Her aunt gave her an understanding smile. “You always were one to think of other people. You remind me of your mother that way. Your reason for doing this is good. However, I have heard of the duke’s daughter, and I would advise you to reconsider going to this social engagement today.”
“Why? What is the duke’s daughter like?” Timothy asked before Ava had a chance to.
“Yes, what awful things has she done?” Dinah piped up in interest.
All of them looked at their aunt expectantly, something that seemed to make their aunt uneasy, for she said, “I’m not sure if I should discuss this when children are in the room.”
“Ah, tell us,” Timothy urged. “We’ll be old enough to marry soon enough. Besides, how will we ever know who to trust if you don’t tell us about the duke’s daughter?”
Their aunt groaned. “Timothy, sometimes you’re much too intelligent for your own good. I think you could argue your way out of anything.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “All right, I’ll tell you, but I’m not going to say the worst of it. I just want you to know,” she gave Ava a pointed look, “that his daughter is much worse than what I am saying.” Despite the disappointment on Timothy’s face, she continued, “Lady Eloise is selfish, conceited, and cruel.”
Timothy’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Why? What has she done?”
“Don’t concern yourself with what she’s done. Just know that what I have said about her is an accurate representation of who she really is. You don’t need to engage with people like her. You’d be better off getting rid of your right toe.”
“What about the other people in her group?” Ava asked. “Are they as bad as she is?”
“I don’t know,” her aunt replied. “You mentioned one of them. Miss Wilmington was the name, correct?”
Ava nodded.
“I don’t recall hearing anything about her. Who else is in the group?”
“I don’t know. I’ll find out today if I go to the social engagement. Miss Wilmington seemed nice enough when we talked. I am assuming that not everyone in the group is like Lady Eloise.”
Her aunt shrugged and sipped more tea. “You’re a married lady now. You’re old enough to make your own decisions. It’s not my place to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. If you are sure this is the best course, you should pursue it. You might be right; Brad might benefit very well from your association with the group. In London, knowing the right people avails a person very much.”
Ava bit her lower lip. She sensed that her aunt would never go to the social engagement if she had been the one who had been invited. Ava traced the edge of her cup with her thumb. She hadn’t expected to find herself at a crossroad when she came here today.
That morning when she left her townhouse, she’d been certain about what to do. Now, she wasn’t sure what to make of her aunt’s warning. If she went, then it could mean good things for Brad. But if she didn’t, would Miss Wilmington and the others in the group be upset with her? Would they take it as a rejection of them? It wasn’t like she had time to convince them that she had taken ill. Also, plenty of people had seen her coming to her aunt’s townhouse.
She might not know much about Lady Eloise and the Ladies of Grace, but she knew they held a prominent place in London. They weren’t to be taken lightly. London was such a small place. The littlest thing someone did had an impact on the people around them, especially when they upset people that were important in the Ton.
“I think I have to go,” Ava said.
“I understand,” her aunt replied.
Ava studied her, noting the tenderness in the lady’s gaze. Perhaps her aunt did understand. Her aunt, after all, had been a married lady herself. Undoubtedly, she had done things for her husband that weren’t all that pleasant. She probably associated with some ladies she didn’t like for his sake.
“This is boring,” Timothy spoke up as he put his empty cup on the tray. “Can’t we do something more interesting? Why don’t we play a game?”
Dinah straightened up in her chair. “I’d love a game of charades. We haven’t played that one in a long time.”
“A game of charades might be nice,” their aunt said. “What do you think, Ava?”
A game of charades would be nice. It would help take Ava’s mind off of the social engagement she had to go to in two and a half hours. “Yes, I’d like to play.”
Her brother stood up in excitement. “I’ll go first.”
Taking her mind off of everything her aunt had just told her, Ava focused on her brother.
***
“What do you mean I have to pay you ten shillings if I want to talk to my brother?” Brad asked Lord Manning.
