by Fanny Finch
“I am usually happy,” Eugenia said in a dismissive voice. She raised one hand and waved it in Hestia’s direction. “I have little to worry about. You, however, have much that concerns you. It is not because I am younger than you and in my first season. I know how you regret the life you have been forced to live. I cannot let you continue thinking you are not as special as you are.”
Hestia pulled in a deep breath. “I am nervous to speak to him, Eugenia. I know you believe in my training and my personal intelligence but… I am still nervous.”
Eugenia’s grin was conniving. “That is because you are attracted to him. I was told that would happen when you want to give your heart to someone.”
Hestia nodded. “I do suppose you are right. But what will I find to talk about? I have conditioned myself to act as a companion. It will be my instinct to pair you with someone else.”
Eugenia shook her head. “Nonsense. You were raised as a lady and you will remember how to act like one. You will simply be yourself and win him over with your beauty and charm.”
“My beauty and charm,” Hestia repeated, thinking about those words. She would have to dress in much finer clothing to be noticed by Lord Price. She was still concerned about the fact that her family had little money and her dowry would be much smaller than anything he would get from Miss Drusilla’s family.
Hestia was quite sure Miss Drusilla came with a hefty dowry.
That set her thinking again about whether or not Lord Price would marry simply for money. If he was that kind of man, she was not sure she wanted to be courted by him or paired with him in any way. She would never have a great deal of money to offer. Nothing like Miss Drusilla and her wealth.
“You do not think the money will have anything to do with it?”
“No. Lord Price is not trying to find a wife with a kingdom behind her. He wants love.”
Hestia frowned slightly. “How do you know this? Did he tell you?”
“Not directly. But that does not mean I am not right.”
“No, but it does not mean you are, either.”
“It is something you will find out from him when he comes for the party here and sees that you are the lady you claimed to be.”
“I never told him I was a lady.”
“You cannot deny it. At the party, you will not deny it. I will be right beside you, as encouragement but when the time is right, I will depart and let you two have a conversation to yourselves.” She smiled again. “I even have it arranged for you to sit next to him at the dinner table. And we have a vast library where we will hold brief readings and small monologues, should anyone care to participate.”
“I am sure there will be plenty of people who are willing to stand and read, Eugenia.” Hestia thought that might be something she would like to do. “I might participate myself.”
“I thought you would like that. When you shared an interest with Lord Price in poems and other works of fiction, I knew you would want to be in the library at least a few times. Besides,” she tilted her head to the side. “I have seen you in the library when you have free time and you always have your nose in a book.”
Hestia laughed. “I cannot help it. Words make me feel better. Leaving this world for another cannot be compared. Sometimes, it is a disappointment to have to leave their reality for mine when I am done with the book I am reading.”
“I have even seen you in the library sleeping, with a book open on your lap.”
Hestia raised her eyebrows. “You have?”
“On several occasions.”
Both women laughed.
I did not know that I was seen. I am ashamed.”
“Oh no, you should not be ashamed. You looked like an angel sent from Heaven to read something and who fell asleep.”
Hestia thought Eugenia’s statement was odd but would not tell her so. She had vowed to herself that she would say nothing more to embarrass or humiliate Eugenia.
“When Lord Price comes to my party, I will have you properly introduced by your mother and he will see that you are a genuine lady.”
“I do hope so, Eugenia. Even though I am nervous about having an opportunity to speak with him one-on-one again, I am looking forward to whatever might happen.”
“It will be exciting, Hestia! Just you wait and see.”
The two young women turned when the sound of a carriage took their attention from the garden. They turned in their saddles and watched as the Nottingham carriage came to a stop in front of the mansion.
Hestia’s eyes widened and she looked at Eugenia. “I did not know my parents were coming here today.”
“The party is not until Friday,” Eugenia responded in her own confused voice. “I did not know they were arriving today, either.”
Chapter 14
At that moment, Leander was sitting back in his favorite chair, watching several of his friends play a game of cribbage. They had offered a place for him but he declined. He was not interested in playing the game. He wanted to think.
He had invited his friends to give himself some company. He wanted to take his mind off the striking Lady Hestia, who had come to him as a companion to introduce him to her ladyship, Eugenia.
Try as he might, he was unable to keep himself from thinking about Hestia. He replayed their short conversation in his mind and saw her in his memory, sitting with Lady Eugenia, talking with very serious looks on their faces. Had they been talking about him?
He dismissed the idea, thinking it a selfish and egotistical one.
