He watched as she took a deep breath. "I shall look forward to it."
"Then my mother shall convey the particulars to you — I'm sure you have much to speak about. Good day," he said with a polite bow before turning and making his way back outside of the drawing room.
Fleur slumped down into the chair. She felt happy that the worst was now over, for the next few hours at least. She was glad he didn't seem offended by her awkwardness, and his own gaffe made her feel like he understood her. No doubt her distress had been the cause of his, but he had behaved admirably.
On the other side of the door Edward took a deep breath, not quite ready to face the bumbling matchmakers across the hall.
You, Edward Woolf, are a complete idiot.
He took his leave without informing his father and the duke of what was probably the worst proposal to have ever graced the halls of the House of Norfield. Yet, even with all of his self-reassurance that everything would be fine, he couldn't help think of what Evan would have to say about the whole affair.
***
Nathan closed the door to the solicitor's office with a firm pull, looking out onto the busy street with a frown. "I'll not believe another word you utter, Woolf. I waited for over an hour."
Evan laughed and walked towards his mother's residence. "Significantly shorter than the last, you should be grateful," he said, loudly enough for Nathan to hear him over the noise of the horse-shod feet upon the street. "But let us not delay, we still have to convey our regrets to my mother."
Nathan clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, my friend, but I've already written to your mother, accepting her gracious invitation."
"What?" Evan exclaimed, stopping mid stride. "Then why did you not say so this morning? Hell and damnation. Of all the tedious, odious things to agree to, a house party, Nathan?"
"Now, now, Evan, not in front of the peerage," Nathan mocked with great joy, looking around at the people who stopped to whisper at his outburst. "And how could I tell you, you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, with your gloating about the press —"
"You've ruined all my excuses to decline," shouted Evan, interrupting Nathan. "Now I will have to accept and spend weeks fending off schemes of matchmaking and conversation."
Nathan gasped and clutched his heart. "Oh no, not conversation! Be sure to bring your broadsword, you may need protection."
Evan glowered as Nathan laughed. "I wonder who else received an invitation?" he asked while starting to walk once more.
"Really, Evan, you would think you would know. Perhaps if you visited home more often."
"Stop nagging," he said, harsh and short, unwilling to discuss the matter. "Surely you are curious too, since you accepted."
"Let's see ..." said Nathan, making a production of tapping his chin, knowing it would only irritate Evan further. "Oliver has received an invitation, and me of course."
"And how, pray tell, would you know the guest list? The invitations only arrived this morning."
"You'd be surprised what you can glean from the perils of conversation. I met Miss Phoebe Simmons on the road to your house, and when I stopped to say hello I asked her if she were returning to the country or staying in town, and so she mentioned her invitation, then me my own, and then we did this miraculous thing, we talked to one another."
Evan glanced to Nathan and growled. "Who else then?"
Nathan's grin was wide, his mirth apparent. "Oh, you'll love this. Andrew Osborne was invited as well." He could see the annoyance in every inch of Evan's manner. He waited just a few more seconds, watching his friend work himself up into a full on fit, then he continued to wait until Evan opened his mouth to explode. "Of course Andrew can't make it, off fighting the good fight and all that."
"Thank God for that," Evan said, letting out a puff of air. "If he had agreed there wouldn't be any peace at Blackburn Hall between any of us. What was my mother thinking?"
"I was astonished as well, seeing as how you two despise one another. Though you were friends once, were you not?"
Evan nodded. "Yes, when we were children. He's the nephew of the Duke of Norfield, and he and his daughters spent many holidays at my father's country home. Sometimes Andrew would accompany them, though the last time I saw him ..." Evan trailed off laughing. "The last time we argued and I hid all his shoes in various places around the house, my favorite being inside a set of matching chamber pots."
Nathan blanched and shuddered. "No wonder he despises you."
Evan only shrugged, smiling.
