“When a child is sick, she wants her mother, not a servant,” Lady Aston replied.
“Your child is only two. She won’t remember the fact that you took care of her. Didn’t you think that through?”
Ava winced at Lady Eloise’s cold tone. It was obvious Lady Aston hadn’t wanted to be late. She hadn’t been showing Lady Eloise disrespect, as Lady Eloise had assumed. But for whatever reason, Lady Eloise wasn’t willing to extend the poor lady an ounce of mercy.
And from the looks of it, none of the other ladies in the group were willing to say anything. In fact, Miss Wilmington nodded her head in agreement with Lady Eloise. Which was a shame. Up to now Ava had liked her. After this, she realized Miss Wilmington was just as bad as Lady Eloise. The other ladies in the group at least had the decency to look sympathetic toward Lady Aston, but there was no such sympathy on Miss Wilmington’s face.
Ava couldn’t take it. Someone had to say something, and since it wasn’t going to be anyone else, then it would have to be her. “Pardon me for speaking out of turn,” Ava began despite the slight trembling in her voice, “but when a child is sick, she does want her mother.”
Lady Eloise and everyone else looked at her in shock.
Ava cleared her throat. “I lost both of my parents when I was thirteen. My aunt is a wonderful lady, and I love her with all of my heart. But no one ever takes a mother’s place. Lady Aston came here as soon as she could. That tells me she has respect for you and this group. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for her to leave her daughter behind since her daughter isn’t feeling well.”
Of one accord, everyone turned their attention back to Lady Eloise.
Eyes narrowed, Lady Eloise approached Ava, and without thinking, Ava stepped back.
“There is nothing more important than my group,” Lady Eloise said. “If you become a member of this group, then you must understand that. I worked hard to get this group to where it is today. I’m not going to have half-hearted members. I made that mistake with your sister-in-law and that ungrateful friend of hers. I’m not going to do it again.”
Ava had no idea what Lady Eloise was referring to, but whatever had happened between Lady Eloise and Loretta, it had left Lady Eloise with bitter feelings.
“Every member in this group benefits from being here,” Lady Eloise continued. “And it’s not just the ladies who benefit. Their fathers, brothers, and husbands do, too. Did Miss Wilmington explain that?”
Ava swallowed and nodded. She didn’t want to cower in front of Lady Eloise, but there was something so intimidating about her that she couldn’t help it. “Yes, Miss Wilmington did say that.”
“Good. I know your husband is a shrewd businessman. He also has a reputable name. No one believes that story in the Tittletattle. We all know his brother coerced someone at the Tittletattle to report that nonsense. I also know your husband doesn’t associate with just anyone. This group is the same way. We’re very selective, and we want to make sure the ladies fortunate enough to be in this group will make it a priority.”
Ava glanced at Lady Aston, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. Something in Ava snapped. How could anyone want to be a part of this group? What were the other ladies thinking? Was it really all that important to sacrifice things like one’s family and self-respect in order to be in Ladies of Grace?
“I don’t care how much prestige this group has,” Ava replied. “It’s not more important than someone’s family. Lady Aston did the right thing.”
Lady Eloise turned to the other ladies, as if daring someone to agree with Ava.
After a moment, Miss Wilmington looked at Ava. “I’m sorry to hear you think so little of this group. If I had known this, I never would have invited you to this social engagement.”
Ava couldn’t be surprised by Miss Wilmington’s comment, not after what she’d told Lady Aston. She didn’t know why Miss Wilmington had chosen to go out of her way to invite her to this social engagement to begin with, but she suspected it wasn’t because she sincerely cared about her. She’d had an ulterior motive. Maybe it had something to do with Loretta. Why else would Lady Eloise ask about her as soon as she saw Ava?
“You may go,” Lady Eloise told Ava. “You’re not welcome here.” She gave Ava a dismissive wave then turned away from her.
Then Lady Eloise urged the other ladies in the group to follow her, which they did, though Lady Stacey and Lady Gareth seemed reluctant to do so.