The two gentlemen stood in the drawing room, and as soon as Brad had introduced himself, Lord Manning had made the demand – the ridiculous demand – that Brad had to pay him if he wanted to talk to Stephen.
“You misunderstood,” Lord Manning said as he placed his hands behind his back. “I meant that you have to pay me ten shillings if you want him back. If it’s simply a matter of talking to him, you could do that without paying anything. He’s been in the guest bedchamber ever since I brought him here. I assure you that I have made sure he has plenty to eat and drink. I have been a gracious host, all things considered. He had the audacity to spend the night with my mistress. I take a gentleman’s honor seriously, and your brother, I’m sorry to say, has no honor.”
“Mrs. Strong is just what you said she is: a mistress. It’s not like she is your wife. I’m not saying that what my brother did was right. It wasn’t. But I think asking ten shillings so I can rescue him from this townhouse is absurd.”
“Ten shillings is how much I lost. I had paid Mrs. Strong in advance, and I paid her very well. When I arrived at her townhouse this morning, fully expecting her to be ready to do her duty, I found her with your brother. Your brother didn’t even have the sense to apologize, and he wasn’t interested in providing the proper restitution for stealing her from me. I had every right to be upset.”
“I’m not saying you don’t have a right to be upset,” Brad assured him. “My brother does many things to upset many people, myself included. I just think the way you’re handling this is absurd.”
Lord Manning shook his head. “You wouldn’t think that if you had lost your money. Not only did Mrs. Strong end her relationship with me, but she wouldn’t return the ten shillings I gave her last week. She claims that after people find out what happened, she won’t be able to secure a lover for quite a while.” He shot Brad a pointed look. “She should’ve thought of that before she took your brother to her bed.”
“I’m not going to argue with you about that. You’re right. Both Mrs. Strong and my brother were wrong. I just don’t see what this has to do with me paying you anything. From what I heard, my brother earned a significant amount of money last night in a gambling hell. Can’t you get the money from him?”
“I tried that, but as it turns out, your brother gave her all the money he had. So as you can see, I’m at a loss. Ten shillings is a lot of money to lose. If I can’t get it from him, how am I supposed to get it back?”
Brad let out a long sigh. Stephen wasn’t worth it. Stephen just wasn’t worth the hassle he kept putting him through. Brad had tried everything he could think of to make his brother behave more responsibly. He should’ve known that when he gave Stephen money last night, it was only going to lead to trouble.
That was all Stephen ever did. Lead Brad to more and more trouble. If Brad were to bail him out, Stephen wouldn’t learn his lesson. He would only keep doing the same thing.
“You can keep my brother,” Brad decided then left Lord Manning’s townhouse.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ava arrived at the Duke of Silverton’s residence just before two. She glanced back at the sidewalk. She could just return to the sidewalk and keep on going.
But what about Brad? Wouldn’t it be good if he could mingle with gentlemen who were of the same caliber
as the Duke of Silverton? What she wanted to do, more than anything, was to please her husband, especially now that he was showing an interest in her.
Before she could let the nagging sense of doubt get to her, she knocked on the door. She released her breath and wiped her palms on her gown. She would just have to watch what she did and said. As long as she did that, this afternoon would turn out well.
The footman opened the door and led her to the drawing room where four ladies were listening to the fifth lady, who was the center of attention. Out of everyone in the room, Ava only recognized Miss Wilmington. All of the other ladies were complete strangers to her.
She had held onto the hope that she might recognize at least one other lady in the group. She would have felt more at ease if she did. She really should have paid more attention to who was who in London when her aunt had taken her to different balls. Instead, she had kept mostly to Opal and only danced with the gentlemen her aunt had arranged for her to meet. Well, she supposed she was making up for that now. She took a deep breath and stepped into the room.
“Some say a title isn’t everything,” the lady who was the center of attention said. “They’re wrong. A gentleman’s title is very important. The higher his noble rank, the better.” Then her gaze went directly to one of the ladies in the group. “I advise you to wait for a better gentleman to offer you a proposal. Trust me, Miss Duff. You would rather have your children’s father be a duke than a viscount.”