But still, he could not help wondering. It would have pleased him to know he was being discussed, even if the words were not entirely pleasant all the time. They may have been suspicious of him because he appeared to show interest in Hestia when he was already “courting” Miss Drusilla.
Leander did not consider himself to be courting Miss Drusilla. He was being forced into an arrangement with her that meant nothing more to him than the money he would receive because of it.
If only his father had not interfered.
He also had to take into account that no matter how much love might be involved with Hestia, he would be taking on a family that had obvious money problems.
After meeting her, Leander had decided to ask a few questions of other members of society. He inquired to those who were old enough to know Lord Nottingham and his reckless spending. They described him as a kind man, much like his daughters, but that he was a terrible financial man of business and that he had truly run his family into the ground with his gambling and bad decisions.
No one spoke any truly unkind words about Lord Nottingham. They were willing to protect his reputation because he was friendly and outgoing at social events. His business acumen left a great deal to be desired, however, and that was what Leander had to focus on.
He did not want to think negatively. He knew his father would not approve of Hestia simply because of the money. He would not care to know anything other than how much money Hestia would bring to the family.
Since it appeared there would be very little, Leander knew it would be a struggle when it came to courting her.
He shook his head to clear it. He had become lost in his thoughts. His friends were playing their game, paying little attention to him. He did not mind. He had asked them over to distract him but they had not kept his mind off Hestia. Whatever fun they wanted to have while there was fine with him.
He looked out the window, noticing the bright blue sky with sparse white clouds sliding through it here and there. It was a good day for a ride. He considered taking one, turning his eyes from the window to his friends, but said nothing. They were laughing about something and seemed to be having a fine time doing what they were doing.
He set his elbow on the armrest and propped his chin up with one fist, staring out the window instead. He wondered what it would be like to be married to Hestia. He had already pictured his future with Miss Drusilla and just the thought of that made him shiver.
He was much happier in the p
resence of Hestia than Miss Drusilla, it was something he could not deny. Hestia was different than any other woman he had ever met. She was certainly nothing like Miss Drusilla.
He could tell that, even as a companion, Hestia held an air about her that made her stand out from the rest. It wasn’t just her beauty. It was something Leander could not quite put his finger on. It was something intriguing, unique, and noteworthy.
He was almost jealous of every other man who had the opportunity to speak to Hestia on a casual basis. He wondered if there was a man she was interested in.
Should he consult Lady Eugenia? Would there ever be an opportunity where he might be able to do something like that?
A knock at the door drew his attention and that of his friends, who all looked at the door and then at him.
“Have you invited more friends, old man?” One of the men spoke up, smiling at Leander.
He shook his head. “No, I have not, as a matter of fact. Come in!”
The door was pushed open and his footman, Toby, looked in. “I have a letter for you, my lord.”
Leander pushed himself up from the chair and went to the door. He went out in the hallway with Toby, taking the folded letter from him. “What is this?”
“It appears to be an invitation, my lord. I do believe the messenger was from the Culross estate.”
“Culross?” A tingle of excitement passed through him. That was the name of Lady Eugenia’s family.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Thank you, Toby.”
He turned and went back through the door. He looked up from the letter at his friends, who were pulling on their jackets and coats. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“You are leaving?”
“We did not plan to stay long, my lord.” One of his favorite young women of the ton, his cousin and long-time friend, Abigail DeLong, stood up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. “You have been very distracted today and we have been unsuccessful in gaining your interest. We will take our leave.”
Leander felt terrible. He frowned and said, “Are you sure, Abigail? I did not mean to offend you or anyone here today.”
“Do not speak nonsense, Leander,” Abigail’s husband, John, responded to him, slapping Leander on the arm in a friendly way. “We must return and take care of the children. They are with the nanny and we have made plans to eat dinner with them. Jean will be playing the pianoforte for us all this evening. You should hear how much she has progressed on the instrument. It is as though she was born with it in her hands.”
“That is nice to hear. I am glad Jean is progressing so well.”
John and Abigail both nodded. They went to the door, giving him their last goodbye and his other two visitors followed behind them, smiling at him.
He watched them leave with wide eyes. It had come as a surprise to him but the more he thought about it, the more he realized his cousin Abigail was that kind of woman. All he had to do was step out in the hallway and Abigail would whisper quickly that she was ready to leave.
John did whatever his “queen” wanted, and would not have put up a fight. He walked to the window at the front of the room that faced the lawn and garden, where Abigail and John’s carriage was waiting for them.
He waved the paper in his hand at them. Abigail saw him and leaned out of the carriage to throw a kiss to him.
