Regency Romance Collection: Regency Fire: The Historical Regency Romance Complete Series (Books 1-5)

by Bridget Barton

  Chapter Seven

  Serena Edison regarded her reflection in the mirror and laughed a little at herself. She had put a little extra effort into getting herself ready for her standing invitation of Wednesday afternoon bridge at the home of Lady Belton, and well she knew it.

  In fact, Serena had changed her outfit three times. Whilst she had wanted to put the effort in, she did not want everybody at tea and bridge to be aware of it, much less comment upon it.

  In the end, Serena had chosen to wear a long-sleeved gown of lightweight fabric. It had an under-gown in pure white with an over-gown of white with so many small blue flowers upon it that it looked predominantly blue. The over-gown parted just beneath the bust line, revealing a great triangular panel of the white under-gown beneath. Serena thought the gown to be extremely pretty without being too much for a simple afternoon gathering. She wore a simple blue cloth headband over her thick golden hair and rather liked the way it separated the ringlets which framed her face at the front. Yes, she would look nice without seeming to have put in an exaggerated amount of effort.

  As she took a final look at her reflection, Serena realised how very much more she was looking forward to her customary afternoon of bridge now that she had the idea that Lord Hugh Farrington might also be in attendance.

  Of course, Serena always enjoyed her afternoons with Lady Belton and always found such pleasant and interesting company there. Of all the young ladies of her acquaintance, the ones that Serena particularly liked were the same ones who tended to maintain the standing invitation to Wednesday afternoon bridge. They were all very good players, and it struck her that each and every one of them had just a little bit more of interest to say than the other young ladies of her acquaintance.

  However, as Serena made her way down to her carriage, straightening her skirts down once more, she rather wondered if she had not suddenly become one of the other young ladies; the sort of young lady who thought only of young men and marriage.

  Chuckling to herself, Serena knew that she had not particularly thought of Hugh Farrington in terms of marriage. It was true to say that she rarely thought of marriage and certainly seemed not to suffer from the same tendency to urgency and haste as many other young ladies. However, it was also true to say that Serena had thought of Hugh Farrington almost constantly in the several days since she had seen him at the medieval sugar banquet.

  He really was so very handsome and his colouring almost exquisitely rare. However, Serena knew in her heart that there was so much more in her attraction to him than his simple good looks. Hugh was a funny man with a very ready wit and a tremendous sense of fun. In many ways, Hugh mirrored her own personality. To find someone who seemed to think very much as she did was something that Serena had never expected would happen.

  In the three years since Serena had come out into society, she had never once met a man with such a sense of humour, much less a man who appreciated that same sense of humour in herself. It was that idea more than any other that had excited Serena’s attraction further still, and she found herself wondering quite how she would feel if their acquaintance came to nothing more than simple friendship.

  By the time she arrived outside the home of Lady Belton, Serena was feeling rather nervous. It was not an unpleasant nervous feeling but rather more a feeling of excited anticipation.

  When Serena was shown into the sitting room and found that Hugh Farrington was not there, she suffered quite a deep sense of disappointment.

  “Good afternoon, Serena.” Jemima Westley, a young lady she regularly partnered for bridge, appeared smiling at her side.

  “Good afternoon, Jemima. Tell me, are you well?”

  “I am very well, Serena. And you look so very well yourself. I must say, that gown suits you very well indeed.” Jemima reached out and touched the fabric of Serena’s gown appreciatively. “The over-gown fabric is truly beautiful.”

  “I thank you, Jemima,” Serena said sincerely. In truth, she was rather glad of the compliment purely because it was so simply delivered. Serena was happy that she was wearing a beautiful gown but did not appear to have gone to great lengths to look well. “I must admit it is one of my favourite gowns, and yet I have not worn it often.”

  “Well, I for one shall say that you ought to wear it whenever you can. Blue does suit you awfully well.”

  “How kind you are, Jemima.” Serena smiled at her.

