The brothers split company quietly enough after that, but William did not have it in his heart to go back to the dancing and the strained conversation with people he knew were likely whispering about his sister behind his back. Instead, he walked to the bannister where Gerard had been standing the last time he’d seen the man, and asked the group of gentlemen there where he might be.
“I’m not sure,” one of the men said, holding a glass to his eye and examining William as if he were a bug pinned to a velvet box. “But I can tell you that at least a half hour ago now he disappeared down that corridor over there. He may very well have returned, or he might be out there still wooing some lady. You know, my wife thinks it’s high time that Lord Colbourne settled down with a suitable bride.”
William nodded, bowed, and walked away to pursue his long-time friend down the corridor. It was dark, and after checking two rooms and the balconies outside, he walked to the end of the hall and made his way through a corridor there to a secluded balcony. His friend was standing there, leaning against the rail and looking out into the garden.
“You’re not usually one to slip away from the party,” William said.
Gerard looked up in surprise and then smiled half-heartedly. “I needed some time to think. I’m not sure, actually, how long I’ve been out here. My mother would insist that I go back inside at once and try to do damage control for whatever disaster my absence has wrought.”
William laughed and came to stand beside his friend, looking out as he did over the dark expanse of the garden. The moonlight showed the garden ornaments off as various indistinct shapes.
“According to the gentlemen inside, you’ve been here at least a half an hour, perhaps more. All that time in quiet thought?”
Gerard turned and looked at him briefly. “No, actually I was out here earlier with your sister.”
William raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything Gerard smiled weakly and held out his hand. “Not in an inappropriate way, I assure you. I would never make such a move without consulting you first. And besides that, it’s like talking about wooing my own little sister and I’ve no stomach for such an affair.”
William nodded, but something about the way Gerard was speaking had planted a thought in his mind that was new, and possibly held promise. “All right. So you weren’t wooing my sister. What were you doing out here, then?”
“I saw her get snubbed by a group of women inside, and I followed her to offer some consolation.”
William laughed out loud then, wryly, but aloud. “Nora is not much one for consolation.”
Gerard smiled. “No, she is not.”
“I remember one time when she fell down as a child, running as Mother always forbid her to do, and she scraped both her knees dreadfully. It was Sunday, and she was wearing her best linen to service, and her knees were bleeding awfully. I felt badly, for I’d encouraged her to run even though I knew it was against the rules for her even then, even as a child. But when I attempted to kneel down and examine the wounds and offer assistance, she dropped her skirts and said haughtily, as though nothing at all had happened, that it was a fine day, and she hoped I was doing quite well, and she felt ready to go in to service.”
Gerard laughed. William shrugged. “I asked her again if her legs were hurting her very much, and she put her nose in the air as though she were a queen pestered by an over-eager subject and said that she had experienced no pain whatsoever, and I shouldn’t worry myself about it any longer. Well, we all went in to our family pew and did all the sitting and the kneeling and the standing of the service as usual, and she bore it all without crying out in pain or even looking at her poor wounded legs. Then, halfway through the sermon, my mother cried out in alarm. You know Mother, how much she cares about appearances, so you know that it would have taken a great deal to make her interrupt a church service. Well, dear little Nora’s knees were indeed bleeding badly. And after all that up and down the blood had soaked through her petticoat and the skirt and was a great red stain on the knees and hem of her little dress. I do believe Mother thought she’d been stabbed, or much worse. Anyway, the doctor was called and the wounds tended to, and afterwards he said that he didn’t know any other six-year-old who would have stayed so very quiet and composed in the face of what could only have been excruciating pain.”
Gerard frowned, then. “Why do you think she reacted so?”
William swallowed, the laughter dying out from his voice. “I think she’s always been aware that her pain and emotions are a distraction from the things she enjoys, and so she’s very good at tucking them away.” He ran his hand along the bannister. “I don’t know what she showed you tonight, but I can tell you, friend, that what happened with Mr Manion wounded my sister more than she’ll likely ever say. She holds herself to a high standard.”
Gerard nodded. “I can see that.”
The little thought in William’s mind was growing now, and try as he might to push it away, he couldn’t. He decided to risk it. “Gerard, I would like to ask you something, something that is perhaps rather startling for a man to ask his friend. But I hope you will hear my intention and consider.”
Gerard turned to look at him in surprise. “You worry me with a preface like that.”
