by Abby Ayles
Emily’s posture went rigid as her face went white.
The gentleman chuckled and gave a nod of his head. “Why, certainly,” he said in a voice that was even-toned and warm as a summer’s day. Noelle hazarded to look at him again and saw that indeed his eyes were on her and not on her sister at all.
“I just so happen to have come over here to tell you that beauty must run in your family. For both your sister and you are quite striking.”
Noelle smiled at him, her cheeks and now bosom quite hot with a blush she didn’t think she’d be rid of anytime soon. He’d made the added effort to include Emily in his praise, and that endeared him to her further. She knew, however, that she must soon vacate her chair before her sister went completely catatonic with shock and self-consciousness.
“You are indeed too kind, sir,” she said to him. “And what is your name? I don’t believe that I’ve seen you in London before.”
He offered her his hand, which she gratefully accepted, allowing him to helpfully lift her from her chair at the same time.
“I’m Rodrick Edwards,” he said, introducing himself.
She noticed that his hand was soft and warm, and then she realized that she should probably let go of it now that she was standing on her own two feet. She did so, hoping to not have made too big of a show of it.
“You’re not related to Lord James Edwards, the Viscount of Easton, are you?” she asked him. Noelle had to listen to her mother prattle on about every lord, earl and marquess in the London region, and as such she had committed a great many names to memory. She knew of the viscount but she could not recall if she’d ever laid eyes on the man before.
Mr. Edwards stood a bit taller now. “Indeed, I am,” he replied with some pride now added to his voice and his demeanor. “I am his cousin on his father’s side. The Earl of Montgomery is my uncle.”
Noelle blinked a little, a large tree of succession coming into her mind. “Ah, yes, of course,” she said then. “I am Lady Noelle Fletcher.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Noelle,” he said to her so politely, looking into her eyes in a way that told her that he respected her and saw her as an equal – something that might’ve incensed her mother but something that made Noelle feel complimented. It wasn’t often that she felt respected by the gentlemen who came to these events.
To be sure, she never felt violated or anything like that, but she never felt equal in the eyes of the men who came to the party with her father and her mother. To all of them, she was simply The Duke of Salisbury’s daughter. What a gift it was to see and be seen by someone who didn’t let class or status fog his sensibilities.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Mr. Edwards,” she said back, smiling up at him. She’d thought that he was only of average height, but he was clearly still several inches taller than her. She wondered why she had initially been so dismissive of the way he looked upon first seeing him.
Perhaps I only wanted to think that he was somehow inferior to the other men that I’ve seen at this ball, she thought. She knew that it had been foolish now. Up close to her now, she saw that he really was quite handsome.
“Are you from Hatfield as well?” she asked him, wishing to continue getting to know him better and also trying to maintain a polite conversation.
There was as yet still no sign of the elusive Lord Drake. Noelle knew that her mother hoped for the two of them to become acquainted this evening, and she had endeavored to dance with him first, but as time passed, she wondered if this was a wise decision. After all, there were quite a few eligible bachelors at this ball and she knew that she could have her choice of them, really.
Noelle was not immodest, but she also knew that gentlemen adored nothing as much as a lovely young lady who wished to dance with them and engage them in lively conversation.
Rodrick continued to smile and he nodded his head. “Yes, I am,” he replied. “I don’t live with my cousin and the Earl of Montgomery. I live in a manor house on their land, called Wildhill.”
Noelle nodded politely in response to this, not wanting to be rude as the wheels turned in her mind. He wasn’t a landowner, but he lived on an earl’s land. He was an earl’s relative.
She knew that her mother would be glad indeed to know that this Mr. Edwards was not a laborer or a commoner at all but rather a relative of a titled member of the aristocracy. Things such as this mattered a great deal to the duchess. Not so to Noelle, but she knew that if it mattered to her parents than it certainly would matter in her future correspondence with him.
“It sounds rather nice,” she said to him then, still trying to make conversation. She quickly glanced around the room for any sign of the Marquess of Fairfax, but the only familiar face that she found was that of her sister, Kitty, dancing with another gentleman.
He was a dark-haired man who was dressed very well in shades of blue. Noelle could sense at once that this man put a lot of thought into how he dressed, at least as far as this party was concerned. She wondered briefly who this man was and how it was that Kitty was now his dance partner.
Where has the viscount gone? she wondered suddenly, vexed to think that he and Lydia had been completely lost to the crowd. She scanned the room again quickly before finally looking at Mr. Edwards once again.
The smile had gone from his eyes as he gazed upon her now, though it was still there to some degree on his face. “Is something the matter?” he asked her, concern in his voice. “Am I keeping you from something?”
Gazing back at him, Noelle worried her lower lip with one of her upper front teeth; a nervous habit of hers that she’d had as long as she could remember. Kitty bit her nails, she nibbled at her lips.