"Perhaps it's time you made more of an effort, Evan. You're the only person of my acquaintance who rejects friendship and conversation at every turn, acting like everyone else who doesn't take your bleak line of thought should be in a ward. Perhaps it's time to stop shuttering yourself up in your library, or that horrid country manor you just acquired."
Evan side stepped a group of older ladies, nodding slightly to them before walking on. "The manor was a brilliant investment, and in fact I had planned to return there the day after tomorrow until all this house party nonsense interrupted my plans," said Evan. "But don't change the subject, there must be more. What about the ladies? This is all a damned matchmaking scheme, I tell you. Why else would she organize such an affair last minute? I know I rarely say it, Nathan, but I do look upon you like a brother, so I have to say, with utter devotion, that you and Oliver are both mad for accepting."
"Is that something you would say to a beloved brother?"
Evan shook his head. "You both should have run when you had the chance. My mother will be pushing the latest debutantes at your heads, mark my words.
"I'm not at all worried. All I'll have to do is give your dazzling mother one of my winning smiles and she'll let me get away with anything." Nathan laughed at Evan's disgusted look.
He growled between clenched teeth. "Your remarks about my mother are out of line, Carter, now tell me who else."
"Fine, if you insist. You're so dull sometimes. Both the Osborne girls, Lady Julia and, oh what is it, the elder girl, what is her name? Fleur, that's it, Lady Fleur." Nathan skidded to a stop, nearly bumping into Evan when the latter stopped dead cold in the middle of the sidewalk, staring directly ahead with his jaw clenched.
Evan slowly reached into his waist coat pocket and felt the cool metal, smooth on one side, elaborately engraved on the other.
"Who else?" Evan asked, his voice rough, his eyes focused on something in the distance.
Nathan, looked at him oddly but continued. "The Wilson girl, I've only met her once or twice, can't remember her first name, other than that, Miss Phoebe Simmons, of course, and Lady Charity Preston."
"Lady Charity?" Evan asked, surprised to hear the name. "You see, I warned you, it's all a damned matchmaking scheme. I'm going to refuse," he said and began to walk faster, not admitting to himself that the pace of his heart had also quickened at the mention of Fleur's name.
Nathan matched his stride. "You can't refuse your mother's invitation when your own friends will be in attendance."
"Use your head, Nathan, why else would my mother invite three women with whom she has little to do —"
"Most likely, I would think, because they are the friends of my betrothed," a slow deep voice cut in from behind, startling them both.
Evan and Nathan stopped walking and watched as Viscount Ravenbrook approached them. "Mr. Carter," he greeted with a polite nod. "On your way to Mother's, I take it?" he asked, addressing Evan.
Evan stared at Edward like he had lost his mind, asking his destination after giving such news, as if nothing important was revealed, it was unimaginable. "Betrothed? Since when? And to whom? Has this entire day gone mad?" he yelled in disbelief.
Not even showing a bit of surprise at his outburst, so used to Evan's moods as he was, Edward continued. "Lady Osborne," he answered, watching him carefully.
Evan stared disbelievingly up into his brother's dark eyes, unable to move. "Lady Fleur Osborne?"
&nb
sp; Edward winced. "Yes."
Clenching his jaw, Evan turned abruptly and continued walking to his mother's house without so much as a word of disagreement or congratulations.
Nathan looked at his friend and then gave Edward a quizzical look before he followed Evan and clapped him on the back. "Come now, Evan, don't be like that to the poor viscount," he said brightly. "Better him than you."
Evan shook free of Nathan and quickly ascended the steps of his parents' home. Once he reached the door, instead of knocking he quickly whipped around to face his brother. "When was this decided? I did not know you were courting the lady."
Edward reared back slightly when he saw the tight angry look on his Evan's face. "I'm not, courting her, that is. It's a rather delicate situation I would prefer not to discuss here on the stoop," he said, looking around.
"I see," said Evan. "And the lady said yes? She must have, or you would not have called her your betrothed."
"She did, though it was a near thing. I admit it wasn't one of my finer moments."
