by Rose Pearson
Amelia watched as her sister left the room, her tears now drying on her cheeks. To go down to the ball would mean that she could greet the other guests whilst actively avoiding Lord Northfell, and Harmonia was quite right to suggest that Claudia might know something of Mr. Ridlington. After all, she had been in town for longer than they and had heard a great deal more gossip given that her mother had something of a wagging tongue!
Getting to her feet, Amelia walked to her wardrobe and selected her gown for the evening, aware that the maid would be through shortly to help fix her hair. Pouring some water into a bowl, she washed her face over and over again until her skin stung with the chill of it. Hoping she had erased the tear stains from her face, Amelia patted her face dry with the towel and began to prepare for the ball.
“Claudia!”
“Amelia!” Claudia exclaimed, embracing her. “How good to see you! I did not know you were guests at this house party.”
“It all came about rather suddenly,” Amelia replied, as her friend laughed, shaking her head at Amelia.
“I know Lord Northfell has been paying you a lot of attention lately, Amelia,” she said with another laugh. “You cannot hide such things from me!”
Amelia did not reply, her gaze over the entire crowd in an attempt to locate Lord Northfell. It was not for the reasons her friend might think, for Amelia still intended not to speak to him this evening. To her shock, she saw him making his way towards her and, grasping Claudia’s arm, began to hurry her away from Lord Northfell.
“La, I am quite parched!” Amelia exclaimed, as she almost dragged Claudia away. “Should you care for something to drink?”
“Amelia!” Claudia protested, pulling her arm from Amelia’s. “Whatever are you doing?”
Glancing behind them, Amelia let out a sigh of relief and slowly made her way towards the edge of the room, finding a quiet spot where she might talk to Claudia privately.
“Is something the matter?” Claudia asked, puzzled. “What was the meaning of all that, Amelia?”
“If you must know, I am trying to avoid Lord Northfell,” Amelia explained, heavily. “I am sorry to have dragged you away but I have spent the whole evening thus far avoiding him. I do not want to be in his company at this present moment.
Claudia stared at her for a moment. “But – but why?” she asked, sounding most confused. “I thought you shared an attachment!”
“We do – we did,” Amelia corrected, her eyes still fixed on the crowd so as to spot Lord Northfell if he tried to come near. “But then I spoke to his cousin – ”
“His cousin?”
Amelia nodded, her gaze flickering to Claudia’s. “Yes, his cousin introduced himself to me as we were out walking one day. A Mr. Ridlington, his name is. Seemed quite amiable and very kind.”
She saw Claudia frown, suspicion written across her features.
“Mr. Ridlington spoke to me about Lord Northfell,” she explained, quietly. “He did not tell me straight away of course, but gave the impression that there was something Lord Northfell was keeping from me, something grievous in his past that he did not want to be known.”
Her friend’s frown deepened, although she did not say a word.
“That secret has now come to light. I met Mr. Ridlington in the house this very afternoon, telling me that Lord Northfell is bankrupt!” Amelia closed her mouth tightly, feeling her chin wobbling. She did not want to start crying again, but saying the words aloud brought a great swell of emotion.
“And so you believe Lord Northfell does not have an attachment of any kind towards you,” Claudia finished, with a shake of her head. “And have you asked Lord Northfell about this personally?”
“Of course I have not!” Amelia exclaimed, surprised at her cousin’s reaction. “Why would I?”
“Because you do not know Ridlington,” Claudia replied, sounding just as astonished by Amelia’s chosen course of action.
Amelia gaped at her. “The man is being most kind to me! He is putting himself between me and his cousin, knowing that it could have consequences for him. He is trying to save me from an imprudent marriage!”
“But those words could easily be lies,” Claudia answered, firmly. “You do not know anything about Mr. Ridlington, do you, Amelia?”
That took some of the fight from Amelia. “No,” she had to admit, sadly. “No, I do not.”
