by Lynda Hurst
Anna urged, “Milady, the effect will be doubled once you have a proper gown to match,” and shooed her behind the screen which Mary had just vacated. Slipping on her gown and dinner gloves with Anna’s assistance, Faith was once more amazed at her outward appearance when everything had been neatly buttoned up.
Presenting both ladies with their wraps and reticules, Anna bid them have a good time and ushered them out the door. Walking down the stairs hand in hand, Mary and Faith did not fail to notice that they were the last ones to come down while everyone awaited them in the foyer. Lady Margaret had shot them an annoyed look while looks of appreciation and admiration were displayed on the rest of the party at their arrival.
Benjamin was the first to approach Faith before Devlin could reach her side. Faith thought it was just as well since Jackson refused to escort Lady Margaret out to the awaiting carriage and had his sister on his arm instead. That left Devlin to escort his own sister. Uncle Hamish brought up the rear.
With everyone split among the two Town Coaches emblazoned with the Prestonridge crest, the de Chamblays and Averys in one and the Ellesmeres and Faith in the other, the party speedily made their way to another well-to-do part of town where the earl and his countess resided.
Peeking out from behind the coach’s curtained window, Faith marveled at the bustling nightlife evident among London’s streets. Many other luxury carriages were turned out tonight, possibly on their way to other engagements and entertainments just as she was. It was a world she had never known and secretly admired, but for all its glitz and glamor, she was healthily wary of what actually lurked beneath its fashionable façade. She could thank her father for that valuable lesson which was learned directly from his less-than-exemplary example. For all the pomp and the pride he held with his lofty title, her father could lay no claim on nobility that came from within.
Despite her serious musings, she was able to contribute to the conversation drifting around her. Mary made some comment about the earl, having been acquainted with him two seasons before. Jackson teased her about wanting the earl for herself that same year to which she retorted, “His countess can no doubt thank me for landing him. I found him to be quite tedious after discovering his conversations always came back to his racehorses. He married her that same year.”
Faith asked, “But how does his current countess stomach such talk if that’s what it always comes to?”
Jackson coughed to cover a laugh. Mary carefully answered, “It turned out that she had been after him all along and they had, um, been caught in flagrante delicto while at one of the major balls of that season. They are now happily married with three children, all boys.”
Faith blushed. “I see. I take it she doesn’t mind racehorses as much as you do.”
The coach stopped, having arrived at their destination. Jackson seized that moment to reply, “Well, I’m not entirely sure she doesn’t mind them. But be sure to ask her after dessert. She tends to love her sweets and might be more agreeable to your query then.” Unable to catch his expression before he leaped from the coach, Faith wasn’t sure if he was serious or not. But she was always one given to her curious nature, and she just might ask the countess exactly that.
***
The Earl and Countess of Wyndhurst proved themselves as excellent hosts in Faith’s estimation. Everyone’s comfort and enjoyment were properly seen to the moment they walked into the great hall, awaiting the gong to supper. The Wyndhurst butler was outfitted grandly in the earl’s colors of blue and silver and did a stupendous job of announcing everyone who had arrived. For a dinner party, it was a large affair, as there were close to twenty bodies milling about the hall by Faith’s count. Luckily, the earl was plump enough in the pocket to host such a large number of guests.
Through the throng, Lord Benjamin had made his way to where Faith stood and remarked, “It’s quite a crush for a dinner party, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Faith replied. “I’ve only ever been invited to the ones the Ellesmeres hosted back home, and even those were on a more informal scale.”
“Your first time in London, then? Where have you been hiding all these years?”
Now sheepish about her inexperience of London high society, Faith replied, “Yes, it’s my first time, and in a manner of speaking, I have been hiding from society. By the time I was old enough for a season, I had no interest in one.” By the age of seventeen, Faith was steadily working for a living to keep herself and Ethan from being paupers.
“Surely you would have wanted to partake in the balls, the dancing, and the attention a beautiful woman garners on her first come-out,” he said, smoothly.
Faith blushed at his comment. Indirect as the compliment was, Faith was uncertain how to receive it. But like she told Devlin, she could foresee her future with him, and therefore, had no business encouraging others to make a mess of her plans. She opted to say instead, “Thank you, but at that age, I discovered there were more important things that needed my attention, and I couldn’t afford the time nor the money to finance a single season.”
Benjamin was taken aback by her forthright confession of her finances. Among the ton, it was a horrid state to admit to when appearances of wealth, beauty, and titles were everything.
“Surely you had your mother and father to back you,” he said.
Frustrated at his insensitivity, she calmly said in a voice dripping with icicles, “No, I didn’t. My father died when I was sixteen, and my mother had run off with Devlin’s father, never to be seen again.”
Benjamin had the good sense to look embarrassed for the asking and mumbled his apologies. He wasn’t used to Faith’s frankness and outspoken manner, but he admired her for it. In an effort to make amends, he offered, “Allow me to escort you in to dinner, my lady. It’s the least I could do after I’ve made a bumbling fool of myself. I won’t be so careless with my words again.”
