Earl Lessons: The Footmen’s Club Series

by Bowman, Valerie

  Quickly averting her gaze from Murdock, Annabelle glanced over to see David escort Lady Heloise back to her mother’s side. Lady Heloise was smiling up at him as if David was a Greek god and she, a mere mortal. Good heavens. Annabelle had picked Heloise because she was supposedly demure and well-mannered, but at the moment the lady was making a cake of herself. Annabelle seriously doubted David would be impressed with such a girl. After all, he’d said himself he was interested in true love. Lady Heloise seemed the type who’d declare her undying love after a ten-minute dance. Far too clinging.

  Perhaps Lady Titiana would prove to be the best choice. She’d clearly been interested in David. Annabelle noticed the sparkle in the young woman’s eye when she’d been introduced to him by her mother, though she had played it much cooler than Heloise. Lady Titiana nodded and smiled and declared how pleased she was to make David’s acquaintance, but she hadn’t nearly tackled him the way Lady Heloise had. Annabelle hadn’t mistaken the look of obvious interest on Lady Titiana’s face when David had turned away after meeting her. She might well be a viable choice.

  Lady Elspeth, however, was already annoying Annabelle. She’d been the first one to be introduced to David, mainly because she and her mother had made straight for the earl and his party the moment they’d entered the ballroom. Lady Elspeth and her mother had swooped upon them, demanding an introduction and staying overly long, as far as Annabelle was concerned. Then Lady Elspeth had proceeded to laugh far too much for far too long at every clever thing David said, and she’d had the unmitigated audacity to reach out and touch his sleeve. His sleeve, for heaven’s sake! What sort of hoyden was the girl?

  As Annabelle had mentioned to David earlier, Lady Elspeth had unofficially been named the Season’s best catch. When she’d made her debut in front of the queen, that esteemed lady had declared her ‘ravishing.’ And she was…with golden brown hair and pretty hazel eyes, Lady Elsbeth was indeed a fine-looking young woman, and she certainly came from a good family. But Annabelle didn’t like how Elspeth kept staring at David over the top of her champagne flute while he danced with the other two ladies. She eyed him with a sort of feral gleam in her eyes, like he was a fox and she the hound. There was nothing subtle about her.

  Adding to the complexity, it wasn’t only Lady Elspeth and Lady Titiana who Annabelle had to consider. There were all the other ladies who seemed to descend on David in droves, vying for an introduction. Why, she, Mama, and Marianne had nearly been knocked over by the hordes, for the first hour after their arrival. Thank heavens David had already met most of the young ladies at this party or they might still be fighting them off.

  Annabelle had turned to look for David again when Lady Elspeth stepped in front of her. Annabelle instinctively stepped back. “Lady Elspeth, ah, good to see you again. What brings you over?” She did her best to paste a smile on her face as she pressed a glove to her diamond necklace.

  Lady Elspeth gave her a narrow-eyed once over.

  “Lady Annabelle,” the younger girl began in an overly confident voice. “I was hoping you’d take a turn around the room with me.”

  Annabelle gave her mother and Marianne a look that clearly said, ‘save me,’ but there was little they could do. Mama shrugged while Marianne mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

  “Very well,” Annabelle finally said to Elspeth. What could the debutante possibly want to say to her? Perhaps she’d ask for some advice about how to handle the bevy of suitors the girl obviously was already acquiring. A group of gentlemen had formed near Lady Elspeth’s mother and were staring over at them pensively as if disappointed that the lady had chosen to leave them.

  Smiling obsequiously, Lady Elspeth hooked her arm through Annabelle’s, and they began to walk together around the perimeter of the ballroom.

  “You look quite lovely this evening,” Annabelle began. “Your gown is beautiful. The green brings out the color of your eyes.”

  “Thank you,” Elspeth said. They’d barely got out of hearing distance from Marianne and Mama when the smile dropped from Elspeth’s face. “I have a question for you, Lady Annabelle.”

  The girl clearly wasn’t one to waste time on pleasantries. “What’s that?” Annabelle asked, trying to maintain her own smile.

