by Rose Pearson
He could only pray he had not done her too much of a wrong in keeping his confession so hidden for so long.
“My lord?”
Tugged out of his thoughts and desires, Nathaniel turned back to the shopkeeper, who was standing with the package in his hand. Paying for the pendant, he pocketed it quickly, and then left the shop.
The street was fairly busy, but Nathaniel had no intention of lingering. There was nothing else he needed to do here at present, for he had secured what he needed and therefore did not need to remain. The ball would soon be in full swing, and he would need to return home to wash and change. He hoped that Miss Bavidge’s presence at the ball would make the beau monde cease their whisperings about her and her father, although he was certain that offering her his hand in marriage would, in its own way, bring about a good many whisperings! Smiling to himself, Nathaniel strode down the pavement, looking for his carriage, which he had left a short distance away.
“Lord Morton!”
A familiar voice caught his ears and he turned around to see none other than Lady Smithton and Lord Havisham walking together down the street. Lady Smithton’s sharp eyes were taking him in, as they always did, although her smile was warm. Lord Havisham was grinning his welcome, although that might well have come from the fact that Lady Smithton had her hand on his arm and was walking in step with him. The gentleman was clearly delighted that he had such a fine partner, and that in itself made Nathaniel smile.
“Good afternoon, Lady Smithton, Lord Havisham.” Inclining his head, Nathaniel smiled at them both, the package in his pocket suddenly beginning to burn through his clothes, making him wonder if Lady Smithton ought to know about his intentions towards Miss Bavidge.
“Good afternoon,” Lady Smithton replied. “How do you fare this afternoon?”
“Very well, indeed!” Nathaniel answered, feeling a happiness bubble up within him that had not been present for some time. “I am very much looking forward to the ball this evening, I must say.”
“As am I,” Lord Havisham interjected, which made Lady Smithton smile. “It should be a most excellent evening.”
Nathaniel was about to say more when a foreboding presence drew near to Lady Smithton. His smile faded to black almost at once, his brows drawing close together as Lady Smithton turned her head to see who had caught Nathaniel’s attention.
“How good to see you again, Morton!” Lord Rochester’s voice was filled with glee—an expression which Nathaniel did not like in the least. “I have, in the last half hour, enjoyed the company of Miss Bavidge! How glad I am to know that she is not at all committed to you alone.”
Nathaniel felt his heart quicken, felt a flush begin to creep up his cheeks, but remained as outwardly calm and as collected as he could. “Good afternoon, Lord Rochester,” he replied, gesturing towards Lady Smithton and Lord Havisham, who were both standing together with identical looks of dislike on their faces. “Lord Havisham, Lady Smithton, and I were just conversing, as you can see, so if you please—”
His attempt at trying to remove Lord Rochester’s presence from them failed entirely, for Lord Rochester only lifted one eyebrow and gave Lord Havisham and Lady Smithton a cursory glance only. This brought anger to Lord Havisham’s expression, whereas Lady Smithton merely lifted her chin and held Lord Rochester’s gaze steadily, proving to them all that she was not about to be intimidated by this rude gentleman and his ignorant manner.
“As I said,” Lord Rochester continued, grinning darkly at Lady Smithton before returning his attention to Nathaniel. “I have been enjoying the company of Miss Bavidge very recently, indeed. It was good to walk with her and speak to her of a good many things.”
Nathaniel’s anger immediately faded as a cold hand gripped his heart. Lord Rochester had spoken to Miss Bavidge? What was it precisely he had said?
“And she has, of course, accepted my request to court her also,” Lord Rochester continued airily. “I do not think your courtship will continue on in the same fashion, Lord Morton, for she has made herself quite clear in this matter.” He chuckled, the sound seeming to darken the bright summer’s day. “What a shame you shall not be able to call her your own for much longer.”
