“I do not hate the crowds as much as you seem to, but I cannot blame you for not enjoying these events.”
“Why do you keep coming if you don’t like them, my lord? You have said quite plainly that you have no wish to get married, so it seems rather contradictory to be at all the ton events.”
“I have a friend here that needs watching,” the viscount said with a teasing tone.
Anne felt heat creeping into her cheeks. “You needn’t continue, my lord. I think you have done enough to ensure my success. I strongly doubt I would do the same for you.”
Again, the viscount chuckled over her words. “Well, that is certainly putting me in my place, my dear. But never mind, it isn’t such a trial, there is much to amuse me at balls and routs. And, of course, there is our evening at the theatre to look forward to.”
“Oh, yes, I do hope I can keep my hopes under control. I would hate to be disappointed because I have allowed my expectations to get out of hand.” Anne couldn’t help grinning with her anticipation.
The viscount turned the subject abruptly. “Have you settled on any one of your suitors yet? Does it seem that any particular gentleman is likely to come up to scratch?”
Anne felt it was somehow inappropriate to be discussing such things with the viscount, but she ignored the thought as there was no one else she could talk to about it. “No one has made an actual offer yet, no, but a couple of gentlemen have become quite marked in their attentions. I have been receiving deliveries of flowers most days, which is quite delightful.” She offered him a dimpled grin but followed it up with a sigh. “The only trouble is that I feel like I want to discuss these gentlemen with my father, but he has still not returned, nor have I received any word from him.” She looked up eagerly at the viscount. “Do you have any more information about him?”
“As a matter of fact, I have found further trace of him.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so earlier?” She almost stamped her foot with frustration at the nonsensical lord.
“We were speaking of other things,” he replied, but she could see that he was fighting to control his smile.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, what have you found out?” she demanded.
“I believe he was set upon by footpads and sustained some injury but has been taken in by a kindly widow in the village of Beaconsfield. From what the Runner could find out, his injuries were not overly serious, but that is no doubt what is preventing his return.”
“Were his fingers broken?” she asked, sounding peeved, which again made the viscount smile. “Did his injuries somehow prevent his sending me a message?”
“It is possible that he had a head injury and has lost his memory,” the viscount offered with another chuckle before continuing in an obvious effort to offer comfort. “My lady, you must realize that men often do not consider that anyone might be worried about them. I know when I was away at school my mother would always lament that I so rarely wrote to her.”
“But you were a boy, my lord, not someone’s father.”
“True, but I’m sure you would agree that there is often very little difference between boys and men.”
This funny statement finally broke through Anne’s anger, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You are right, my lord, I need to try to keep my mind open. And I should be relieved that he is not dead or on a ship to the colonies. So you have this widow’s direction so I could write to him, or her maybe, if he has in fact lost his memory.”
“I shall get it to you tomorrow. In the meantime, while he is still absent, would you care to discuss your marital options with me?”
“With you? How could we do that, my lord? I would be absolutely mortified if we were to be overheard.” Anne was gratified by his offer but doubted it could be practically carried out.
“I could call round for you one afternoon after your callers have left and take you for another drive. If we go to the Park before it gets too crowded we should be able to be fairly private but perfectly respectable.”
“That is a graciously kind offer, thank you, my lord. I have already accepted Lord Cumberland’s invitation to go driving tomorrow, but the following day would be lovely.”
“Very well, I shall call for you then.”
Their arrangement was perfectly timed, just as their waltz came to an end and Lord Seymour stepped forward to claim her hand for the next dance.
The dances all swirled into one another and before she knew it, Anne was getting tucked up into her bed at her aunt’s house, feeling sleepy and content.
When she arrived in the breakfast room the next morning, her uncle was just finishing up. “There is a letter for you, my dear. Whenever you’re ready, ask the butler for it.”
“A letter for me?” Anne was excited to hear that, hoping it was news from her father. She could not settle down to eat without finding out. She curtsied to her uncle and hurried from the room.
A few minutes later she returned to the breakfast room, disappointed by her father’s sparse words but relieved to know he had remembered about her and that he was well. He had even provided a return address, so she determined to write back to him as soon as she had eaten.
Her uncle was half hidden behind his newspaper as he sipped his coffee, but he noticed her return and lowered the paper a little to ask solicitously, “I trust it was good news?”
“Yes, thank you, my lord, it was.” She didn’t elaborate, mindful of her uncle’s words the night before that he had asked her father to leave.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. She had several callers, Lord Cumberland took her for an uneventful drive in the Park, and she attended a rout in the evening. The rout was less crowded than the balls she had attended, but not by much. She returned home nearly as exhausted as from a ball, sinking gratefully into her soft bed and drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
~~~
She tried to quell her eagerness to see Lord Dunbar, but despite her efforts to think of other things, the morning dragged uncomfortably. She was relieved when the knocker sounded, signalling the arrival of her afternoon’s callers. That certainly sped the day along and with a smile, she waved away the last of her callers and hurried up to her room to change into a riding habit. It crossed her mind to wish they were actually going to be riding instead of driving, but that would not lend itself as well to conversation, and she was quite looking forward to her upcoming inappropriate conversation with the viscount. It was so unexpected that he had become her friend, but she was grateful for it.