  “Is Lord Elmwood courting you?”

  Annabelle was so taken aback that she nearly stopped walking. Never had anyone been so blunt with her about such a topic, especially not a younger unmarried woman.

  “The Season has just begun,” she started to say, trying to think of the best way to casually sidestep the overly familiar question.

  “Everyone knows you’ve been the belle of the Season every year. Until this year,” Elspeth said, a sly smile popping to her lips.

  Annabelle arched a brow. “Because you’re here now?”

  Elspeth’s smile widened. “Precisely.”

  “And you’re hoping Lord Elmwood courts you?” Annabelle ventured, frowning.

  Elspeth lifted her chin. “The papers are already hinting he may be the catch of the Season. If that’s true, I want him.”

  Annabelle’s nostrils flared. If she’d had any idea how calculating and cold this young woman was, she wouldn’t have introduced her to David in the first place. “I hate to be the one to inform you, dear, but perhaps your mama has been remiss. Gentlemen ask the ladies if they are interested in courting, not the other way around. It’s not a particularly fair arrangement, but’s it’s the way of the ton.”

  Elspeth stopped and pulled her arm away from Annabelle’s. “I’m quite certain you don’t miss my meaning. Lord Elmwood is the Season’s catch as far as bachelors go, and I am the Season’s catch of debutantes. We’re clearly meant to be together.”

  Annabelle had to struggle to keep her face blank. The chit was mad. It was as if she was trying to claim David. As if such a thing were possible.

  “Besides,” Elspeth continued. “Everyone knows you’ve been dead set for years now on becoming a spinster. You cannot possibly mean to finally go husband-hunting this Season.”

  Annabelle’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her palms tingled. She’d like nothing better than to slap the impertinent young woman—but that would be unseemly. And Annabelle was not new to the intrigues of the marriage mart, even if they weren’t usually quite this egregious. No. The best way to handle a schemer like Elspeth was to make her worry.

  “Perhaps the choice of gentlemen in the other Seasons wasn’t to my liking,” Annabelle said, ensuring a sly smile spread across her face this time.

  “Fine.” One of Elspeth’s golden-brown eyebrows shot up. “Then the game is on. I do hope you’re not too old to handle it.”

  This time, Annabelle couldn’t help herself. Her jaw dropped momentarily and her face heated. “You should hurry back to your mother, child. She might be looking for you.”

  Elspeth turned to look over her shoulder at her mother and the gentlemen who were patiently waiting for her. “Yes, along with half the eligibles in London. I do hope you’ve enjoyed your years as the most coveted debutante, Lady Annabelle. They’ve come to an end.”

  Annabelle glanced back at her own group, which David had just rejoined. “Good night, Lady Elspeth. I’ll be certain to tell Lord Elmwood you sent your regards.”

  Elspeth narrowed her eyes on her, while Annabelle turned on her heel and walked away.

  Chapter Fifteen

  David watched as Annabelle came walking back toward where he stood with Marianne and Lady Angelina. He’d just finished dancing with the last of the three ladies they’d introduced to him. Annabelle was right. All three ladies were lovely and seemed clever and well-mannered. Of course, he would need to spend more time with each before deciding if he was truly interested in courting any of them.

  Lady Heloise seemed kind and guileless. Lady Titiana was more reserved, but poised and witty. Lady Elspeth had seemed particularly eager to meet him, and appeared to know the most about him. She’d asked him more than one question about Brighton. She w
as probably the prettiest and most talkative of the lot, though her beauty didn’t compare to Annabelle’s.

  “Did you enjoy your dances?” Annabelle asked him the moment she returned to his side.

  David bowed to her slightly. “I did indeed. Were you dancing too?”

  Annabelle poked a finger in her coiffure. “No, actually. I was taking a walk around the room…with Lady Elspeth.”

  David’s brows shot up. “Lady Elspeth? Did she happen to say anything about me?”