“In this, I know you are quite mistaken, Lord Rochester,” Lady Smithton spoke up, her expression taut as she looked directly into Lord Rochester’s face, her hands reaching to rest on her hips. “Miss Bavidge has nothing but contempt for you. No, you need not protest.” She shook her head and held up one hand to silence Lord Rochester’s attempts to convince her otherwise. “I have heard from her lips those exact words, sir. She was fully aware of the kind of gentleman you are, given that she stumbled upon you attempting to take advantage of a young lady whose will you had so easily bent.” Lady Smithton’s voice became a little brittle, her words hitting Lord Rochester like sharp stones. “So I have no doubt, Lord Rochester, that you are telling nothing but untruths in the hope of spreading confusion and doubt.” She threw a quick glance towards Nathaniel, trying to encourage him that they, at the very least, did not trust Lord Rochester. “I do not think we have anything more to say, Lord Rochester. If you will excuse us.” She did not move but remained precisely where she was, spreading out one hand towards the pavement to her left as an obvious and decisive gesture.
Lord Rochester, however, did not take even a single step in the direction Lady Smithton suggested. He looked back at Lady Smithton for some moments, not saying a single word but holding Lady Smithton’s gaze. Nathaniel thought it was his way of attempting to frighten her, to intimidate her somewhat, but the gentleman clearly did not know Lady Smithton particularly well if he thought she would quail before him.
“I believe Lady Smithton has asked you to depart from her side, Lord Rochester.” This time it was Lord Havisham who spoke, his voice low and threatening. “Might I suggest that you do as she wishes.”
Lord Rochester made to say something only to stop himself. Turning his gaze back to Nathaniel, he chuckled softly, the sound seeming so out of place in what was an otherwise discomfiting situation.
“You do not believe me,” he murmured, shrugging. “That is quite understandable. You shall see for yourselves this evening, then. I am quite certain that I will be proven right. Your courtship will come to an end, Lord Morton, and there I shall be, ready to scoop up Miss Bavidge in your place. Although my intentions for her are certainly not as pure as yours might be.” He laughed aloud at this, making Nathaniel’s hands curl into fist as he glared at the gentleman, wishing that he could plant the man a facer right in the middle of the London street.
“Thankfully, I can trust that Miss Bavidge had a good deal more sense than to do something so foolish,” Nathaniel retorted, removing the smile from Lord Rochester’s face, his eyes darkening. “Even if she does wish to end our courtship, I can be certain in my belief that she will not go into your arms. Lady Smithton knows that as well as I, Lord Rochester. Your lies shall do no good here.” He gestured to the pavement, just as Lady Smithton had done. “Nor is your company welcome any longer.”
Lord Rochester’s lip curled angrily, his eyes now holding a good deal of fury. “Why do you not ask Lord Morton what it is he has been hiding?” he asked, turning his head towards Lady Smithton as he began to walk away. “Ask him why he has always had such an interest in Miss Bavidge.” He slapped Nathaniel hard on the shoulder as he passed, making Nathaniel twist away from him. “Tell them, Morton. Tell them why you have sought Miss Bavidge out from the very first moment you arrived in town. Tell them why you felt such guilt over her. Tell them what it is you have been keeping hidden from them all for so long. And have no fear,” he chuckled again, and Nathaniel’s stomach twisted. “I have already spoken to Miss Bavidge about it all, so your confession to her is not required. Although the consequences of it have already taken hold. Good day!”
Nathaniel closed his eyes tightly, hating that Lord Rochester had spoken in such a manner but feeling the weight of his responsibility begin to fall on him once
more. There came a few moments of silence, and even though Nathaniel had his eyes shut, he could feel the confused gaze of Lady Smithton resting on him.
“Lord Morton?” Lady Smithton asked, eventually, forcing Nathaniel to open his eyes and give her his attention. “Just what, might I ask, is Lord Rochester speaking of?”
Nathaniel let out a long, slow breath, feeling his stomach still twisting this way and that. “I have not yet informed Miss Bavidge of this, Lady Smithton,” he said, seeing how Lord Havisham also looked concerned. “I have had every intention of doing so, but as yet, I have been unable to speak to her of it. And as each day has passed, as I have felt my affection rise up within my heart, my fear of speaking the truth to her has grown.”
