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

by Fanny Finch

  It was a great kindness for him to help Robert out like this. Robert would not forget it. And he must be sure to show that gratitude. This was not the time to be sharing his woes over a long-over heartbreak.

  “I appreciate it,” he told him. “Truly. Tell me, have you met the other people that Miss Weston has invited for this whole party of hers?”

  “I’m aware of them,” Mr. Norwich said. “But I cannot say that I know any of them. One hears about people, of course. But I fear that I know nothing of their characters and I daresay they shan’t really know anything of mine.

  “Miss Weston did that on purpose, actually, or so I believe. I’ve known her for quite a few years and she’s always been a lively thing.

  “I think that she is trying to help people to meet one another. To get acquainted in a way that they would not have otherwise.”

  “I hope that she is not thinking of muddling the status quo,” Robert said. “She’s a troublemaker at times, you know, although there is always some altruistic reason behind it.”

  Mr. Norwich nodded. “It is that way with her, I’ve found. But we shall see what all is going on soon enough. She’s sent us an invitation to dinner this evening.”

  “Of course she has learned that I am staying with you. I swear that lady finds a way of finding out everything. She probably knew about my aunt before I did.”

  Mr. Norwich laughed. “Well, you shall get an opportunity to chastise her for it at once.”

  “That is true.”

  Robert wasn’t sure if he was looking forward to the dinner or not. “I’m afraid I’m rather rusty on my manners. You might have to coach me.”

  “If there was ever a group of people who wouldn’t mind if you have to double-check which fork to use, then it would be the group of whichever people Miss Weston has invited.”

  Mr. Norwich showed Robert to his room, and then left him to get ready for dinner.

  Robert stared at himself in the mirror once he was ready to go. The last time that he had been out in society, he had fallen in love. He had been a man in love, a man engaged. He had gone from being an insecure boy to a man who thought he had the world in the palm of his hand… and then had become a man crushed.

  Now he was older. Hopefully wiser. And trying to do it all over again.

  He was not stupid. Miss Weston had hinted in her letters that there would be some lovely young ladies in attendance. Mr. Norwich was a highly eligible bachelor.

  And he himself might be considered a highly eligible bachelor nowadays.

  An only child, Miss Weston had always been strong-willed and perhaps had been given a little too much head by her parents. It would not surprise him if his hunch was right and she was trying to take the opportunity to matchmake.

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about that idea.

  On the one hand, Miss Weston obviously knew what kind of woman he liked. She had been one of the few people who had known about his engagement to Miss Reginald.

  Indeed, the young lady had actively encouraged the engagement. She had been open in her support of the match and had stated several times how well-suited she thought the two were for one another.

  And so if she was trying to matchmake him with someone, there could be little doubt that she would know the sort of woman that would catch his eye.

  But would that only hurt him more? To be faced with a woman who was so like Miss Reginald and yet, not her at all? But would a woman who was entirely different not be at all to his taste?

  He did not know.

  Robert tried to be a man who knew his own heart. But in this, right now, he was entirely lost.

  Did he want to be set up?

  He knew that he needed to marry. What was more, he wanted to marry. He wanted someone to share the rest of his life with. Someone to go on long walks with. An ally at dinner parties.

  But to find someone in the house of the woman who had been the best friend of the woman to whom he had once been engaged…

  It was all a bit frustrating and confusing, that was all. Dare he even say awkward?

  Looking at himself in the mirror, Robert knew that he looked like a proper gentleman. But he didn’t quite feel like one.

  He still felt like he was that terrified young man underneath it all. And a soldier on top of that. How was he supposed to fit in with all of these men and women who had never known the sea? Who had spent their entire lives going to balls and social gatherings?

  It was, frankly, rather scary. He didn’t like to admit it. After all, it wasn’t as though his life was in danger. He’d faced down real danger before and come back out the other side.

  And yet now, the idea that a mutual acquaintance was trying to matchmake him was making him more nervous than going into a sea battle against the French.

  There was a knock at the door and Robert knew that it was Mr. Norwich checking up on him.

  “Out in a moment,” he called.

  Well, whether he felt ready or not, it was time to go over and see what was going on. Get the lay of the land.

  He supposed that after all, he could always simply keep a polite distance if he didn’t feel an affinity for the ladies.

  It could be worse, of course.

  He could be seeing Miss Reginald again.

  Chapter 5

  The ladies arrived first.

  Georgiana knew that she would like Miss Everett right away. She was similar enough in character to Georgiana but had a sharp wit that had Georgiana smiling a great deal more than she usually did.

