by Abby Ayles
He’s gone right back to being too shy to talk to people, Rodrick thought with a shake of his head. I hope he’s able to break that soon. “There are plenty of nice-looking ladies here tonight.”
Of course, he meant that to mean that they were ladies who seemed to be kind and charming. He thought that there were a few fair young women, but none really caught his eye. He realized then that he was still subconsciously – or maybe consciously – comparing the ladies to the Fletcher ladies.
Rodrick went to the table that held bottles of wine and some punch and he poured himself a glass of port. Right as he turned around from the drinks, his eyes fell on Lady Noelle across the room from him. She was standing and laughing pleasantly with her friend the Viscountess of Kent. He thought that she was trying her best to keep up the pretense that all was well with her and her family.
“Blast,” he muttered under his breath. He took a sip of his port and wondered how long it might take her to notice that he was there, staring at her and trying to stop himself from staring…
Her eyes happened to wander over to him and then they were looking at each other intently, neither of them actually moving over so that they could converse.
James came over to him at the refreshments table. “You know, the strangest thing just happened. I thought I saw Lady Noelle Fletcher at this ball.”
Rodrick looked at him and then subtly nodded over in the direction of Lady Noelle, standing there beside Lady Andrews. James looked over and then back at Rodrick with a surprised expression on his face.
“Did you know that she was coming?” James asked.
Rodrick shook his head, keeping his voice down. “No, I just looked over and there she was.”
James smiled at him. “Well, what a coincidence,” he said.
Rodrick was surprised to find that he was so cheerful about it. Apparently, the sight of Lady Noelle didn’t bother James even though she was the sister of Lady Catherine. Rodrick wondered if maybe he’d been a little quick to think that the rest of the family was in the wrong just because Lady Catherine had behaved poorly.
He looked back over and Lady Noelle was still looking at him, and seemingly still talking to her friend. I think that they’re talking about me now, he thought guiltily. Hopefully, she has more to say about me beyond my being associated with Alphonse.
Finally, he decided that they’d stared at each other from across the room for long enough. He finished drinking his port and placed the empty glass on the table behind him before walking over to the pair of ladies.
Rodrick bowed low and offered his hand to Lady Noelle. He was relieved and grateful when she placed her hand in his. He bowed to her and then rose up to his full height again in order to gaze upon her once more.
“Hello again, my lady,” he said to her politely, giving her a sincere smile that he’d been holding back ever since he first saw her. “How have you been? I hope your family has been doing well since last we met.”
Lady Noelle blushed a bit and he regretted even mentioning that awful occasion. Everyone had been so distraught then. She probably didn’t wish to recall it.
But all the same, she smiled at him as if she was overjoyed to see him at this ball. “I am so glad to see you again, Mr. Edwards. I wondered when we might cross paths. This town is not so large, however.”
He chuckled a little and nodded his head. “That’s true. At least the ton is not very big.”
“I’ve been doing well… Things could certainly be better,” Lady Noelle added.
Rodrick wasn’t surprised that things could be better, but it was a good sign that she said that she was all right. He had a feeling, though, that she wasn’t telling him the entire truth. When he looked at her, he saw a lovely girl who was tired and ready to settle down with a sensible gentleman instead of having to deal with all of this rubbish.
“How have you been?” she asked him then, turning his question back on him. “I see that you’re here with James. How is he doing?” She asked this question so gently, as if James could hear them talking from all the way across the wide expanse of the ballroom.
Rodrick smirked and shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, you know me; I’m mostly affected by what affects my friends, so I’ve been feeling a lot of things lately.” He leaned in towards her to add, “Mainly that the ton is not all that it’s cracked up to be.”
To his delight, Lady Noelle threw her head back and laughed. It was impossible to not smile in her company. She really did seem to be doing well, all things considered.
“That is very true,” she agreed. “All it ever seems to do is get people into trouble.”
It was then that Rodrick remembered that the Viscountess of Kent was there beside her. He was delighted to see that she was smiling at him and nodding her head along with Lady Noelle. They must be in agreement if they’re best friends.
And she not very long ago was untitled like me.
Rodrick had to wonder at that. Why had he never paid attention to Lady Lydia? She was quite enchanting in her own way.
He supposed that it was mainly because their paths didn’t cross very often. She didn’t often get invited to balls that were held by the nobility. And it was actually unusual that he went to them.
I suppose that not everyone is fortunate to have someone like James to invite them along.
Looking around, Rodrick leaned in to say something into Lady Noelle’s ear. He hoped that no one was paying attention to the pair of them, but he highly doubted that they would be noticed. They were at a party thrown by near-strangers this time, and perhaps that was what made it feel easier.
