“No! Of—of course not. I only met him this day.”
“Yet you have already deduced he is not without a conscience.”
“He is not heartless, of that much I am certain.”
“I see. What other conclusions have you drawn?”
Lissa felt her blood surge through her body just thinking of Lord Wylde. “That he enjoys angling for trout more than he likes the intrusion of people in his domain,” she admitted softly, honestly. “That he is a man of few words and strong actions.”
Prudence was silent for a moment. Quietly, she asked, “Are you fond of him?”
“I hardly know him.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Lis. Are you? Fond of the man?”
Lissa’s brow knitted anxiously. “I told you. I barely know the man, Aunt Pru.”
“Yet when you speak of him, your voice goes soft.”
“It doesn’t!” insisted Lissa. “How ridiculous. I—I merely met with the man this morning. We talked of trout and flies and angling. I—there is nothing more to be said of the matter, really.”
“What of this rumored liaison?”
Lissa paled, looking back at the windows, not seeing anything in particular this time. ” ‘Tis just that, a rumor.”
Prudence sat down beside her. She took Lissa’s right hand in both of hers. “So all of this wasn’t your intent, was not a desperate ploy on your part, my sweet? It wasn’t your way of thumbing your nose at your too-persistent aunt who has been ruthlessly plaguing you to make a match?”
Lissa felt her eyes flood with tears at her aunt’s perception. A lump formed in her throat. She could hardly speak, let alone think.
“Oh, Aunt Pru,” she finally whispered, heartsick. “It was. It—it was exactly that, I am afraid.”
Lissa began to cry then.
Prudence wrapped her arms about her, drawing her close. “Ah, Lis, I have been too stern in my wish to see you wed. I realize that now. I simply hoped for you to make a marriage while you are young and passionate, and not to wait too long as I have done. I would hate for you to become a spinster like myself. I want the world for you, my sweet.”
Lissa squeezed her eyes shut, emotion gripping her. “I know you do. And I love you for it.” She pressed her face into her aunt’s shoulder. “But I have been feeling so beset lately, what with all the gentlemen from Town dancing their attendance upon me. Oh, Aunt Pru, I did have a scheme where Lord Wylde was concerned. I—I thought that if I created the illusion of a liaison betwixt myself and his lordship that I—I would scare away my many suitors with just one sweep. But I—I had not thought about what would happen if it actually came to pass.”
“I am afraid it has come to pass, dear.”
Lissa felt truly miserable then. “Drat that Tilly for repeating my haphazard plot! Only think of what Lord Wylde will do when he learns I have cast my name with his—and for such a scheming reason!” Lissa shuddered at the thought.
Prudence pulled her closer. “Perhaps it will not come to that. Perhaps nothing will come of this.”
Lissa wasn’t so certain. “He is not a man to be crossed, Aunt Pru,” she whispered. “I felt that immediately. In fact, I fear he will not suffer being made a fool.”
“But you’ve done nothing, really, to cast him in such a light. As of now it is merely gossip borne from a servant’s lips. The world is full of such nonsense. Who knows? Perhaps this talk has gone no farther than the domestic circuit.”
Lissa pulled back, tipping her tear-streaked face up to her aunt’s. “You truly think so?”
“It is possible,” offered Prudence. “After all, not all of the gentry in Derbyshire are as familiar with their servants as you and your father—and even I, myself, since coming here—have been with your servants. Believe it or not, Lis, others of Polite Society do not indulge their servants as your father taught you to do.”
Lissa smiled a bit at this.“Father was a bit of a democrat, yes? I grew up to believe our servants were part of our family. And though Tilly tries my patience at times, I do adore her.”
“Yes, well,” said Prudence, “getting back to the matter at hand, no matter how far this tale has spread, given time, it may very well all blow away like a dark cloud taken out to sea by the wind.”
“I certainly hope so,” said Lissa in earnest.
“What you must do in the meantime, my sweet, is hold up your chin and smile as though the world harbors nothing to frighten you.”
“You make it all sound so simple.”
