by Rose Pearson
“I will make sure to speak to you a little later,” she continued as he took a step away from her. “But first, I must do my duties as hostess.”
A little perturbed as to what Lady Northcott wanted to say to him, Oliver nodded, smiled, and walked a bit further into the room, his eyes searching all over for someone he already knew. The room itself was large and very well decorated, with touches of splendor here and there. Oliver wondered if they might sing some carols a little later in the evening, which was something he had not yet done since his arrival in England. Much to his surprise, Oliver found himself questioning whether or not Lady Georgiana could sing and if she enjoyed Christmas carols, with a vision of her throwing her head back and singing with the joy of the Season coming filling his mind. A frown marred his brow as he gave himself a slight shake. There was no need for him to be thinking of Lady Georgiana in that way. He was grateful to her for her willingness to offer him assistance as he traversed through society, but there was to be nothing more than that. He was to return to America soon and did not need to leave his heart behind him here in England.
Will you ever marry?
The thought struck him hard, his heart slamming against his chest as he stumbled slightly. He had never considered marriage, finding himself quite contented with life such as it was. In taking over his father’s business, Oliver had been blessed with more money than he would ever require, and thus had considered nothing more than ensuring his financial interests remained sound. He supposed he would have to marry if he was to ensure there was someone to continue the business in his stead, but it was not something he needed to give much thought to at present.
At least, he didn’t think he needed to.
“Mr. Lowell, you have made it at last!”
The teasing voice of Lady Allerton caught his attention, turning him around to look into her laughing face.
“I was a little late, yes,” he admitted, somewhat ruefully. “Lady Georgiana was good enough to explain to me the nature of our hostess, and so I thought it might be best to be a little later than expected.”
Lady Allerton shook her head, her eyes still bright. “I am sorry if I should have said something sooner,” she replied with a small shrug. “It is one of these very difficult situations where one is never quite sure what is the right thing to do.”
He smiled at her, studying her for a moment. “You have done very well, I think, Lady Allerton.”
A slight frown caught her brow. “Done well?”
“In fitting in here,” he said with a small sigh. “I am well aware I am treated with respect, but there is much about my manner that is wrong. Lady Rutledge was going almost crazy with the effort of trying to teach me.”
Lady Allerton laughed ruefully, her eyes holding something that Oliver could not quite make out. Regret? Sorrow?
“I am sure you will manage to fit into society in the end,” she told him with a slight shrug. “Yes, it has been difficult at times, but I have succeeded—and that is without forcing myself to do and say all that was expected!” Another laugh escaped her at the astonished look on his face. “You look surprised, Mr. Lowell, but it is true! You can ask Lord Allerton if you wish since he will attest to it. I was quite determined not to become the perfect English lady, given I am neither English nor a lady!” Her eyes twinkled, her lips catching in what was a rueful smile. “There are standards, of course, and I have done my best to ensure I behave correctly, given I am now a Countess, but I will not have the snobbery, the arrogance, nor the expected love of gossip that comes with my title.” Her expression grew a little hard as she glanced around the room. “To many here, I am still unfit to be a Countess, but that does not matter to me. My husband holds me in deep affection, as I do him, and that, Mr. Lowell, is all that matters to me.”
Finding himself nodding, Oliver smiled at Lady Allerton, a little surprised by just how open she had been with him but grateful to her for it. “Given I won’t be staying in England, I suppose it shouldn’t matter to me a great deal, but...” Trailing off, Oliver’s face twisted for a moment. “For whatever reason, I find myself wanting to fit in without any difficulty.” One shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. “That’s why I’m so grateful to Lady Georgiana.”
A look of curiosity came into Lady Allerton’s eyes. “Georgiana?” she repeated, looking at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Oh.” A quiet warning began to ring in Oliver’s head, but he thrust it aside easily enough. “Lady Georgiana has agreed to help me traverse this difficult sea,” he said with a grin. “Since Lady Rutledge is quite worn out, you understand.”
