“Well, that is excellent since it means I do not have to wait for you. I must admit I am actually looking forward to dinner with Lord and Lady Astley. I am becoming decidedly hungry.”
“I have heard good reports about the skills of their kitchen staff, so your hunger should soon be appeased.”
After enjoying a delectable repast with the Earl and Countess of Standish and twenty of their guests, Alfred and Bryghton continued on to the Melbourne ball. After being announced and descending into the assembled throng, the two men made their way to the side of the room to observe the crowd for a moment.
Keeping his eyes on the crowd and his voice low so as not to be overheard, Alfred teased the duke. “Are you sufficiently fed to survive the evening’s rigours, Wychwood?”
“I must admit that I am, Freddy, my boy. The countess certainly knows how to spread a feast. But the chit she sat me next to was not the most entertaining dinner companion.”
Alfred stopped looking around and turned a look of surprise upon his friend. “You did not enjoy Lady Isabelle’s company? Why ever not? She is expected to be the toast of the ton.”
“I have no idea why she would be,” the duke drawled, pausing to sip from the glass a passing footman had just passed him. “I will admit she was pretty enough to look at, but she had nothing to say. Attempting to carry on a conversation with her was painful, Freddy. I have met my share of debutantes. I would take any of the silly ones who chatter about nothing over one who has absolutely nothing to say.”
“Mayhap she was merely overcome by your exalted presence,” offered the baron.
Bryghton merely snorted in derision over the suggestion, not bothering to comment further. The two men were silent for a moment before the duke changed the subject in a nonchalant voice.
“I wonder what Lady Victoria would think of this occasion.”
Alfred lost all interest in gazing about at the other partygoers and turned a serious face to the duke. “Why are you wondering about her? What are you about, Alcott?”
The duke avoided his friend’s eyes, keeping his own sweeping about the room, and acknowledging acquaintances with a nod or a wave. He finally answered, “I am not about anything, Fred. But I must admit the lovely lady has remained firmly entrenched at the back of my mind since we made her acquaintance.”
“Well, dislodge her from there. Not only is she the niece of your sworn enemy, but she is also an innocent young woman. And she told you that you may not call on her. Nothing could possibly come of thinking about her.”
“That is where I disagree with you. Plenty can come of thinking about her. For one thing, it can enliven this deadly dull fete.”
Now the baron was truly concerned. “There is nothing dull about the Melbourne’s ball. What is amiss with you this evening, your grace?”
Clearing his throat, the duke turned to his friend contritely. “Naught is amiss, my good man. You know I hate this type of thing. I am only here out of respect for Lady Melbourne’s efforts to garner support in Parliament. But since I agreed to attend, I no doubt ought to put a good face on it.” With a grin, he chided Alfred, “What are we doing standing about? There are ladies to be danced with, Freddy.”
The orchestra struck up a new song, and with that the duke turned briskly and approached a nearby lady to invite her to the dance floor. Watching the duke with a worried look, the baron hesitated for a moment before he too found a partner and joined the dancers.
An hour and several dance partners later, Bryghton remembered that somehow his dinner companion had extracted a promise from him for a dance, so he went in search of the unconversational Lady Isabelle.
He bowed over her hand. “Dare I hope you have saved me a spot on your dance card, my lady?”
Blushing at the duke’s attention, Lady Isabelle nodded mutely while Bryghton suppressed his sigh. He lead her out to the dance floor. “Are you enjoying your evening, my lady?” he asked politely but without much interest.
The very young lady again nodded, not taking her eyes off his waistcoat. Bryghton decided to give up on his efforts at conversation and for a moment merely enjoyed the music. He had to admit that although she had nothing to say, she was a gifted dancer. After a few moments, he was surprised to hear her voice.
“I am enjoying the evening, your grace,” she insisted quietly, as if he had been trying to argue with her. “But I must admit I wish my parents had left me in the schoolroom.”
