by Abby Ayles
Lord Drake turned at once the moment that Mrs. Edwards announced that her son was in the room. He grinned a perfect, white smile at his friend.
The Marquess of Fairfax was a tall and debonair gentleman. He was dressed in a fine, black jacket with long tails, white breeches, and a crimson waistcoat. His hair was the color of straw and he wore closely-cropped sideburns of the same color down the side of his face and resting upon his cheeks, framing his grin quite neatly.
His icy blue eyes danced a bit as he regarded his friend and could seem to find only mirth. “Upon my word, Rodrick. You look a rather dashing scoundrel today. Planning to break a few hearts tonight, eh?”
Rodrick smiled at his friend, a deep dimple appearing in his left cheek. It wasn’t uncommon for Alphonse to tease him and butter him up at the same time. The two of them had been friends since they attended boarding school at Harrow.
Rodrick liked Alphonse a lot, though he wasn’t blind to the other man’s follies. Lord Drake had made a rather poor impression in society of late, and rumors flew about his rakish escapades. Indeed, if he was attending the evening’s festivities, then he must have somehow made one of few good impressions that he’d made in the past few Seasons.
“You do me credit, Fairfax,” he said in a friendly manner, stepping forward and shaking the man’s hand. “And you look well. You’ve been taking care of yourself, I trust?”
“About as well as the old man will let me,” Alphonse replied with a laugh and a wink.
It was well known that he and his father lived alone in Stone Hill Manor ever since his mother had died and his little sister had been sent off to boarding school. The Duke of Cumberland didn’t make many appearances since his wife’s death and it was rumored that he was in ill health now as well, though Alphonse continued to perpetuate stories of his father’s adventures and misdeeds in order to keep the healthy memories of him alive.
“Do you know what he said to me before he sent me on my way this morning? He told me to not come back unless I have a wife.” Alphonse sniffed, still grinning away as if this news wasn’t scandalous and rather harsh.
“Goodness!” Mrs. Edwards said. She was now sitting on the sofa and helping herself to some of the tea that one of the maids had set out for them. “But do you suppose he was serious?”
Lord Drake shrugged. “Who knows? But I don’t want to take my chances. I plan to stay at my London apartment until he’s had a chance to forget about it.”
Rodrick’s mother gasped and then shook her head, taking a sip of her tea and looking over at them as if she was waiting for them to go on. Gently, Rodrick took hold of his friend’s shoulder and led him out of the room and into the hall so they could have a bit more privacy.
“Surely it’s not as bad as all that,” he said sympathetically, hoping to think up a solution for his friend’s predicament at once. “You are coming to the Salisbury ball, are you not?”
Alphonse looked Rodrick in the eyes and shook his head. “In truth, I wasn’t planning on it.”
Rodrick made to gasp a bit, but Alphonse cut him off.
“You know how it is at those balls,” he said. “And you know how it is that I am treated. No. If I am to find a wife, I’m not to find one there where the entire ton is watching and waiting for me to make some blunder or faux pas.”
He sighed softly. “And besides, I find those balls rather boring. Once you’ve attended one in this town, you’ve attended them all. The same useless banter, the same droll women…”
Now Rodrick had his chance to gasp softly. “But Alfie, if not this ball then where? If your father wishes for you to marry…”
“Then he is going to have a very long time to wait.”
Chapter 3
It was true that a great deal of cleaning must go into preparing for the ball that was to be held in the family’s townhouse, but Noelle hadn’t anticipated the loss of her maid so early on in the evening. Fortunately, her dear friend Miss Lydia Quinn would be in attendance so Noelle would be able to spend the evening at her side.
Lydia was actually the perfect person for her to confide in with regards to her predicament with the marquess. She was a girl who enjoyed balls and the ton the way that young ladies were supposed to. She was from a wealthy family, but she wasn’t of noble birth like Noelle.
That was also in the other girl’s favor. As long as she marries a man of good character, she shall have the best life. Aside from this, Noelle deeply loved her friend.
She’d known Lydia ever since they were girls much younger than Beth. Mrs. Quinn, Lydia’s mother, had worked as a governess before meeting her husband, and so had taught Noelle basic reading and writing. The Quinns, therefore, became dear friends of the family and Miss Lydia was included in that.
Growing more excited now, Noelle carefully descended the stairs alongside Kitty, with Anna and Beth following. Noelle led the way into the library where they all found Emily, sitting on a sofa with her slender nose in a leather-bound novel of some sort. Their father had a large assortment of books of this kind which he kept in this library, though the only one in the family who ever seemed to read them was Emily.
“I should put that away for now, if I were you,” Noelle advised her younger sister. “The viscount is in the next room and you know how Mother dislikes it when you’re seen reading.”
Emily languidly lowered her book and set it aside on the sofa. Then Anna hurriedly came and removed it, placing it in a random spot on the nearest bookcase.
