by Fanny Finch
Leander felt resentment slide through him. He had wondered how it happened that Miss Drusilla was always there when he was or shortly after. He had not attended one event that season where she did not show up at the same time. Only the house party had given him a moment’s peace before she got there and that was because he had told no one he was leaving early. Not even Toby.
“I did not realize you were asking about my schedule, Father.” He couldn’t help letting some of the resentment come out in his voice.
His father smirked. “I have ears where you do not know, son. I know what moves you make before you even make them.”
“My life is not a chess game, Father,” Leander said. “I will thank you to not play with it. Miss Drusilla is not a good match for me. I do not need to be forced into something that will make me miserable for my entire life.”
The Countess of Coventry set aside her embroidery and turned to them again. She directed her words this time to Leander. “My son, you must realize what your father is saying is correct. You are obligated to marry the person of his choosing. But I do understand what you are saying and I would like it so much if the two of you can come to a compromise.”
“What compromise can there be?” Leander asked in a sincere voice. “He is insisting that I marry someone I do not love.”
“You will possibly grow to love her. That happens in almost every arranged marriage.”
Leander wondered silently how she could possibly have come up with such a statistic. It sounded like she was just saying it to appease his father.
“I will not fall in love with Miss Drusilla Sirey,” he replied in a cold, confident voice.
“You do not know that,” his father said. Leander looked at the man.
“Yes, I do.”
“I have made sure she is available to you whenever I can,” the Earl of Coventry said. “You have wasted all these chances. You should not waste any more.”
“Father, I resent that you are following my movements in such a way. I am not a child. I would like to know who has been telling you these things. Have you had them spy on me, as well? That is how you know that I showed extra attention to Lady Eugenia?”
“So you did show her extra attention?” The look on the Earl of Coventry’s face was one of jeering satisfaction.
Leander shook his head. He was not lying when he denied it. “No, Father. I only meant you think you know that. Someone has told you that. I want to know who you have spying on me. I want you to tell them to stop.”
“You must do what is right for the family!” His father suddenly seemed to burst, coming forward in his chair and slamming his hand down on the table beside him, in between himself and his son. Leander was taken aback and stared at his father with wide eyes.
“You must be calm, my lord.” His mother was beside the Earl of Coventry in moments. “You must be calm. Think of your health. You do not want to die on the floor right now, do you?”
The Earl of Coventry did not move his eyes from Leander’s though he put a hand on his wife’s arm when she touched him.
The Countess of Coventry looked at Leander. “Son, perhaps we should have a talk in the other room?” She looked back at her husband. “You do not mind if I have a word with Leander, do you, my lord?”
The Earl of Coventry looked up at his wife.
Leander wondered what he was thinking. He had never told the woman he loved her, not in Leander’s presence anyway. He had always suspected that there was some love in his heart for the Countess of Coventry but the institution of marriage was a business transaction to him. He had made that clear many times over.
“I am not finished with him,” his father said, narrowing his eyes, glancing up at his wife.
“You will not accomplish anything by continuing to badger him about something he feels so strongly about. Patience is needed here.”
“I have given him enough time. My patience has grown thin.”
Leander stood up. “I want to take a walk and think about this. Mother, I will be back shortly. We will talk then.”
The Earl of Coventry stood up, too. “I said I am not finished with you.”
Leander shook his head. “I am finished. We will talk about this when I have cleared my head and calmed my anger. Mother is right. This is not going to accomplish anything.”
“Rest here,” the Countess of Coventry said to her husband. “You both need to calm your tempers. You can speak about this when you have both let go of your anger.”
Leander was almost to the door when his father said, “I am not angry. I am disappointed. There is a difference.”
Leander left on that note, his heart pierced with guilt and sadness. He never wanted to disappoint his father.
He was not a child anymore and did not seek his father’s approval for everything he did, as he had done when he was a young boy. He was a grown man and needed to make his own decisions. Especially about something as important as spending his life with a woman.
He needed to make the decision on his own. He did not need his father directing his life.
He forced himself to calm down as he walked from the house to the path across the lawn and into the garden. He had always been impressed with the way his father arranged the front of the house but the beauty of the sculptures, statues, and shrubs escaped him.
His father’s words were cutting. In his own way, he knew his father only meant the best. But there had to be a time when he let go of his son and let him make his own decisions.
This would prove to be one of the most important things in his life. He had to make the decision himself. He was determined to.
