Beth actually felt faint as they entered the ballroom. She felt as though all eyes were upon her as they made their way through the crowds. Justin stopped to greet friends here and there as they proceeded across the room toward their hosts, but Beth felt as though she had been struck dumb in his presence. As the earl spoke to different ones she knew she had met, she could not for the life of her squeeze their names to her lips. It was as though her mind had been wiped clean. It was absolutely mortifying!
It was with deep gratitude that Beth accepted a glass of wine from a passing servant. She took a deep, fortifying sip and felt her nerves grow a bit calmer as the strong liquid hit her empty stomach. Finally, she felt the connection between her mind and tongue kick in and she was able to at least carry a mediocre share in the conversation her husband was engaged in. She was relieved when they finally reached their hostess. Lady Jenny’s comforting presence helped soothe her nerves a bit more, but Beth still was happy to accept another glass of wine soon after, surprised to find she had already emptied her first cup.
Unfortunately, unused to drinking alcohol, when the two glasses of wine hit her empty stomach the result was less than acceptable, and Beth soon found herself leaning over one of the potted plants strategically placed around the room, relieving herself of their noxious contents. Hoping no one had noticed, Justin whisked her off to a retiring room where a maid helped her clean herself up and the earl fetched a plate of crackers to settle her upset stomach.
Sadly, someone had noticed. Lady Melissa gleefully witnessed her brother’s wife’s undignified moment and took great pleasure in whispering the tale into a few choice ears, watching with malice as it ran through the gathered throng like wild fire.
Lady Geneva found out what was happening as the story was whispered to her by a jealous acquaintance. Knowing she had to do something quickly, Jenny smiled conspiratorially at the lady with the wagging tongue. “Oh, dear, is she feeling unwell already? Sadly, it hits some ladies that way. You do realize the countess is a newlywed,” she continued significantly. “No doubt the poor lady was trying to keep her delicate condition a secret for a bit longer in order to enjoy the Season, but it won’t be able to be kept under wraps after this, will it?” And she managed to laugh as though it were a great jest.
Justin was grateful as he heard both stories circulating the room, happy that Lady Geneva had been so nimble of tongue to come up with that excuse on the spot. Jenny was pleased to see Lady Melissa stomping out of the ballroom realizing that she must have been the source of the first story and she was pouting that her malicious plan had been foiled. Now all Beth had to do was get through the evening without any further disgrace and it would all be put behind them. No one would know which tale was true, and something much more scandalous was sure to come along.
It took great effort, but Beth managed to paste a wan smile to her face after she downed a couple crackers and a glass of water. She made it through the rest of the evening without any further disasters, but it was an inauspicious beginning to her life on the Social scene.
She was never so happy to take to her bed as she was that night. Obviously, she awoke with the requisite pounding head the next day, but she was thankful that her husband had not rung a peel over her for her foolishness the previous evening. He had merely reminded her of the necessity of ensuring she had eaten whenever she chose to have a glass in the future.
And thus they proceeded for the next couple of weeks. Beth would spend her days jaunting about to various social engagements or shopping with some of her new-found friends or receiving some of those same friends in her own parlour on her at home days. She would enjoy herself immensely and be comfortable when it was just a small gathering or mostly just ladies, but whenever she would be in the company of her husband, she would become such a nervous mess that she would unwittingly give the cut direct to one of her new friends or just stand silently by the side of her husband. She had been so mortified by his witnessing her humiliation at that first gathering that she found it impossible to be comfortable with him. It resulted in her developing a very strange reputation. Some thought she was absolutely delightful while others thought she was a terrible snob becoming much too high in the instep for someone of her humble beginnings.
Unfortunately, one afternoon, the situation became even more complicated. Lady Maria, Viscountess Drysdale, the butler informed Beth, was asking if she was at home to callers. Beth stifled the sigh that she instinctively felt and agreed to see her after a quick glance in a nearby mirror to ensure that she was acceptably attired.
“Lady Maria, how nice of you to call. I am sorry that I was not expecting callers, so I am not nearly as elegantly turned out as you,” Beth excused and complimented all in one breath, pleased to hear that she was becoming more socially adept, at least without her husband around.
“No, no, my dear Lady Fulton, you look as lovely as always. Thank you for agreeing to see me.” Beth became all the more on her guard when she saw the speculative look upon her caller’s face. She managed to keep a polite smile upon her face.
“Will you be staying long? Ought I to ring for tea?”
With another searching look, Lady Maria shook her head. “I think you ought to hear what I have to say before you decide if you want to share some refreshments.”
Beth swallowed the fear that began to claw its way up her throat and prayed that her face merely displayed polite interest. Instinctively she experienced keen awareness of a desire to hustle the woman from the room. Whatever she had to say was not going to benefit Beth, she thought with absolute certainty.
“Very well, my lady, let us at least be seated and you can share your news.”
“I have hesitated to come to you with this tale,” the lady began, her tone almost sounding sincere, “but I was certain you would want to know if it is being bandied about.”
“To be sure, one ought to always be informed.” Beth felt the need to say something in response to the woman’s expectant pause.