Miss Duff looked disappointed, but she didn’t argue with her.
The footman cleared his throat. “Lady Youngtown has arrived.”
All at once, Ava was the focus of every lady in the room.
Miss Wilmington smiled and waved for Ava to come forward. “Lady Eloise,” she told the lady who’d been the center of attention, “I told you Lady Youngtown was coming today.”
Pushing aside her nervousness, Ava approached Miss Wilmington.
“I think I know your sister-in-law. Is she the Duchess of Lambeth?” Lady Eloise asked.
Ava’s eyebrows furrowed. Did Lady Eloise make it a habit of checking out a person’s extended family? Since Lady Eloise looked at her expectantly, Ava said, “Yes, she’s my sister-in-law.”
“I don’t think Lady Youngtown is very close to her,” Miss Wilmington told Lady Eloise.
“I’ve only recently met her,” Ava said. “She seems like a lovely person.”
“Oh, she is,” Lady Eloise said. “She used to belong in this group. Did she mention that?”
Ava shook her head. “No, she didn’t. Why did she leave the group?”
“We can discuss that another time,” Lady Eloise replied. “Right now, we want you to get acquainted with everyone. You’re not a member yet, but if it turns out you’re a good fit for our exclusive group, you should know what other reputable ladies you’d be close friends with.” From there, she proceeded to make the introductions. “This is Lady Stacey. Next to her is Lady Gareth. This is Miss Duff. Over here is Miss Webb, and you already know Miss Wilmington. We have one more member who should already be here.” She directed her gaze to Miss Webb. “Did Lady Aston tell you she was going to be late?”
“No,” Miss Webb replied. “I don’t know why she’s not here yet.”
Lady Eloise frowned. “It’s rude of her not to send word if she couldn’t be on time. Punctuality is very important. How can we make sure we’re seen by the most influential people at Hyde Park if we’re not there at the right time?”
“Did Lady Aston say she was coming today?” Miss Wilmington asked Miss Webb.
“Yes,” Miss Webb replied. “The last time I spoke with her, she seemed pleased to be in the group. There would be no reason for her not to come today.”
Lady Eloise tapped her fingers together. “You should remind Lady Aston that membership in this group shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s an honor to be here. Anyone can join that ridiculous group called Enduring Friendships, but only the best ladies in London can join Ladies of Grace. I don’t care for the disrespect Lady Aston has just paid this group. As far as I’m concerned, she’s no longer a member.”
“Something could have delayed her,” Lady Gareth, who’d been quiet up to now, spoke up. “We should at least give her a chance to explain herself.”
“Everyone else managed to show up by two,” Lady Eloise replied. “Even Lady Youngtown, who is Miss Wilmington’s guest, came here on time, and I haven’t given her the rules we have for this group.”
Ava’s face warmed as Lady Eloise gestured to her. It was a good thing she’d trusted her instincts and came here. Lady Eloise knew who her husband and sister-in-law were. If Ava had decided not to show up, it would have probably meant unpleasant things for them.
Lady Eloise huffed in frustration. “Well, she’s no longer in the group. I have no patience for this kind of thing. There is nothing more important than this group. If we start treating this group as if it’s not important, we will lose our place in London. People in London don’t look up to Enduring Friendships. They look up to us. We must do everything we can to make sure it always stays that way. If anyone disagrees, you may leave now.”
Lady Eloise paused to study everyone, as if daring someone to walk out. Ava had no idea who the members of Enduring Friendships were, but she had the impression that Lady Eloise felt a personal hostility toward them. She shivered. Her aunt was right. Lady Eloise wasn’t a pleasant person to be around.
Could Ava really be a part of this group, even if it meant good things for Brad? Just how much could she tolerate for his sake? She loved him. She loved him to the point where she would do almost anything for him. But should she do this?