“I see.” Lady Allerton did not look upset, only surprised. “That is good of her. But, then again, my sister-in-law has a very good heart.”
“Yes,” Oliver found himself saying with a good deal of fervor. “She does.” A strange sensation began to flood his heart as he spoke these words, looking around as though he might see Lady Georgiana somewhere, as if she might have overheard him and would now be watching him.
She was nowhere to be seen.
Lady Allerton cleared her throat gently, catching Oliver a little off guard and making him realize not only what he had been thinking but just how obvious his thoughts must have been, given the look on Lady Allerton’s face. A flush caught his cheeks, but he did not look away, shrugging with what was a slight air of embarrassment.
“And now, might we go through for a short performance?”
Oliver had been about to say something, something which, no doubt, would have been strangled with awkwardness and discomfiture, only for the voice of Lady Northcott to spread out across the room, catching everyone’s attention. She was leading the way through the door into what must be the other room, and the guests were all milling towards her, leaving Oliver and Lady Allerton to do likewise.
Oliver was glad of the distraction, relieved he had not needed to say anything more, given what he would need to explain. It had surprised him just as much as it had Lady Allerton, since he had not meant to speak with such fervor nor such passion. Lady Georgiana was beautiful, of course, and he did find her heart to be one of kindness and compassion, but that was all there could be to it. He was to return to America soon, and to leave his heart behind here was something he knew would be incredibly foolish. And yet, the desire to leave, the desire to turn away and go back home had become considerably less welcoming. The thought of never seeing her again was a sharp pain that laced through his heart, leaving him almost breathless. How strange it was to feel such a strong emotion when he had been almost entirely unaware of it before!
The room was filled with guests, with a young lady seated at the pianoforte and another standing just to her left, either ready to help turn the pages of the music book or in preparation to sing. Oliver felt his spirits lift, wondering if they might be singing Christmas carols which he hoped very much to join in with. Moving quickly towards the back of the room, he caught sight of Lady Georgiana and found himself moving towards her.
Only to be intercepted by Lady Northcott.
“Ah, Mr. Lowell,” she cooed, her eyes lifting to his face as the other guests continued to find places to sit. “Might you join me?” She gestured to two chairs, sitting slightly apart from the rest of the group, but a warning immediately began to ring in Oliver’s mind as he and Lady Northcott stood to one side of the room.
“I am very sorry to disappoint, Lady Northcott,” he said as quietly as he could. “But I am already promised to Lady Georgiana.”
His hostess frowned immediately, her eyes darkening. “To Lady Georgiana?” she repeated, not looking anywhere but Oliver’s face as though she was trying to decipher whether or not he was lying. “What can you mean?”
Spreading his hands, Oliver tried his best to look apologetic. “Lady Georgiana and I agreed to stand together for the performances this evening,” he said with a small shrug. “I am afraid that I will know nothing about the pieces that will be performed and Lady Georgiana has offered to speak to me a
bout each one of them.” He smiled with what he hoped was a sorrowful look in his eyes. “Although I am very appreciative of your consideration.”
Lady Northcott looked at him for a long time, her eyes glittering coldly. Oliver did not know what to do and merely held her gaze, fearing that if he lifted his eyes for even a moment, Lady Northcott would know he spoke untruths.
“I was hoping to have a private word with you at some point, Mr. Lowell,” Lady Northcott said eventually, her tone brittle. “But perhaps Lady Georgiana has convinced you not to do so?”
Oliver pressed his lips together for a moment, considering what was the best thing to say. “Lady Georgiana has said nothing of the kind,” he lied, not wanting to set any enmity between the ladies. “However, Lady Northcott, whilst I am very grateful to you for your friendship and your welcome, I must inform you that I have no intention of forming any particular bond with anyone while I am here in England.” Praying that no one could overhear him but knowing he had to be honest with the lady, Oliver cleared his throat and lowered his tone, feeling awkward indeed. “I hope I have not insulted you.”
Lady Northcott’s cheeks had caught with a sudden fire, her eyes still fixed upon his own, but this time holding something akin to anger as she looked at him.