Bryghton had to admit that he found this statement to be particularly intriguing. He tried not to laugh.
“I have to tell you Lady Isabelle, I do believe that is the first time I have ever heard that statement in all my life.”
The young lady smiled ruefully without quite meeting his eyes. After another lengthy pause she blurted out, “I know it is not the usual sentiment amongst the debutantes, but I am sure I cannot be the first to think this way. The schoolroom is so much safer than the ballroom.”
“I assure you, my lady, you are in no danger here.”
She finally met his eyes for a brief second before turning back to look at the crowds as they swept along in the dance. “Surely I am, your grace. Well, I am fairly certain I am in no danger from you, but you cannot say there is no danger to an innocent young woman in this gathering of highborn Society. I am an heiress, your grace. There is a plethora of dangers.”
The duke raised his eyebrows at her words, but had to admit there was some truth to them. Intrigued, he questioned her further. “What good would staying in the schoolroom have done you, my lady?”
There was another pause and Bryghton wished the poor young woman would hurry with her words, as they were nearing the end of the dance and he was actually interested in knowing what she would say. Finally, she said, “I would have an extra year to prepare.”
He couldn’t help himself; he threw back his head and laughed. At the sight of her stricken look and the force of the many eyes turned in their direction, Bryghton quickly suppressed his mirth and offered a sincere apology.
“I am so sorry, my lady. I was not making fun. Your statement merely caught me by surprise.”
“It was not meant to be funny, your grace,” she said, a touch indignantly.
“I am sure it was not,” he soothed. “I have a perverse sense of humour.”
He escorted her from the dance floor. Despite his previous abhorrence of talking to her, he found himself wishing to prolong the conversation. “Did you not mention your feelings to your parents?”
The pause was shorter this time, but she still barely raised her eyes above his buttons. “I did mention it, your grace, but they thought I was being missish. My mother claims that her debut was the best months of her life and insisted that I would soon agree with her.”
“I take it you have yet to do so,” he concluded in kind tones, unsurprised when she had no reply beyond a shake of her head.
“Well, my lady, I see there are others clamouring to claim your hand for the next dance. I do hope you come to see the benefits of the Season, but if you do not and if you are ever in need of a hand of help, please know you can turn to the Duke of Wychwood for assistance.”
This surprised the young woman sufficiently to bring her eyes once more to his face for a searching moment. “Thank you, your grace,” she whispered briefly before turning to the young gentleman impatiently waiting to claim her for the next dance.
Bryghton turned to his friend who had sidled up to him and was now eyeing him with amusement. “It would appear that was far less of a chore than you had anticipated,” Alfred said.
The duke shrugged. “In a couple years she might be an interesting woman. While she is disconcertingly quiet, I can see that it isn’t because she’s dimwitted. In fact, she might be far more intelligent than I even realize.” He paused for a moment and looked around the crowded room. “In fact, many of these ladies might have more going on in their upper works than they are letting on. It’s going to take some getting used to.” He smiled over Alfred’s du
bious expression. “What say you to moving on to our next engagement? I do believe we have spent sufficient time here.”
And so it went. Alfred followed his friend through the crowds of a few more ballrooms before they finally decided to head home in the wee hours of the morning. As the baron was climbing out of the carriage he was interrupted by the duke’s words.
“I do believe I will be spending some time in Hyde Park tomorrow. Do you care to go riding with me there in the afternoon?”
“I thought you had seen reason on the subject of Lady Victoria.”
“I did not say anything about Lady Victoria. I just find myself wishing for some time spent in the out of doors,” said the duke with a semblance of innocence.
Alfred eyed him askance, debating how to answer, and disliking the look upon his friend’s face. He finally replied with an attempt at light humour. “Well, of course, I shall accompany you. Somebody has to keep you out of trouble.”
“Good luck with that,” said the duke, grinning at the look of chagrin upon the baron’s face. “Good night, Freddy. I shall see you on the morrow.”
