Last Chance for the Charming Ladies: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection

by Fanny Finch

  He could not help but feel proud, his heart swelling just at the memory of it.

  But of course, with all of that came a sense of melancholy.

  He would have to let her go now. One of the other men, Mr. Upton perhaps, or another, would be sure to snap her up now. It was as though she had been a flower that finally bloomed after much anticipation. She was an orchid, a tropical flower, rare and wild and all the more beautiful for it.

  Edward stared into the fire. Oh, how he had longed for her that night. What irony, to realize what he wanted only when it was too late for it.

  He was determined not to sink into despair. He was not that sort of man. But surely he could be allowed a bit of brooding in front of the fire before turning into bed.

  “I had a suspicion that you would still be awake.”

  Edward jumped, startled. He turned to see Georgiana in the doorway.

  “And I had not thought that you would be.”

  He had thought he was quite alone in the house now. He felt embarrassed to have been caught like this. Although of course Georgiana could not read his mind and therefore could not know precisely what he was thinking.

  His sister moved up to him and sat down, warming her hands in front of the fire. He saw that she was still in her finery from the ball. Or, well, most of it. Her jewelry had been taken off, as well as her gloves, and her hair was now in a simple braid. But she was still in the dress.

  “You ought to get ready for bed,” he told her.

  “I ought to say the same thing to you,” Georgiana replied. “Tell me, what keeps you up at such an hour? It was an exhausting evening and I know how much you hate to waste the morning sleeping in.”

  Her eyes shone, as if she knew a great secret that he did not. That was something else for which he had Miss Worthing to thank. Since becoming friends with her, his sister had greatly improved in her spirits. She even had a bit of a teasing atmosphere about her at times.

  Edward made a mental note that he must properly thank Miss Worthing for all that she had done. Both for him and for his sister. His feelings for her aside, the poor girl seemed to be under the impression that she owed them everything. When the reality of it was that they owed her just as much.

  “There is something on your mind,” Georgiana said. “I can tell. Is it one of your lady friends? The ones who still think they can win your heart?”

  Edward debated not telling her anything at all. It would spare him some humiliation, certainly. But this was his sister. She had always been wise in her counsel. And if he could not confide in her, who could he confide in?

  And he felt that he must confide in someone before he lost what little sanity he still possessed.

  “I am about to say something to you,” he said, “and you are not to hold it against me for the rest of my life.”

  Georgiana frowned. “Have you done something regrettable? Have you made a bad business deal?”

  Edward was alarmed that her mind had jumped to such awful conclusions. “Good heavens, no. And I apologize if I phrased this in a manner too dire. I only meant that I am about to say that you were right, and I was wrong.”

  “Well, I am right about a great deal. What was it that I was right about in particular this time?”

  That teasing, right there. Miss Worthing had brought that out in her. Edward had to reign in his smile. This was a serious matter.

  “You were right in that I had somehow managed to give my heart away without realizing it. Tonight I saw Miss Worthing and I…” He shook his head.

  Georgiana tilted her head, giving him a sympathetic smile. “I did wonder at your manner. You hardly said a word to her all night. I think the poor dear thought you were still holding back on her after the night before.”

  “I certainly hope not. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is only that I saw her at the top of the stairs and…I sound rather like one of those tenors at the opera, do I not?”

  Georgiana narrowed her eyes. “I always thought of you as more of a baritone.”

  “Sister. Dearest companion. I am trying to be serious.”

  “And I am trying to show you that letting yourself fall down into a well of despair is not going to help you any.”

  Says the woman still in mourning over a lover from years ago, he thought but did not say. That would have been unkind. And besides, Georgiana had born it all remarkably well. She had not retreated to her room or spent days crying.

  There had been a heavy weight that settled about her shoulders. But he doubted that most people who knew her noticed. She was so quiet and solemn already.

  “The point is,” Edward said, “I did not realize just how strong my feelings for Miss Worthing were until tonight.”

  Georgiana looked down at the fire. “I confess that I might have had something to do with her ensemble.”

  “You are a devilish creature.”

  “I wanted you to realize what everyone else already knew: that you are in love with her.”

  “And quite a lot of good it does me when she does not return my feelings. She practically hid from me all evening.”

  “I can assure you that Miss Worthing holds you in the highest esteem.”

  “Well, I am sure that she does, but she—to think that after all of the things I said…”

  Edward had to stand up and pace. The energy inside of him could not be contained. “If I were to propose to her she would accept out of a feeling of gratefulness and obligation.