And then, she let out a long breath, turned her head away, and stepped to one side. “Good evening, Mr. Lowell,” she said her voice quiet. “I hope you enjoy the musical performances.”
Oliver did not know what to say and, therefore, chose to say nothing at all. He inclined his head and began to move forward into the room, seeing how the other guests had begun to settle themselves. Lady Georgiana was his goal, and he fixed his eyes on her, seeing how she glanced at him with evident concern. Perhaps she had seen Lady Northcott intercept him and feared what might have been said.
Someone jostled him hard, and he turned his head to see a footman staggering back, his hands both held up in apology and a stricken look on his face. Oliver, who had felt a sharp spike of anger, immediately threw such a feeling aside and gave the fellow a small smile, seeing the fear in the man’s eyes and hating he had such power over the fellow. If he had learned anything about being here in England, it was that the servants could easily be dismissed over what was a tiny misdemeanor. He did not want to be that sort of gentleman and so shrugged, tried to smile reassuringly, and continued towards Lady Georgiana.
The footman bowed once, then twice, before backing away slowly, as if Oliver might turn back around at any moment to berate him, but Oliver was much too focused on hurrying towards Lady Georgiana so he would not be the last to find a place to stand in order to listen to the performances.
“You look quite relieved, Mr. Lowell.”
He chuckled as he drew near Lady Georgiana, who was now smiling at him in welcome.
“I am glad to see you, that is all,” he told her, seeing how she smiled but also how her eyes darted away for a moment. “I’m afraid that I might do or say something wrong, and then where would I be?”
Lady Georgiana rolled her eyes as her lips twitched. “Given we are at Lady Northcott’s abode, I do not think that anything you said or did incorrectly would be taken as any insult,” she said with a wry look in her eye. “It is Lady Northcott you must be careful of, Mr. Lowell.”
Knowing she had seen him talking with their hostess, Oliver let out a long sigh. “I have been very careful,” he told her quickly, as though he wanted her to be impressed by him. “When I first came in, I kept my conversation with Lady Northcott very brief indeed and then found Lady Allerton. And just now, I refused to sit with her.”
“I am impressed!” Lady Georgiana laughed, pressing his arm for just a moment—a moment that flooded Oliver’s heart with warmth. “You have done very well thus far, Mr. Lowell.”
“Although,” Oliver broke in, a small frown catching his brow as he recalled just how Lady Northcott had looked, “I think that Lady Northcott was deeply upset with me.”
“For refusing to sit with her?” Lady Georgiana asked, the smile gone from her face now. “Yes, I suppose she would be.”
Oliver’s frown deepened. “That is a little troubling.”
Lady Georgiana shook her head firmly. “No, it is not,” she said firmly. “Lady Northcott can be as upset as she wishes—you have no obligation to do as she asks. In making yourself clear, you have told her she can expect nothing from you and that, Mr. Lowell, is a very good thing indeed.”
Oliver looked down into Lady Georgiana’s face and found his heart beating a little faster as he smiled at her. She was quite remarkable, he decided, thinking he had found a true friend in Lady Georgiana. “I thank you,” he said, exacting a bow that made Lady Georgiana beam with delight. “You have guided me correctly once again.”
“Just as I said I would,” Lady Georgiana reminded him with a small smile. “Now then, let us listen carefully to the first of our performers.” She began to explain to him who the young lady was, and Oliver listened as carefully as he could whilst battling a strange desire to move closer to the lady, to draw nearer to her and to see her smiling face lifting up to his again. It was only when the music began he was able to push such a strange sensation away from him, focusing entirely on the beauty of the piece that filled the room as well as his heart. Closing his eyes, Oliver let out a long, slow breath, feeling a sense of contentedness fill his heart.
“It is quite lovely, is it not?” Lady Georgiana murmured when the guests began to applaud the young lady. “Lady Constance is one of the most accomplished young ladies in all of London. I am sure she will find a husband very soon.”