“Well I do,” Claudia stated, grasping Amelia’s arm so that she had her full attention. “Listen to me when I tell you that Mr. Ridlington is not a man to be trusted. He is well known for trying to ingratiate himself with others, even though they find him not particularly likable. He appears to have a great deal of wealth, but no-one knows where such a thing has come from! He has not come into any legacies, since his father still lives and neither does he have any particular employment or even shares from which he might profit.”
Doubts began to clamor in Amelia’s soul. “You think him untrustworthy, then?”
Claudia paused for a moment, thinking carefully. “I would say not, Amelia. Nor can I understand why you would accept the man’s words as truth without even attempting to find out what is real and what is fabricated for yourself. Is there a reason you don’t want to have an attachment to Arthur?”
“No!” Amelia protested, weakly. “It is just that I have been so confused by Lord Northfell’s attentions and over the way he reacts to me sometimes. I thought that what Mr. Ridlington said made sense.”
“So you convinced yourself that he was correct instead of Lord Northfell,” Claudia finished, with a slight shake of her head. “Speak to him, Amelia. Allow him to tell you what it is he has done, if he so wishes it, and tell him of Mr. Ridlington approaching you. That is the only way you are going to find out the truth.”
Seeing the wisdom in her friend’s words, Amelia nodded slowly and thanked her. She saw Claudia’s eyes widen a little and, as she turned her head to see what Claudia was looking at, saw none other than Lord Northfell approaching them. Her heart sped up at once, nerves rattling through her. There was no-where to run. She could not escape this time.
“My dear Lady Amelia,” he said with a bow of his head. “I wondered if you might like to take a short stroll in the gardens. There are a few things we need to discuss and I simply cannot put it off any longer.”
Chapter 15
After what Claudia had said, Amelia could not find an excuse for Lord Northfell and so found herself outside in the gardens with him, walking quietly alongside him. Thankfully, Claudia and Harmonia had agreed to join them, although they remained a good few steps behind. It gave Amelia and Lord Northfell the chance to discuss things without being overheard although, at the moment, they walked in silence.
“Is your headache better?” Lord Northfell asked, breaking the quiet growing between them. “I was concerned for you when you did not come down to dinner.”
“I had a tray in my room,” Amelia replied, truthfully, even though she was well aware she had not eaten much at all. “My headache is gone entirely. I thank you for asking.”
“Do you have something worrying you?” he asked, frowning slightly as he looked at her. “I felt that, when we were walking earlier, there was something on your mind.”
Amelia did not quite know what to say, for she could not exactly blurt out what she knew of his bankruptcy. “I am concerned for my sister, Harmonia,” she said, not untruthfully. “My cousin Luke is trying to marry one of us, in order to secure his place in the family, and he has set his heart on Harmonia.”
“And you do not think it a good match?” he inquired, looking at her in surprise.
Sighing, Amelia shook her head, glancing up at him in the moonlight. “It is not that I do not like him, if that is what you are thinking. Rather, I consider his character alongside my sister’s and do not think that they would make each other happy. Harmonia is one of the most wonderful people I know and she deserves someone who will strive to make her happier than she has ever been before.”
“And you believe
that Luke is not that kind of man.”
Amelia took in a long breath before deciding to answer honestly. “Truthfully, Lord Northfell, I think that my cousin thinks only of himself. Unfortunately, my sister is rather unwilling to put herself on the marriage mart and go through all the rigmarole that comes with it. Instead, she thinks that a simple and easy marriage to our cousin is the best solution – but I am trying hard to convince her otherwise.”
Lord Northfell did not say anything for a few moments and, when Amelia looked up at him, she saw that his eyes were filled with something akin to admiration.
“You must be a wonderful sister,” he said, quietly. “Always thinking of others and striving for their best.” He smiled at her and Amelia could not help but smile back, warmth beginning to creep back into her heart.
“If you should ever need my assistance in this matter, then you need only but ask,” he continued, quietly. “I do not know what I could do but I want you to know that you are not alone in this.”