Face flushed, Ava started to walk in the opposite direction when she tripped on a tree branch in her path. She stumbled forward, and just as she was about to regain her footing, a poodle came across her feet and she went face first into a puddle of mud.
Laughter rang through the air, and without even having to look, she knew it was Lady Eloise and a couple of the members of her precious group. As if she hadn’t suffered enough humiliation already! Now she had to contend with this, too.
“I’ll help you up,” a kind voice offered.
Ava looked up at Lady Aston whose hand was extended to her. Ignoring Lady Eloise and the others, she accepted Lady Aston’s hand and got to her feet.
“Thank you,” Ava replied as she straightened her gown. A lot of it was covered in mud.
“That was a really nice thing you did,” Lady Aston said.
“No one should ever tell a mother that she shouldn’t spend time with her sick child. This was my fault. I was warned that Lady Eloise wasn’t a pleasant lady. I shouldn’t have come.”
“I’m glad you did. It was nice to have someone who understood why I was late. You’re right. Lady Eloise isn’t pleasant. I only joined the group because I thought it might benefit my husband. Her father is the Duke of Silverton.”
Despite the grim situation, Ava smiled. “I was thinking of joining for the same reason.”
Lady Aston returned her smile. “Well, for what it’s worth, you are a pleasant lady. Why don’t I walk you to your townhouse? After what you just did for me, I’d hate for you to go there alone.”
Ava glanced at the people around them. Some were chuckling. Others were ignoring her as if they hadn’t seen her fall. The rest shook their heads. Ava took a deep breath and released it. All she could do was act as if nothing had happened. It did help that Lady Aston was with her. Thanking her, Ava walked with her down the path that would take her home.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brad wasn’t much of a drinker. In fact, he hadn’t had a sip of brandy in half a year. But today, as soon as he got to White’s, he went to a small room off the side of the main one, picked up the decanter, and poured himself a glass of brandy. He drank it all in one swallow. Immediately, he remembered why he didn’t drink the stuff. It tasted awful. He shivered and put the glass down.
Tad came up to him. “Don’t tell me your brother is doing something else to upset you.”
“You mean you didn’t hear what happened early this morning? I thought it was all over London.”
“I don’t listen to gossip. Most of it isn’t true anyway.”
“Well, this particular gossip is true. Stephen slept with another gentleman’s mistress, and now that gentleman is keeping Stephen a prisoner in his townhouse unless I pay ten shillings to release him.”
To his surprise, Tad laughed. “Only Stephen could get himself into that kind of entanglement. Are you going to get him out of there?”
“No. Stephen’s stuck. I don’t care if he’s there for years. I’ve had enough of dealing with him.”
“If you can’t get him married, you might as well do the next best thing. At least he’s no longer your problem.”
“I shouldn’t have let it get this far to begin with. I should have done something sooner.”
Before Brad could add anything else, he heard someone from the other room mention Ava. They didn’t use her first name, of course. They referred to her as Lady Youngtown, but at once, it got his attention.
He went to the room. A group of about fifteen gentlemen were gathered around Lord Cameron wh
o was talking. The gentlemen didn’t notice him, which worked to his benefit since he was able to find out why Ava had just become the source of gossip.
“The Ladies of Grace were at Hyde Park when it happened,” Lord Cameron was saying. “Lady Youngtown was talking with Lady Eloise, and I could tell by the expression on Lady Eloise’s face that she wasn’t at all pleased with what Lady Youngtown was saying.”
“She wasn’t foolish enough to upset Lady Eloise on purpose, was she?” a gentleman asked.
“The closer I got to them, the more it appeared so. Lady Eloise pointed out that her group is very prestigious, which we all know is true, but Lady Youngtown said she didn’t care.”
Brad was relieved to hear this. For a moment, he worried Lord Cameron was going to say Ava was joining the horrible group. At least Ava had better sense than to believe it was worth her time. Brad had tried to convince Loretta that the group wasn’t worth it when she was a member of the group, but she hadn’t listened to him. It wasn’t until she married Tad that she came to her senses on the matter.