She studied the other ladies in the group, and it was apparent that they weren’t all that happy to be here. They weren’t in the group because they wanted to be. They were a part of it because they felt like they had to be. And that made Ava curious about Enduring Friendships. What was that group like? Was the atmosphere in that group as tense as it was here? Or did the ladies who belonged in that group actually want to be in it?
“We’re not going to let Lady Aston ruin our afternoon,” Lady Eloise said. “Let’s go to Hyde Park.”
Lady Eloise left the room first, and the others followed after her. Miss Wilmington glanced over at her and indicated for her to come along. Ava stepped up beside her.
“You shouldn’t let the thing with Lady Aston bother you,” Miss Wilmington whispered. “I don’t think she was as dedicated to the group as she should have been. The least she could have done was let us know she wasn’t coming.”
Ava supposed Miss Wilmington had a good point, but even so, she couldn’t squash the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Despite the unpleasant atmosphere in the drawing room, the walk to Hyde Park was pleasant. Ava couldn’t help but think of how much nicer it would be when Brad took her here, though. Which reminded her, how long were Lady Eloise’s social engagements? Did they go on all afternoon, or were they only an hour or two long? She should have asked Miss Wilmington when she invited her to come along. If she hadn’t been so wrapped up in thinking of the benefits she’d gain for Brad’s sake, she might have thought to ask about it.
As they strolled through the park, Lady Eloise dominated the conversation by talking about the other people who passed them by.
“Good afternoon, Lady Wardson and Lady Reynolds,” Lady Eloise greeted two ladies who were walking together.
Once everyone exchanged pleasantries, Lady Eloise told Lady Reynolds, “I heard you’re expecting your first child seven months from now.”
Lady Reynolds smiled and her hand settled on her flat stomach. “Yes. I only realized it a couple of weeks ago.”
“I just found out I’m expecting, too,” Lady Wardson added.
“You are?” Lady Eloise’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful. Then you two will have a child around the same time.”
“We will, and we’re thrilled,” Lady Wardson replied. “We’ve been lifelong
friends. Perhaps our children will be, too.”
“That would be lovely.” Lady Eloise glanced at the ladies in her group. “Wouldn’t that be lovely?”
As if on cue, the ladies around Ava nodded.
Lady Eloise turned back to the two ladies. “Well, we won’t take up any more of your time. It was nice talking with you.”
The two friends said their good-byes then continued on their way.
Lady Eloise waited until they were out of hearing distance then brought her attention back to the group. “I hope one doesn’t have a boy and the other a girl. I have it on good authority that Lord Reynolds has been visiting Lady Wardson in private.” She shot them a meaningful look.
“It’s no secret that Lady Wardson doesn’t care much for her own husband,” Miss Wilmington said.
“I know.” Lady Eloise grinned as if savoring the tasty morsel of gossip. “But she does have a certain fondness for Lord Reynolds. I caught the two staring at each other at a ball, and there was a certain spark that passed between them.”
“I hope that’s not the case,” Miss Webb said. “The two ladies have been friends since they were children.”
“It would be a terrible thing,” Lady Stacey agreed.
“Terrible or not, I have a feeling they’re both carrying Lord Reynold’s child,” Lady Eloise replied. “That’s why I hope they both have a girl or they both have a boy. It would be awful if one had a girl and the other a boy. What if the girl and boy end up together?”
Like a couple of the others in the group, Ava hoped Lady Eloise was wrong. She really hoped Lady Eloise was imagining things.
They turned to continue their stroll, and that’s when Ava saw a lady wearing a beautiful gown hurrying over to them.
“Please forgive me for being late, Lady Eloise.” The lady stopped when she reached them, out of breath. “I didn’t intend to be late. My child wasn’t feeling well, so I had to hold her until she fell asleep. I left as soon as I could.”
Lady Eloise scanned her up and down in disapproval. “Lady Aston, you have servants. One of them could have taken care of your child for you.”
Married In Haste Page 16