  “Ah, ah, ah,” Annabelle said as she took a flute of champagne off the tray of a passing footman. David and Marianne did the same. “A lady never discusses her private talks with other ladies.”

  “I see,” David asked, but he couldn’t help but wonder what Lady Elspeth had said to Annabelle. Had she told her he was an unredeemable mess? He supposed that news would spread like wildfire through the ballroom if so.

  “David,” Marianne interjected. “Do you fancy any of the ladies you’ve met tonight?”

  David took a sip from his flute. “Fancy them? I just met them.”

  Marianne waved a hand in the air. “I only meant do you find any of them to be particularly attractive, either in countenance or bearing?”

  David shook his head. “They were all quite lovely. But for all I know, they don’t fancy me.”

  “Don’t be difficult, David, just answer the question,” Marianne replied, a smile covering her face.

  “Very well.” David sighed. “Lady Elspeth impressed me. She asked me about my time in the army and our lives in Brighton.”

  Was it his imagination or did Annabelle frown? He was about to open his mouth to praise something about Lady Heloise but a familiar-looking man with dark-blond hair in fine-cut evening attire came striding up to them.

  The man bowed to Annabelle. “My lady. Good to see you again.”

  Annabelle made a perfect curtsy. Her face remained completely blank. “Lord Murdock.”

  Murdock! Of course. He looked different in his formal evening attire, but he was the same man who’d been discussing the bets on Annabelle’s marriage status at White’s.

  “I’d hoped you had reconsidered and would do me the honor of dancing with me, Lady Annabelle,” Lord Murdock said.

  Reconsidered? That must mean he’d asked Annabelle to dance earlier, and she’d turned him down. That was interesting.

  This time Annabelle smiled at him prettily before saying, “It would be my pleasure, my lord.”

  Murdock gave them all a self-satisfied smirk, while Annabelle handed her champagne flute to her mother. Lady Angelina’s eyes were wide as tea saucers watching Annabelle leave their little group.

  David observed them with a decided frown on his face as they made their way to the dance floor. That blowhard had bet money on whether Annabelle would marry this Season. Did he intend to be the lucky groom?

  The moment the couple began the waltz that had just begun to play, Lady Angelina turned to Marianne. “That’s strange. I haven’t seen her accept a dance with a truly eligible gentleman in an age.”

  “Really?” Marianne asked, her gaze glancing from side to side. “Do you think she’s finally interested?”

  Lady Angelina’s eyebrows shot up. “I don’t know, but Lord Murdock is considered by many to be the best catch in London, especially now that Beau, Lord Worthington, and Lord Kendall are all betrothed.”

  “Hasn’t he been after her all these years? She’s shown no interest before, has she?” David interjected, suddenly feeling out of sorts. He glared at the couple on the dance floor.

  “He was recently tossed over by Lady Julianna Montgomery, who is now engaged to our dear Lord Worthington,” Lady Angelina added.

  “Oh, yes,” Marianne replied, frowning. “I remember that name now. Julianna told me he threw a fit when she jilted him. He sounded quite unpleasant.”

  “It was quite a scandal last autumn,” Lady Angelina said, nodding. Then she lifted her light brows. “But a handsome, rich marquess is always welcome back to the marriage mart. I do hope Annabelle has changed her mind about allowing him to court her. They make a lovely pair, don’t you think?”

  “They do,” Marianne said, a wistful tone in her voice that David didn’t care for.

  He scrunched up his nose and narrowed his eyes on the couple. Unfortunately, there was no doubt they made a striking pair. Was it his imagination, or did the marquess miss a step in the dance? He clearly wasn’t an expert at the waltz. Annabelle deserved a better partner.

  Before he had a chance to examine his motivation, David pressed his glass in his sister’s hand. “Hold my drink,” he said, before stomping off in the direction of Annabelle and her marquess.

  * * *

  Annabelle didn’t know exactly what happened, but one moment she was dancing with Lord Murdock, trying to remember precisely why she’d thought he was petulant, and the next she was in David’s arms.

  She blinked at him several times as if her eyes were playing tricks on her. “David, what are you—?”