  “You should have seen her tonight, Georgiana. She was the center of attention. I cannot stifle her now. Not when she could have any man that she wanted. I could not deprive her of choosing someone who would truly suit her.”

  Georgiana shook her head gently. “But you would suit her. You do suit her.”

  “Do not flatter me.” Edward put his hands behind his back, pacing, trying to keep his steps measured and not too hasty. “I understand now. What you said. About that feeling of home. That was how it was, precisely.

  “I was in that crowded ballroom and feeling lost and all I had to do was turn and find her. It was as though I always knew where she was in the room. I wanted nothing more than to go to her.”

  “Then why did you not? I did not see either of you two near each other all night.”

  “She did not want me.”

  “You did not ask.”

  “Her manner was plain enough.”

  Georgiana sighed. “I think that you have spent so much time with ladies coming after you that you have forgotten that traditionally it is the man who goes after the lady.”

  “We only just returned to solid ground after our mistakes of the previous night.” He still felt that he was more in the wrong than Miss Worthing was, but she insisted upon recognizing her own culpability and he respected that. They had both mis-stepped.

  “I think that you underestimate your charm, brother.”

  “I would not dare to presume.” Edward at last sank down into a chair again. “You saw her tonight, Georgiana. You saw how she was. It was magnificent.”

  “She finally had the confidence. Yes. I saw. I was quite proud.”

  “You ought to be. You coached her into this.”

  Georgiana nodded but seemed lost in thought.

  “She even played Miss Hennings. She was so kind to her that the woman was at a complete loss. But do you know—I believe that Miss Worthing is finally rubbing off on me. I felt bad for the poor woman. She really is a sad creature if you think about it.”

  Georgiana hummed quietly.

  “It was a terrible thing, though. To realize how I felt. It was as though a dam had been broken open.” Edward scoffed at himself. “Now I truly sound like a horrible poet.”

  Georgiana took a deep breath. “Edward, if I am to tell you something, will you keep it in the strictest confidence?”

  “Of course.”

  She nodded, as if to herself. “I would not normally say anything. Indeed I am chastising myself even as I speak. I think that it is
a violation of privacy and the gentle unspoken promise between ladies, that we will keep one another’s confidence.”

  Edward frowned. “Are you certain that you should be saying anything then?”

  Georgiana nodded, this time with more determination. “I must. If there is no other way to convince you, and I do not think that there is, then I must. In order for you and that dear girl to both obtain the happiness that you deserve.”

  Edward’s breath caught in his throat and he stood up before he even realized that he was thinking of moving. “Georgiana. Are you suggesting…”

  “Miss Worthing confessed to me only last night that she loved you,” Georgiana blurted out.

  “I know that it is wrong of me to tell you so. Indeed, I have struggled all night over it. I tried to present her at her best to you. I tried to boost her confidence. I had hoped that you would at least accept what you were beginning to realize after our talk.

  “And you did accept it. I was glad of it. But now you are insisting that she does not feel the same way. And right now, that poor girl is probably thinking that she has no chance with you whatsoever and I will not allow it. I simply will not. She has already cried too many times over this matter and you and I both know that she deserves better than that.

  “She has been in love with you for quite some time. I believe that is part of why she was so devastated after you chastised her. And part of why none of the other men have made a move to court her properly. They could sense it from her even if she never gave any definitive sign.

  “Her love for you is what Miss Hennings was so cruel to her about that other night. And it was with the aim of impressing you that she tried to behave as she did last night. It backfired horribly but you can understand her sentiment.

  “She saw that she was not the socialite that you, a duke, would need in a wife. And so she tried to become that. Of course that is not what you want—I know that, Edward, and I did not encourage her, please do not look at me so sternly.

  “But she wanted so badly to fit in and so badly to show you that she could handle society and could be that partner at balls for the networking that you will need to do.”

  Edward felt as though he was reeling. This put everything into a new light. It made him feel twice as awful as he had before for how harshly he had treated Miss Worthing during the ball last night.

  “Surely I would have noticed,” he managed to get out. It seemed fantastical to him that such a thing could have happened without him realizing it.

  Georgiana gave him a fond but pitying look. “You hardly noticed your own feelings, Edward. How on earth were you going to notice hers?”

  “A fair point,” he admitted.

  “She would die of shame if she knew that I was telling this to you. She is utterly convinced that you will never return her affections. And I am breaking her confidence in sharing this with you so please, do not tell her that I told you.

  “I tell you this not so that you might laud it over her or act in haste. I am telling you so that you might know that if you wish to move forward with her, the way is clear. You will meet no resistance.”

