Tables had been set up in the morning room for any that wanted to try their skills at some genteel games of cards. On this rare occasion, the viscount had opened the doors of his library for any who wished to peruse his book collection or discuss various arts. And through the door into the dining room, Julianna could see that preparations were under way to serve a supper later.
All the guests were dressed in their finest evening attire. The ladies were a sea of colors while the gentlemen were almost uniformly dressed in the requisite knee breeches, elegantly dark. Odelia had to struggle to suppress a giggle over the sight of various ladies wearing peacock feathers in their headdresses.
In an effort at discretion, she leaned over and whispered into her aunt’s ear. “I just hope none of those ladies get too close to the candles. That would indeed be a distraction no one was prepared for!”
With a reproving glance, Julianna swallowed the giggle struggling to escape at the mental picture painted by Odelia’s words. “You behave yourself, young lady.”
“Always, dearest Aunty,” Dee answered with a dimpled grin.
Finally, satisfied that Odelia could hold her own, Julianna slipped away for a quiet moment to gather her thoughts and refresh herself with a drink offered to her by an attentive footman.
“It’s much more exhausting when you are no longer seventeen, is it not?”
Julianna started in surprise, blushing as she met Lucius’ quizzing gaze. But she held her own despite how flustered the viscount made her feel.
“Has no one mentioned to you it is very bad ton to remind a lady that she is no longer a youngster, my lord?” she demanded pertly.
Lord Ackerley was surprised by the bubble of laughter coming from his own lips. He was determined to be polite for the sake of their hosts. He just never would have expected to enjoy an evening spent in Julianna’s presence.
Julianna smiled disarmingly to show she truly had not taken offence. She continued after heaving a heartfelt sigh. “Unfortunately, you are not mistaken. During my own short Season, I thought everyone I encountered was lovely and kind and meant well toward me. I could dance until dawn, sleep for a couple hours, then spend the day shopping and gadding about Town before getting ready to dance until dawn once more. The Season has barely gotten under way, and I am near exhaustion just from the preparations.”
She paused again before looking out at the guests and spying her dear niece. “But when I see how much fun she is having, it makes it all worthwhile.”
Lord Ackerley followed her fond gaze and took an assessing look at his companion’s charge. She really was a pretty young woman, if not quite in his taste. “It is quite obvious your work has paid off. She looks like she will have a very successful Season.” Turning back to Julianna he continued, “It’s strange for me to see you in this role of doting mama, but it seems to suit you.”
“You never thought I would be a mother?” she asked incredulously before blushing fiery red at the implications brought to mind by her question. Trying to regain her composure, her quick wit swiftly moved her tongue into safer conversational channels. “Well, I can never fill the shoes of their own dear mother, but I have taken great joy in helping Hart raise his children. I shudder to think where we would have all been without each other at that terrible time.”
Wishing he could bite off his own tongue for being such a muttonhead, Luc tried to lighten the tone. “Well, they seem to have turned out rather well. You have reason to be proud of your contributions in that regard.”
“Thank you, I actually do take an inordinate amount of pride in how they have both grown up. Poor Hart was so distraught over losing his dear wife that he left much of their care to me. I really had no idea what I was doing at first, but I quickly found myself mimicking whatever my own parents had done. I would like to think Hart and I turned out to be fairly decent people, so I figured it would work well. There were, of course, times I would have loved to walk away or at least have someone else to advise me – remembering things my parents had said is not the same as knowing why they had said it. But we have all muddled through, and here they are – mostly grown up — and I must admit that I quite like them, so at least I did not bungle the job too terribly for all my inexperience.”
Julianna was unsure why she was confiding all this to the viscount she had previously vowed to avoid, but at times he seemed so easy to talk to. That had been one of the things she had loved about him and the one thing she had missed the most when she had terminated the relationship. During the first days and weeks after going back home, she had lost count of the number of times she wished she could talk things over with him, as ridiculous at that thought was after all that had happened.
Striving for a light tone the viscount said, “Now all you have left to do is marry them off.”
He instantly realized this was somehow the exact wrong thing to say. Julianna’s face had been so animated, open, and confiding as she spoke of her struggles with raising her brother’s children, but now, while she maintained a polite smile, her face was shuttered, and the smile no longer reached her eyes.
“It has been a pleasure reminiscing with you, my lord, but now I must bid you adieu,” Julianna managed to remain socially correct as she extracted herself from the awkward situation and once again found herself practically fleeing from her former fiancé.
Lucius watched in dismay as Julianna walked away with her back ramrod straight and her head held at a proud angle. He found himself wondering why he always seemed to make the lady leave. It was far from his proudest moment. He had actually been enjoying his conversation with her, much to his surprise. She truly had matured into the potential he had seen in her seven years ago. She would have made a good viscountess, he thought with a pang of regret despite all that had transpired between them.
With a slight sigh, he watched her circulate politely through the crowd before realizing he was making a cake of himself. He ought to be circulating as well, not mooning over an old flame like a lovesick youngster. With a wry smile, he went off in search of his hostess to get her to introduce him to some of the eligible young ladies present.