He sat on a bench and lowered his head to his hands. He was oblivious to the cool breeze that swept past him, the sounds of the birds in the trees above him, the rippling water of the fountain in the middle of the garden. He had to find a way to make his father understand.
He distracted himself by wondering who had been telling his father everything he’d been doing. Who was at the house party that was watching so closely they noticed his behavior toward Miss Drusilla was not exactly loving? Who had seen him glancing at Hestia thinking it was Lady Eugenia and then reporting it back to the Earl of Coventry?
The only person besides his mother who knew where he went and when was Toby.
Leander thought about the footman for a moment. He’d never suspected Toby of anything in the past. He’d had no reason to. Could the footman be mistakenly keeping the Earl of Coventry up to date on his whereabouts or was he spying on purpose?
Leander shook his head. There were other people aware of his schedule. The coachman, the groomsman, there were plenty of servants who shared information for one purpose or another.
His thoughts led him to Miss Drusilla and back to his dilemma with his father. Through it all, he saw Hestia’s face, floating in the back of his mind. Seeing her smile at something Lady Eugenia said, hearing the faint sound of her laughter in the air when he was nearby.
He felt like he had known her for a very long time and just realized how attracted he was to her. But he had not moved in her social circles last season. He had determined that with a little research, asking friends.
He had also looked into her family history. He had to mention the Earl of Nottingham but one time before someone he knew had something to say about him. He’d been referred from one person to another until he got a clear view of the Earl of Nottingham and his gambling habits.
That coupled with his terrible business decisions had spelled certain doom for the money he inherited from the death of his father and grandfather. Their name had once been prominent in this part of London but no more.
Leander did not feel sorry for Hestia. He admired her courage, leaving the family behind and gaining employment elsewhere. He thought it represented a thoughtful, forward-looking person. She was less interested in finding a husband to save her from poverty and much more interested in making her own way in the world.
For a woman, that was an honorable pur
suit. He did not blame her at all.
A smile crossed his face and he realized he was staring at the fountain as the cherub poured the water from the pitcher. He had been so deep in thought, he wasn’t really seeing what he was looking at.
On the other side of the cherub fountain, a fawn had emerged from the shrubs. He watched as it moved its head left to right. Just as quickly, it was gone, disappearing through the thick leaves.
He blinked a few times, wondering if the little fawn was a sign. He looked up at the sky, raising his eyebrows. “Was that you, God? Are you telling me something?”
He lowered his eyes and saw movement on the veranda to his right. He looked over and saw his mother coming out of the house. She looked around the front lawn and peered over the railing down at the stables. She turned and moved toward him.
When she saw him, she lifted one hand and waved. He lifted his hand in greeting. She started down the stairs.
Leander felt a sinking feeling. He was not finished thinking things through. Now, he would have to be cordial to his mother, who had done nothing wrong. He scooted over on the bench to give her room to sit down.
It took her a minute to get to him. It was long enough for him to quickly decide what he was going to tell his mother. How much of it did she need to know? He did not want to tell her much.
But how could she give him good advice if she did not know everything?
The closer she got the harder his heart beat in his chest. He was certain she was on his side and did not want him to marry a woman for her money or business contacts. He braced himself for a confrontation with her, though he knew he was merely preparing to do emotional battle with her.
She always had a way of making him see the other side of things. He hated knowing she was explaining things to him because she was wiser, she was opening his eyes to what he could not see.
On the other hand, if it was not for her, he would not be the independent thinker he was. He had always known he could trust her with anything.
He sharpened his eyes, looking at his approaching mother closely.
Was she the one telling his father everything? Was she actually encouraging his father when he was not around?
Surely not.
Surely his own mother would not be a person with two faces.
Chapter 19
The Countess of Coventry sat down on the soft cushioned seat of the bench. She patted her son on the knee.
“Leander, have you calmed yourself? How are you feeling?”
“I am fine, Mother. I do not need a babysitter.”
The Countess of Coventry shook her head. “That is not why I am here and you know it. We need to talk.”
“Yes, we do.” Leander noticed the surprised look on her face. He took advantage of it and continued on. “You will not tell Father the truth about how you feel. You are going to let him force me to marry Miss Drusilla. I do not understand why, Mother, you will not speak your mind on my behalf?”
The Countess of Coventry moved her eyes out to scan the flowers and shrubs around her. Leander continued to look directly at her.
“I simply cannot go against him, Leander. It is not my place.”