“No need to worry, I assure you. It’s only that I think Nora’s difficulty lies in that she’s always been viewed by our friends and society at large as a rather wild little thing. She’s quite capable and kind, and I think will make a man a good wife some day. But no one knows that except the people who are closest to her because she has never been out in society with a man of any sort. Certainly not a respectable one.”
Gerard smiled, clearly not yet understanding William’s trajectory. “Your sister is a very pretty girl, and quite clever too. I’ve no doubt a gentleman will come along soon.”
“Well, perhaps,” William said slowly, “but not until the next season, if that, after all that has transpired tonight. People are fickle things, and they’ll believe any lie that is thrown in their direction. The only way to help Nora would be for someone to volunteer to court her for this season, to show her off as a respectable woman.”
He let these words rest between the two, and after a second Gerard’s face showed his understanding.
“Me?” he asked, the astonishment in his voice. “Are you asking me to court little Nora? Why, man, she’s like my little sister, and I’m not really in a state of mind to pursue any sort of love interest – whatever my mother thinks.”
“No, that’s why it would be perfect,” William insisted, the idea taking hold. “You aren’t in a position for anything serious, and of course Nora isn’t either. Neither of you would think it was anything real – but you could both benefit from the appearance of the thing. Society will see that Nora is with you and they will realise that she is a sensible and worthy catch after all. Your mother will see that you’re taking steps toward romance. She will have no idea that the steps are an act, and she will stop pressuring you into marriage. It will give you time to heal, and Nora time to rebuild.”
Gerard laughed weakly, but William could see that his friend was listening. “Won’t she feel badly when the thing falls through at the end?”
“No, of course not. Nora would never think you were really interested in her,” William said with a smile. “My sister, as you know, is not the sentimental type. No, just go through the motions and when it’s over she’ll more than likely be relieved. She’s never been one for romance or all that rot.”
Gerard turned and looked out to the garden once again. “William,” he said with a smile. “You’ve always been good at making an argument. In another life, you would have been a fine solicitor. The thing is, you’re right about my mother, and I wouldn’t mind a short period of time where I didn’t have to worry about her concerns about my future. I suppose if I had to court some sort of manufactured engagement, I should do it with someone I feel comfortable with, and I’ve known Nora all her life.”
; “It would help her so much.” William sighed. “She doesn’t deserve all this negative gossip.”
Gerard waited a few more moments in silence, clearly weighing the options in his head. It was one of the things William respected most about his friend: he never leapt into things without considering them first. At last he turned to William. “I think I’d like to try, at least,” he said. “If Nora agrees.”
Chapter 9
Nora woke up the next morning feeling stiff and tired, as though she hadn’t slept at all. She dressed in a plain brown morning dress and braided her hair as though she were still in the country going outside for her morning walk. The events of the evening before had plagued her through the night. But now that morning had come, she vowed to move ahead of it all. She had never before been of the sentiment that encouraged long bouts of pity and, furthermore, she was unused to airing her emotions for the world to see.
She smiled, pinched her cheeks in the mirror to be sure there was colour in an otherwise pale face, and went downstairs to see her parents. She was the last to the breakfast table and suffered for that when all four heads already there raised to greet her. Mr Pembroke sat at the head with William at his right hand, and across the table from William sat David and James as always. Mrs Pembroke usually took her breakfast in her room and only joined the family for later meals. So, Nora took a seat beside William with a quiet nod and a smile and began to butter a piece of bread.
“How are you feeling this morning?” David asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Doubtless better than you,” James snapped wryly, sipping at a bit of dark tea as though it were a lifeline. “We shouldn’t have stayed so long last night – that rum punch is plaguing me this morning. Nora was right to head home when she did.”
Nora was touched and a bit surprised, as always, to find James standing up for her in his own surly way. Although, standing up to David was no real standing up at all when it came to Nora – she knew that her brother hadn’t meant anything negative by his comment. He’d only meant to encourage her, to bring her back into normal life with a bit of teasing.
“That punch did me wrong as well,” she said with a smile, taking a bit of tea from the footman with a grateful smile. “I don’t know what the Emersleys were thinking, placing something so strong on their table at the opening of the season.”
“What did you think of last night’s festivities, Father?” David asked, turning to Mr Pembroke.
He, in turn, lowered his paper and peered over it at David with a vague look in his eyes. “Pardon?”
David rolled his eyes and fell upon his eggs. Nora took pity on her bewildered father and smiled in his direction.