Most of the gentlemen, however, didn’t see things the way Brad did because they winced at the news.
“What is Lady Youngtown trying to do?” one of them asked. “Ruin her husband’s reputation?”
Lord Cameron shrugged. “Lady Eloise did warn her that she shouldn’t insult her. Lady Eloise’s father is the Duke of Silverton. If she doesn’t destroy Lady Youngtown, he will. That is, of course, if she isn’t already the laughingstock of London. Right after Lady Youngtown insulted Lady Eloise, she fell in a puddle of mud.”
At this, he laughed, and several gentlemen joined him.
“Well, I, for one, am glad my wife had the courage to stand up to that pretentious chit,” Brad called out.
All of the gentlemen assembled in the room jerked, and Lord Cameron turned to Brad, his eyes wide in surprise. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“Why not?” Brad asked. “I am a member.”
At least Lord Cameron had the decency to blush. It proved he had a smidgen of conscience. “Yes, but you rarely ever come here.”
“You’re right. I don’t. I do, however, manage to make an appearance from time to time. I’ve been here for the past couple of days.”
Lord Cameron’s expression turned sympathetic. “Were you aware that your wife was going to be with the Ladies of Grace at Hyde Park this afternoon? If so, you should have warned her that she should be careful in how she talked to Lady Eloise. No one insults her without invoking her wrath. I don’t need to tell you that things aren’t going to be easy for you after this.”
“If my wife insulted Lady Eloise,” Brad began, “then she deserved it. Lady Eloise is nothing but a conniving shrew.”
“Lady Eloise is awful,” Tad agreed.
Brad glanced over at him, unaware he’d been standing behind him.
Lord Cameron offered a nod of agreement. “I won’t argue with you about that. But she holds a lot of power in London. The Ton looks up to her, and that being the case, this doesn’t bode well for Lord or Lady Youngtown.”
“What the Ton thinks or doesn’t think is of no concern,” Tad replied.
Brad gestured for Tad to stop. He could speak for himself. “I happen to be proud of my wife for what she did. I’m sick of people cowering before Lady Eloise all the time. She’s not worth it.”
In fact, it might do the Duke of Silverton some good to have someone tell him what a shrew his daughter was. Maybe then, this nonsense would stop. Without saying anything further, Brad pushed past the group of gentlemen and left White’s. He was going to do just that. He was going to confront the duke. No one had the courage to do it, but he did. And it would be fitting he should do it since he would be lending Ava his support.
“Take me to the Duke of Silverton’s residence,” he ordered the coachman before he stepped into the carriage.
He should have done this a long time ago. The moment Lady Eloise started ordering Loretta to buy all those expensive gowns, he should have put his foot down and went directly to the duke. He’d only held his tongue because Loretta had been terrified of displeasing Lady Eloise. She had begged him not to do anything, so he hadn’t. It’d taken him considerable willpower to stay quiet. This time, he didn’t have to. So he wouldn’t.
The entire way there, he thought of what he’d say. He didn’t know the duke. He’d only seen the gentleman at some of the balls. The two had never spoken to each other. Going to the duke’s unannounced would likely further damage his and Ava’s reputations, but he didn’t care. Some things were more important than one’s reputation.
The coachman pulled the carriage to a stop. Brad stepped out of it before the footman could open the door. He passed the surprised footman and marched up the steps to the townhouse. He hoped that the Duke of Silverton was home, but in case he wasn’t, he was willing to wait for him until he was, even if that meant he had to stay here all day.
“I am Lord Youngtown,” he told the footman as soon as the gentleman opened the door. “I demand to speak with the Duke of Silverton. It has to do with his daughter.”
The footman waved for him to enter. “His Grace is in the drawing room. Wait here while I ask if he will speak with you.”