“You must make it simple, dear. Your reputation is at stake. What you need do is steer clear of Lord Wylde and act as though you did not linger overly long in his presence this day. And the two of us shall hold fast to the possibility that this vile rumor has gone no farther than the servants.” Prudence dabbed at Lissa’s eyes with a scrap of lace. “Now paint a smile on that lovely face of yours and do get ready for Vinnie’s birthday celebration. If I cannot have the pleasure of seeing my niece married off, at least allow me the happiness of playing matchmaker for our favorite friend.”
Lissa forced a smile. “If it is a wedding you hanker for, why not orchestrate one of your own, Aunt Pru?”
“Pshaw!” said Prudence. “I am far too old to be swept off my feet! I fear there does not exist a man who can make my blood move. Now off with you. I’ve ordered a massage with hot oils, and you know how I adore a good rubbing with oils.”
Lissa got to her feet and allowed her aunt to shoo her out of the bedchamber. She was feeling better as she threaded her way to her own chambers, and wasn’t even bothered that Tilly was not present to help her dress for the night’s festivities. Her gown had already been laid out, as had a hot tub of water, and in truth she rather looked forward to doing her own toilette. She would dress her hair simply—a neat chignon at her nape, with a few tendrils hanging loose, she decided.
Lissa was actually glad for the time alone, for she knew that the minute she saw Tilly her blood would boil. She and her abigail had much to discuss!
Chapter 8
Several hours later Lissa and Aunt Prudence’s informal soiree in honor of their friend Lavinia’s birthday proved to be a grand success. The cream of country society was in attendance, as were the many eligible gentlemen from the Metropolis who had come to entice Lissa to the altar. Lissa found herself hard-pressed to be a dazzling hostess to them but studiously reminded herself that tonight was for Lavinia.
Her friend, however, looked less than pleased. In fact, she looked positively green around the gills, as though she would either faint dead away with all the attention paid her, or would merely excuse herself to go off and be ill in some quiet, dark room.
Lavinia’s brown gaze held the doe-eyed look of hunted prey, and her light brown hair had fallen loose of several pins and was now hanging limply around her small, oval face. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, and her hands were doing damage to the delicate fan she held with a death grip.
“Really, Vinnie,” Lissa whispered to her friend as preparations were made for the dancing, “you must try and relax. It is your birthday, after all.”
“So why do I feel as though you and your aunt have led me to the guillotine and that at any moment a blade will fall?”
“Because you are nervous and naturally shy,” insisted Lissa. “And is it any wonder? Dash it all, Vinnie, but your otherwise-occupied parents have forgotten you in the midst of their unending pursuit of far-away cultures, leaving you to virtually wither here in the countryside with your odious governess—a governess whom, by the way, you’ve long outgrown.”
“Miss Habersham is not so terrible.”
“She is positively ancient and you know it!” Lissa exclaimed.
“Very well,” Lavinia admitted. “The woman is a tad old, and you are quite right about my parents conveniently forgetting about me and leaving me still in the care of a governess. However, that does not mean I wish to be put on display for all the titled gentlemen who have come calling for your hand.”
Lissa was instantly contrite. “Have Aunt Prudence and I offended you, Vinnie? That wasn’t at all our intention, you know.”
“Yes, yes, of course I know,” Lavinia replied. “And I love you dearly, and your aunt as well. Indeed the two of you are my closest friends, my bosom-bow, in fact. But you know how I hate being the center of attention.”
Lissa smiled at her friend. “I also know you dream of one day having a fine marriage and that you’ve found no one to your liking within Derbyshire. The single Season in Town your parents gave you three years past was not sufficient, not by far, and it should have been immediately followed by another Season.”
“An oversight on my parents’ part,” Lavinia said, ever the loving daughter. “They were… preoccupied.”
“Vinnie, they were scouting for Indians in the wilds of America! You received no word from them for eight months!”
“Yes, well,” added Lavinia, “as I said, they were preoccupied.”
“And they’ve been exactly that since the moment of your birth,” Lissa muttered, shaking her head. “You are far too tolerant of your parents’ penchant to leave you to cool your heels in this shire with an old woman as your governess, Vinnie.”
