by Lisa Reisner
“It seems I am outnumbered. Everyone has a right to their opinions.” Abigail puffed up her chest and smiled. “Even when they are wrong.”
∞
Marcus did not want the afternoon to end. Olivia was laughing again. The sound made him breathe easier than he had in a long time. He knew it was because of Abigail.
In truth he could not remember an afternoon in which he laughed as much as he had. Marcus could not deny the attraction. Abigail had a careless way about her that he could not seem to get enough of. Even the simple action of tucking a silky strand of hair behind her ear drove him to distraction and that knowledge bothered the hell out of him. He should have spent the afternoon having tea with the Applewoods. That would have been the practical thing to do, instead he was having ices with Olivia and Abigail, and he loved every minute of it.
The misconstrued words of the flower girl started to ring in his ears. Was this what a happy family looked like? Laughing and spending time with one another? He wanted Olivia to have what he never did. Marcus wanted to give her the blissful family life she never had, and perhaps he wanted it also for himself.
“Uncle Marcus, can I go pick out the candies to take home?”
Mr. Harris intervened when he heard Olivia’s request. “I can give her a tour of the candy making room if she like.”
Marcus had frequented Bristow’s since he was a boy and had fond memories of Mr. Harris taking him inside the candy room. Olivia jumped with excitement. “It seems you will have another lifelong customer.” Marcus watched Mr. Harris take Olivia’s hand as he led her away.
“I think it likely we will have some minor setbacks along the way, but Olivia seems to be improving every day,” Abigail said in a hopeful voice. “She really has a talent for numbers. Her mathematical skills are advanced far beyond her years.” Marcus watched as Abigail’s appearance turned wistful. “It is a shame they will never be put to great use. Olivia could become any profession she desired if she had been born a man. It seems so unfair.” Abigail began to fidget, and a scared expression came over her face. “I am sorry, my lord. I forgot I was in your presence. Please ignore my inappropriate remark.”
Marcus could tell she was truly frightened. He did not feel comfortable with that notion because it appeared she was afraid of him. He could only presume she had encountered opposition before with her thoughts on equality. “You do not need to curb your tongue around me, Miss Jenner.” Marcus chose his next words carefully. “In many respects I agree with you. Every man and woman should be allowed to pursue their callings. I would imagine given the opportunity, Olivia could be the most successful banker in London, but at the same time I have the natural instinct to provide for her comforts and shield her from the ugly side of the world.” Marcus wanted to find out what motivated Abigail. “Don’t you believe most women would prefer to be pampered rather than having to work for a living?”
Abigail looked pensive. “I cannot speak for all women, but I think the more important idea is that they are given the choice. A perfect example is the girl selling flowers along the street. If she was granted the proper education, perhaps she could provide a better life for her family.” Abigail picked up her spoon and added, “My grandfather trained me in the art of medicine, but I could never be seen in the eyes of the world as a true physician because of the simple fact that I am a woman. If I were allowed the same freedoms as a man, I could choose my own destiny, and never have to rely on anyone to provide for my existence.”
He admired such passion. It was rare to see a female with such courage and raw ambition. “I believe you would make a fine doctor, Miss Jenner.”
Abigail’s features softened. It was easy to see she was truly pleased by his sentiments. “You are the first man besides my grandfather to voice that opinion. Even though my dream will likely never come to fruition, it means a great deal to hear someone say the words.”
Marcus felt for her plight. Abigail was correct. It was an aspiration that would likely never come true. “I assume your husband did not entertain the notion in a positive light.”
“No, he did not,” Abigail said with a shaky voice. Her shoulders trembled. “Not all men are as open minded as you are, my lord.”
He observed the change that came over Abigail. She appeared anxious and preoccupied, as if a memory was haunting her. Lady Sunderland had relayed the details of the heroic death of Abigail’s husband. He wondered if he was truly the brave and good man the story had led him to believe. Marcus wondered if they had a happy marriage. The thought of Abigail in the arms of another man did not sit well with him. He should have felt compassion for a man that lost his life so tragically. Instead he felt nothing but pangs of jealousy. “I think you give me too much credit,” Marcus stated. She was looking at him with such admiration that it unnerved him. His mind turned to thoughts of how he had failed his brother. “I am not the man you think me to be.”