Finally, Lady Maria seemed to realize Beth was not going to beg for the information and launched into her story. Her watchful gaze was unable to hide how much she was hoping to see Beth’s shock or dismay.
Long experience prevented Beth from revealing either although she howled with pain in her heart as she heard what her caller had come to tell her.
“I overheard my husband and my brother talking about you. I will admit, my curiosity was piqued, so I did not at once reveal my presence. I am certain they would not have discussed the matter had they known I was there.”
Beth wanted to scream at the woman to hurry up and get on with the telling but she merely murmured, “Of course.”
“Well, they were discussing how surprised they were that Lord Fulton had married you since he had bought you from your father at an auction held at a club.”
Beth couldn’t help herself. “I beg your pardon?”
It was enough of a reaction to delight the other woman. “Oh, my dear, I am sorry to surprise you in this way. I was convinced you must not have known and decided that you ought to be informed.”
“But what do you mean, he bought me?” Beth wished she could toss the woman from her house and deny that the tale could have any truth to it, but knowing her father, she had to admit that it was a possibility.
“I, of course, do not know any details, I am sorry to say, but it would seem your father set up an auction at some club the gentlemen frequent, and he was taking bids on who would take you off his hands. My husband was saying that no one would have expected the earl to marry you under those circumstances.”
Beth gathered her composure around herself like a cloak and managed a tight smile at her guest. “Well, I can assure you that the earl and I are most definitely married, so perhaps there is no truth to this tale you have shared with me at all.”
“Oh no, they were most clear.”
Beth rose to her feet, adopting as haughty a look as she could muster. “Well, since neither you nor I were there,
it matters not at this point. I am the Countess of Westfield, and I do not expect to hear of this tale again.”
It was cold comfort to Beth to see her caller quail slightly as she too got to her feet. “No, of course not, my lady. I would never consider breathing a word of it to anyone.”
Even in her stunned state, Beth knew she had to remove the power of the rumour. She forced herself to shrug as though it was a matter of no significance. “Do not trouble yourself over the matter, my lady. It is not a matter of any significance at this point, really, since as it turns out his lordship did marry me, however he might have come into contact with me.”
Beth would have smiled over the other woman’s obvious consternation at being thus routed from the scandal she was hoping to uncover if it were not her own life being discussed. She waited until the door closed behind the viscountess and until she was safely ensconced in the privacy of her bedchamber before she allowed the tears to flow freely. Beth had been quite aware of the monstrous side of her father’s personality but never would have expected him to sink to such a level. And that Justin would be a party to it filled her with disgust.
Despite the fact that he was not obvious about their similarities, to Beth this tale was convincing evidence that the Earl of Westfield was exactly like her father. Fighting the feelings of despair that threatened to engulf her, Beth refused to give in. She was a countess now, she reminded herself. As she had told Lady Maria, it didn’t matter how it had been arranged. Maybe if she said it a thousand more times she would truly believe it.
Reflecting a few more minutes caused the blood to drain from Beth’s face as she realized the import of Lady Maria’s words. ‘No one had expected the earl to marry her.’ Her life could have been absolutely ruined if the earl were not actually an honourable man, Beth reminded herself. She was torn between gratitude and fury. It would be even more challenging to be in her husband’s presence after this. But with a determined air, she set her chin, dried her eyes, and rang for her maid to come and help her prepare for the evening. She only hoped Sally could remember what Beth was supposed to be doing that evening because in her current turmoil, she could not presently remember.
That night, Lady Amelia, the Countess of Brine, noticed there was an even deeper strain to the interaction between the Earl and Countess of Westfield. It saddened her to note what was happening. Recalling the close friendship the countess and Lady Amelia’s grandson had once shared, she determined her course of action and summoned her dear grandson to London to help out his friend.
Chapter Fourteen
“Becky!” bellowed Lord Fulton, “what have you done with my snuff box?”
The upstairs maid calmly entered the room. “I didn’t do nothing with it, milord. I’m sure it must be right where you left it.” At the same moment, Beth rushed anxiously into the room pale and trembling, preparing herself to defend the young maid, in her haste not noticing that Becky wasn’t even nervous.
“Well, I cannot find it, so you must have misplaced it when you were last in here cleaning,” explained the earl calmly
“No sir, I do not recall even seeing the darn thing,” declared Becky stoutly.
“I took it, my lord, it has nothing to do with Becky,” stated Beth waveringly as she stepped in front of Becky defensively with her blue eyes looking larger than ever in her deathly pale face. “You must not discipline her for it was I that misplaced your… your snuffbox.” Beth hesitated for a second because she had almost forgotten what he had said was missing.
“I see. Becky, please carry on with your work, and try to be more careful in the future,” said Lord Fulton as he looked searchingly into his wife’s fear-filled eyes.
“Aye, aye, milord,” saluted Becky cheekily as she left the room.
“What did you do with my snuff box, Beth? Why would you take it?” Justin questioned, looking into her pale, upturned face, trying to understand what was going on in her tumultuous mind. He knew she must be lying but could not fathom why.