“Really, Emily,” she admonished. “You must try harder to be agreeable.”
“I don’t know whatever for,” Emily replied. “No one comes to these balls to see me.”
“You never know,” Kitty said to her with a smile. “That’s the best thing about going to balls – meeting new people. You can’t meet new people in books.”
Emily sighed and shrank down a bit in her seat on the sofa. “I feel like I do.”
Just then, their mother came down the staircase. Emily quickly rose out of her chair and moved to stand beside Anna, pretending that they had been standing around in conversation. The duchess looked her up and down with a perturbed expression.
“You’ve wrinkled your dress,” she commented before turning her attention to Noelle and visibly lighting up when she gazed upon her favored daughter once more. “The viscount will be delighted to see you,” she proclaimed, touching her on the upper arm. “I daresay he resents having to return home to this drab country after touring around Europe this past year.”
Noelle was surprised to hear her mother discussing the viscount with her. She knew that the party was being held in his honor, but the gentleman that her mother had seemed adamant about for weeks now was the Marquess of Fairfax.
She supposed that the viscount being friends with her father made him a prime candidate for marriage as well, but the duchess was normally so strict about ranks and titles. A viscount was better than no title, but the Marquess was to be a duke someday…
“Then we shall make him remember why this country is so wonderful,” Noelle said to her mother. “Ah, there he is now.”
Her father, the Duke of Salisbury, entered the room with his friend Lord Andrews, the Viscount of Kent. The duke was a short and rather tubby fellow with thinning gray hair and twinkling gray eyes to match. Noelle knew that her father had helped himself to more than his fair share of the port already.
His friend Lord Andrews was a tall man with light brown hair that was going a bit thin as well. She didn’t know much about the man, apart from the fact that he was in his early forties, and he loved drinking and riding as much as her father, which was enough for the duke to want him as a permanent part of the family.
I suppose there are worse matches that could be made, she thought, giving the gentleman a bright smile. “Lord Andrews,” she said to him. “It is so nice to see you again.”
He smiled as he came over to where she stood near the bookcases and chair. “My, Lady Noelle, you look ever so lovely.
I can see that the spring in London treats you exceedingly well.” He offered her his hand and she took it. He bowed his head to her and she nodded politely back at him.
“Europe has treated you the same, I trust?” she asked him, batting her long lashes at him. “You appear like a man who is fond of adventures.”
Lord Andrews laughed softly, nodding his head. “Indeed, I am,” he replied. “And Europe was exquisite. I had half a mind to stay, except your father begged for me to come back. I suppose there’s no one else in town who can keep him entertained quite like me.”
He grinned at Noelle and she thought that he seemed a good deal less tipsy than her father. She wasn’t very surprised. What she was surprised by was how conceited he sounded. Lord Andrews was a dear friend of her father’s but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have others to keep him company.
“You’ll have to regale me with tales from your travels sometime, Lord Andrews,” she said to him. It wouldn’t do for her to show him how she really felt about his travels now.
Fortunately, the servants announced the arrival of some more of their party’s guests. Noelle caught sight of Miss Lydia Quinn and excused herself from the viscount so she could go greet her best friend.
The two young ladies gave each other a quick kiss on their cheeks, beaming at each other with great affection. “Thank heavens you’re here,” Noelle said to Lydia, taking her lightly by the arm and making sure to guide her away from the viscount. “My mother is apparently attempting to match me with every lord in London who’s still standing.”
Lydia smiled at Noelle, crinkling the bridge of her nose a bit as she did so. Lydia Quinn was a sweet girl, with strawberry hair and pleasant hazel eyes. She wasn’t eye-catching like Lady Noelle and Lady Catherine, but she was lovely in her own way.
“I understand her being eager for you to marry well,” she said. “But I thought she wanted you to marry Lord Drake?”
Noelle shook her head a little, sighing softly. “I think she would be happy if I married anyone so long as he has a title and his own land and property.” She looked at Lydia. “Oh, but enough about me! How have you been? You look quite well.”
Lydia blushed to have attention brought to her, even if it was only her best friend. She nodded.
“I have been spending a terrific time in London this Season. I was with Louisa Prescott just the other day. Her brother Lord Eric has grown rather handsome.”
This was no great shock to Noelle. But then she scolded herself.
Why should it be assumed that a gentleman is handsome simply because he is a lord? It matters far more what is in his heart and mind.
She wished to be a woman who practiced what she preached, and so she knew she must respond to this news accordingly. “Oh, has he?” she asked curiously. “He was a gangly young boy.” She made a face and then laughed. “Come, let us help ourselves to some cider.”
She took Lydia by the arm once more and they strolled out of the foyer and onward to the refreshments table that was on one edge of the ballroom. As this was the Fletchers’ city home, it was smaller than their summer estate, but Noelle much preferred its size. A cozier dwelling lent itself well to smaller, more intimate parties amongst friends.