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked when Evan failed to.
"I ended up ..."
"Yes?" Evan asked impatiently.
"Well I ... I sort of swore at her," said Edward, wondering why he was telling his brother the embarrassing details.
"You swore at her? As you were proposing marriage?" Evan asked, a look of complete doubt on his face. "How is that possible? You don't even swear!"
"I became flustered. She was looking at me like she was about to faint, and before I knew it ... it doesn't matter."
"Right, about to faint, was she?" Evan said, rolling his eyes skyward before turning and throwing open the door to slam on the wall, startling the poor butler.
"Mr. Woolf? My apologies, sir, I didn't hear the bell or I would have —"
"Calm yourself, Higgins, you know my little brother never rings when coming home," Edward said, closing the door behind him.
"Higgins? Did I hear the door?" Lady Blackburn smiled and came rushing out of the side drawing room. "Edward? Evan? Why did no one tell me you had arrived, and with Mr. Carter here as well, really, where has Higgins run off to?"
"Mother," Edward leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Don't be too hard on Higgins. Evan scared him off, as usual."
"Really, with the commotion you all were making, is it any wonder?" she asked. "I'd run too if I hadn't been married to the most maddening man in all of London for the last thirty-two years. As it is I'm used to it."
Evan watched as his mother's ever-discerning gaze found him, and he felt himself shrink under her scrutiny. "Really Evan, look at the state of your coats," she scolded. "Do I need to speak to your valet?"
"You know I don't keep one," said Evan, tired of the same old argument.
She eyed him again, and he stood his ground. "It is most improper for a man of your stature not to keep a valet, or at the very least a butler."
"Father doesn't keep one," he protested.
"No, your father can't keep one, there's a difference," she said, thinking back to how Higgins disappeared each time Evan came for a visit. "Though I am beginning to notice a startling sense of familiarity about the situation."
Evan sighed, needing to escape. To think about the news his brother gave him, not trifling matters of his home or the state of his clothes. "Mother, as much as I love you," Evan said, punctuating his sentence with a kiss to her cheek. "I believe I can take care myself. I've been doing so for the past twenty or more years."
"Yes, and you look like it too," she chided. "At least let one of the servants take your coat to be pressed for this evening. I've no hope left in me that you actually had planned to change for tonight's ball?"
His patience waning, he tried to control his voice. "You know I have already declined the Brockhurst's invitation."
"Oh, but you must be there, Evan, the entire family will be there" she said, darting a look towards his brother, "Edward, you have some news of your own, do you not?" she asked nervously.
Evan watched his brother shift his stance and clear his throat. "Yes, Mother, she has accepted."
Madeleine closed her eyes and released a shuddering breath. "Evan, I really must insist on your attendance. I was hoping to have a moment to speak with you, but we're to announce your brother's engagement tonight."
Evan returned her look, hurt evident. "I don't understand ... how any of this was decided without my knowledge."
Madeline reached for his hand. "Darling, you're never here —"
He pulled away from her, not letting her reach him. "I'll come to the ball, and do my duty to wish them joy, but I will excuse myself from the house party, if you don't mind?"
"Of course not," she whispered.
Her saw her hand fall back to her side as he made his way up the stairs leaving them behind. He could hear his mother apologizing to Nathan for his rude behavior, her voice shaking. He knew he had been awful to his mother, but he couldn't bring himself to care, not right then. He needed a moment to think.
He had not seen Lady Fleur in years, but yet he felt like Edward had no right to offer for her. No right to be her husband, and he wondered why he should feel so betrayed and shocked to hear confirmations of what he always knew would come to pass.
The duke had always preferred Edward, him being the heir presumptive and he, being the spare. But no, he knew that was not the truth and it was not fair of him. The duke had treated him with great fondness, until the terrible day he left. If only he had gone to the duke, instead of acting out like a spoiled child.