Abigail looked deeply into his eyes. His pulse quickened.
“You cannot deny me my positive opinion,” Abigail murmured, unwilling to break her gaze. “It seems you have my stamp of approval for now.”
Why did that mean so much? Marcus had never cared what others had thought of him, but for some reason Abigail’s good opinion meant a great deal. He suddenly needed to change the subject. He thought of the remedy she had created for Grumman. “Grumman could not stop yapping about the improvement to his sight. Do you carry any of those medicinal tonics around with you?”
“As a matter of fact,” Abigail replied as she opened her reticule and placed two tiny bottles on the table. “The yellow container helps to relieve headaches and the blue jar contains a balm to heal dry skin. Abigail’s forehead lifted with inspiration. “You should use some for your lips. I noticed they were dry when...” Abigail’s voice trailed off when she realized what she was referring to. She turned a shade of pink Marcus had never seen before. He was about to laugh when he heard the familiar sound of a self-important female voice.
Lady Cynthia and Tabitha Applewood stood before him. The elder of the pair was the first to speak. “We thought we would have to wait until tonight for the pleasure of your company. I guess you had the same sweet craving as my daughter,” Cynthia said as she eyed Abigail, who at present was staring downward at the table.
Marcus knew the current scene of him laughing with a beautiful young woman would not sit well with Cynthia Applewood. To his relief, Olivia ran towards him, armed with an enormous bag of goodies. The old adage, timing is everything, could never have been truer.
“Mr. Harris gave me one of everything. This has been the best day ever.” Olivia climbed onto Marcus’s lap and turned toward Abigail. “Do not worry, Abby. I made sure to take some mallows for you.” Olivia noticed the two women staring at her. “Who are they, Uncle Marcus?”
“This is Lady Cynthia Applewood and her very lovely daughter, Lady Tabitha Applewood.” Marcus noticed Tabitha seemed to perk up with his complement. “May I introduce you to my niece Olivia?” He motioned toward Abigail. “And her governess, Miss Abigail Jenner.”
Cynthia Applewood did not seem pleased with the idea of being formally introduced to a mere governess. Marcus never cared for the strict rules of society, but he knew women like her did. Nevertheless, it just felt wrong to pretend that Abigail was not in their company.
Tabitha eyed Olivia with interest. “What a darling child. You must be so proud,” Tabitha announced with a sweet smile that did not quite reach her eyes. She looked directly at Olivia. “I look forward to knowing you better. Something tells me we will get on very well, indeed.”
Marcus felt Olivia tense in his arms, so he decided to reply for her. “I am sure we will have plenty of opportunities to get better acquainted.” Marcus found the entire encounter to be devoid of any cheerfulness. Perhaps he should rethink the idea of Tabitha as one of his top choices for matrimony.
From the corner of his eye, he observed Lady Cynthia sneering at Abigail. Marcus had the sudden urge to defend
Abigail against such a depreciatory appraisal, but Cynthia spoke before he got a chance. “Miss Jenner, you seem familiar to me. Have we met before?”
Abigail blanched. “I do not think so. It is unlikely we would run in similar circles.”
Cynthia’s brow furrowed and Tabitha gave Abigail a thorough once over. “That is very true, but something about your face appears recognizable to me.” Cynthia’s eyes narrowed. It was clear she could not place Abigail. “Very well, maybe it will come to me later.”
Marcus spoke before Abigail had a chance to reply. “It was a pleasant surprise meeting you both today. I look forward to seeing you tonight. Lady Tabitha, it would please me greatly if you would save the first dance for me.” Marcus did not have an inkling of desire to dance with Tabitha, but thought it was best to end the encounter on a pleasant note. Besides, he wanted Tabitha’s mother to stop interrogating poor Abigail.
Tabitha’s face lit up with satisfaction. “Another gentleman has already asked me for the first dance, but I will gladly dance the second one with you.”