Just as the maid was pinning her hat at a jaunty angle over her elaborate coiffure, the knocker was heard sounding once more throughout the house. Glancing into the mirror, Anne saw that her high colour reflected her excitement. She sternly admonished herself to calm down. She ought not to be so excited about a ride with the unavailable viscount. Then she reminded herself that she was just looking forward to discussing her marital options. With that thought, she took a deep breath and opened the door just as the footman was about to knock, summoning her to meet her caller.
“Thank you, Jason, I am on my way,” she said with a smile.
She wanted to hurry but did not want to appear too eager, so she forced her feet to a sedate pace. The viscount was waiting patiently in the foyer. She was gratified to see his delighted smile at her appearance.
“My lady,” he began with a flourishing bow, “you are looking lovely, as usual, this afternoon.”
She tried not to simper as she accepted the compliment. She was quite sure it would give him a disgust of her. She couldn’t quite fathom why she was so delighted to see him. He could be decidedly disagreeable at times, and there was that threat of ruining her that should have been completely off putting. But she couldn’t seem to help it; she was happy to see the contrary man.
Keeping herself still to a sedate walk and not the skipping she longed to do, she accompanied the viscount to his waiting phaeton. It was a sporting vehicle, not the carriage he had brought last time, and somehow that
added one more notch to her excitement.
~~~
Wesley watched her eyes sparkling. While she was not usually moping, she was a serious sort of female, and he was glad to see a little more joie de vie shining from her today. He felt inexplicably proud at the thought that it might be his presence that was making the young lady so cheerful. When her eyes landed on his phaeton, they lit up even brighter and he couldn’t help chuckling. “You do not strike me as a thrill seeker, but I can see that you like the look of my conveyance.”
She clapped her hands like a school girl, and he was surprised that it was not off putting. “Oh my lord, shall we be putting your horses through their paces today?” she asked, thankfully without a giggle.
“If you would like, that could certainly be arranged. Although driving at break-neck speed will not be conducive to conversation.”
Her face fell at his reminder. But then she perked up. “Why do we not circle through the Park and then come out on the far end and take the road around the Park? There we should be able to see what your cattle have in them.”
Wesley couldn’t help chuckling over her words. It was a sound suggestion. “Very well, my lady, your wish shall be my command,” he said, listening to her tinkling laughter as he handed her up into the high perched vehicle.
They made their way carefully through the crowded streets and entered the Park to see that it was already getting busy but was not yet crowded.
“Did you have many callers this afternoon?” he asked, making polite conversation as he kept his eyes on the road.
“I did, my lord. I was actually worried they would not get out in time for me to get ready before you arrived. But once Miss Fanshaw stood up to leave, most followed her lead.” Anne paused and cast him a glance from beneath her eyelashes. “Did you make some sort of arrangement with her, too, my lord? She’s prodigiously popular.”
“She’s a Diamond of the first water, my dear. She would not require anyone’s help.”
“No, of course not.” Her small voice and brief reply made him look sharply at her. He realized with a shake of his head that he had not answered her question with an ounce of tact.
“There was no implication about you in my words, my dear.”
“Perhaps not, my lord, but I did need help,” she replied, but then hurried to try to save face. “Do not trouble yourself about my feelings, my lord. I am quite well aware that I am no Diamond. And I am decidedly grateful for your help. Even Miss Fanshaw visits me.”
Her brave smile made Wesley long to tuck her under his arm and protect her from all hurts. He thrust the ridiculous notion from his mind and turned to more prudent thoughts.
“So, tell me, Lady Anne, have any of your gentleman callers become more overt in their attentions?”
She wrinkled her nose in a manner that was becoming familiar and endearing. “I do not know about overt, but several gentlemen have been sending me flowers and notes. A couple are calling round nearly every day. And Lord Seymour brought his mother with him.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“About all of it? Or about Lord Seymour’s mother?”
Wesley laughed. “Both.”
Anne sighed. “It is actually a trifle stressful, to be honest. I thought I wanted to have choices, but what if more than one gentleman makes me an offer?” She turned to him with a horrified look on her face. “To have to tell others no when I have been allowing them to call and send gifts will be awkward to say the least.”
“I do not think you need to worry too much about it, my dear. This is how these things go. The gentlemen are not blind. Surely they have noticed the other callers and even the numerous bouquets and posies about the house when they visit.”
Again, she wrinkled her nose and then her smile widened. “That is an excellent point, my lord. I am so relieved to be having this discussion with you despite how unconventional it might be.”
“Is there anyone in particular you hope does come up to scratch?” Wesley couldn’t say why he held his breath while he waited for her reply.
“I wish I was a little more enthusiastic about it,” she answered him on another soft sigh. “Lord Seymour has been lovely. He seems to be kind, gracious, and generous. It is encouraging to see how he treats his mother. But I wonder if his mother might be a problem. She seems to be nice enough, but she does demand a great deal of his attention. Of course, she has determined that she wants another husband, so perhaps she wouldn’t be too much of a problem.”
