with him, for he had feared that he would have both his sister and his mother fighting against him.
“Mayhap I should write to her,” he mused, tilting his head as he considered.
If his mother was to write to Lady Hayward to thank her for all she had done last evening, then mayhap his duty was to do the same for Lady Selina. From what Amelia had said, it seemed that Lady Selina had been the one to notice both herself and Miss Newington from the first, who perhaps had alerted Lady Hayward, who had then hurried to join them. Regardless, he felt as though she was deserving of his thanks.
Forcing himself from his chair, Charles made his way from the dining room to his study, finding a great sense of peace wash over him as he closed the door tightly behind him, leaning back against it for a moment. Quite how he was to continue helping Amelia when she was so determined to do as she pleased, he did not know. He could only hope that this would be the moment she realized that she could not continue to behave in such a manner.
Making his way to his desk, he sat down heavily and looked blankly at the papers in front of him. When he had looked all about him last evening and realized that his sister was gone from his company, he had felt such a rush of fear that he had been unable to move for a moment or two. Having no wish to upset his mother, he had made his way through the ballroom, looking all about him in as surreptitious manner as possible. When he had seen her in the music room, his heart had slammed hard against his chest, noticing Lord Telford stepping back from them at once. A mixture of relief, gratitude, anger and disappointment had warred within his heart and he had been forced to use every last part of his resolve to keep his voice steady as he spoke to his sister.
Lady Selina had watched quietly, her expression serene and yet her eyes filled with an awareness of what might have been. He certainly owed her a great deal.
Pulling out a fresh piece of parchment, Charles picked up his quill and found his ink bottle. And then, he began to write.