The Spinster's Guild : A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset

by Rose Pearson

  “It is a surprise, to be sure,” Amelia admitted, feeling a little stung by Lady Smithton’s evident astonishment. “I cannot pretend part of me does not hope there may be a genuine interest on his part, whereas I know the truth must be that there is another motivation he is hiding.” She held her breath, wondering if Lady Smithton would contradict her, would tell her she was mistaken, but to her disappointment, Lady Smithton began to nod, slowly.

  “There must be,” she admitted, looking at Amelia with concern. “Lord Montague is, from what I understand, a wealthy gentleman with very little financial concerns. However, he would not be the first gentleman to hide the truth from society. You must be very careful, Lady Amelia.”

  Amelia managed a small smile. “Then you do not blame me for accepting him?”

  Lady Smithton looked horrified. “No, of course, I do not!” she exclaimed, one hand pressed against her heart. “I can understand your difficulties entirely. I was also in a similar circumstance, given I had no choice whatsoever when it came to my husband.” She shook her head sadly, a far-off look in her eyes. “It is our fate, it seems, to be told what we must do and what we must not. I count myself very fortunate indeed to have been allowed such freedom as I now experience.”

  It was on the tip of Amelia’s tongue to ask whether or not Lady Smithton would be willing to give up such freedom in order to marry again—having Lord Havisham in mind—but a quick glance towards Mrs. Peters told her she ought not to say anything.

  “Therefore,” Lady Smithton said, giving herself a small shake, “here is what we shall do. You shall continue your courtship with Lord Montague, Lady Amelia, given you have no choice but to do so. Mrs. Peters or I shall always accompany you, and we shall all continue to seek out a reason for his eagerness to court you. Lord Havisham will be more than able to assist with this particular matter, given he can frequent places I cannot.” She gave Amelia a small smile, which, whilst encouraging Amelia a little, did not prevent her from feeling a small sense of guilt that she had not told Lady Smithton everything—namely that she found herself secretly a little glad to be courting Lord Montague. “Have no fear, Lady Amelia,” Lady Smithton finished, sounding a little more resolute. “You shall not be left alone in this circumstance. Together, we shall do our very best to protect you and remove you from this unfortunate situation—and to place you back amongst gentlemen who are a good deal more suited to you than Lord Montague.”

  “I thank you,” Amelia replied gratefully. “As always, you are very kind, Lady Smithton.”

  “There is no need to thank me,” Lady Smithton replied, getting up to ring the bell for tea. “I am glad to help, Lady Amelia. Truly.”

  Chapter Nine

  The day was very fine indeed, with the sun shining beautifully in a cloudless, blue sky, the flowers resplendent in all their glory and a delicate butterfly or two making their way from flower to flower.

  And yet, Oliver felt nothing but dismay.

  “It is a beautiful day, is it not?”

  He cleared his throat, looking down at Lady Amelia as she walked beside him, her face upturned to the sky without any clear desire to hide her skin from the sun, as so many other young ladies might do. “Yes,” he murmured, aware of how she leaned on him as they walked. “It is a very fine day, and I am glad to share it with you, Lady Amelia.” This, he had to admit to himself, was truthful indeed, for there was something about Lady Amelia’s company that brought joy to his heart. They had been courting for a little over a sennight now, and he had called upon her almost every day, wanting to ensure he did all he could to impress his feelings upon her. Feelings he was having to convince himself he did not truly feel.

  “Oh, good afternoon, Lord Montague!”

  “Good afternoon, Lord Chadderfield,” he replied, aware the newly titled Viscount Chadderfield—who had held the title for a little over a year now—was both arrogant and more of a gossip than any lady he had ever encountered. “And might I inquire as to whom it is you are walking with this fine day?” He smiled politely at the young lady standing beside Lord Chadderfield, taking in her delicate frame, sweet smile, and the sharpness of her eyes. She was not looking at him but instead was studying Lady Amelia. Oliver felt his stomach twist, fearing something untoward was going to be said to Lady Amelia.