Marcus could see through her veiled attempt to make him jealous. He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “Well, that will have to do for now. Have a pleasant afternoon, ladies.” Marcus stood up and granted them a masculine bow. Both ladies curtsied in unison and Mr. Harris led them to their table. Marcus took Olivia’s hand and motioned to Abigail it was time to leave.
Olivia was the first one to speak inside the carriage. “Is that the lady you are planning to marry?”
Something in Olivia’s tone of voice made him tread lightly. “Thinking about and actually planning to marry are two very separate things.”
“That is a relief,” Olivia said, wrinkling her nose. “Because the mother was not very nice to Abigail and Lady Tabitha gave me the shivers.”
Abigail chimed in. “I am sure you just misunderstood the way she behaved towards me, and I thought Lady Tabitha was kind when she spoke to you.”
Marcus shouted with laughter when Olivia gave Abigail a dubious look that made her appear twenty years older than she was.
“I may only be a child, but I know what I saw. I got actual goose bumps. I swear, Uncle Marcus.”
“I think Abigail is just trying to remind you to give people a chance before you form an opinion of them,” Marcus advised, as he reminded himself he should be setting a positive example for Olivia. Oh hell, the child was right. “But in this case, you may be correct.”
Marcus heard a small sigh of relief from Abigail. He recalled Lady Cynthia’s statements about Abigail. Was there any truth to them? Had she met Abigail before today? He was sure Lady Cynthia had just been trying to intimidate her. Marcus dismissed those thoughts for now, deciding Abigail did not need to be questioned twice today. “Olivia, do you want to play another game of chess before supper?”
Olivia’s countenance softened as if their prior discussion never took place. “Absolutely!”
Marcus looked at Abigail with an air of superiority. “I am so glad I thought of teaching you chess. I must be a genius.”
Marcus almost laughed when Abigail gave him a challenging glance, and then seemed to drop the matter entirely and turn to look out the carriage window. She had a soft smile on her face and Marcus felt a sudden jolt of desire. It was a ridiculous notion, but a part of him wanted to take her with him tonight and dance the night away. Marcus realized that would defeat the entire purpose of going to a place like Almack’s. He needed to find a wife and daydreaming about Abigail was not going to help him attain his true goal. Marcus sighed because his exact objective seemed to become foggier by the moment, and it was all because of the tender beauty who was sitting across from him.
Marcus’s gaze shifted toward Olivia as he desperately tried to remind himself of her best interests.
Chapter 8
“You know there is still time to escape before we are noticed,” Jordan said to Marcus as he surveyed the crowd at the top of the stairs. Almack’s was filled with hundreds of debutantes dressed in soft ivory and pale pink. All accompanied by eager mommas who would like to see them wed to wealthy, titled gentleman. “I feel like a piece of raw meat in a lion’s den.”
Marcus knew that tonight would not be easy on Jordan. Jordan despised society’s conventions and rules. He would rather have spent the evening walking through fire than having to endure a stroll through this ballroom. Jordan was a hardened soul, but he would do anything for his close friends.
“I will try to warn you if we become in danger of being attacked,” Marcus joked and then his expression became solemn. “In all seriousness, I thank you for being here. This is harder for me than I expected.”
“Do I detect a measure of hesitation?” Jordan asked. Both their names were announced, and they walked down the stairs onto the dance floor. “I was hoping you would come to your senses sooner or later.”
“I lost my good sense days ago,” Marcus acknowledged, as he scanned the crowd. He felt uneasy and out of place. Marcus felt at home on the battlefield or at a gaming table...not at the biggest marriage mart in London. He had to force himself to leave his townhouse tonight. Marcus had listened at Olivia’s door while Abigail entertained her with a bedtime story that involved a giant caterpillar and a talking sunflower. Against his better judgment Marcus had every intention of asking Abigail if she wanted to have an after-dinner drink, but he decided against it. He knew it would only lead to a place that the two of them should never ago.
Jordan read Marcus’s thoughts. “Your Rembrandt is going to look exquisite in my library.”