  Georgiana paused. “Well, you might meet some resistance, only in that the sweet girl thinks that she is unworthy of you. But that is an issue easily cleared up by yourself I am sure. If you wish to pursue it.”

  “If I wish to—” Edward hardly knew what to think.

  He was half in elation. It was as though his heart had taken flight. To know that the powerful emotions he felt for Miss Worthing were returned. To know that if he offered her his hand she would take it. That he might get to have her by his side, as he so longed for…

  But he was still half afraid. And filled with a great deal of confusion and concern as to how he had failed to notice such a thing.

  He turned to his sister. “Have I behaved…badly towards her? Have I been cruel? Have I tormented her and led her on without realizing it?”

  “Not at all,” Georgiana assured him. “You were merely kind to her. Loving. You danced together while she was taking lessons. You have escorted her everywhere. I am not surprised that love has blossomed between the two of you.”

  “Then you are saying that she loves me only because I am the man to whom she has grown accustomed.” His heart sank.

  Georgiana shook her head. “It has been a month, Edward. She has met many men, frequently, at these balls and other gatherings. If she were capable of developing feelings for one of them then she would have. It is not as though she were a hermit or shut away.

  “She had the chance to form an attachment to other men. To charming, well-off, handsome men. And she chose you. She loves you. She’s quite adorable about it, really.”

  Edward considered that. Did he dare to hope? Was it possible that he could allow himself to celebrate?

  “If you do not believe me,” Georgiana went on, “then you might ask her directly.”

  “But is it not too soon?” he asked. “Ought I not to court her properly?”

  “What do you think that you have been doing this entire time?” Georgiana inquired. “Again, I ask, why do you think that the ladies were so envious and none of the gentlemen have made a proper move towards her?

  “You have been her escort, yes. But whether you realized it or not, you have already been courting her. Indeed, a proposal at this junction is probably what everyone is expecting.”

  He thought of what Miss Hennings had said. How she had assumed that he and Miss Worthing were already engaged. He had thought that she was jumping the gun out of spite but perhaps she was not the only one doing so.

  But it did not matter what others thought if Miss Worthing was not comfortable with it.

  “Are you certain that I would not be overstepping my bounds?” he asked. He felt, for the first time in his life, hesitant. Unsure of his course.

  Georgiana pursed her lips, looking amused. “I do not think it would be possible for you to overstep your bounds in this matter. Within the lines of propriety of course. But Miss Worthing will return whatever affection you wish to give her.”

  “I do not even know what to think,” Edward confessed.

  “Perhaps you should try not thinking and focus instead on what you are feeling.”

  There was a bit of fond exasperation to her tone, as if she were thinking that if only Edward had stopped using his head and had used his heart long ago, this whole matter would have been settled already.

  Edward gave her a stern look. “You cannot blame me for being cautious in this.”

  “I can certainly blame you for not taking enough time to learn yourself,” Georgiana replied. “Everyone could see how you two felt about one another. It was only out of concern for you that Miss Worthing did not say anything.”

  Edward felt an odd sense of pride and pleasure at that. Unlike all of the other ladies who threw themselves at him, Miss Worthing had not done anything to indicate her interest.

  And she was not after him for his title or money. At least not according to Georgiana, and besides, Edward trusted Miss Worthing’s character. He knew she was not the sort to marry a man only for that.

  If she was after title or money, in any case, there were plenty of easier men to go after and to charm.

  But she wanted Edward for who he was. She truly cared for him. And yet she had done nothing about it because she had thought that Edward did not want her.

  His heart went out to her.

  “What if I did not love her?” he asked.

  Georgiana’s face darkened, and her eyes grew sad. “Then I imagine that she would have found someone else to marry out of esteem, if not love. I believe that was why she behaved as she did tonight. She was determined to try and move on.”

  Edward could well imagine the empathy that his sister felt for Miss Worthing. Edward suddenly realized just how lucky Miss Worthing was.

  For he did love her back. Indeed, if it was not such a late hour, he would have gone to her at once in order to tell her so. He wanted to reassure
her that he would give her everything that he had to take care of her. That he wanted to see her smiling at him every morning over the breakfast table.

  He wanted to tell her all of this, and more, although he knew that he should probably prepare himself first. He would not want to end with her feeling insulted or as though he only offered out of altruism or because he knew how she felt.

  But what if he had not returned her affections? She would have been like Georgiana. Except that Miss Worthing did not have the luxury of a brother who would so willingly care for her and did not care that she didn’t marry.