  “This is Lady Alexandra,” Lord Chadderfield replied, throwing a quick glance towards the young lady. “And her mother, Lady Spencer, is a short distance behind us—although she will reach us soon.” He chuckled, making Lady Alexandra giggle, batting her eyelashes in Lord Chadderfield’s direction. “And I would inquire as to your companion’s name, but I believe we are both already fully aware of it.” Again, he chuckled, but this time, in a somewhat unpleasant manner, making Oliver’s skin prickle with disdain. “Lady Amelia, is it not?”

  Lady Amelia inclined her head towards Lord Chadderfield and then towards Lady Alexandra, murmuring a short greeting. She said nothing more, but as she lifted her head, Oliver saw the pinkness in her cheeks and felt a slight stab of pain. Was this how she always felt when she was greeted by another member of the ton? Was she always afraid of what they would say? What they would think?

  “We should continue our walk,” he said, not wanting Lord Chadderfield or Lady Alexandra to say anything to Lady Amelia that would embarrass her. “If you would excuse us.”

  “I must confess, I am surprised to hear you are courting Lady Amelia, Lord Montague,” Lord Chadderfield said, taking a small sidestep to prevent Lady Amelia from moving forward. “I did not think such a lady would capture your interest.”

  Oliver bristled, a spurt of anger burning through his heart. “You may very well be surprised, Lord Chadderfield, but I can assure you Lady Amelia is the only lady in all of society who has ever captured my attention in such a profound manner,” he stated, feeling Lady Amelia’s hand tightening on his arm. “If you will excuse—”

  “You will excuse my bluntness, Lady Amelia,” Lord Chadderfield continued, interrupting Oliver, “but I must say, someone who has such difficulties as you do, Lady Amelia, could never once have thought Lord Montague would ever consider you!” He laughed as Lady Alexandra again began to giggle. “You must be blessed indeed, Lady Amelia—unless you have something over Lord Montague forcing him to stand by your side and insist all is well between you both and that he does, in fact, have a true regard for you.”

  “It is quite unbelievable, otherwise!” Lady Alexandra trilled, her eyes dancing with mirth as though Lady Amelia was worth nothing more than her mockery. “What is it that you have done to Lord Montague, Lady Amelia? Have you convinced him he needs your dowry? Has he made an agreement with your uncle whereby he will be given a great deal if he will only marry you?” She laughed again, as Lord Chadderfield continued to grin maliciously. “All of society is watching you with interest, Lady Amelia. I believe there are even some who are placing wagers on just how long such an interest will last.”

  “That is enough!”

  Oliver had not meant to shout, had not meant to have his voice explode from his chest with such force that it shocked the smile from Lady Alexandra’s face and the grin from Lord Chadderfield’s lips. His rage had become so great, his anger over how Lady Amelia was being spoken to bursting through him with such force that he could not contain it any longer. His brows were low over his eyes, his hands clenched tightly together as he glared at Lord Chadderfield, who had now, at long last, finally lost some of the arrogance from his expression.

  “That is enough,” he said again, his voice much lower now but still holding as much severity as before. “How dare you speak to Lady Amelia in such a way? How dare you attempt to mock her? Attempt to ridicule her? Attempt to make her feel as though she is unworthy of being courted, of being noticed and of being appreciated, just as any other young lady might be?” He took a small step forward, with Lady Amelia’s hand falling from his arm. “Do not think I will permit you to make such comments again, Lord Chadderfield,” he finished, pressing one fing
er into Lord Chadderfield’s chest. “The next time you choose to do so, there will be consequences.” He did not speak of what such consequences might be but could tell from the flare of Lord Chadderfield’s eyes that he did not need to do so. The gentleman was both taken aback and a little afraid of Oliver’s threats. Oliver continued to stand directly in front of Lord Chadderfield, glaring down at him, until the quiet voice of Lady Amelia pulled him back.

  “I believe Lady Smithton is approaching,” she said, her voice calm and each word bringing an increasing sense of stillness to Oliver’s anger. He turned to look at her, aware of how Lord Chadderfield immediately took a step back, whilst Lady Alexandra began to whisper furiously under her breath.