Marcus cracked a smile. “It is not yours yet, but I am afraid it may be soon. I do not know what has gotten into me. I cannot stop thinking about her.” Marcus took a glass of punch from a footman and proceeded to empty it in one gulp. “Don’t they have something a little stronger to drink?”
“Actually, the strongest drink you will get here is lemonade,” Lady Caroline Sunderland answered as they entered the room.
Jordan and Marcus turned to face the Sunderlands. Robert’s arm was wrapped protectively around Caroline’s waist. Marcus had always been in awe of their marriage. They both seemed to genuinely enjoy being with one another.
“Caroline informed me you were in the market for a bride and we thought you might need our support,” Robert offered with a grin. “I told her she must be wrong because whenever you refer to marriage, the expression leg shackled is commonly used.”
Marcus threw back his head and laughed. “I am afraid your lovely wife is correct, and it seems I have a very difficult task ahead of me.” He studied the glowing Caroline and let out an envious sigh. “Especially when the most beautiful lady in London has already been taken.”
Robert Sunderland beamed at his wife. “I will not argue with you on that point. I am indeed the luckiest man in England.” His grinning expression sobered a bit. “But I must say that I was surprised to hear that you were ready to take the plunge. You always were so against the institution. What made you change your mind?”
“Our good friend is under the impression that his niece needs a proper female role model,” Jordan answered Robert’s question. Jordan scrutinized the sea of people. “I am not exactly sure how he expects to find that here. After all, I doubt there is anyone here that can measure up to Caroline.”
“Since I am as big as a whale, I will happily accept both of your complements,” Caroline said as she gave them both a huge grin of appreciation. Robert whispered something into her ear that made her smile and then she focused her attention on Marcus. “How is Olivia fairing? I have been thinking of her ever since I sent Miss Jenner over to you.”
“Olivia is doing splendidly. Miss Jenner seems to be having a wonderful effect on her.”
Jordan had to cough to cover up his laughter. “Yes, she does seem to be having quite an effect.” Jordan spoke directly to Caroline. “Do you have any other governesses in your arsenal? It seems I may need to learn a thing or two.”
Caroline hit Jo
rdan with her fan, but her attempt at castigation was ruined with a giggle. “Jordan, you truly are an incorrigible rogue. I pity the woman that has the misfortune of ever falling in love with you.” Caroline looked at Marcus. “I must admit I was taken aback by Miss Jenner’s beauty, but I really thought she would be good for Olivia. Her eyes seemed so kind when I met her, and the poor thing really needed work. I hope her appearance has not caused too much trouble.”
Marcus would admit he found Abigail’s looks to be stunning, but it was not the only reason he was drawn to her. For the first time he found himself wanting to have a conversation with a woman. Most of his experiences with the opposite sex involved champagne and a tumble between the sheets. In fact, he never really thought to have a serious discussion with a female, but he found himself curious to learn Abigail’s opinions and concerns.
Marcus was searching for the right words to respond to Caroline’s inquiry when the Applewood women approached him from behind. Marcus had the awful feeling they had eavesdropped on his conversation from the sour look on both their faces. He decided to smooth things over the best he could. “You look breathtaking, Lady Tabitha. I will be the envy of every man in the room during our dance together.” Tabitha did look beautiful, but her eyes were not the color of violets and her smile did not make him feel warm with lust.
Tabitha regained her pompous composure, but Lady Cynthia looked ready to breathe fire. Her words reflected her mood. “You seem quite free with your compliments, Lord Everton. I wonder if you are a man that can tell the difference between a glass of ale and fine Madeira.”
“I have always preferred ale myself,” Jordan said with a smug grin. Cynthia turned beet red and Jordan just continued to smile.
Marcus knew exactly what Cynthia was implying and the very idea of someone cheapening Abigail’s worth made him fume with anger. The old Marcus would have given Lady Applewood the cut direct, but now he had to preserve his reputation for Olivia’s sake. He stifled his resentment and decided to ignore Cynthia’s comments. “I believe they are playing my favorite Waltz, Lady Tabitha, will you do me the honor of having the next dance?”