“I very much appreciate that, Lord Northfell,” Amelia replied at once, surprised and touched at the gesture.
They walked quietly for a little while, until they came to a small arbor where Lord Northfell turned and began to walk back towards the ballroom. Amelia fell into step beside him, seeing Claudia and Harmonia now walking ahead of them. Her nerves began to grow once more, knowing that this was her opportunity to ask him about what Mr. Ridlington had said but finding it difficult to even contemplate bringing it into conversation. Her heart thumped wildly as he took her hand, settling it on his arm – although she made no protest or attempted to pull her hand away. It felt almost right there, even though she did not know what to think about him any longer. Questions filled her. Was Lord Northfell innocent of what Mr. Ridlington had put against him? Or was Ridlington correct and Lord Northfell still pressing his attentions on her simply for her wealth?
Lord Northfell cleared his throat. “Lady Amelia,” he began, his voice a little hoarse. “I must apologize to you, yet again, for running off in the way I did earlier this afternoon. I had a matter of great urgency to deal with.”
“That is quite all right, Lord Northfell,” Amelia replied, pressing her sweaty hands together in front of her and trying desperately to stop the swirls of anxiety from taking hold of her entirely. “Might I be so bold as to ask what it was?”
He let out a long sigh, dropping his gaze to the ground in front of him. “In all honesty, Lady Amelia, I have a somewhat difficult relationship with my cousin. I have told him to leave my house and yet he continues to reappear.”
“I believe I saw Mr. Ridlington earlier this afternoon,” Amelia replied, carefully. “His is your cousin, is he not?”
Lord Northfell stopped short and looked at her in surprise, his features bathed in the moonlight. “Yes, he is,” he said, slowly. “I did not know you were acquainted with him.”
Amelia squirmed under his gaze. “He introduced himself to us, Lord Northfell.”
His brows rose even higher. “Introduced himself?”
“Yes,” Amelia confirmed, giving a slightly awkward laugh. “I know it is quite untoward to do such a thing, but he was most insistent on becoming acquainted with us.”
“I see,” Lord Northfell murmured, looking away from her for a moment. “And why was that, might I ask?”
Amelia did not quite know what to say, not wanting to insult him. “He wished to acquaint himself with me in particular, I suppose, given that you and I have a somewhat close connection,” she said, slowly, heat rippling through her cheeks.
Lord Northfell gave a harsh laugh. “He supposedly has my best interests at heart, then?”
Worry creased Amelia’s brow. “I thought he did, yes.”
“What did he say to you?”
Lord Northfell now sounded more than a little angry and Amelia winced inwardly, hating that she was going to have to anger him even further.
“I’m afraid he told me everything Lord Northfell,” she said, quietly, not quite able to meet his gaze. “It was only today he spoke of it, of course, but it has upset me a great deal.”
All the anger seemed to leave Lord Northfell at once, his eyes widening as he looked down at her.
“The reason I am hurt, Lord Northfell,” Amelia continued, when he said nothing, “is because you have had the opportunity to share this with me but have chosen not to. It is not a pleasant feeling to know that you are only pursuing me because of my fortune.”
Lord Northfell blinked rapidly, looking more than a little confused.
“I am terribly sorry, Lady Amelia,” he said, slowly. “I do not understand in the least what you are saying.”
“You need not pretend!” Amelia declared, a little frustrated. “I know about your bankruptcy. I just wish you had told me from the beginning for then I would never have….” She trailed off, not quite sure how to finish her sentence without betraying her depth of feeling for him.
“You would have never allowed yourself to dance with me, to walk with me, to spend time in my company?” Lord Northfell asked, softly. “Is that what you mean, Lady Amelia?”
Amelia raised her chin, refusing to allow herself to be drawn in by his tender words and gentle expression. “Yes, that is exactly it, Lord Northfell.”
He smiled immediately, warmth springing into his eyes. Amelia, who could not understand why he was looking so at ease, could only frown.