Lady Smithton frowned, although she did not appear angry. “Just what is it you have yet to speak to her about?” she asked quietly. “If I might be so bold as to ask.”
Nathaniel swallowed hard, ran one hand across his forehead, and then resettled his hat. The time had come to speak the truth. “I discovered what Lord Hawkridge was intending,” he said, seeing Lady Smithton’s eyes widen. “Instead of keeping it to myself, I went directly to the Earl of Knighton—the gentleman he was intending to blackmail—and spoke to him of it all. I believe it was this that put an end to Lord Hawkridge’s intentions.”
Lady Smithton said nothing for some moments, although her eyes were bright with both surprise and dismay. Lord Havisham cleared his throat gruffly, looking to Lady Smithton and then to Nathaniel himself.
“I did not know of this,” Lord Havisham muttered as though he were apologizing to Lady Smithton for some reason. “I was entirely unaware of it.”
“That does not matter for the moment,” came Lady Smithton’s gentle reply, her eyes still on Nathaniel. “Might I ask, Lord Morton, whether your interest in Miss Bavidge came from a sense of guilt over what you had done?”
“I knew I had done right,” Nathaniel replied quickly. “However, the truth is, Lady Smithton, I did something entirely foolish. Feeling the weight of it on my mind, I spoke to my friend about what I had discovered. This friend did not keep it to himself, as he had said he would, and, thus, the word was spread all through London.” Biting his lip, Nathaniel sighed heavily, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. “Knowing what would be waiting for Miss Bavidge should she return to society, I endeavored to attempt, in some way, to aid her in her return.”
“And in doing so, found yourself quite in love with her,” Lady Smithton finished, with such a certainty in her voice that Nathaniel looked at her sharply. “Oh yes,” she continued, seeing his surprised look. “I am well aware that you have a great depth of feeling for Miss Bavidge. Also, I can understand why you have struggled to speak to her about what you have done, for it does, in a way, mean that you have some responsibility in her struggles within society.”
“Believe me, I wanted very much to keep the affair to myself,” Nathaniel said honestly, praying that Lady Smithton would believe him. “I tried to keep it as quiet as possible, aware of what the gossip mongers would do should they discover it. Speaking to Lord Rochester was quite foolish of me, however. I knew of his foibles and yet still believed that he would remain silent about the matter I had brought him. How wrong I was!”
Lord Havisham cleared his throat again, trying to re-enter the conversation. “And you have not spoken to Miss Bavidge of this, Lord Morton?” There was a slight accusatory tone to his voice, but Nathaniel accepted it without question.
“I have had every intention of doing so for some time,” he admitted. “Although previously, I wanted merely to hide it from her. However, since I have discovered that my heart is involved with Miss Bavidge, I have struggled to know what to say and how to say it. And now, it seems, Lord Rochester has taken his truth and plunged it directly between myself and Miss Bavidge.” He ran one hand over his face, a small groan escaping his lips. “And I do not know what it is she will think of me now.”
Lady Smithton hesitated, then took a step closer to him, her expression softening. “It will have been a shock, yes,” she admitted, honestly. “But I believe that Miss Bavidge has a good deal of affection for you also, Lord Morton. Trust that she will simply need a little time to consider what she has discovered. Speak to her. Tell her the truth again so that she may hear it from your lips. Apologize that you have not spoken to her of it before this day but tell her the truth about why you have hidden it from her. Tell her of your heart’s affection. Miss Bavidge is reasonable and levelheaded. I know precisely what she thinks of Lord Rochester. I doubt that she will allow such things to overwhelm her and certainly will not believe them outright, not when it has been Lord Rochester to speak of them!” She shook her head lightly and then smiled up at him. “Have no fear, Lord Morton. I know that your heart is engaged to her own and in being aware of that, I must confess that I am able to understand your delay in speaking the truth to her. Not that I think it wise, but I must pray that it will not bring an end to an acquaintance that appears to have brought you both such happiness.”