  “Well, I am kind to a point, my dear Serena,” Jemima said and gave her a wry smile. “For I have bolted my way over here to make an immediate apology that I cannot be your partner this afternoon. I am rather afraid that I have already promised myself to Lady Belton who is missing her own partner today.”

  “Oh, Jemima!” Serena said laughing. “You must not worry yourself so. I shall find a partner of my own, although I shall take great pains not to play against you and Lady Belton, for I know that I shall be beaten.”

  “You are too kind,” Jemima said and hurriedly reached up to kiss Serena’s cheek before turning and making her way to one of the bridge tables.

  “Oh well, if you find yourself suddenly without a partner, perhaps you might permit me to offer myself as a replacement?” Hugh spoke the words almost directly into her ear, and Serena realised that he was standing rather closely behind her.

  “How kind of you,” Serena said, trying hard not to let Hugh see quite how affected she had been by his sudden closeness as she turned to face him. “But what about poor Charles? Is he to have no partner?”

  “I do not go everywhere with Charles Lockhart, Miss Edison.” Hugh gave her a broad smile, and Serena felt her heartbeat quicken just a little.

  He really did look so very handsome, and he was as neatly tailored as always. He was wearing a dark blue waistcoat and matching tailcoat with cream breeches and black boots. Serena thought the colour suited him very well indeed and made his ash-coloured blond hair look even more unusual and his pale blue eyes just a little paler.

  “So, you have struck out on your own this afternoon, Hugh?” Serena was still enjoying his open invitation to use his Christian name and found that it still gave her pleasure to do so.

  What gave her more pleasure, however, was the fact that he stuck rigidly to the rules of etiquette and called her only Miss Edison, never Serena. Of course, one day she would invite him to be a little less formal, but only once she had gleaned every ounce of enjoyment from the current situation.

  “I most certainly have. Do you not think me terribly brave?”

  “The very bravest, Hugh.”

  “Then you shall permit me to sit at your side and play bridge?”

  “Indeed, I shall,” Serena said and laughed. “At least for one game. After all, I shall need to assess your abilities as a suitable bridge partner, shall I not?”

  “I rather think that makes sense, Miss Edison.”

  “Well, shall we take a turn about the room and see which tables are in want of opponents?” Serena said brightly.

  “Let us sit together for a while and take some tea first,” he said, and Serena was slightly taken aback to note the shyness of his question.

  “Yes, I should like that very much indeed.” Serena followed him to a couch.

  No sooner had they sat down than a maid appeared in front of them with a small tea tray and a smile.

  “Thank you kindly,” Serena said and smiled brightly at the young woman.

  “I must say, Miss Edison, you look awfully pretty today.”

  “I thank you, Sir.” Serena gave Hugh a slow and confident smile despite the feeling that butterflies seemed to flap wildly inside her stomach.

  “I mean the gown you are wearing is awfully pretty, Miss Edison. Obviously, you look pretty every day.” Hugh grinned. “Well, beautiful actually.”

  “Oh.” Serena found herself suddenly stuck for words. To be called pretty was one thing, but to be called beautiful was quite another. “How very kind of you, Hugh. In truth, you rather caught me off guard.”

  “Bec
ause you did not expect me to say something complimentary?” he said and seemed to regain something of his customary confident manner.

  “Not entirely,” Serena said trying to find the words to frame her sentiment. “It is just that you are ordinarily rather funny and flippant, and I was not expecting such a serious and kind compliment.”

  “Then perhaps I ought to be serious a little more often,” Hugh said and gave her a slow smile that seemed to affect her in an almost physical way.

  “You may, of course, be as serious as you wish, Hugh. However, I should not like to see your sense of fun disappear altogether, or I should find myself terribly lonely.”

  “Then I promise I shall not lose my sense of fun. I shall keep my sense of fun well exercised so that it might be a match for your own sense of fun. How is that?”

  “I think that is a very good proposal.” Serena smiled.

  “But you really are very beautiful,” he went on quietly. “And I find that, lately, I can think of nothing else but you.”