Oliver smiled ruefully to himself. That was the purpose of such a performance, he realized. It was to prove the young lady’s worth to any of the gentlemen that were present, to show to them just how wonderful she was.
“You look quite thoughtful, Mr. Lowell,” Lady Georgiana commented quietly as the young lady prepared her second piece. “I did not think you would be so affected by something like this.”
He shrugged one shoulder, not wanting to tell her everything that was in his thoughts at present. “Music can bring all manner of emotions to our hearts, can it not?” he remarked as Lady Georgiana looked up at him thoughtfully. “I am not saying I will need to pull a hankerchief from my pocket, but I will say that music, when it is performed well, can bring all manner of emotions to my heart.”
Lady Georgiana smiled softly. “Very eloquent, Mr. Lowell,” she remarked softly as he watched her with a warm expression on his face. “Very eloquent indeed.”
There was no time to say more, for Lady Constance immediately began to play her second piece, although this time she sang along with it. The sound filled the room, swelling Oliver’s heart, but he saw the slightly teasing look in Lady Georgiana’s eye as she looked up at him. With a dramatic flourish, he made to pull his handkerchief from his pocket, intending to pretend he was using it to press away some tears from his eyes, only to feel something heavy tug at his kerchief.
Frowning, Oliver looked down at his pocket, expecting to see something there, but nothing was hanging over the side nor was it stuck in his handkerchief. He pulled his handkerchief free and felt something settle back down in his pocket again. Lady Georgiana was watching him with a confused expression on her face, and Oliver turned away slightly, feeling his heart thunder furiously.
His fingers touched something cold as he began to pull it out of his pocket. A shocked exclamation flew from his lips as he saw the emeralds began to sparkle in the light, staring down at the jewels in shock.
Lifting his eyes to Lady Georgiana, he saw her look first at the jewels and then up into his face. Her face had gone quite pale, her eyes searching his face.
“I didn’t steal these,” he whispered forcefully, his breath leaving his body in ragged gasps as he struggled to find a way to explain it. “I...” He shook his head, pressing the emeralds down into his pocket again.
The music came to a close, but Oliver remained where he was, half
turned from the rest of the guests and grateful he was close to the wall. He could not understand it, could not begin to explain how such a thing could have been found in his possession.
A sudden scream ripped across the room, shattering the warm ambiance and making everyone turn towards Lady Northcott, who rose from her chair, one hand clutching at her throat.
Oliver went cold all over.
“Quickly.”
He turned back, feeling his head begin to spin. Lady Georgiana was staring up at him fixedly as Lady Northcott began to wail.
“Give them to me,” Lady Georgiana said firmly, her eyes holding his gaze with a steadiness that Oliver himself did not feel. “Give them to me at once, Mr. Lowell.”
He could not move for a moment, too shocked, too stunned to do as she asked.
“Mr. Lowell,” Lady Georgiana said again as Lady Northcott began to exclaim over her lost emerald necklace. “Give them to me at once. Before we are...” She trailed off, the fear in her eyes forcing him to act. With numb fingers, he grasped the emeralds and pulled them out of his pocket with as much stealth as he could. Lady Georgiana’s hands were atop his in a moment, only for her to turn away and then begin to walk smartly away from him, her steps slow yet determined.
Oliver looked down. His hands were empty, the emeralds gone.
“We must conduct a search!” one gentleman cried, coming closer to Lady Northcott. “We must look for this necklace of yours, Lady Northcott.” A small murmur ran around the room as the other gentlemen began to agree, whilst the ladies looked on in shock. “Surely, it cannot have gone far.”
Lady Northcott sank into a chair, one hand over her eyes. “I only hope it has not been stolen,” she said brokenly, sending a flurry of fear over Oliver’s skin, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “For if it has been, then I do not know what I shall do.”
Oliver began to panic—not for himself but rather for Lady Georgiana, who now had the emerald necklace. What would happen if it was discovered she was the one carrying the necklace? Would she be thrown from society, forever doomed to carry the weight of guilt that ought not to be hers?