Nathaniel nodded, grateful that Lady Smithton had not rejected him outright and appeared, in fact, to be quite understanding. “That is most kind of you, Lady Smithton.”
“Have hope, Lord Morton, that all will find its resolve,” she told him, returning to Lord Havisham and putting one hand on his arm. “I shall speak to Miss Bavidge on your behalf if it is required, to talk through the matter further, but I must hope that it will not be necessary.” With a small smile in Lord Havisham’s direction, she attempted to brighten the mood. “If you will excuse us, Lord Morton. I have asked Lord Havisham his opinion of the gowns that some of my dear girls are to wear to the next few occasions. And that will, I fear, take a good few hours.”
Nathaniel shot a look towards Lord Havisham, who seemed visibly deflated. It was quite clear to Nathaniel that the gentleman was not at all inclined towards doing as Lady Smithton asked but was doing so precisely because it was she who had asked it.
“But of course.”
Such a tumult of emotions and fears settled in Nathaniel’s stomach as he again thanked Lady Smithton and took his leave of both her and Lord Havisham. Lord Havisham had said very little but was clearly thinking through a great deal, his jaw set and his expression a little irritated. Was he angry that he had not been able to discover this prior to Lord Rochester’s meeting with them on the busy London street?
Sighing heavily, Nathaniel turned his face back towards his carriage and hurried towards it, no longer feeling as joyful nor as content as he had only half an hour before. He could not ask Miss Bavidge to marry him this evening now, could he? Not when he was aware that Lord Rochester had done all he could to disrupt Nathaniel’s acquaintance with Miss Bavidge. Perhaps he ought to ensure that Miss Bavidge understood everything and, thereafter, give her as much time as was required for her to consider everything and, hopefully, forgive him for his delay before he considered asking her to be his wife. Or, alternatively, he ought to do precisely as he had planned, to prove to her the depth of his affections.
Groaning aloud, Nathaniel climbed into his carriage and, sitting down, threw his head back in frustration. He had delayed too long in speaking to Miss Bavidge, believing himself to be safe from Lord Rochester given that Miss Bavidge herself made it quite clear she now avoided the gentleman completely, but in delaying he had only made matters a good deal worse. He could not imagine what Miss Bavidge had felt as Lord Rochester had told her what Nathaniel himself ought to have done. Had she been greatly upset? Confused? Mayhap she had simply laughed off Lord Rochester’s comments and did not, as yet, believe them to be true. One thing he could be certain of: Lord Rochester had no hold over Miss Bavidge’s heart. She was too wise, too sensible to allow herself to be drawn in. He would remain unable to fulfill his intentions towards the lady and that, in its own way, brought a good deal of relief.
All he could do now was pray that she would not turn away from him completely, that she would give him the tim
e to explain all that he had done and his reasons behind it. That she would listen as he spoke to her from his heart and of the love that had begun to grow within, and that perhaps, with a little luck, she would respond in the very same way.
Chapter Fourteen
“Good evening, Lord Morton.”
Nathaniel greeted his host at once, bowing quickly. “Good evening, Lord Knighton. Might I say that this evening looks to be quite spectacular! A remarkable occasion, to be sure.” He smiled at Lady Knighton, who blushed at his compliment. “You have quite excelled yourself, Lady Knighton.”
Lord Knighton drew in his breath in mock horror. “You mean to say that you believe I have had nothing whatsoever to do with this occasion?” he asked as his wife blushed all the more. “You think me lazy and uninspiring?”
Nathaniel chuckled. “No, not at all. It is only that I believe that your wife has a good deal more creativity in such matters, Lord Knighton.”
His host chuckled and threw a long look towards his wife, who caught his eye and smiled back at him. “In that, you are quite correct, Lord Morton,” he agreed, chuckling. “Of course, all the thanks should go to my dear lady, who has put her heart and soul into this occasion.” He gestured to the ball itself, where dancers had already taken to the floor. “It is quite magnificent, my dear. You have, as Lord Morton says, excelled yourself.”
“Thank you,” Lady Knighton replied, demurely. “You are both very kind.”