  Serena held her breath for so long that she began to feel a little dizzy. His words were terrifying and wonderful in equal measure, and Serena had never thought how such words could affect her. In truth, such romantic notions had always made her amusement ride high. But perhaps that was simply because she had only ever imagined romance from the endless line of dreary men she had been introduced to. Perhaps this was what the other young ladies spoke of when they talked of romance. The very same young ladies that Serena had silently scoffed at for longer than she cared to remember.

  “Sir, you shall make me blush,” Serena said knowing full well that she already was blushing.

  “Good.” Hugh responded with the broadest and brightest of smiles. “Then it shall mean that you are pleased with my compliment and that you are not entirely unaffected by me.”

  “No, I am not entirely unaffected by you.” Serena felt herself to be suddenly on very intimate terms and had a childishly frightened feeling in her belly, almost as if she ought to stop immediately for fear there would be no way back.

  “Good. I am inordinately glad to hear that,” Hugh said quietly as he stared intently into her eyes.

  Once again, Serena felt a little lightheaded. Hugh was just about the most handsome man she had ever seen, and everything about him attracted her. “In fact, I rather think the idea of it will keep me awake for many nights hence.”

  Serena was aware of blushing violently, all the while knowing that his last few sentences would certainly keep her awake for many nights hence also.

  “Now, I daresay I ought to pour out this tea before it is so thick we shall need knives and forks with which to tackle it,” Hugh said in his ordinarily light-hearted way.

  Serena had been incredibly grateful for the respite for she knew that, sooner or later, her lack of experience in all matters romantic would finally give her away.

  Chapter Eight

  “My dear Serena, whatever is taking so long?” Lady Edison was fluttering outside the door of Serena’s room, clearly ready to set off for the ball at the home of Lord and Lady Willingham.

  “I shall be no more than three minutes, Mama,” Serena called out, hoping that would be enough to keep her mother from bustling into the room.

  “Well, your father is making his way down to the carriage now. I suggest you keep it to three minutes and no longer, my dear.” And with that, Lady Edison disappeared.

  Serena’s young maid smoothed down the skirt of the beautiful ball gown once more and looked at her mistress approvingly. The gown was in a beautiful light sage green and was made in a very rich and heavily embroidered satin fabric. Serena was wearing brand-new long evening gloves which looked so very clean and white against the green of her gown. The colour suited her complexion beautifully, and Serena knew it well. She wore no adornments in her hair, and her maid had put it up beautifully. Her golden tresses had been wound into a neat and fulsome pleat at the back of her head, which her maid had fixed firmly and invisibly into position. Her maid had chosen her very longest strands of hair to form ringlets at the front, and each of them seemed to almost whisper across Serena’s shoulders.

  Hearing her mother call from the bottom of the stairs, Serena smiled at her maid and turned to dash from the room. She knew that she looked good, and she knew that Hugh Farrington would be in attendance that night with the Duke and Duchess of Calgarth.

  Serena and her mother and father had arrived rather early with the first wave of guests at Willingham Hall, so it came as no surprise to her to find that the Farrington family were nowhere to be seen in the ballroom.

  Whilst her mother and father had a few moments’ conversation with Henry Willingham, Lord and Lady Willingham’s eldest son, Serena made her way unaccompanied to the punch table. As she ladled herself out a cupful of fruit punch, she became aware of a presence at her side.

  “Good evening, Miss Edison. I must say you look terribly well.” It was a voice she did not instantly recognise, and Serena was surprised to find that Lady Eleanor Cunningham stood at her side.

  It had been a long time since she had seen the young lady, and she knew her only very vaguely, having been introduced at an evening buffet by Jemima Westley.

  “Lady Cunningham, how nice to see you. I trust you are well.” Serena always felt a little upended in the company of Lady Eleanor Cunningham. There was something very angular and unusual about the woman, and she could not help finding herself inexplicably a little afraid in her company.

  “I am very well indeed; I thank you.” Eleanor Cunningham smiled graciously. “It has been a very long time since I have seen you, my dear. Still, I do often ask after you, Miss Edison. Dear Jemima Westley always assures me that you are keeping very well.”