The dinner gong sounded, and Faith replied, “Of course, you may, Lord Avery.”
“Please, call me Benjie. And I hope I may call you by your given name as well.” She nodded her consent, and Benjamin offered her his arm which she took precipitously. Just in time, she caught Devlin’s dark expression observing their progress into the large dining room and noted he looked none too happy.
The Wyndhurst formal dining room was large enough to accommodate all guests present, and Faith was pleased to see she was seated between Benjie and a kindly-looking matron. A brooding Devlin sat further down the table between two ladies she didn’t know, but she was glad she wouldn’t have to suffer his glares all throughout the meal. Dinner itself was a lively affair with conversations engaging in topics all across the board. She discovered the matron next to her was Lady Danforth, a widow with a large fortune who said whatever naturally came to mind with no thought to the consequence, but did so with no malice behind it. Benjie proved himself witty and charming, and it wasn’t a hardship to make Faith laugh at his humorous stories. Everyone appeared to be in good spirits judging by the random bursts of laughter and the ongoing buzz of chatter all around the table.
Once the meal was over, the customary division of the party saw the men off to smoke their cigars and drink their port while the ladies adjourned to the drawing room for a bit of sherry and female gossip. Mary introduced Faith to two of the ladies present with whom she had known since their come-outs together years before, and again Faith was charmed to meet other females who were as sweet as her friend. It wasn’t long before the four of them chatted as though they had known each other for years.
One of the ladies, Lady Florence Gainsworth, confided in a low voice so as not to let others overhear, “You wouldn’t believe the direction of the conversation at dinner going on around me. In so many words, I had never heard Lady Margaret speak with such hostility in reference to your character, Lady Faith.”
Faith was not surprised by Lady Margaret choice of topic, but she sighed. “Yes, if you knew my family history, it’s understandable that she would ha
ve strong feelings against my presence in her household.”
Lady Penelope Chilton contributed, “Your family had been the topic of discussion years past, and it was assumed that the scandal had passed over until Lady Margaret began dredging it up again. But don’t fret, Lord Ellesmere put a stop to her nonsense before it could escalate further.”
Mary cut in, “I believe it was His Grace’s hope that his guardianship of Faith would quell any gossip concerning any enmity between both families.” Cutting a glance at the circle of ladies in which Lady Margaret held court, it was hard to mistake the haughty, icy glares Lady Margaret was shooting in Faith’s direction. And judging by the sour expressions on the faces of Lady Margaret’s companions, they had obviously been plied with Lady Margaret’s low opinion of Faith and had chosen to side with Lady Margaret.
Faith noticed where Mary’s gaze was fixed, and sighing, said, “If I cared what everyone thought of me, I’d doubtless be run out of town. But seeing as how I don’t, they can stare daggers at me all they like. I’m not about to turn tail or suddenly seek their approval concerning how I live my life.”
“But as Duke Prestonridge’s ward, you represent his household and family, do you not?” asked Lady Florence.
Faith replied swiftly, “While part of his household, I have no desire to besmirch his good name. However, I am currently working towards a plan that will no longer see me as his ward.”
With similar amazed looks, the trio of women deluged Faith with questions all at once.
“How will you achieve that? Is it possible to even dissolve a guardianship?”
“Are you leaving for Atwell Cottage?”
“How romantic! You must have a fiancé all picked out!”
Faith was amazed at that last question, delivered by Lady Penelope, but she reassured everyone, “If a certain someone would own up to his feelings about me, then yes, it’s possible an engagement would properly dissolve my ward status.” She shared a look with Mary, who knew exactly to whom she was referring to.
“That is romantic,” Lady Florence exclaimed. “Do we know the man in question?”
“You do,” Faith said carefully. “However, I’m not at liberty to say. He claims he wants me to enjoy the season and all of its frivolity until his say-so. I really couldn’t care less about enjoying the season if it means I can finally claim him as mine.”
Both Lady Florence and Lady Penelope gave each other sly looks at Faith’s admission. Faith had every right to feel nervous when Lady Penelope said, “May I offer you some advice, Lady Faith?”
Lady Penelope continued when Faith emitted a shaky yes, “It seems to me, you have a case of a pompous man who does nothing but dictate the lives of those around him. We all have had experience with such men, and let me tell you, there’s no peace to be had until you allow the man in question to think he’s getting his way.”
“How do you mean?” asked Faith, puzzled.
Lady Florence added, “It’s quite simple really. If he’s wanting you to have your season, then by all means, do all you can to enjoy it to the fullest, but only when he’s looking. Let him believe that you’re like every marriageable young woman who comes here for the season: to actively seek out a husband. That’s what he wants, isn’t it?”
“Men don’t rightly know what it is they want until it’s laid out plain as day in front of them,” Lady Penelope supplied.
Mary also weighed in with her opinion, “Yes, Faith. Make him see the error in his plan for you by fully immersing yourself in husband-hunting. I think if he does care for you the way you want him to, he will have no choice but to retract his original plan and snatch you up for himself.”