“I suppose that it might be impertinent if I were to ask you for a dance, Lady Noelle?” he said as a question. He was very much afraid of her refusing him, but he felt that it was coming.
She beamed at him and nodded her head. “I would like that very much.”
Lady Noelle took his hand again and he led her out to where several others were dancing to the music played by a string quartet. James offered a dance to Lady Andrews and she also graciously accepted a friendly dance as her husband was busy elsewhere.
Rodrick happily danced with Lady Noelle and wished that their situation was better. Now that her family was more sensitive regarding him and James – and their unfortunate friendship with Alphonse – he didn’t know how often he’d get the chance to be with her now. He hoped that he could hold on to her for as long as possible.
Chapter 31
Noelle was elated to be dancing with Mr. Edwards at the Prescotts’ ball. Even Lord Edwards was dancing with Lydia, which was so kind of him because otherwise, she would have been standing on the sidelines by herself. She hadn’t been sure about this ball at first, because she was so tired of going to balls, but it was proving to be quite a lovely one.
It especially helped that the rest of her family wasn’t there to judge her or force her to avoid Mr. Edwards all night. If her mother knew that she was dancing with him now instead of dancing with any other eligible, titled bachelor in the room, she would have been livid. Fortunately, Lydia was not the kind of friend who would tell on her.
She couldn’t help herself from thinking that Mr. Edwards was best friends with Lord Drake and the whole reason that she’d met him in the first place was that the marquess was supposed to be her first dance. It seemed as though so much had happened since then.
“I’m so pleased to see that your friend couldn’t make it,” she commented casually. “Though I do wish that he’d bring my sister back.”
Mr. Edwards seemed to freeze. He stared into her eyes and looked a bit wounded. “I think it’s safe to say that he is no longer my friend.”
Noelle nodded a bit. “That’s probably for the best. He won’t be missed at these parties, wherever he went.”
She couldn’t believe such harsh words were coming out of her mouth. She’d more or less banished him from any parties that she should attend. Not that it was up to her, but people likely wouldn’t invite him if she and her family were
invited; she knew that.
Mr. Edwards looked quite sad but he continued to dance with her which she was glad about. She felt as though she was coming across as blaming him and that wasn’t how she meant it. “Honestly, I would be much happier attending these balls if I knew that you’d be there and he wouldn’t be.”
“That was certainly the best ball that I’d ever been to,” Rodrick softly said to her, gazing into her eyes. “Until this one, anyway.”
Noelle felt her cheeks get hot as she smiled up at him, gazing back into his eyes. She suddenly had the strangest thought: she wished that he might kiss her. But of course, that would not be allowed.
We’ve had quite enough of that sort of thing to last us a while, she thought. She didn’t wish to bring more scandal and shame on her family’s good name.
Oh, but the thought of kissing Mr. Edwards was such a pleasant one. It made her feel warm and tingly all over. She loosened her grasp of his hand, suddenly fearing him a little.
She felt as though he had some strange power over her. He made her think and want things that she’d never thought or wanted before she met him. Even in her wildest dreams… She’d dreamt of freedom, but she’d never thought of this.
“Is everything all right?” he asked her, sensing from the expression on her face that something might be wrong. They continued dancing together but something between them had definitely shifted.
Noelle nodded and then shook her head. “It’s fine,” she said. “It’s just… everything is so mixed up, you know?”
She thought that of course he would understand. Somehow, he seemed to understand her better than anyone else. Possibly even better than the lady dancing to their left.
“I know,” he said, nodding back at her and giving her another one of his charming and captivating smiles. She could tell that he cared for her, even after everything, and she really hoped that that would never have to change, even when they were inevitably looking at each other from across the dance floor at her future wedding.
After one dance together, Noelle decided that she really should move away from the gentleman or else people were surely going to talk. Everything became gossip in this town, and gossip traveled fast. “This is a lovely party, but I’m tired,” she said to Lydia, and it was only slightly a lie.
Lydia looked at her as if she’d taken the words from her mouth. “Yes, you probably should get back home before your parents begin to worry about you.”
It wasn’t really her parents that she was worried about, but now that Lydia mentioned it, Noelle realized that they might indeed be wondering what became of her. She’d left the house with the intention of spending time with her oldest friend but she’d ended up crossing paths with Mr. Edwards and Lord Edwards all over again.
We really can’t stop meeting, she thought and she was unable to keep from smiling.
“What is it?” Lydia asked her as they clambered into their carriage.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Noelle replied with a bit of a giggle. “It’s just that I appreciate how small our society has become. You never know who you might meet at parties and sometimes it’s exactly who you were hoping for.”