He smiled.
As their carriage pulled away from the mansion, Leander went back to the chair where he had been previously seated and dropped down, holding the letter in both hands.
He stared down at it, allowing himself to feel some excitement and anticipation. An invitation to Lady Eugenia’s estate could only mean one thing.
He would get an opportunity to see Hestia again.
He wondered if she would avoid him or try to pair him with Lady Eugenia. He could not consider courting the younger lady. He would be in the presence of Hestia too much for his attraction not to be noticed. He was not fond of the thought of attempting to fool Lady Eugenia or her father, either. Neither one was a fool and neither deserved to be made out to be one.
He unfolded the letter and read the elegant handwriting. It was signed by Lord Callow but Leander was already convinced it was Lady Eugenia who had prompted her father to send the letter.
Call it intuition. Call it a gut feeling. Leander was sure of it without a doubt.
The thought made him pleased. He could only hope Hestia was thinking of him as much as he thought about her.
He read the invitation again. Friday evening was two nights away. That gave him plenty of time to prepare what to wear, what to say, how to find time to talk to Hestia.
Would she even speak to him?
His stomach turned slightly at the thought that Miss Drusilla would likely also be there. He felt a mixture of dismay and disgust that he could wish she would not be. He did not mind Miss Drusilla as a person, despite her brash ways.
He just could not consider her for a wife, someone he would spend a great deal of time with for the rest of his life. He would be expected to produce an heir, of course, and the woman he chose as the mother would be responsible for half of the child’s genes.
He did not want a dictatorial woman as the mother of his children, any more than he wanted his children to turn out with attitudes as bold as Miss Drusilla. At the house party, Lady Eugenia had not looked on Miss Drusilla with anything more than a polite ladylike behavior.
Would she invite Miss Drusilla? Had she been blind to the outlandish, outspoken ways Miss Drusilla did not even attempt to hide or tame?
Who would want to invite someone like Miss Drusilla to their party?
He felt guilty for his thoughts. Miss Drusilla was as much a part of the social scene as any other lady of wealth in the ton. It was not his business whether she was invited to the party or not.
He was going to attend, he was certain of that. But he would not accompany Miss Drusilla there, just as he had not accompanied her to any of the events this season. It was mere speculation and rumor that he was going to marry her.
He regretted telling Hestia and Lady Eugenia but he’d had no real choice. Miss Drusilla’s arrival was sure to happen at the most inopportune time and he did not want to appear as if he was hiding something from them when the merchant’s daughter came to stand by his side.
Miss Drusilla expected to be introduced by him to anyone she did not know. She never mentioned that he did not invite her to his home, nor did he call upon her. At the events of the season, they were seen together. Otherwise, they had nothing to do with each other.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he got. In two days, he would be at Lady Eugenia’s, keeping his eye out for the companion, hoping for an opportunity to talk to her.
He looked at the bookshelf on the other side of the room. Would it be improper to bestow a gift on Hestia? Perhaps his favorite novel or something historical? He wondered what Hestia’s favorite writing was. He wondered if she liked poetry more than novels.
Leander had memorized many poems as a child but they were all gone from his mind these twenty years later. He stood up again and walked to the bookshelf. He pondered the titles for a moment but did not see the book he wished to take with him.
Turning from the bookshelf, he decided to check his father’s study or the family library to see if someone had placed it in either spot. He walked quickly to the door and pulled it open to ask his footman.
He was surprised to see Toby was standing directly in front of the door. He wondered how long the footman had been standing there. Leander thought back quickly, wondering if he had spoken any of his thoughts aloud.
Satisfied that he had not, he inquired of Toby, “Have you been standing here long, Toby?”
Toby raised his eyebrows, shaking his head. “Oh no, my lord. I returned to the study where your father is. He has sent me back up to tell you he wishes to speak to you. He was waiting for your friends and your cousin to leave before sending me.”
&
nbsp; Chapter 15
Leander was a bit surprised. His father did not often send Toby to get him. He nodded. “All right. He is in the study?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Toby followed behind him as he went down the stairs. Leander looked back up at him. “Is Mother with him?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Leander felt a little more at ease. His mother was always a calming presence for his father. That was what he wanted emulating in his marriage. A relationship of mutual respect where both had a hand in keeping the peace.
He pushed open the door to the study and stepped in. His attention was immediately drawn to the fire, which was blazing as if newly made. His mother was seated in a chair near it, sewing needles in her hands. She was embroidering a small handkerchief. She looked up when he came in and smiled at him.