Catherine was understandably hesitant when she saw Luc approaching her with purposeful strides, but she was delighted by his request to be introduced to a few of the ladies. She had chosen her guest list with care, and while she had Odelia and Julianna in mind as the guests of honor, there were several eligible young misses at the rout. Lord Ackerley was one of the most eligible bachelors of the ton so it would be quite the coup if she could boast that she was the one who introduced him to his future bride.
Unfortunately for Catherine’s plans for him, Luc could not quite work up any enthusiasm for the ladies she was introducing him to, despite his intentions. He was, of course, perfectly polite and charming, and none of the ladies felt the least bit slighted in his attentions, but his heart just was not in it. He kept finding himself comparing each girl to Julianna and finding them lacking, much to his chagrin. At the back of his mind, he kept an ear out for where she was in the room and whom she was talking to. It was most frustrating!
Luc could not help but be relieved when enough time had finally passed for him to take his leave without causing offense or unnecessary gossip. He politely said his farewells to his dear friends, Catherine and Robert, and headed for the door. On his way to collect his outerwear from the butler he again encountered Julianna.
“Are you leaving already, my lord?” she asked.
“Yes, I am promised elsewhere,” he answered less than truthfully hoping she would not press for more information and surprised she had even spoken to him at all considering how their last conversation ended.
“Have a good night, then,” Julianna replied in soft tones as she started to turn away.
Lucius could not help himself. He impetuously reached for her hand and gallantly pressed a brief kiss to her wrist. Seeing the bemused look in her eyes, he quickly let her go and departed with the softly spoken words, “Until next time. Good
night.”
Julianna was disgruntled to find the spot where his lips had pressed still tingled warmly. It took a supreme effort of will not to scrub at it with her free hand, not wanting to draw undue attention to herself. Plastering on a politely sociable smile, she again turned to mingle but somehow inexplicably with Luc’s departure, some of the sparkle had gone out of the evening.
Chapter 8
Julianna and Odelia had been presented to Lady Caroline Fielding, the Dowager Countess of Hearst, and her sweet young daughter, Lady Abigail Fielding. Abigail too was fresh from the country for her first season and was trying to acquire a bit of Town polish before the Season began in earnest.
Being basically of equal rank, all four ladies curtsied to one another. Dispensing with the formalities, Odelia and Abigail quickly settled into an earnest conversation about all they had already seen and done in the big city. This discussion was frequently punctuated with happy giggles making all in the vicinity smile indulgently.
“Oh, to be so young,” declared Lady Caroline longingly, looking at Julianna as though they were of a similar age. “I remember my own Season was most diverting. Of course, much has changed since then has it not, my dear?”
Realizing the lady was speaking to her as though they had shared a Season, Julianna was unsure how to answer. She did not actually want to draw any attention to her own disastrous Season, but neither did she wish to own up to years she had not yet lived. Julianna was aware that helping her brother raise his children had no doubt aged her, but she took leave to presume she did not actually look old enough to be their parent. The high road of diplomacy was the only way to handle the awkward situation.
“No doubt much has changed, my lady, but let us hope these young ladies enjoy themselves just as much as you did.”
“At least we are not faced with the daunting task of finding a husband. I just wish my poor dearly departed was here to help dear Abigail pick out her future lord. Her brother, the current earl, is of no use in this case. He is too busy setting up his nursery. I ask you, do I look old enough to become a grandmother?”
Once again Julianna mustered up a diplomatic answer. “Not at all, my lady, but isn’t it so much fun to play with the babies without any of the responsibilities that come with raising small children?”
“Well, you do have a good point there, my dear.” Lady Hearst finally looked carefully at Julianna for the first time. “What was your name again, my lady?” she asked with a somewhat altered tone.
“Julianna Montgomery. My brother is the Earl of Somerton.”
“And your grandmother is the Dowager Duchess of Westerley.” Lady Hearst now looked at her with slight sympathy. “I remember your debut into Society. You were a beautiful young lady. You are Lady Odelia’s aunt, not her mother. I apologize for assuming otherwise.”
“Please, do not apologize. I do not mind the comparison. I have been helping my brother raise his children for the past several years, so I do feel like her parent right now with all the complications that brings with it,” she concluded with a self-deprecating laugh.
Lady Hearst looked at Julianna shrewdly. “You are not actually terribly old, my lady. Are you hanging out for a husband for yourself as well? I saw you speaking for quite some time to that handsome Viscount Beaufort.”
Again Julianna laughed, although this time it was a bit more forced. “No, no, my lady. This is Odelia’s time, not mine. I put all that behind me seven years ago. And Lord Ackerley is just an old acquaintance,” she prevaricated.
Not wishing to prolong the awkward encounter, Julianna finally extricated herself from the conversation. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Caroline. No doubt we will be seeing each other in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“And you, Lady Julianna.”