Brad stepped into the entryway and did as the footman wished. Whether the duke allowed it or not, he was going to talk to him. It would be easier if he consented to it, but Brad wasn’t going anywhere until he had his say.
The footman returned. “His Grace will see you.”
Relieved, Brad followed him to the drawing room. Thankfully, he wasn’t going to have to push the issue.
The Duke of Silverton was standing by his desk, arms at his side, a curious expression on his face. Brad hadn’t expected such a relaxed posture from someone the Ton feared.
“Is there something I can do for you, Lord Youngtown?” the duke asked.
“Yes,” Brad replied as he approached him. “I’d like to have a word with you in private, Your Grace.”
The duke nodded then gestured for the footman to shut the doors.
Once the doors were shut, Brad turned his attention back to the duke. “Forgive me for being rude in what I’m about to say, but I’ve had all I can take. Your daughter is the most heartless person in London. The only person she cares about is herself. If anyone disagrees with her, she takes it as a personal insult and does everything she can to ruin that person’s reputation. At the moment, she has decided to make my wife, who happens to be a very kind and sweet lady, the object of ridicule. If your daughter is so sensitive that she can’t handle it when someone doesn’t think her group is the most important thing in London, then she’s nothing more than a spoiled child. You need to sit down with her and demand she grow up.”
“Lord Youngtown, I have talked with her, but it hasn’t done any good.”
“And what’s more…” Brad paused. Did he hear him right? Did the duke really agree with what he’d just told him? “What did you say?”
“Everything you’ve said is true,” the duke replied. “My daughter is a disappointment. I’ve talked to her about her behavior, but it hasn’t done any good.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know what to do about her. I’ve tried marrying her off, but no one wants her. She’s now in her third Season. Even with all of the influence and money I have, I can’t find her a husband, and it’s because she lacks compassion. No gentleman wants to be married to someone like that.”
Brad studied the gentleman’s face. The expression on the duke’s face was very familiar to him. It took him a moment to realize why. He’d seen the same defeated expression many times when he’d looked at his own reflection in the mirror after dealing with Stephen.
The duke was at a loss. He didn’t know what to do about his daughter. He had tried to discipline her, but none of his efforts had paid off. She was still a spoiled brat. And the duke was at his wit’s end. Just as Brad was at his wit’s end with Stephen. Which meant the two gentlemen had something in common.
And if Brad guessed right, the duke would be relieved to get rid of being responsible for his daughter, just as he would love to be rid of his responsibility to Stephen.
What if…?
No. Brad couldn’t do it.
And why not? Stephen and Lady Eloise were irresponsible and selfish. They didn’t care what they did or who they hurt. In all of London, there wasn’t a better match. If two people ever deserved each other, it was those two.
“I might have a solution to your problem,” Brad said. Then he proceeded to give the duke the details, hoping he would agree to it.
***
After Ava came back to the townhouse, she washed up and changed into a clean gown. She had given the soiled gown to the maid in hopes she could clean it, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the mud wouldn’t come out. The gown might be ruined forever.
Of course, the gown was nothing compared to what she’d just done to Brad’s reputation. The last thing she wanted to do was face him after what happened. Undoubtedly, he had heard about the whole thing by now. And who knew what he would think of her? Undoubtedly, he would be upset. Anyone in his position would be upset.
She waited for him in the drawing room. When he came home, she would be ready to face him. She owed it to him to sit and listen as he expressed his disappointment in her. And she’d much rather do that in the drawing room than her bedchamber. The last thing she wanted was for the wonderful memories of the night before to be tainted. So if she was going to have any unpleasant memories, she’d rather it be in a room that she wasn’t so emotionally connected to.
She stood by the window and watched for him. She needed to be prepared when he came. She sniffled and dabbed the tears that sprang up in her eyes. She would do everything in her power not to cry until he was done scolding her. Then she could go to her bedchamber and wallow in her grief. Her aunt had always said it was much better to cry in private so that people didn’t know how weak one was.
Married In Haste Page 17