“That’s the hope, at any rate,” Lady Penelope said. “There’s no guarantee exactly how he will react, but you will achieve the desired result of having him revisit his plan to see you enjoy the season.”
Faith smiled a slow smile. “Ladies, you’ve given me much to think about. And I think I know where to start.” Looking to Mary, Faith knew she and her newly-made friends would be valuable in assisting her with navigating who’s who on the marriage mart. Thinking back to Lord Benjamin’s attentiveness earlier, and Devlin’s reaction to it, Faith felt that the beginnings of her little project just may be closer to hand. In her mind, it wouldn’t hurt for Devlin to sweat a little for the sake of securing a future with him in the end. Unfortunately, navigating the male mind was outside her realm of experience and the knowledge would have served her better if she heeded such advice.
17
Ever since the dinner party at the Wyndhursts, invitations came pouring in at the Prestonridge townhouse for musicales, teas, and balls held by the upper crust of the ton. And for the marriage-minded females in the house, the sought-after vouchers to Almack’s had arrived not long after. With so many invitations at hand, Devlin had the final say as to which events they must attend and which ones they vetoed. Mary may have dropped a few hints in his ear regarding which ones would be more advantageous for Faith to boost her popularity amongst the unmarried male set of the ton.
Some of the unmarried lords from the Wyndhurst dinner party who’ve only glimpsed Faith, Mary, and Margaret from afar had come calling at Prestonridge house, much to Devlin’s chagrin. Begrudgingly, he barely tolerated their presence in his home, but for the sake of his sister’s future, he remained civil at best with those he knew and stoically silent with those he didn’t. After all, they weren’t there to see him, so he tried to make himself scarce during those visits.
As for Faith, he noticed she received her fair share of gentlemen callers, and he forced himself to remember that this is what he wanted after all. He just hadn’t anticipated the sharp desire to smash his fist into each smiling, moon-eyed man eyeing Faith as if she were a delectable treat they were about to devour. He was sure each caller were good men in their own right; he just didn’t believe they were good enough for Faith. He feared they wouldn’t understand her need to feed her creative outlets in her songs and her writing. They wouldn’t see how fiercely independent she was and would most likely inhibit that part of her nature that attracted him to her so. He would hate to see the vital parts of her snuffed out into nothing by someone who didn’t fully appreciate her. But suffer he must, if only to give her the opportunity to experience other options out there, find them wanting, and hopefully choose him in the end.
Unfortunately, he found it easier to live by his vow by avoiding her as much as he possibly could, but to his heart’s discontent. Since their encounter in the gardens, the memory of their shared kiss was all he had to sustain him through the lonely hours when he wasn’t busy with his clubs, his ducal duties, or with his own social calendar.
What made the imposed separation also harder to bear was the fact that his own cousin, Benjamin, had made his marked interest in Faith known since the Wyndhurst dinner party. It wasn’t so much that Benjamin spent his spare time with Faith at length, but that at odd times, Benjamin would grill him with questions about Faith, obviously wanting to know more about what made Faith the woman they knew today.
A case in point, Benjamin had asked that morning, “Is it possible that Faith gets her independence from her mother?”
To which Devlin replied while trying to concentrate on reading his dailies, “I wouldn’t know. I never got the chance to meet with the countess to make a comparison.”
“Hm. Well, I knew her father was a wastrel at best, and her mother hadn’t done her duty by her children. I think Faith has had to resort to relying on her own resources for quite some time until you came along.” Devlin said nothing as there was nothing he could add to the truth and didn’t want to encourage Benjamin to continue.
Nevertheless, Benjamin went on, “Has she ever confided in you about her childhood? About what it was like living in Revelstoke Place?”
Exasperated with his questions, Devlin threw out, “As her neighbor, I was witness to the terrible way she had grown up. Living with the earl was not something I wish on even my wors
t enemy. With that said, imagine what Faith as a child has had to endure for longer than necessary.”
Benjamin appeared to give his words some thought, and upon closer inspection, his cousin’s telltale vein was throbbing, a clear sign he was frustrated. At what, he couldn’t guess, but it was evident his cousin had something up his sleeve, and it had something to do with all of these questions about Faith.
Trying another tactic, Benjamin slowly said as Devlin winced at the memory his words invoked, “I know you were instrumental in seeing to the dissolution of the Revelstoke family, it’s practically common knowledge. If you hadn’t been made Faith’s guardian until now, what had happened to Faith and the rest of the family in the interim? Had her mother attempted to correspond with her at all?”
Devlin sighed. His cousin was like a dog with a bone at this topic, one he’d rather not entertain with anyone else. “As you well know, the eldest Revelstoke had taken the brother closest to him in age with him to the Colonies while the oldest girl went off and eloped to Scotland. Faith has made it clear that she and her youngest brother survived on their wits alone, ensuring they were properly fed and sheltered without any outside help. Quite an admirable feat for a woman of her age to be able to send her own brother off to university with the funds she earned. As for the countess, I don’t believe there has been any kind of correspondence other than that one letter she had received by way of my father’s solicitor.”