Chapter Seven
Victoria had slept soundly all through the night. Blessedly, not a single one of the children had disturbed her in the wee hours and she woke up feeling fully refreshed from the adventures of the previous day. When she finally made her way out of her bedroom after brushing her hair and washing the sleep from her eyes, she was surprised to see the children quietly entertaining themselves.
“Good morning, children,” she said as she made her way to the table being set for them by the attentive maids.
Looking up from the dolls she was helping her little sister play with, Gwendolyn smiled cheerfully. “Good morning, Aunt Victoria.”
“Did you sleep well, Gwennie?” Victoria asked.
“I did, thank you.”
“Me too, Aunt ‘Toria,” piped up Daniel from the corner in which he was playing.
“It smells delicious in here. Hurry and wash your hands children, it looks as though it is time for us to break our fast.”
Victoria’s words prompted a flurry of activity as the children hastened to obey. “It would seem everyone is as hungry as I am this morning,” Victoria remarked as they hurriedly took their places.
There were a few minutes of relative quiet after the maids filled the children’s plates and everyone tucked into the delectable-looking food. After they had assuaged some of their hunger, Victoria endeavoured to make a plan for the day’s events.
“What do you think we should do today? Does anyone have any suggestions?”
“I have to do my lessons this morning, Aunty,” said Everett importantly.
“Well, of course, everyone needs to do their school work. I was meaning later, perhaps this afternoon. Do you think you shall be working on your lessons all day?”
“Possibly.” The boy gave a negligent shrug.
Victoria turned to look at the younger children. “What about you girls? Or Daniel? What would you like to do this afternoon?”
“I want to see the duckies,” Daniel declared emphatically.
“Oh Daniel, my darling boy, I think that might not be the best idea,” warned Victoria.
“Duckies,” the little boy insisted.
The doting cousin gazed at the little boy in consternation, but his big sister stepped into the fray. “Why don’t we go to the park and play ball? That would be really nice, wouldn’t it Daniel?”
The little boy looked at his sister seriously for a moment before grudgingly agreeing that it would be.
Victoria beamed at the children. “Wonderful, we shall go to the park when our lessons are complete. When we are ready to go we shall let you know, Everett, and you can decide whether or not you can accompany us.”
“That sounds like an acceptable plan,” the young man said, as haughty as ever.
Victoria just barely managed not to roll her eyes at his silliness, but maintained her smile as she looked around the table at her very favourite people. “If you have eaten enough, we should all get on with our day.”
There was a brief scramble as the children pushed back from the table. Victoria helped the maids clear the table while the children rushed to get their books.
Everett left to join his tutor and Victoria resumed the daunting task of teaching the four younger children, despite their vastly different ages and abilities.
The lessons always flew by and today was no exception. Victoria was startled when the footmen arrived with their midday meal, and she glanced at the clock on the mantle to verify that half the day was already gone.
“That was wonderful, children. I think that is enough for today. Let us put our books away and wash our hands. It is time to eat.”
“Yay!” Daniel shouted with delight. “Are we going to go to the park now, Aunt ‘Toria?”
“In a bit, Daniel dear. But you mustn’t bellow so in the house. You would not want your father to come running up here thinking we are being accosted, would you?”
The little boy laughed at Victoria’s words. “That’s silly, Aunt ‘Toria. Papa is at the House, he can’t hear me.”
“Perhaps he can, you were quite loud.” She endeavoured to keep a straight face to impart the lesson despite the little boy’s giggles.
“Sorry for being too loud, Aunty.”
“Never mind, Daniel. Come and let me see if you scrubbed off all your dirt.” The little boy came over for his cousin’s inspection, and then the meal proceeded uneventfully.