  Miss Perry, she was less sure about. The girl was rather silly, as Julia had warned. It wasn’t that she was a stupid girl. But she was still rather behaving like a girl rather than an adult.

  It could be charming, Georgiana supposed. But there was a way to go about it without coming across as quite so… ridiculous.

  Maria was rather guileless in her manner. It was true. And some people thought of her as more girlish than womanly. But she was thoughtful and intelligent and a good listener. Those things, in Georgiana’s opinion, gave her a sense of maturity.

  Miss Perry didn’t seem to have that. At least not from what Georgiana could tell from the half hour of getting to know her before the dinner started.

  Miss Everett, on the other hand, had a definite sense of maturity to her. Georgiana could see how people might be put off by her wit. But Georgiana had grown up with Edward for a brother. And of course their sour father. After that, she doubted that anything Miss Everett said could faze her.

  And at least none of it was malicious. That would have drawn the line for her. But instead it was all simply blunt. Rather like Maria, in some ways. Certainly like Edward.

  Julia was flitting between the three of them, being her marvelous, energetic self.

  And then the men arrived.

  The first one through the door was Mr. Tomlinson. He was a very handsome man, with strawberry blond hair and an easy smile. He was very affable when he and Georgiana were introduced to one another.

  “I’ve been hearing wonderful things about you, Miss Reginald,” Mr. Tomlinson said. “Your friend Miss Weston here was simply full of your praises.”

  “Miss Weston, I’m afraid, can be a little overenthusiastic in things,” Georgiana replied. “I’m quite a boring person, truly, once you get to know me.”

  “You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t quite believe you,” Mr. Tomlinson said. “Anyone who is a friend to Miss Weston must be at least somewhat capable of holding attention in a crowd. I think I shall have to withhold my judgment until I get to see more of you.”

  Georgiana thought it a very pretty speech of him. It made her unsure. Men who were good with their words, who had silver tongues, tended to put her on her guard. It tended to suggest a lack of sincerity in their words, a lack of true feeling.

  In her experience, the sort of people who could so easily make up honeyed speeches didn’t really mean them. It was when the person was searching for words and struggling through that it showed ho
w much emotion was behind it. The greater the emotion, the harder it was to get the words out.

  But of course, there was no reason for Mr. Tomlinson to have any particular emotions towards her or anyone else in the party. He could just be a man of wit, the way that Miss Everett was a woman of some wit. She didn’t need to judge him too hastily.

  Then the next man arrived.

  Or rather, the next two men.

  Georgiana’s back was to the door, for she was looking at the sheets of music at the pianoforte. She played, and she and Maria liked to duet, taking turns playing the instrument and turning the pages.

  She heard someone enter, and then the introductions Julia was making. That must be Mr. Norwich.

  Then she heard someone else enter—and her heartrate picked up.

  It had been so long, but she had not forgotten the distinctive sound of his boots on the floor. The way that he walked, the length of his stride.

  Even before Julia said anything, Georgiana could sense him. Her heart already knew.

  “And this is Captain Trentworth,” Julia was saying. “He is staying on with Mr. Norwich for a time and I have added him to even out our number.”

  Even out? While there would now be three men and three women, there was still Julia to consider.

  Although Georgiana supposed that Julia could now sit at the head of the table…

  She shook herself. How could she be wondering about dinner seating at a moment such as this?

  Julia had to know that Captain Trentworth was coming. She knew everything that was going on around her. This couldn’t possibly be a last-minute addition.

  She had known that Captain Trentworth would be in town. She had invited him to join her party. And she had done all of this, knowing how Georgiana felt. Knowing how their last meeting had gone.

  And she had said not a word of warning to Georgiana about it!

  Georgiana took a deep breath. She would be having a firm talk with Julia later, once everyone else had gone.

  For now, she had to figure out what she was going to do about Captain Trentworth.

  Dragging Julia off to the side to lecture her would not accomplish anything. She had to find a way to control her emotions, and quickly.

  Captain Trentworth must have known that she would be here. What did he think of her? Why had he come? Did he despise her?

  He had certainly seemed to, when she had broken off their engagement all those years ago. He had spoken quite frankly to her. It had been clear just what he thought of her choices and her principles—or rather lack of them.

  He couldn’t possibly have forgiven her, could he? Did he want to take this chance to start anew? Or was he here simply to rub it in her face that she was not his wife?

  Georgiana had no idea. But she would be damned if she would let herself be made a fool of by herself, of all people. She was not going to show a bit of emotion that was not cordial and appropriate for such a setting.