“I don’t remember, my lord. I must have wanted it. It is quite pretty, you know.” There was a pause while Justin steadily regarded his confusing wife. “Please, my lord, what shall you do to me for misplacing your things?”
“Do to you — what do you mean?” Justin was taken aback by the question.
“What will the punishment be? Please, the wait is unbearable, my lord.” She hated the fear she felt, and she hated even more begging him to get on with it, but it could not be avoided. In her childhood home, there had always been repercussions if something was lost. Beth knew she hadn’t been the one to misplace the trinket but couldn’t bear for Becky to be punished. Her father’s temper had almost never raised a hand to her or her mother, but he had rarely felt the need to restrain himself with the servants.
Beth’s usually expressive face had tightened into the impassable mask he hated so much, but Justin was slowly learning to read her, and he could see the emotions flickering in her eyes. He was intrigued to see fear and anger warring for dominance and wondered what was going through her mind. He was so intently watching her that he almost forgot what they were talking about.
“Don’t be silly, Elizabeth. There is no punishment for losing something. It was obviously an accident. I shall just have to use another one.”
“But you were partial to that one, my lord,” Beth reminded him, mentally berating herself at the same time for so foolishly not allowing the matter to drop.
“Yes, I was, but if it’s gone, it’s gone. There’s no reason for me to get angry with you over it, or for you to get angry with me, for that matter,” he tried to gently tease her to find out what exactly was going on with his mercurial wife.
Beth gasped as she flushed to the roots of her hair. “I was not angry with you, my lord. Why ever would you think that?”
“I saw it in your eyes.”
“Well, I must go. I have an appointment with the housekeeper.” With that, Beth fairly fled from the room, as her husband chuckled at her expense. He would have to figure out why his wife was so frightened of him, but also why the anger was there under the surface as well. He was starting to worry about his wife for her strangely erratic behaviour. He hadn’t expected having a wife to occupy so much of his time and thoughts. He shook his head and went out to face the day.
Beth wiped her face on a damp cloth after emptying the contents of her stomach into the chamber pot. She was feeling absolutely miserable. Good grief, she thought, this is becoming unbearable. I’m more nervous here than ever I was with my father. And yet, my lord has never even raised his voice to me, let alone a hand. Not yet anyway. I just don’t know what to expect from him and the wait is driving me crazy. I jump at everything and my sense of humour is completely gone because all I do is worry. Nothing is enjoyable. How I wish Max were here! I should go visit his grandmother to see if she has heard any news of him.
Meanwhile, a few streets over, the Honorable Maxwell Giles was being ushered into a meeting with his grandmother, Lady Amelia, Countess of Brine. “Hello, Maxwell. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Not too much, Grandmother,” he replied gravely as he made an elegant leg. “You look more lovely than you have a right to, my dear,” he continued, trying valiantly to maintain a straight face. He lost the battle and burst out laughing when his grandmother thawed and drew him down for a quick hug.
“You young scamp, where have you been hiding yourself? You’re staying with me while you visit London.” Despite her slightly crusty exterior, Lady Amelia had a soft center and she adored her grandson.
“Yes, ma’am! I just arrived in Town, so I haven’t been hiding anywhere. And I rushed here as quickly as I could when I got your letter about my Beth. Let me hear it, what’s she been up to that had you so worried?”
With that, his grandmother launched into a tale of Beth’s inconsistent and confusing behaviour. Once it was over, Max set out to check on his old friend for himself and track down the reasons. He knew his grandmother wouldn�
�t exaggerate, so he was becoming a bit alarmed as he thought about all the things she had told him. But, he knew his Bethy and was sure she was all right.
“Max!” Beth screeched as she flew across the hall into his open arms. She squeezed him tight and was raining kisses on his cheeks when Justin walked upon the scene.
“Well, this is an interesting sight, my dear. Pray tell, who might this gentleman be that you are so enthusiastically greeting in our foyer? I was not aware you had any relatives visiting Town,” Justin drawled calmly, despite his surprise over her demonstration of affection for this unknown man.
He tried valiantly not to be upset, but lost the battle. Elizabeth had never shown such enthusiasm about anything in his presence, let alone greeted him so exuberantly. He felt a knot of jealousy settle in the pit of his stomach that he tried to ignore, sure that his wife would have a reasonable explanation.
Much of the excitement drained from her face as she turned to her husband. She had forgotten he was home in her gladness over seeing Max again. “Oh, my lord, you must allow me to present my very best and oldest friend, Maxwell Giles. We grew up next door to one another. His father is the squire.” She belatedly remembered how much her father hated her being friends with Max but prayed her husband would be more reasonable, at least in this matter. She was so lonesome, and she desperately wanted to spend some time with her old friend.
Justin, the inveterate gentleman, came forward to greet their guest politely. “Well, how nice to meet one of Elizabeth’s friends. Do come in and join us for a drink. Perhaps you could stay for dinner. We aren’t promised anywhere until later this evening.”
The Debutante Bride: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair) Page 13