  “I cut in,” he answered, pride in his voice. “Murdock didn’t seem your match for a waltz.”

  She stared at him as if he’d lost his senses. “Didn’t seem my what?”

  “He missed a step,” David insisted, leading her perfectly in the one-two-three cadence of the waltz.

  “I didn’t notice,” Annabelle shot back.

  “He also had his hand too far down your back.”

  “Are you mad?” She eyed him carefully. “One doesn’t just cut in on a dance floor at a ball in London.”

  “Yes, one does, apparently. If one is me.” He gave her a smug smile.

  Annabelle glanced around at the partygoers standing on the sidelines. There were already people whispering behind their hands. She would have to work diligently to fix this after the dance ended. “Listen to me, David. Such things are not done. I didn’t mention it during our lessons because it didn’t occur to me that you might do something like this, but you simply don’t interrupt a couple’s dance.”

  David’s face went blank. “Perhaps that’s the difference between an earl born in a cottage in Brighton versus one born in London with a silver spoon sticking out of his mouth. I do what I please.”

  Annabelle glanced around again. In addition to the commotion they’d caused on the sidelines, now some of the other dancers were watching their conversation become more heated. This was not good, and getting worse by the moment.

  Plastering a fake smile on her face, Annabelle lowered her voice. “Very well. We’ll finish this dance, for appearance’s sake. But we’ll need to talk about this more tomorrow morning at our next lesson.”

  David plastered an equally false smile on his face too. “Oh, good. I cannot wait.”

  Annabelle kept the fake smile on her face as she allowed herself to relax into the waltz. Just as he’d done in the salon at home, David spun her around the floor as if he’d been born to waltz. A much more fluid and confident dancer than Lord Murdock had been, David danced as if he’d invented the steps.

  She tried not to notice how good he smelled, or the feel of his muscles beneath his coat or the heat spreading through her entire body from his hand touching the small of her back. She met his gaze and their eyes remained locked. For the remainder of the dance, it was as if the entire ballroom had fallen away and they were the only two people left in the world.

  When the dance finally ended, David escorted Annabelle back to their group as if nothing untoward had happened at all.

  Annabelle immediately began thinking of ways to mitigate the gossip. She searched the crowd for Murdock. How had he taken the slight of having been sent packing from the dance floor? Lord Murdock was already dancing with another young woman. Thank heavens. That would surely help. If the man was pouting in a corner, the gossip would be unmanageable.

  Next, Annabelle again scanned the crowd along the sidelines of the dancing. How had the mothers and chaperones felt about David’s cutting in? Was he already garne
ring a reputation as an ill-mannered clod? She desperately hoped the ton would be kind, and grant him some leniency. But when had the ton ever been kind, or ever granted leniency? Word of this social slight would be in the papers tomorrow, no doubt.

  Lady Elspeth came sliding over to David just then and declared, “Lord Elmwood, you’ve made cutting in all the rage this Season. I do hope you’ll pay me the same regard when next I’m dancing with another gentleman.”

  The other ladies and gentlemen, who had followed Elspeth and were hanging on her every word, all laughed and declared the same thing. By the time a quarter hour had passed, everyone was talking about either cutting into a dance or being cut in upon.

  Annabelle stared with her mouth open at the people she’d known her entire life. In the span of one evening, they’d decided that both Lady Elspeth and David were to be emulated in every particular.

  Nauseating, as far as Lady Elspeth went. But welcome and wonderful when it came to David. Annabelle nodded resolutely. Fine then. She’d done her duty. She’d set him off to a fair start. Why, he might already be the most eligible bachelor of the Season, and if he wasn’t, he was well on his way.

  Lord Murdock was finishing his dance with the other young lady and appeared to be headed toward her again. Annabelle previously may have had a momentary lapse in judgement in which she accepted his offer to dance, but she didn’t relish an awkward conversation with him now. She retrieved her champagne flute from her mother and ducked to the side. “I’m going to take some fresh air in the gardens. I’ll be back soon.”