“You have not fared so badly here in the country, Lis,” Lavinia said, turning the tables.
Lissa blinked in astonishment, then said, “My situation is different, Vinnie.”
“How so?” Lavinia asked, her doelike eyes scrutinizing her friend.
“Because I am here by choice,” Lissa replied. “My father understood my love of nature and my disinterest of going to London to find a husband. You, on the other hand, have always dreamt of making a marriage and a family. Even when we were still in the schoolroom you harbored dreams of a handsome, loving man and a house filled with the children the two of you would create.”
Lavinia looked away. “I—I am older now and not so naive.”
“Meaning?” Lissa whispered.
Lavinia blew out a sigh. “Very well, I shall just say it; I am not a great beauty, Lis, and we both know it. I am plain and ordinary. I always have been. You, though, Lis, are simply lovely, and I do believe your father knew exactly what he was about when he decided to give you your head. He knew eventually the gentlemen from Town would seek you out, no matter where you dwelt. He knew your beauty and sweetness would not be kept hidden in this countryside you so love to traverse.”
It was Lissa’s turn to be uncomfortable. “I cannot help the way I look, Vinnie. I simply inherited my mother’s face and form. I had nothing to do with the matter.”
“How true! And therein lies the wonder of it all, Lis. You have no compass as to how truly lovely you are, and coupled with your ease within any social situation… well, you are simply spectacular. It is no wonder so many men from the Metropolis have come calling for your hand. They would be fools not to do so.”
Lissa clicked her tongue in exasperation. “They are here only for my inheritance, make no mistake about that, Vinnie. My father left me wealthy beyond belief. I could exist for several lifetimes and still not spend all that I have inherited.”
” ‘Tis just icing on the cake of your loveliness, Lis.”
Lissa wrinkled her nose. “Hardly that, Vinnie. It is the sole reason, I fear, for all this attention being showered upon me. Make no mistake that the bulk of them have come for my purse. There are a few, however, of whom I feel are honorable—such as Mr. Chesney Wrotham—and so I’m hoping you find them favorable. As for the bulk of them, I wish them to brush and lope away with all speed.”
“Heavens,” Lavinia murmured, “you sound so serious.”
“I am serious. I’d gladly give up all the purse and loveliness I possess just to be wooed for the person I am.”
“Aha! So a part of you is thinking of marriage,” said Lavinia.
“A wee part, mind you,” Lissa shot back. “Oh, Vin, you above all others realize that I have always dreamt of a man who cares not a whit about pleasing others. I desire a man who is his own person, who dares to be daring, and who does not covet wealth for wealth’s sake… a man who appreciates nature and a good day’s work, who will adore his family and take pride in providing for them and loving them.”
Lavinia nodded in understanding, the fight worn out of her. “I, too, want the same, Lis.” She glanced about them, at the two drawing rooms that had been made one, at the double chandeliers burning bright with fifty tapers each, and at the French doors, twenty feet tall and with the rose draperies pulled back, standing open and allowing fresh air to whisper inside. “Mayhap tonight will be the night we both get our deepest wish, Lis.”
“One can only hope,” Lissa whispered.
Oddly enough, Lissa thought of Lord Wylde at that moment. Images of him came crashing into her mind. She remembered him touching her, kissing her, brushing his body against hers. He’d held her so perfectly against him, had so easily brushed her lips apart and then invaded her mouth with his tongue… and had left her wanting more.
Lissa immediately burned with a deep-heated blush, then forcefully pushed the memory of Wylde from her mind. She could not continue remembering every moment of their tryst. If she did, she would surely go mad!
“You really didn’t have to go to such great lengths just for my benefit,” Lavinia was saying. “Though my parents are combing the banks of the Nile for something or other at the moment, they will eventually remember that I exist and will send a birthday gift my way.”
Lissa ceased woolgathering and sharply brought her mind back to the present. “I swear, Vinnie,” she said, “if you receive one more bleached bone or bit of old pottery in the post from your parents, I shall scream!”