  “Is she?” he asked, looking behind Lady Amelia and seeing how Lady Smithton was hastily coming towards them as though she knew something was afoot. She was accompanying Lady Amelia, of course, but had allowed them a few minutes to walk ahead and converse alone. Oliver frowned, seeing the dark expression on Lady Smithton’s face and how her eyes narrowed as she glanced at him. Evidently, she had already decided he was entirely to blame. Giving Lady Amelia a quick smile, he then turned sharply back towards Lord Chadderfield and Lady Alexandra, his brows burrowing low.

  “I do not think there is anything further to say, Chadderfield, save for your apology to Lady Amelia.”

  Lord Chadderfield, who had been on the point of turning around to take Lady Alexandra away from both Oliver and Lady Amelia, stopped dead and stared at Oliver, his mouth a little ajar. Perhaps he had expected to be able to get away from them without any further comment, but Oliver was not about to allow him to do so.

  “Whatever is the matter?” he heard Lady Smithton say, her breathing a little quickened as she came to stand by Lady Amelia. “Is there something wrong?”

  “No,” Oliver replied firmly, not looking away from Lord Chadderfield for even a moment for fear the fellow would scurry away. “It is only that we are waiting now for Lord Chadderfield and Lady Alexandra to apologize to Lady Amelia.”

  There was a momentary silence.

  “Apologize?” Lady Smithton queried, sounding confused. “What was said?”

  Oliver looked behind him, straight into Lady Smithton’s face, his stomach twisting this way and that. He knew full well he was nothing more than a hypocrite, insisting Lord Chadderfield apologize for his rudeness towards Lady Amelia when he himself was guilty of a far worse crime. Despite that, however, Oliver was not about to allow Lord Chadderfield away from Lady Amelia’s presence without apologizing for what had been said. He was angry about how she had been treated, furious as to how easily they had mocked her. It was as though they cared nothing for their own behavior, did not even give a flicker of a thought as to how Lady Amelia might feel about their harsh words.

  “It does not bear repeating, Lady Smithton,” he told the lady, seeing how she moved a fraction closer to Lady Amelia, clearly wanting to protect her. “But needless to say, it was cruel, unnecessary, and entirely unacceptable.” His voice grew louder as he turned back to see Lord Chadderfield drop his head, perhaps now a little ashamed of what he had done, given that now Lady Smithton was also present and hearing of what had occurred. “Lord Chadderfield, Lady Alexandra.” He spread his hand out towards Lady Amelia, expectantly.

  It took some moment but, in the end, Lord Chadderfield sighed, shuffled his feet, cleared his throat, and then darted a quick glance towards Lady Amelia before lowering his head again.

  “I apologize, Lady Amelia, for speaking without consideration,” he said, his voice so quiet, Oliver could barely make it out. “It was uncalled for.”

  Oliver tipped his head just a little and looked into Lady Alexandra’s face, seeing how she was looking from Lady Amelia to Lady Smithton and back again. Her face was pale, her eyes wide, and Oliver realized she was a little overcome with the fear of what Lady Smithton might say to others within the ton about what she had said to Lady Amelia. Lady Smithton held a high standing within society, and Oliver considered it quite correct for Lady Alexandra to feel so afraid.

  “Lady Alexandra,” he murmured, seeing how the lady’s eyes darted to his, before dropping to the ground. Her cheeks began to color as she murmured an apology, which Lady Amelia accepted with a nod.

  “Then I think there is nothing else to keep you both here,” he said as Lord Chadderfield’s jaw worked furiously, his brows knitting together in evident anger. “Good afternoon, Lord Chadderfield, Lady Alexandra. I do hope such a meeting will never happen again.” So saying, he turned about and offered Lady Amelia his arm, seeing how she accepted it at once, without even a modicum of hesitation. Her eyes were warm as she gave him a quick smile, making something akin to satisfaction and contentment fill Oliver’s chest. He led her away from Lord Chadderfield and Lady Alexandra, with Lady Smithton following close behind. Glad Lady Amelia did not walk with a downcast look on her face but rather with a small, gentle smile, and a slight lift to her chin, Oliver let out a long, slow breath and let the last of the tension rattle out of him.

  “That was very good of you, Lord Montague,” Lady Amelia said, her hand tightening on his arm for a moment. “You did not need to do any of that.”

