A twist of dislike entered Anna’s heart. Lord Comerfield was plainly aware that he was a very handsome gentleman indeed, with dark brown eyes that whispered of a few too many secrets whenever he looked at her and a smile that she was sure had captured the heart of many a lady. There was a boyishness to his features, perhaps in the way that his brown hair flopped across his forehead, or in the way that his lips tipped in a lop-sided smile. Regardless of that, however, Anna felt no inclination towards him, thinking him to be something of a rascal in the way that he conducted himself. She had found him to be pleasant enough at the ball last evening, and he had danced very well indeed, but she had been fully aware of just how often his eyes had strayed towards the other ladies in their set, rather than concentrating on her and her alone.
It was to be expected, she supposed, but certainly, he was not someone that she would ever consider further.
“How glad I am that you have joined us this afternoon!” Lord Comerfield exclaimed, turning his attention to Lady Hayward. “Last evening, I wanted very much to introduce your charges to my dear friend Lord Rowley, but found myself quite unable to do so, given that Lady Anna and Lady Selina were both already quite busy with their many, many dances.” He smiled warmly, but Anna did not return it, her gaze settling on the gentleman she was not yet acquainted with. “Might I have opportunity to do so now?”
Lady Hayward inclined her head. “But of course.”
“Then might I introduce the Earl of Rowley,” he continued, gesturing to his friend who bowed hastily, clearly a little surprised at the swiftness of such introductions. “Lord Rowley, this is Lady Anna and Lady Selina, daughters both to the Duke of Landon. And, of course, Lady Hayward, who is their chaperone at present.”
Lord Rowley cleared his throat gently before greeting them all in turn, clearly identifying which of them was Lady Anna and which was Lady Selina by the conversation that had taken place thus far. Anna smiled brightly back at him whilst Selina kept her gaze low and her smile demure.
“Good afternoon, Lord Rowley,” she replied, leaving her sister standing mutely beside her. “I am glad to make your acquaintance. Have you been in London for long?”
Lord Rowley was a handsome gentleman, with dark hair and blue eyes, firm shoulders, and a strong back. His hands were clasped behind him, puffing his chest out just a little and making her in mind of a bird that was very proud of its plumage.
“I have been here for a little over a fortnight,” he told her, a small smile lifting only one side of his mouth. “You have only just arrived, I understand?”
She nodded, wondering whether or not this meant that he and Lord Comerfield had discussed her and her sister. “Indeed,” she answered quietly. “Our first ball was only last evening.”
“And I was very sorry not to make your acquaintance there,” he said with a small inclination of his head as though he was truly apologetic. “Perhaps at the next ball, you might permit me a dance?”
A small flush caught her cheeks as she accepted such a request, a little surprised that he appeared so eager when they had only just become acquainted.
“And you also, Lady Selina,” he continued, turning to her sister and flooding Anna with a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment as she realized Lord Rowley was being nothing more than gentlemanlike in his compliments and his requests. A little ashamed of her own high opinion, she did not say much more, remaining silent until Lord Comerfield spoke to her directly.
“Tell me, Lady Anna, what do you think of London thus far?”
“I hardly know,” she answered, one eyebrow lifting just a little. “I have only been here for a short time and my memories of last Season are a little dulled by time.”
He laughed, and Anna’s gaze slid towards her sister, noting how she was still conversing with Lord Rowley whilst Lady Hayward watched on approvingly, speaking herself to Lord Stevenson, who, thus far, had shown no particular interest in either sister.
“But you were present in London last Season, from what I understand?” he said, as she nodded. “There must be some parts of society that still bring a thrill of excitement to your heart?”
She did not much like his question, finding it a trifle too probing for someone who had only just become a new acquaintance. “I enjoy balls, certainly,” she said, not willing to say much more. “But I also find a great deal to enjoy when it comes to the more regular activities, such as taking tea at Gunter’s or walking through the park when the sun is shining and the air is warm.”