For what felt like the millionth time, Julianna wished fervently that there was nothing of note in her past and hoped fiercely that it would have no effect upon Odelia’s Season. As she thought about her dear young niece, Julianna looked across the room and saw her in animated conversation with Abigail and a couple of young men with whom she was not acquainted. Julianna decided to investigate.
“Odelia, Abigail, are you having a nice time?” she asked with pointed emphasis.
Odelia turned her charming smile upon her aunt. “Oh, yes, Aunt Jules, we are having a lovely evening, thank you. Are you acquainted with these gentlemen? Lady Chorney introduced us.”
Turning to her new friends with a pretty smile, Odelia performed the introductions. “This is my dear aunt, Lady Julianna Montgomery. Aunty, this is Mr. Kenneth Landon and this is Mr. Tom Jackes. They went to school together, and they were just telling us the most hilarious story about a prank they pulled on their schoolmaster. It is most diverting,” she concluded with a gurgle of laughter.
Unable to resist her niece’s enjoyment, Julianna looked at the young men with an encouraging smile that almost perfectly matched her niece’s.
Mr. Jackes suffered from an unfortunate speech impediment and was quite overcome by the attentions of both Montgomery ladies. He dissolved into a stuttering heap of nerves.
His old friend, used to Tom’s suffering, showed no sympathy. Landon smacked him on the back forcefully. “Breathe, man, breathe.” With a good-natured chuckle, he looked at Julianna. “Tom’s a great fellow but he’s not very good around such pretty ladies.” This caused Mr. Jackes’ condition to worsen making Odelia’s soft heart melt toward the unfortunate young man.
“Do not pay him any mind, Mr. Jackes. I was greatly enjoying your story. You had just gotten to the part where the schoolmaster found your little gift. Then what happened?” Julianna found one more reason to be proud of her niece, she was so kind when dealing with people and making them feel comfortable. The young man was able to continue with his story, haltingly at first, but then he got into the rhythm of his tale.
While Tom regaled the younger ladies with adventures, Kenneth looked at Julianna with chagrin. “I apologize, my lady. I should have known better than to tease him in front of the ladies. It angers me so when others make merry of his condition, and here I am doing it myself.”
“Well, it is not really me to whom you should apologize.” Kenneth flushed to his roots at this mild rebuke, so Julianna took mercy on him. “But it appears that no harm was done. It sounds as though the two of you have had a colorful time while away at school.”
The young man grinned. “Without a doubt, we have enjoyed ourselves immensely,” he agreed.
“Mr. Landon, I think I am acquainted distantly with your family. I was sorry to hear of your father’s ill health. Has there been any improvement?”
“Thank you for your kind inquiry. He has improved slightly, but unfortunately, none of the doctors my mother has hired have been able to hold out much hope of a full recovery.”
* * *
“I am sorry to hear that, my lord.”
Landon smiled sheepishly. “We aren’t really all that close, but I do hope the old gentleman pulls through. It is cursed unpleasant being the heir to a viscountcy during the London Season. I think I might have to retire to the country until the situation blows over.”
Julianna could not help the gurgle of laughter that escaped her as the young man looked furtively at the matchmaking mamas eyeing him with avid interest. He again flushed bright red as he realized the vulgarity of what he had just said.
“Not to say I don’t like the attention of the ladies, my lady, it is just that I’m not quite sure if I am ready to be leg-shackled at this time.”
“No need to explain. I am quite sure I understand perfectly. In either case, you have my sympathies,” Julianna answered kindly as she excused herself to return to Lady Chorney’s side.
By the end of the evening, it was obvious that Odelia and Abigail were bound to be dear friends for years to come. They promised to spend the morning shopping on Bond Street before attending the ‘at home’ together, provided, of course, that Odelia could prevail
upon Julianna to accompany them.
The Montgomery ladies decided to remain with their host and hostess until the last of the guests had been waved off; however, Hart and Fletch could not be convinced that they, too, should remain to the end. “I am not the debutante, why should I stay?” was Fletch’s succinct declaration on the topic, which his father wholeheartedly supported.
“Besides, Jules, would you not agree that our dear Odelia will be somewhat more popular with the young men if her father and big brother are not around to glare at potential suitors?”
There really was no arguing with Hart’s reasoning, so with a good-natured laugh Julianna waved them off to their club while she remained to oversee the rest of Odelia’s evening. Despite her earlier hesitance about appearing amongst the ton for the first time in seven years, she was enjoying herself considerably. She could not really say that she loved gossiping, but it was pleasant to catch up on all the news of the fashionable Society. Julianna was interested to know who had married and started a family since her own debut Season. And meeting new people had always been a fascination for her, so she really was in her element.
After the ladies waved off all the guests, Catherine told the servants they could finish cleaning up the next day. After a footman brought Catherine, Julianna, and Odelia piping hot cups of tea, they were left alone. All three ladies finally felt they were all talked out, so they sat in companionable silence while they sipped their tea. After a few contemplative moments, Julianna finally broke the silence.
Sweet Surrender Page 6