Lydia gave her a knowing look and nodded. “I daresay that I was worried when I first saw him there, but then I saw the way that you lit up like a torch and I knew that it was quite the opposite of a bad situation.”
She grinned at her then and Noelle felt herself blush anew. She clutched Lydia’s arm. “Oh, Lydia, I wish that you were a part of my family and you could talk some sense into them.”
Lydia gently placed a hand on top of Noelle’s on her arm. “I wish I was really a part of your family, too. I should love to be your sister for real.”
The carriage arrived outside of Noelle’s townhouse before she wanted it to and the two friends hugged each other farewell. When she went inside, her family was gathered in the sitting room. Her mother looked like she was relieved to see her, which felt nice at first until Noelle recalled why it might be that her mother was concerned about her now.
“How is Lady Andrews?” the duchess asked her. “She’s settling into her new life, I trust?”
Noelle nodded. She sat down on the sofa, next to Emily. “Yes, I think so. We went to a ball tonight, hosted by Lord and Lady Prescott, though I never actually saw them there.”
“Oh,” her mother said, sounding somewhat disappointed to have neither been invited nor even heard of the ball that evening. “Well, it was good of her to invite you along. It would be wonderful if you could meet a gentleman yourself now…”
Noelle didn’t have to wonder why her mother trailed off like that. Now that I’ve lost the one prospective fiancé that I had, she thought. I should just get right back out and present myself to suitors.
There hadn’t been that many eligible men at the ball that she could recall, though she had to admit that she hadn’t been paying attention to any men other than Mr. Edwards and his cousin Lord Edwards. She hadn’t attended the party with the intention of finding a husband for herself. If anything, she’d been hoping to take her mind off of all that.
Lydia had understood that. She wanted her to go with her and have some fun after a stressful and sad few days.
“You have to admit, dear, that if even Lydia can marry a nobleman,” her mother went on, “you certainly should be able to meet a suitable husband.”
The atmosphere in the room was tense. Noelle noticed that no one else that was gathered there was talking and they all seemed to be frowning and looking down. No one wanted to counter the duchess or try to speak up for Noelle.
“It has of course never been my intention to not meet good gentlemen at these balls,” Noelle said. “I met Lord Edwards and Mr. Edwards and they have remained good friends to this family.”
“Ah yes, the same gentlemen who invited Lord Drake into our lives,” the duchess said harshly.
This is uncalled for. She wanted me to meet the marquess. How quickly she forgets!
“You instructed me to meet Lord Drake,” Noelle stated. “In fact, that was the very reason for my meeting Mr. Edwards the way that I did. We were both looking around in expectation. And then he informed me that Lord Drake actually had no intention of coming. Which saved me a waste of a night,” she added rather defiantly. She thought that if Mr. Edwards was there, he would be proud of her.
But he also would be upset at my mother’s accusation that this all is somehow his fault.
The duchess stared at her and sighed. “The point is,” she said, “that now your friend is a viscountess and your little sister is a marchioness. Where does that leave you, Lady Noelle?”
Noelle’s face heated up. She did not really appreciate this – what felt like a trial in her family drawing room. She stood up from the couch and, though she was hungry from not eating much at the ball, she went upstairs to her room in order to be away from her mother.
She fell onto her bed as soon as she was safely inside her bedchamber and she cried for several minutes. She felt so helpless and hopeless. Everyone in her life just seemed to be out to get her now.
It seemed impossible to go on living if things were now forever altered because of her sister. And the trouble was that Noelle also greatly missed her. She wished that she could talk to her about what had happened, what Catherine had been thinking…
Realizing that this wouldn’t be an impossible thing for her to do, Noelle got out of her bed and quickly went to her desk. She got out some paper and her pen and began to write in earnest.
Nobody in the family or any of their friends knew where Lord Drake and Catherine could’ve gone, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t try one of the tried and true addresses that she knew Lord Drake wouldn’t completely abandon: Stone Hill Manor.
Dearest Kitty,
I am writing this to you first of all because I wish you to know that you are missed and thought about most ardently by me as well as the rest of our family, though they may never admit to it. What you have done was indeed a shock
to all of us and Mother especially is very displeased with you, but I’m not angry with you. I know why you did it and in fact, I feel that I must thank you for saving me from a fate I did not wish for myself.
Where have you gone? We’ve gleaned by now that you have run off with Lord Drake, and indeed we hope that you have married him. You must understand that it wouldn’t do if you are not married to him.
I do not expect that you will write back to me right away. All I expect is that you will return, and we can discuss everything that has occurred.
Everything is fine at home; all anyone ever talks about here is you and Lord Drake. You got what you’ve always wanted. You now get far more attention than I should ever wish for.
And you’re not even here with us!