Wesley grinned over her soliloquy. “You seem to be talking yourself in circles, my dear.”
“I know,” she answered glumly.
“Is there anyone else who might be a better option?”
Her shrug was half hearted. “There is the earl, Lord Westlake. He has been very kind. He is a lovely dancer. From what my aunt and uncle tell me, he is plump in the pocket and needs an heir. But while he has been calling, and has sent me flowers, and makes a point of speaking to me at every social occasion, I am not convinced his heart is in it. I really don’t think he is quite ready to settle down and start his own family.”
“What gives you that impression? It would be rather unsavoury of the man to be raising expectations if he has no interest in following through.”
“You are right, my lord, and I do not wish to speak ill of him. He has been nothing but kind to me, but it just feels as though he lacks enthusiasm, or he’s just going through the motions. It is almost as though someone has told him he must get married, but he is not convinced of the truth of it.”
Wesley nodded; he couldn’t help but agree with her assessment. “At least you don’t seem too broken up about it.”
“I am beginning to wonder if there is something wrong with me. Most of the other debutantes are in alt over one or more gentlemen and cannot cease jabbering about them, wondering when or if they will propose and giggling madly whenever their eyes meet. For me, while I find most of the gentlemen quite pleasant, very few of them generate in me the least desire to giggle.”
Wesley saw that she was quite serious, but her statement made him want to laugh. He struggled to contain himself. He was rather disgusted with himself for feeling relieved that she had not yet given her heart to any of her suitors. It was churlish of him. It would be much better for her if she would.
“Well, let us think a little more about Lord Seymour then. Do you see any true impediment to a match with him?”
She shrugged briefly. “No, not really. It is merely my lukewarm feelings on the matter that are giving me pause. He really is a catch, and I should be gratified that he is considering me.” She sighed softly and then turned to him with earnest eyes. “Could you talk some sense into me, Lord Dunbar?”
Wesley smiled. He really could not muster up any enthusiasm for the task, but he knew he ought to. “I know many of the ladies consider him to be quite handsome.”
“That is true. His eyes are a lovely shade of hazel, and I do like his smile.”
The viscount gritted his teeth and continued. “He has a fine reputation for how he treats his animals.”
She looked at him, momentarily puzzled by his words but then a soft smile touched her lips. “I never thought of it, my lord, but you have a point. How a man treats his animals is probably an indication of how he would treat his wife, since they are both in his power.” She glanced at his horses. “It would seem you would be a generous and loving husband if your own beautiful horses are anything to go by.”
They both shared a nervous laugh over her words. She quickly sobered. “I ought to try to get a look at Lord Westlake’s horses the next time he comes to call.”
“If we’re going to base our judgment on how a man treats his cattle, I would suggest you strike Westlake off your list, my dear. Last year, one of his horses had to be put down because he forced it over a jump it didn’t want to take, and the poor beast broke its leg.”
“Oh no!” Her soft sound of distress made Wesley reach over and pat her hand where it reste
d in her lap.
“Is there anyone else you are considering? I could tell you what I know about their animals.”
Now she looked mischievous. “Well, Lord Grey and Lord Spencer have been calling quite regularly, and they have not been as clear with me as you have that they are not in the market for a wife.”
Wesley chuckled. “I can vouch for them as excellent carers of their animals, but I can assure you they would be aghast if they thought they had raised hopes in you.”
“No, I am merely jesting with you. I was merely trying to illustrate how lost I am in this game.” After a brief pause she turned the subject. “Did I tell you that I heard from my father yesterday?”
“No, you did not. Did he tell you where he is, or how he is, at least?”
“He was not very forthcoming, but he assured me that all is well and that he hopes to return to London within a few days. The trouble is, he did not date his note so I cannot say for certain when those days might be up. But at least it is something. He thought of me and finally realized he ought to let me know how he is. And you were right, he is still in Beaconsfield. Or rather he was at the time of writing, and that is the address he gave for me to write back.”
She offered him a sunny, dimpled smile with those words, causing Wesley to catch his breath and wonder how the little mouse had turned into a beauty. He suddenly felt as though he couldn’t say a thing. She didn’t seem to notice.
“Now, I think I am talked out on the subject of my potential beaux, and I can see that the far exit of the Park is not too far away. What do you say to a dash around the perimeter road?”
“I say, let us proceed and hold onto your dashing hat, my lady.” Wesley laughed as he prompted his horses to pick up their pace.
His companion laughed with glee as the scenery sped by. Within a few minutes, they were back into traffic and Wesley had to rein in his bays, but it had been lovely while it lasted.
“Thank you, my lord, this has been such a relaxing afternoon,” Lady Anne said as she placed a hand softly on his arm and gazed up into his face with an earnest expression. Wesley was surprised to note that he fully agreed with her.
The Viscount Deception: A Sweet Regency Romance Adventure (Mayfair Mayhem Book 3) Page 14