  She took a few deep breaths and steeled herself. In all likelihood, Captain Trentworth was perfectly fine with seeing her. He had probably gotten over her ages ago. After all, they had parted with him despising her.

  When you despised someone, surely that quickly turned to indifference. He probably hadn’t thought of her at all in the intervening years and if he had it would have been only with pity or anger.

  No, she was the one who was still clinging to an emotion, a kinship, that was no longer there.

  It was up to her to remain calm.

  Georgiana turned and walked across the room to him. The years had been good to him. When she had first met Captain Trentworth, he had been younger and, of course, good-looking.

  But now he had gone from good-looking to full-on handsome. He had dark, deep blue eyes and rich brown hair as he had before. But now the eyes were darker, and he had grown into his face. The jawline had strengthened and the lines that had appeared gave him an air of dignity.

  He was more handsome now than he had been when she had first fallen in love with him.

  Oh, she was in so much trouble.

  She felt a fool for doing so, but she quickly looked to see if there was a wedding ring. There was nothing there. But of course men did not always wear wedding rings. He might simply not have chosen to.

  But Captain Trentworth was a loyal man. A man who clearly and firmly stated where he stood. If he was married she had the feeling that he would wear a ring simply to proclaim his partnership with his wife.

  The woman that he picked, after all, would be a lucky one. One of high character and principle. One to whom Captain Trentworth had given his whole heart.

  She had been that lucky once. She had held his heart in her hand.

  And she had crushed it.

  She knew the moment that he saw her, for he froze. It was quite a physical reaction.

  And then she knew—Julia had not told him about her, either.

  How terribly unfair of Julia to do such a thing to them. And now their first meeting in years was to be in front of other people. In a place where they could not speak plain and work out their emotions.

  They would have to be cordial to one another and pretend as though nothing intimate had happened between them years ago.

  How on earth were they to manage?

  “Miss Reginald,” Captain Trentworth said. His voice had grown deeper and richer in the intervening years. It made her feel warm all over. “I had not expected to see you here.”

  “Nor I,” Georgiana admitted. “I had not realized that you were back in England. Are you on leave?”

  “In fact I have retired,” Captain Trentworth said. “I have come into money during my service and recently come into some inheritance as well. I felt that it was high time that I settled into a life in society at last.”

  “You two know each other?” said another man.

  Georgiana curtsied to him. He was tall and thin, with a solid presence and warm brown eyes. This must be Mr. Norwich, unless there was yet another man that Julia had failed to warn Georgiana about.

  “This is Miss Reginald,” Captain Trentworth said. “Unless I am mistaken and you have married in my time away.”

  “No, sir, I have not.”

  “And this is Mr. Norwich,” Captain Trentworth added, almost as an afterthought.

  “You surprise me,” Mr. Norwich said. “You did not give me the impression that you were acquainted with such a lovely lady as this.”

  Georgiana smiled politely. He was only flattering her. She was not nearly the lively beauty that the other three ladies in the party were. Already she could see Miss Everett making everyone laugh while Miss Perry was flattering Mr. Tomlinson and making him smile.

  No, Mr. Norwich was only flattering her. It was the way of these educated men. She only had to not make the mistake of believing them.

  Julia came up then and started inquiring after Mr. Norwich’s family. Georgiana suspected that it was a sly way of getting herself and Captain Trentworth alone.

  Oh, she was most certainly going to talk to Julia about this later on.

  “I am surprised,” Captain Trentworth said quietly. “I thought that you would have been long married by now.”

  “It was not to be, it seems,” Georgiana said carefully.

  Captain Trentworth wasn’t even looking directly at her. He was instead staring at one of the paintings on the wall.

  Was she truly so abhorrent to him? Was he so very angry with her still?

  “And you?” she asked. “I would have thought that you would be married as well by now.”

  “I have been out on the high seas,” Captain Trentworth replied. “There are those who bring their wives with them but I am not one such man. I wanted to wait until I retired and then spend time with my wife.”

  “And yet you would have married me,” Georgiana could not help but point out.

  “You were a… special case,” Captain Trentworth replied. “But I have since learned that logic is to win the day. As you so wisely taught me.”r />
  That had, indeed, been one of the things that Georgiana had said to him when she had broken off their engagement.

  To have him flinging her own words back at her felt like a slap in the face. So he was still angry with her. He probably even hated her.

  Well, at least now she knew.

  “And how is your father?” he asked. Whether it was to get in another dig at her or to change the subject, she did not know.