  “That is terribly kind of you, Lady Cunningham. And Jemima is a dear, is she not?”

  “She certainly is. She often tells me of the wonderful afternoons you share playing bridge in Lady Belton’s drawing room. I have often thought to attend myself, for I think I should enjoy it greatly. Jemima tells me that the company is simply wonderful.”

  “I would very much agree with Jemima. Lady Belton is a wonderful hostess, and her bridge afternoons seem to be drawing ever larger numbers of guests.”

  “And I believe you played last Wednesday, Miss Edison. Although Jemima tells me that she was not able to partner you on that day.”

  Eleanor Cunningham continued to smile graciously, and yet Serena experienced a feeling she could not quite describe in the pit of her stomach. She knew with all her heart that the conversation was not one without a very distinct point, and she rather feared what that point might be. After all, Lady Eleanor Cunningham had never sought her out particularly to speak to but had rather conversed with her when they were part of the same group.

  “Yes indeed, dear Jemima partnered Lady Belton herself that afternoon. I must say, I missed her greatly. Jemima is an absolutely splendid bridge player.” Serena was playing a part, and well she knew it.

  “But you were able to find yourself another partner, were you not? I do believe that Lord Hugh Farrington was able to oblige.”

  “Indeed, he was, My Lady. And a very fine bridge player he is. Well, at least he was on Wednesday afternoon.” Serena could feel her mouth go a little dry. Whatever it was that Lady Cunningham had to say, she felt sure it was entirely in connection with Hugh.

  “Although Jemima mentioned it only in passing, my dear, I must admit I felt a little misgiving on hearing the connection.”

  “The connection?” Serena said feigning ignorance.

  “The connection between yourself and Hugh Farrington, my dear.”

  “Well, we are acquainted, certainly.” Serena tried to keep her tone as matter-of-fact as possible.

  “Indeed, but I would beg you exercise caution, my dear. You see, I have found that I really do rather like you, despite the fact that we are not terribly well acquainted. You are a very nice sort of young lady, and one I should like to forewarn and protect if I poss
ibly can.”

  “Protect?” Serena said and felt her eyebrows rising.

  “I realise that sounds rather dramatic, my dear, but it is certainly true. Forgive my intrusion, but I really ought to tell you that Hugh Farrington does not have a particularly unblemished reputation as far as young ladies are concerned. I should not like to elaborate upon it for fear of embarrassing us both.” Eleanor Cunningham had lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “But he seems to have something of a rather short attention span if you take my meaning.”

  “Oh, I see,” Serena said and smiled brightly despite the fact that she felt suddenly nauseous. “Well, how kind of you to make me aware of the fact.” Serena had no intention of continuing the conversation but rather thought she would simply extricate herself politely.

  “You are more than welcome, my dear Miss Edison.” Eleanor Cunningham gave her a warm smile that left Serena wondering if the woman was being genuine or not.

  After all, what reason would Lady Eleanor Cunningham have for fabricating such a thing? Unless, of course, there had been something between Lady Cunningham and Hugh Farrington at some stage.

  “I must say, Lady Cunningham, Lord and Lady Willingham have put on rather a good spread here, do you not think?” Serena said lightly, intent upon changing conversational direction at the earliest opportunity.

  “Indeed, they have, Miss Edison. And they are such kind and attentive hosts, are they not?”

  “Indeed, they are, My Lady.”

  “Would you excuse me, Miss Edison? I rather think my brother is trying to gain my attention. I fear he is trapped in a conversation he wishes me to free him from.” Eleanor Cunningham gave a friendly laugh, almost as if the two of them had been friends since childhood.

  “Of course, Lady Cunningham,” Serena said and inclined her head graciously.

  Just minutes after Eleanor Cunningham had left her alone drinking punch at the end of the table, Serena looked up to see Hugh Farrington making his way towards her. And he was not alone; he was bringing the Duke and Duchess of Calgarth to make an introduction.