“David only wanted to know what you thought of the evening.” She waited to hear what he would say about the conversation in the carriage, but he only looked at her and shrugged with a tenderness in his eyes.
“These sorts of events get a bit old when you’re my age and you’ve been frequenting them for so long. I didn’t see anything to set this one apart either.” He pulled his paper back up to read it and Nora felt the grace of everyone at the table like a warm, comforting blanket.
She turned to William. “How are you feeling this morning, brother? You seem quiet.”
It was unusual, for generally William and her father started every morning with a rousing argument about the latest political revelation in the paper, or the price of tobacco, or the issue of foreign relations. This morning, William seemed completely entranced with the food in front of him and his own thoughts. He looked up at Nora with a little jump of surprise.
“Actually,” he said, “I’m feeling quite all right. But Nora, would you mind taking a turn about the neighbourhood after breakfast? I wanted to see some of our old haunts, and I’d love to have some company.”
“Certainly,” she said.
“It’s a bit cold,” he said, pushing away his food only half-eaten. “Best bring a cloak.”
Nora finished her food quickly and followed William out of the room, curiosity filling her. Her brother was not like David, who might actually invite her on a random outing without any particular trajectory. William always had a purpose, and if he wanted to ‘see the neighbourhood’, he really meant to steal her away for a few moments in private. London was behaving a bit more like a proper January today, so Nora had to put on her long gloves and a warm cloak before tying on her bonnet for the walk.
William said nothing at all that could have passed for small talk as they left the house and turned down the main footpath. They made their way side-by-side to the edge of the park where the scandalous horseback ride had happened only the day before. But instead of making their way across the centre, they turned and took a seat on a bench by one of the quiet lakes nearby.
William smiled at Nora, and she was reminded of a time years ago when he had been sent by their mother to tell her she ought to practice her piano playing more. She wondered if her parents had enlisted him to help drive home the point they’d made so convincingly in the carriage the night before.
“William, if this is about last night – I’m very sorry. I know that I can be careless, and I know that you expect me to argue with you, but I really understand that what I did was foolhardy, and hard as it will be for me, I intend to behave with more decorum in the future.”
William pursed his lips. “It’s not about that,” he said quietly. “Actually, it is – but I’m not here to scold you. I’m here to offer you a solution that I truly believe will help you move on from this scandal much more quickly.”
She frowned, surprised. “I believe all I can really do is keep my head down and wait until the next season. I know it’s a disappointment. But memories are short in London and I know there will be a new scandal next season that will do enough damage to set me free again.”
“I don’t think you should have to wait that long.” William ran his hands along his knees, looking not exactly nervous, but uncertain at least. “I think that the best thing to do would be to assign you an honourable understanding with a gentleman that would be respected, nothing lasting I assure you, but something momentary that would allow you to move on from the scandal by linking your name with the name of a young man who is respectable.”
Nora let the words sink in and frowned. “You think I ought to find some poor sap to court me until this all blows over? Aside from it being a rather shocking idea, I think you’ll find the practicalities rather difficult. Who are you going to find to submit himself to my company? Mr Manion?”
William shook his head. “I’ve already asked Lord Colbourne and he agreed that he could court you to help you move on from the scandal.”
Nora felt her blood freeze. She stared at William in shock, not even making an effort to hide the feelings she knew were running across her face. “You what?”
“Don’t look like that,” William said dismissively, acting as though this was a perfectly normal thing to do. “It’s not a big deal. Lord Colbourne has been my friend for years, as you well know. And he seemed perfectly willing to play along with this until the matter was sorted.”
To play along with this. Nora felt as though the air had been knocked out of her. In all her childish fantasies over the years about Gerard Colbourne, she had never imagined that her own brother would undercut her chances so thoroughly by making her an object of pity – a little sister who needed rescuing from her own mishaps. And what was most miserable of all was that she had imagined courting Gerard in her happiest dreams. And here was the very thing she had imagined, but twisted into the opposite of her desires. If there had ever been a chance that Gerard would fall for her, this would thoroughly destroy that chance.
She felt the heat running into her cheeks and she stood up. “William, please tell me you’re not serious.”
He stood as well, looking confused. “I did. We talked about it for quite some time last night.”
“You talked –” she stopped, exasperated, the breath leaving her lungs for
a moment. “You asked him point blank if he would come and pretend to court me?”
A Baron Worth Loving: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 6