“No,” she told Mr. Edwards. “Nothing is the matter. I was expecting someone to arrive here tonight, but it looks as though he might not be coming after all.”
She’d tried her best not to, but her voice betrayed her disappointment. It didn’t matter to her if the Marquess of Fairfax arrived or not. As far as she was concerned, the man was a stranger – and more than likely a bore at that.
But her mother had spent so long impressing upon Noelle how important it was for her to meet him and show interest in him. She felt as if she had trained and prepared herself for this big moment, and now the moment had been snatched from her. She wanted to know why.
But of course, no one there could tell her.
Noelle realized that she’d lowered her gaze to the floor, to her slippers, so she raised her eyes back up again and met Mr. Edwards’s bright green ones. She felt her cheeks get warm again. The smile was back in his eyes.
His eyes weren’t bright, actually, she thought. They were dark but somehow light at the same time, like a glowing ember. They were the most breathtaking eyes she had ever seen.
He was clearly happy to have caught her eye again, and happy too to know that nothing was amiss. “Will you do me the honor of a dance, my lady?” he asked her. She knew that she really shouldn’t say yes to him. She knew that her mother would be cross with her for not waiting for the marquess to arrive.
But also, it was such an agony to wait, particularly when she knew that there was someone who was waiting for her. Someone who wasn’t making her wait and feel somehow neglected.
Chapter 6
For several moments, Lady Noelle just stood there, idly looking around the room as if she was waiting for someone to appear to her. Rodrick couldn’t help but wonder if she was offended by his invitation to join him in the dance.
“Forgive me, my lady, for my inference,” he said to her, giving a bow. “I’ve clearly overstepped—”
“Nonsense,” Lady Noelle replied with another pretty smile. “Forgive me for my trepidation. I was told that someone was coming tonight and that I should save my first dance for him, but as he is not here, I think I can be forgiven for choosing to dance with another.”
Rodrick smiled at her with no small amount of delight. He bowed again out of propriety and then offered her his hand
once more.
Upon her graciously accepting it, he led her out to the dance floor to join the others there. They were engaged in a country dance now, which he thought would make things simpler for the pair of them. Particularly if she wishes to save her waltzing for another.
Rodrick found the sight of her across the floor from him to be quite entrancing. She was the prettiest girl at the ball, which he thought was only fitting given that it was a ball thrown by her parents. Nearby, his cousin danced with another lovely young lady – perhaps Lady Noelle’s sister.
“You certainly don’t dance as though you wish you were with another,” he said teasingly to Noelle when they were close, before changing sides.
“When I am at a ball, I never wish to not be dancing,” the lady replied with another of her infectious smiles.
Rodrick wished that he didn’t have news for her which might cause her smile to diminish. He wasn’t sure who she was waiting to find, but he knew of someone who was not coming tonight, and he’d been tasked with letting her know. Perhaps it won’t come up, he thought.
But he knew that it wouldn’t be prudent to leave his friend entirely out of things. Fairfax may have been negligent for avoiding the party, but he deserved to at least be mentioned. He was a marquess, after all.
And he’d asked Rodrick to send his good wishes, which showed that he wasn’t completely ambivalent.
As soon as the dance was over and there was some brief, polite applause for the trio of instrumentalists who’d been hired, he moved closer to Lady Noelle again so he could speak to her in confidence.
“My friend the Marquess of Fairfax sends his regards,” Rodrick told her. “He was unfortunately called to some business, otherwise he would be here.”
Sure enough, Lady Noelle’s smile faded from her visage. “Oh,” she said remorsefully. “He’s not coming at all?”
Rodrick felt guilty for relaying this news. The look of disappointment on her face was palpable. He wished that he could’ve held off on telling her, but what difference would it have made?
Then he realized something. “He was not the gentleman you were hoping to meet this eve?”
She nodded her head. “Yes,” she replied. “I was told that he was coming and that I must dance with him right off.”
Rodrick frowned a bit, but not wishing to sour the mood – especially because he couldn’t make his friend appear – he thought it best to change the subject. “I hope that I make an amiable replacement.”
Lady Noelle quickly smiled at him. “Oh, you do, to be sure,” she said readily. “Forgive me; I’m not normally in the habit of worrying about dance orders.”
He noticed out of the corner of his eye that James and the attractive young woman were still standing together nearby, deep in conversation as well. “While we’re here, perhaps I might introduce you to my cousin. Easton?”
James looked over at the sound of his proper name, raising his eyebrows. As soon as he realized that Rodrick was calling to him, with a lovely lady at his side, he smiled and moved closer to them, bidding the other young lady join him.
“Well met, cousin,” he said. “Lady Catherine and I were only just speaking of you.”