The ballroom was filling up with guests, most of whom stood around chatting together. Her eyes scanned the room as she put her small glass of apple cider to her lips. Sure enough, she spied Emily sitting in a chair in the corner diagonal to her, legs crossed at her ankles, reading a different book.
Such a sight didn’t irk her as it may her mother or Catherine – for reading was unladylike according to their sensibilities – but she did worry about Emily being spotted by someone and thus getting herself into trouble. Right as she was about to go over and tell her sister to put the book out of sight, Lord Andrews reappeared.
Noelle didn’t know where her parents had got to, but the fact that the special guest for the evening was left to wander wasn’t a good sign…
“Hello again, my lady,” he said to her, bowing low to her and giving her a friendly smile. “Might you do me the honor of giving me the first dance with you this evening?”
Noelle felt her cheeks go warm, but why she knew not. It was true that the viscount was attractive and charming, but she felt that she owed it to Lord Drake to stay true to him. They were by no means betrothed, but there had been enough whispering about their getting married that she didn’t wish to slight him now.
Especially seeing as her mother wasn’t around to egg her on or somehow prevent this pairing. At first, she considered making up some excuse about her dance card, but then she remembered who was standing next to her.
“You do me a great honor, Lord Andrews,” she said demurely. Noelle really didn’t think it was wise to dance with Lord Andrews when she was supposed to be waiting for Lord Drake. She glanced around the room for any excuse she could give.
Suddenly, her eyes fell upon her dear friend Lydia who was standing there in hopes of someone coming and asking to dance with her. “I don’t believe that you’ve met my friend Miss Quinn yet?” Noelle said to Lord Andrews.
Lydia looked up at the sound of her name and locked eyes with the viscount. Lord Andrews looked from Noelle to Lydia, and then to Noelle’s great relief he smiled.
“My dear Miss Quinn,” he said to her, offering his hand. “It is a delight to make your acquaintance.”
Now that the two of them were paired up, Noelle was free to sit in one of the chairs at the far end of the room, near Emily. She bent down and tapped her on the knee when she approached.
“You’d best get rid of that,” she suggested. “Do you know where Mother and Father are?”
Emily closed her book as if this was the worst imposition. “No. Aren’t they in here somewhere?” She looked around.
Noelle noticed that, rather than actually closing the book, she’d only placed a finger into it so she might resume reading as soon as her offending family member was gone. Noelle casually reached down and took the book from Emily’s grasp.
“I’m serious, Em,” she said, trying not to sound too exasperated about it. She knew that there was no stopping Emily from enjoying her amusements. But the girl could at least act happy to see everyone there instead of doing her best to ignore them entirely.
“If either of them saw you sitting like you were, they would burn all of the books in the library. Don’t think they wouldn’t.”
Folding her arms in front of herself, Emily groaned. “Fine.”
Noelle sat in the chair beside her, atop the book so that it was out of sight in case their mother turned up. It wasn’t like Noelle to be reading at a party, so surely Emily would still get into trouble. As she looked out at the dance floor, she saw Lydia dancing with Lord Andrews and gave her friend a smile.
The pair of them looked nice together. She didn’t know where Lydia’s heart lay at present, but at least the lady was able to enjoy the attentions of a dashing gentleman. Worrying about prospects didn’t seem like something that Lydia did. She was much more carefree in that regard, which meant that any attention that she got at this party was good attention.
Noelle wished that she could really say the same for herself.
Biting her lip a little, she gazed around the dance floor some more in search of the notorious Marquess of Fairfax.
What could be keeping him? she wondered. It was getting late into the evening now and the majority of their guests had already arrived. Perhaps Mother forgot to send an invitation to him.
But she knew that couldn’t be right. Her mother never forgot anything of the sort, especially not where Lord Fairfax was concerned.
Suddenly, her blue eyes fell upon her sister Kitty. She was dancing with a tall man she’d never seen before. Her first thought was that he must be the Mr. Ingram that she’d been going on about all morning.
She was glad that at least Catherine had found the beau that she was meant to spend time with. Noelle didn’t mind not having to dance. She didn’t believe tha
t she’d ever been very good at it.
But still, she knew that it might reflect badly that the duke’s eldest daughter wasn’t on the dance floor. Especially if her mother was there to see her.
Where is Mother? she thought. It wasn’t like the duchess to avoid the dance floor at a party, especially one at her own house. Noelle supposed that she and her father must’ve gotten up to something somewhere near the front of the house, perhaps in the foyer as people entered.
She remembered back when she’d thought about throwing a ball herself. It was starting to feel as if her daydream was coming true.
Chapter 4
Rodrick was surprised at his friend’s sudden change of heart in regard to the night’s festivities. He realized then that it was the reason for his visit to Wildhill: Alphonse had wanted to let him know that he wouldn’t be coming tonight after all.