After everyone had eaten to satisfaction, all the children were bundled up in jackets and boots to ward off any chill in the spring air, and they set off to enjoy themselves in the park. Pansy was loaded down with a basket of balls while Victoria ensured Vanessa and Daniel’s hands were both tucked firmly in her own. The horrors of yesterday’s adventure were still entrenched in her mind and she was determined not to have a repeat performance. Steering the small group in a direction opposite the Serpentine, they finally settled on a sunny open area where the four youngsters could dash about and their cousin and maid could sit on benches nearby.
“Pansy, I must say I do not know how you and Molly did it. I do hope my aunt and uncle manage to find another governess shortly. I do not know how much longer I can keep up with these four.”
“Well, m’lady, you were always such a great help, especially whenever we were taking the children out of doors. But they sure are a handful. You’re very good with them, m’lady,” praised the nursemaid. “You might even be better with them than any governess they’ve ever had.”
“That is so kind of you to say, Pansy, thank you. But I fear that it may not be perfectly accurate. I am just grateful that Everett has a tutor. Ensuring he is prepared to enter Eton is most definitely beyond my skill.”
“But none of this should be fallin’ upon you, m’lady. It still strikes me strange that you have been actin’ as the children’s governess for this long.”
“I do not truly mind, Pansy, and I do owe my aunt and uncle for taking me in.”
“Not to my way o’ thinkin’ if you don’t mind me sayin’ so, m’lady. Seein’ as how his lordship got to be earl, don’t he owe you?” reasoned the maid persistently.
“Hush, Pansy, it really is not an appropriate subject for us to discuss. I apologize for bringing it up. I was just wondering out loud for fear that I may be doing the children a disservice.”
Pansy meant to allow the subject to be dropped at Victoria’s bidding, but she suddenly thought of a bewildering idea. “Are you sure they’re even lookin’?”
Victoria blinked at the maid as her stomach sank. Could it be true? What if her uncle and aunt were not actually looking for a governess? She resolved to push the thought away for the time being, and refused to dignify Pansy’s question with a comment of her own. Looking off into the distance, she allowed her mind to wander for a moment to pleasanter things, relishing the brief interlude while the children were busy entertaining themselves and each other
.
A few streets over, the duke was having an awkward conversation of his own.
“Come along, Freddy, or do not, it really makes little difference to me. I am going to Hyde Park. I would welcome your company, but only if you are not planning on bending my ears with your lectures. Need I remind you that I am a grown man, and a duke besides? I do not need you to censure my actions.”
The duke’s exasperation was causing him to be much higher in the instep than was his wont, which made his trusted friend gaze at him in surprised consternation.
“No, my lord duke, you do not need to remind me. However, need I remind you that the Alcotts just barely managed to control one scandal involving a Bartley. I would think you would not wish to court another.”
“Come now, Alfred, surely you know I am clever enough to avoid a scandal.”
The two men gazed at one another for a moment of belligerence. The kind-hearted duke was the first to concede. “Oh, come down off your high horse, Freddy. I am not courting a scandal. I admit to you freely that I am inexplicably drawn to the beautiful Lady Victoria. I am well aware of how ridiculous it is considering she is the devil’s niece. Were it any other female you would be delighted that I seemed to be finally doing my mother’s bidding. As it stands, I can assure you that I am not about to pursue any sort of relationship with the chit. I am merely curious about her. And I admit that I actually feel a sense of concern over her welfare. Do not ask me why, as I have no explanation. But I feel as though I really must see her again. She expressly forbade me from calling on her, which is a good thing, as the thought of calling at Pickering’s door gives me the shudders. But that leaves me with little recourse than to frequent the park to see if we might run into her once more. So that is what I am going to do. If you are so concerned that I am heading for trouble, you might as well accompany me so as to prevent it if you can.”
After this speech Alfred was not left with much choice but to swing up onto the back of his horse and set out towards Hyde Park with his friend. As they rode along, he cast the duke a wry glance. “I cannot say why I am accompanying you, as I have no idea how I shall keep you out of trouble when it presents itself.”
The Reluctant Debutante: A Sweet, Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair Book 4) Page 5