“James, may I introduce Lady Noelle Fletcher, daughter of the Duke of Salisbury,” Rodrick said. “My lady, this is my cousin, the Viscount of Easton.”
Lady Noelle gave a curtsy to James, smiling a charming and dimpled smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Edwards,” she said to him graciously. “And it pleases me to see that you have met my sister Lady Catherine.”
Kitty beamed at her sister with an air of mischievousness that Rodrick didn’t quite like or know how to interpret. “It would seem,” she said, “that we have both stumbled onto fine partners in the dance, eh, sister?”
He noticed right away the way that Lady Noelle was blushing. She seemed to be in agreement with his own thoughts, for the look on her face wasn’t entirely merry now. In truth, she seemed rather embarrassed.
“Indeed,” Noelle said to Catherine. “Tell me, pray, do you know where our mother has gone to?”
Catherine gave a slight shrug. “I believe she is still in the foyer,” she said indifferently.
Noelle turned from her and looked at Rodrick again. “Won’t you please excuse me, sir?” she asked him. “I’ll be but a moment.”
She curtsied at him this time and then left his side in search of her parents.
Rodrick looked at James questioningly. “Might I have a word with you for a moment?” he asked him.
James raised his eyebrows again and nodded his head. “Certainly.”
He excused himself from his pretty partner and sidled next to his cousin and comrade. Rodrick led him a few paces away so that they might have a bit of privacy from the others in the room.
“Lady Noelle was less than pleased to find out that Lord Drake wasn’t going to be in attendance.”
James frowned. “You informed her of it?”
“She was alas instructed to procure a dance with him right away,” Rodrick explained. “I happened to let her know that he was unfortunately detained and it turned out she was expecting him…”
His cousin looked thoughtful. “I suppose that she wasn’t so very upset, however? After all, I noticed that she was dancing with you quite happily.”
Rodrick nodded his head. “Yes indeed,” he agreed. “In fact, I tried to rescind my invitation but she assured me that she preferred dancing with me over standing in wait. She couldn’t refuse me, after all, but I do hope I didn’t spoil her plans for the evening.”
“See? Then you mustn’t worry about it.” James gave him a reassuring smile and a pat on the upper arm.
“She must not have been too keen to dance with him, or else she would’ve denied you. It’s possible it’s what her mother wanted… But I don’t think any harm is done.”
It was good of James to care about the woes of Rodrick. He knew that his cousin was often nervous at these events because he felt like such a subservient person there. He hoped for the best for him and maintained an optimistic attitude in an effort to bolster Rodrick’s spirits.
For Rodrick’s part, he didn’t wish to dwell on it. He smiled at his cousin. “And how have you been getting on with Lady Catherine?”
He realized that this question came across a bit more scandalous than he intended and immediately blushed. “I mean—Have you two been getting along? She seems a rather charming girl as well.”
“She is,” James agreed with a nod. “Most charming.”
For a moment, he stood there looking longingly back across the room at the young lady. “For heaven’s sake, Jamie, go back to her,” Rodrick laughed.
“Can you manage without me?” he asked him, but the look on his face betrayed his relief. Rodrick gave a nod and he was off back across the room to his dance partner.
He had better be careful that he doesn’t dance with her all night, Rodrick thought with another laugh. Or their mother will be calling for the banns of marriage.
The Duchess of Salisbury seemed like a kind woman, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t as insensible as all ladies were when it came to the standards of the ton. She had five daughters and Rodrick didn’t think there was any chance that any of them would be married off to less than a baron.
Rodrick was glad that it didn’t take too long before Lady Noelle appeared at his side again. “They’d much rather sit in there with their wine and their friends than join us out here,” she said with a shake of her head. He was reassured to see that she was smiling again.
“I think it’s all right to let our elders have their fun in their own way,” he said, returning her smile. “Particularly if it keeps them from worrying themselves about our activities here.”
“I was worried that I’d have to spend half of the night keeping my sister from her books,” Noelle said.
“Your sister seems busy enough,” he replied, looking over at Catherine with curiosity.
Noelle shook her
head. “I mean my younger sister, Emily.” She nodded her head in the direction of the sister in question.
Sure enough, Emily had her face back in her book. She had no shame about reading at a ball. “Oh, I am sure that everyone else has written her off as a bore and unfit for marriage,” Lady Noelle sighed.
Rodrick laughed softly and then tutted a bit. “Oh, come now, Lady Noelle. I’m sure there are those who would love to have a well-read wife.”
Noelle arched a perfectly-shaped eyebrow at him and then they both laughed.
Oh, what ease it is to speak with her, he thought. It’s a shame that she is to be coupled with the likes of Alphonse. Society dictated such things and there was no denying what society said was so.