He also knew he must own to it, that he caused the rift between himself and the families. He'd run angry and scared, and when his temper and his resentment finally calmed into embarrassment and shame, he knew not how to return to them all. He still did not.
He remembered how he and Fleur would sit in the dark corner of the drawing room at night, chaperoned by their families but far enough away to talk about books they had read or the last goings-on in town. It was the only time he was ever interested in such subjects, when he was with her.
Now she was to be his sister, and he could not think of anything more heart-wrenching in that moment than she being Edward's wife. And now because of his foolish actions seven years ago, his brother, the man he looked up to more than anyone in the world, would bear the brunt of his ire without provocation. He despaired it would ruin them all, if he could not check himself, but he was not persuaded he would be able to hold the façade of a good brother.
Evan opened the door to the rooms he was always assigned when he visited his parents' home and took off his coat. He threw it on the back of a chair, the force flinging a silver object from his pocket that spun across the room before coming to rest on the floor.
Evan stood and stared, the reminder of its existence offensive and agonizing. Deciding to ignore it, he made his way to the attached bedroom and lay down upon the bed, trying to shift his melancholy. It wasn't long before he was asleep, a small frown marring his otherwise peaceful face.
BALL GOWNS & GOLD BUCKLED SHOES
Fleur raised her arms and worked a pin from her hair as she sat down at her dressing room table. She gazed at herself as she pulled out each one and laid them in a neat little pile, ready to be reused.
She could see Lucy, her lady's maid, carrying her sapphire evening gown and laying it across her bed as she continued until she laid the last hairpin down.
A knock came at the door. "Come in, Julia."
Julia walked in, her dress of heavy white silk slightly trailing behind her. Lace overlaid every inch and the bodice was beaded. A soft blue ribbon wrapped around under her bust and flowed down, floating behind her.
Fleur smiled, proud of the woman her little sister had become. "You look lovely. I doubt you'll want for dancing partners tonight."
Julia walked up behind her, looking herself over. "Thank goodness this is the last ball. I'm sick of wearing white, cream, ecru, and more white. It's not fair, you haven't worn white since the year before
last."
Fleur laughed. "Well, I'm not exactly a new spring debutante. It would be odd for me to wear white still. Next year is your third year and you can wear more color as well."
Julia looked over to Fleur's bed, seeing the dress she had chosen. "Why do you not wear the emerald? You know you would look stunning."
Fleur winced. "I cannot believe I let you talk me into that pattern. It's much too ... bold."
Julia laughed, remembering the deeper cut of the bodice, stopping just before vulgarity took over. "The dressmaker did say it was all the crack for ladies these days, especially ones who, dare I say it, are no longer new spring debutantes."
Fleur glared at her sister. "Then I will give it to you for next season."
Julia laughed. "A hit, I concede. Though it would be futile, you forget next year you'll be off busy being married, and I'll be stuck under the thumb of Aunt Lizzy. She would never allow it."
"No, you forget, Julia, as a married lady next year I can sponsor you myself."
Julia squealed and bent to wrap her arms around Fleur's shoulders. "Would you? Really? Oh, please, please save me from Aunt Lizzy!"
Fleur laughed. "I thought you didn't like the thought of my being married. Suddenly you're for it?"
Julia stood straight and looked down to Fleur. "I'm still very angry at Papa, but Edward is a fine man," she paused, contemplating, a grin slowly forming on her lips. "And seeing as you and Edward have already kissed ..."
Fleur's jaw dropped. "Julia! That wasn't a kiss. It was a peck on the cheek. Besides he was mortified, and so was I."
"He was, wasn't he?" Julia laughed. "It was your birthday, remember?"
Fleur closed her eyes to the ghastly memory of that day and when she opened her eyes she looked at Julia, even if it was only in reflection of the glass. "Of course I remember."
She remembered all too well. It was one of the last memories she had of the brothers, and one of the worst. It was the day everything had changed for the two families, the day Evan left, and she had not seen him since.
Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) Page 5