  “But I did,” he insisted, turning his head to look down at her and seeing just how her green eyes were fixed upon his own, searching them as though she might find a reason for his motivation within his steady gaze. “I had to ensure both Lady Alexandra and Lord Chadderfield knew you were not to be spoken to in such a manner, else they would continue to do so, and that is something I could not permit.”

  She gave him a small smile, her brows knitting for a moment. “A good many people speak to me as they did, Lord Montague,” she answered, “but I have never had someone come to my defense in such a way as you. I cannot tell you just how much I appreciate your determination to stand up against such behavior on my behalf.”

  He came to a stop, resting his free hand onto hers as she held onto his arm. Aware Lady Smithton was walking only a few steps behind them, he took the opportunity to speak as honestly as he could.

  “No one should be able to speak to you as they did, Lady Amelia,” he told her, seeing how a faint color came into her face, how her eyes dropped to the ground for a moment as though she were a little embarrassed. “There is nothing about you that gives anyone any cause to be rude, ill-mannered, or inconsiderate. You do not deserve a single word of what Lord Chadderfield, Lady Alexandra, or other members of the ton say to you. It is they who are at fault, Lady Amelia, not you. You are quite without defect.”

  Much to his surprise, Lady Amelia began to blink rapidly, her eyes glistening with tears. He began to stammer, wondering if he had said something to upset her, only for Lady Amelia to place her other hand on to his and grasp his fingers.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, hoarsely, clearly a little overcome by all she felt. “No one has ever stood up for me before, Lord Montague, and I cannot tell you just how much I appreciate your determination to do so. Your kindness towards me speaks to my heart. I—”

  She glanced to her left, seeing how Lady Smithton was now standing only a few paces away from them, clearly waiting until this conversation was at an end. Taking in a shuddering breath, she let go of his hand and looked up at him again, her lips in a tremulous smile. “I have always felt the ton look down upon me, that they mock me and tease me because of my limp. But you do not seem to see it. You only see…me.” Pausing for a moment, she closed her eyes and let out a long breath, clearly gathering her composure. “That is both refreshing and quite wonderful, Lord Montague, for the time I have spent in London has been very trying indeed. Had it not been for Lady Smithton’s kindness then I do not think I would have been able to stand the shame of the beau monde’s inconsideration and mockery much longer.” She sighed again, opened her eyes, and smiled at him, the tears gone completely now. “And you have brought a new brightness to my life, Lord Montague. In doing such a thing as demanding an apology for me, in showing Lord Chadder
field and Lady Alexandra that I am not unworthy of their respect, I feel my courage grow stronger. I finally feel as though, at least in your eyes, I am accepted.”

  Something came over his heart that Oliver could neither explain nor fully understand. It wrapped about his very soul and tore at his mind for, as he looked down into Lady Amelia’s eyes, he felt something shift within him. There was a rapid warmth spreading through his chest and with it came the desire to tug Lady Amelia into his arms, to hold her tight against him, and to promise her he would always be present by her side, ready to defend her. He wanted to tell her she was accepted, just as she was, and that it was the beau monde who was at fault for treating her so cruelly, but the words stuck to his lips and would not remove themselves from him. His guilt began to weight him down, even as the desire to draw closer to her grew steadily. He was worse than Lord Chadderfield, was he not? He was courting Lady Amelia with his sole intention being that she would give him her heart. Thereafter, he was expected merely to step back and to continue along his path in life alone—but there was a growing desire within his heart for Lady Amelia to remain by his side, and for he to walk beside her.

  “You are most welcome,” he found himself saying, his throat rasping as he tried to speak encouragingly and without betraying any of the guilt he felt. “You are accepted in my eyes, Lady Amelia, and it is the fault of the ton if they treat you in any other way.” Letting go of her hand and feeling immediately bereft, he cleared his throat, set his shoulders, and turned around, gesturing back towards the carriage, which stood some distance behind Lady Smithton. “Perhaps I should take you back to the carriage now.”

  “Yes,” Lady Amelia sighed, throwing him a slightly rueful glance. “I am rather fatigued, in both body and spirit, Lord Montague, and would appreciate a chance to rest. Although,” she finished, her voice softening again, “I am very grateful for your consideration.”