“I would think since you are the one who birthed me, you should have some say in what happens in my life.”
His mother looked back at him with gentle eyes. She tilted her head slightly and said with a soft voice, “Do you not see, Leander, how it truly is? In your family, you will make the decisions. In our family, it is your father. If I was the one to push for the wedding and he objected to it, he would ultimately win.”
“How can I get him to object to it?” Leander’s voice came out irritated. He shook his head, closing his eyes.
“Leander, you have not calmed down. You must attempt to think straight. Your father is like a bull. He will charge forward when he sees what he wants for himself or our family. I believe you carry that same spirit. When you truly decide what you want, you will not hesitate to reach out for it.”
“Mother, please. I have been thinking straight. I have decided what I want and it seems Father simply will not listen. Instead, he listens to eavesdroppers and spies. I do not know who has been passing information to my father but I wish it would stop. I do not like being spied on.”
The Countess of Coventry leaned forward, looking at him. She put two gentle fingers under his chin and made him look at her. “My son, tell me the truth. Were you eyeing Lady Eugenia at the party?”
Leander looked into his mother’s eyes for only a moment. Long enough to say, “No,” and pull his chin from her fingers.
“Then why would it be said that you were?”
“I was not looking at Lady Eugenia.” Leander’s voice was firm. His muscles were tense and his head was starting to hurt. The stress weighed heavy on him. “I was looking at someone else.”
The Countess of Coventry did not say anything. She just looked at him, waiting for him to finish his thought. When he said nothing, she took one of his hands in both of hers.
“Tell me, Leander. What are you thinking about?”
“I have found someone else that interests me, Mother. Someone I find so much more vibrant, filled with class and a gentle but strong nature. I hope to see her at a party this weekend but I am afraid now that what I feel will be revealed in front of Miss Drusilla and everyone in society. Wherever I go, she will be there.”
“Are you saying another woman is in your thoughts?”
“Miss Drusilla was never in my thoughts, Mother.”
“No, it seems not. Tell me more about this young woman who has caught your interest.”
Leander thought about Hestia, wondering if he could tell his mother in confidence. If he told her about his attraction to Hestia, explaining her situation as a companion and her family’s destitute finances, would it sway her more toward his preference or his father’s?
He did not want to be dishonest with his mother. But he did not want to push her more toward his father’s point of view either.
“She was with Lady Eugenia,” he finally said. “She bumped into me.”
His mother raised her eyebrows and he tried to grin.
“She bumped into you?” His mother sounded so confused.
“Yes. She literally bumped into me. She was backing away from a bookshelf and did not look behind her, where I just happened to be sitting. It was quite funny when I think about it.”
“I do hope she was apologetic.”
“Oh, more than necessary, of course.” Leander nodded. “But it was her demeanor after the incident that caught my eye. It was not long after that Miss Drusilla entered the room. I was rather disheartened to see her because it meant I could not spend more time with Lady Eu…” He stopped himself but not in time.
His mother pursed her lips. “So it is Lady Eugenia.”
He shook his head. “No, Mother. It was her companion. Her name is Lady Hestia Stalwood.”
The Countess of Coventry tilted her head to the side and appeared to be searching her memory. “I do not recall the name.”
“She is one of the daughters of the Earl and Countess of Nottingham.”
His mother raised her eyebrows. “I know the Countess of Coventry. I carry no ill will toward her. It appears it is her husband that has caused the family some harm. This is the young lady you are speaking of?”
Leander nodded.
“And she is working as a companion for Lady Eugenia Callow?”
“Yes, that is my understanding.” Leander could tell by the tone of his mother’s voice, she was not altogether pleased that he was interested in a companion.
“How on earth did you have an opportunity to have a conversation with her? Is it merely her looks that attract you?”
“She bumped into me, as I said. I mistook her for… she is a lady in title but she is not acting as one at this time.”
“Her family is struggling a great deal,” the countess said. “I do know this is true. And she decided to find employment rather than
a husband. You must bear that in mind, Leander, if you choose to pursue this course of action. You must realize that you are going up against not just your father’s wishes but the young lady might not be interested in marriage.”
Leander remembered the way Hestia had looked at him. He was sure she was not a dedicated spinster. She was young, beautiful, vibrant, with a good head on her shoulders and a lot of strength in her soul. He wanted to express that to his mother but held back.
“I believe she is willing to marry. She was part of the season last year but I did not attend the parties she attended. I… missed my chance.”