Lavinia laughed, her brown eyes lighting with a brightness Lissa hadn’t seen in a long time. “Do not judge my parents too harshly, Lis. They’re in love—with each other and with all artifacts of this world.”
“I just wish,” Lissa said, “they were a bit more in love with loving you.”
“As do I,” Lavinia whispered, “but I cannot change facts.” She linked her arm with Lissa’s, and then, with a lighthearted air, headed toward where the dancing would soon begin.
Lissa glanced at her. “Tell me, Vinnie, you haven’t heard any rumors about me this day, have you?”
“Rumors?” she murmured. “What kind of rumors?”
Lissa debated telling all, but knew Vinnie needed no more upset than that which she was dealing with at the moment. “Nothing in particular,” Lissa said vaguely. “It is just that my abigail, being overly dramatic and far too caught up in the fact that so many gentlemen have come calling for my hand, has been making mountains out of mole hills where my future is concerned. I fear she is contriving thoughts of a union where there is none.”
Lavinia shook her head. “I haven’t heard a whisper of anything, Lissa. But then, there is just my aged governess and myself, along with my few servants. I am not exactly in the thick of things.”
“Yes, but servants tend to repeat things.”
“Not mine,” said Lavinia. “They are too old and too weary of the world.”
Lissa wished the same could be said about her own servants!
Lord Roderick Langford stepped into their path then, sketching a deep bow. Both Lissa and Lavinia paused. As Lord Langford rose he gave Lissa a very private smile.
“Lady Lovington,” he murmured, and then, smoothly polite, he turned his attention to Lavinia. “Miss Manning,” he said. “Happy Birthday. I’d meant to wish you well earlier, but there was such a press about you and Lady Lissa that I decided to wait until now.”
Lavinia, suddenly at a loss in the presence of a gentleman, turned wan, sputtering out a reply. “Th—thank you,” she breathed, then looked nervously to Lissa for help.
Lissa instantly smoothed the moment by asking Lord Langford to join them as they made their way deeper into the assembly room.
“I would be delighted,” he responded, offering them each an arm.
Lissa noted that Langfo
rd’s grin was handsome indeed. His well-groomed, wheat-blond hair had a habit of falling romantically over his right brow, and his pale blue eyes seemed always to hold a hint of interest within.
This night he was dressed spectacularly in a charcoal coat and tight-fitting white kerseymere breeches, with an extremely expensive gold pin nestled in the folds of his intricate neckcloth. He looked the epitome of a gentleman from London Town, which he was.
So why do I not trust him? Lissa wondered.
His was the suit that concerned Lissa most. He was polite but in a too-forceful way, and though she’d scolded herself many times for thinking so, Lissa could not shake the feeling that the man was not the ever-pleasant gentleman he wished the world to believe him to be.
Had it truly been only yesterday when he’d placed that damnable locket about her neck, affixing the clasp even before she could gainsay him? Then he’d gone and said that if she did not return the locket to him before the end of the Summer Season, he would know she had accepted his suit. The locket was to be their private symbol, he’d said.
Symbol, indeed! thought Lissa, angrily. She wished she had the unlucky locket with her just now. She’d give it back to Lord Langford in a moment.
But alas, the locket was gone, sitting in the belly of some overly large trout. A trout that the ever-vigilant Lord Wylde had vowed to search for in the depths of the Dove.
By the time Lady Lissa, Lavinia and Lord Langford had entered the drawing room, the small band of musicians had finished tuning their instruments and the dancing had formally begun.
Lord Langford, ever polite and socially correct, extended his first offer to Lavinia. Before Lissa realized what was happening, the two of them were dancing toward the center of the great hall. Lavinia looked a bit nervous, but Lord Langford was such a consummate dance partner that her clumsy steps were well concealed.
Lissa hadn’t long to contemplate the couple before she herself was whisked off to dance the set with Mr. Chesney Wrotham, who had an embarrassing habit of stuttering in her presence, but who was a friend of her childhood and as such held a special place in her heart. She’d addressed him by his Christian name for as long as she could remember, but he had never been able to bring himself to address her in a like fashion.
Lady Lissa's Liaison (To Woo an Heiress, Book 1) Page 9