“Then I have great pleasure in telling you that what Ridlington has told you is quite false,” Lord Northfell said, calmly.
Amelia’s mouth fell open, her hand covering her gasp. She looked up at Lord Northfell with an expression of astonishment, her heart quickening in her chest as she stared at him, wondering whether or not she could truly believe him.
“I will confess that I have had some financial difficulties of late – which are of my own doing, I might add – but recently I have had some investments send in a good return and find that I am in a much better position than before.” There was no malice in his voice as he spoke, although the disappointment in his expression was palpable. “I am sorry that you have been so deceived, Lady Amelia. If you had but come to me, then I would have explained all.”
Amelia did not know what to say, her face burning with shame. “He seemed so genuine,” she said, dropping her gaze from his face. “I thought he wanted both my best and yours, for what other reason could he have for telling me such a thing?”
“There are a great many reasons I do not care for my cousin and one of them is his proclivity towards lying,” Lord Northfell continued, his jaw clenching a little. “I have asked him to leave my home because he has done nothing but threaten me.”
“Threaten you, Lord Northfell?” Amelia asked, astonished. “Why? What does he mean by it?”
Lord Northfell shrugged, looking away from her. “He intends to do whatever he can to take money from me, so that he does not have to live a life of responsibility,” he explained, sadly. “I have given in to his demands before, I will admit, but no longer.”
“He doesn’t want you to be happy,” Amelia breathed, mortification filling her as she realized that Harmonia had been quite right to suggest that Ridlington was not to be trusted. “I am terribly sorry, Lord Northfell. I should never have believed him without speaking to you first.”
Lord Northfell slowly began to smile, his eyes almost glowing as he took her hand. “I can understand why you believed him, Lady Amelia. Mr. Ridlington is like an eel with his words, slippery and oily.” He shook his head to himself, his eyes growing sad. “I was once very close to him. In fact, I considered him a great friend. How wrong I have been.”
“How wrong I have been,” Amelia murmured, still embarrassed at her own behavior. “I must beg your forgiveness, Lord Northfell.”
“You already have it,” he assured her, smiling gently. “Come now, we should return inside.”
Amelia took his arm gladly, her heartwarming as they walked together. He was not after her fortune, as she
had thought, but had confessed that his depth of feeling was genuine and true. She could not help but smile to herself as they walked inside once more, happier than she had ever felt before. Perhaps there was a future for them both after all!
What Amelia did not see, as they stepped back into the ballroom, was the look of pain and frustration on Lord Northfell’s face. She did not see him grit his teeth as she took her leave of him, nor hear the irritated words he muttered under his breath as she left. She did not see his anguish in being unable to tell her all, to tell her of his daughter and the truth about Ridlington’s blackmail. All she saw was the whirling dancers, the sparkling chandeliers and the smiles of her sisters, losing herself entirely in the magnificence of the evening.
Chapter 16
“He said what?”
Amelia sighed to herself and looked over at Harmonia.
“He declared himself quite solvent and told me all about Mr. Ridlington,” she replied, heavily. “You were quite right not to trust him, Harmonia.”
“I wish I had not been,” her sister replied, with a sad look in her eyes. “I am sorry, Amelia.”
“Sorry?” Amelia repeated, a smile curving her lips. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Harmonia. You warned me and I did not listen.”
There was a short pause. “And is everything now ruined between you and Lord Northfell?”
Amelia stared at her sister in astonishment. “Ruined? No indeed – quite the opposite in fact!”
Harmonia looked most astonished, sitting up a little straighter. “He forgave your lack of sense?”
Hating that Harmonia had, rightly, called out her behavior for what it was, Amelia grimaced but nodded. “Yes, apparently so. He described his cousin as an ‘eel’ so I have no doubt that I am not the first to have been so taken in by him.”
“That is a good thing, then,” Harmonia agreed, sitting back in her chair. “I am glad to hear it, Amelia, I must say. I had thought that Lord Northfell might turn from you after this.”