His brows lifted, although the smile that crossed his face was one that held just a hint of mockery. “Very poetic, Lady Anna,” he said, although the remark brought no smile to her face. “I confess that I am much more inclined towards the great, exciting events of the Season! I find very little enjoyment in the quieter activities.”
“Such as walking in Hyde Park and quietly conversing?” Anna interrupted before she could stop herself. It was a brazen remark, she was aware, but there was something about Lord Comerfield that she was beginning to dislike intensely. To suggest that he found a lack of enjoyment in the very activity they were engaging in at present was not only rude, but highly disrespectful, and Anna did not mind one bit to see the astonishment jump into his expression.
Lord Comerfield stared at her for some moments before a hard laugh left him, and he looked at her as though he had never quite seen her before.
“Indeed, you are quite right to reprimand me, Lady Anna,” he said as Lady Selina let out a quiet laugh beside her, frustrating Anna all the more that her sister appeared to be having an excellent conversation whilst she struggled with Lord Comerfield. “But what I shall say, in the hope of pleasing you, is that the conversation we share, at present, is not at all dull nor staid. In fact, I have quite enjoyed myself thus far.”
Anna did not smile at him, her gaze steady and her resolve firm. “Then you speak only for yourself, Lord Comerfield,” she answered, tightly. “For it seems that I cannot say the same.”
This, it seemed, surprised him so much that, for a short time, he was unable to even make a response. His eyes were fixed to hers, his mouth a little ajar and a spark of astonishment in his gaze as he looked at her. Anna said nothing more, turning herself bodily towards Lord Rowley and her sister, glad indeed to put such a conversation to bed. She did not want to speak to Lord Comerfield any further and would have been glad to remove herself from his presence at once, had it not been for the fact that Lady Selina and Lady Hayward were still deep in conversation with the other two gentlemen.
“Then I should be glad to send you all an invitation,” Lord Stevenson declared, as Lady Hayward laughed and thanked him. “For what is a dinner party without an excellent number of wonderful guests?”
“You are very kind,” Lady Hayward said, throwing a quick glance towards Anna and Selina. “Ladies, Lord Stevenson has, only just now, invited us to his dinner party next week. I believe an invitation will be sent very soon.”
This, at least, made Anna smile. “How wonderful!” she exclaimed as Lord Stevenson inclined his head with evident satisfaction that had secured their interest. “I thank you, Lord Stevenson.”
“As do I,” Lady Selina added quickly. “That is very kind of you, Lord Stevenson.”
The gentleman let out a chuckle and shook his head. “It will be my pleasure to have you all,” he replied with an inclination of his head. “Your father will be invited also, and I must hope that he shall attend, for it will be a very great honor!”
At this, Lady Hayward made to take their leave and, with a curt nod towards Lord Comerfield, a murmur of farewell to Lord Rowley and one final expression of thanks to Lord Stevenson, Anna made her way across the park a little more, walking between her sister and Lady Hayward.
“Well?” Lady Hayward asked the moment they had removed themselves from the gentlemen. “What was the conversation like?”
Much to Anna’s surprise, Lady Selina smiled brightly. “Lord Rowley has excellent conversation,” she
replied, appearing more animated than Anna had seen her in some days. “I very much enjoyed speaking with him. And Lord Stevenson is very kind to invite us all!”
Lady Hayward laughed softly, although she raised a hand to wave one warning finger in the air. “You must be careful of Lord Stevenson,” she said carefully. “I have known him for some time, for he is the son of a dear acquaintance of mine, and his interest will not be in you yourselves, my dear ladies, but rather in the increase such a connection can bring to him.”
Anna frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She means,” Lady Selina said before Lady Hayward could explain, “that Lord Stevenson is more interested in having a connection to the dukedom rather than to have any true interest in either one of us.”
There came no disappointment with such a statement but rather an understanding that there were such gentlemen within society and that, as such, a warning from Lady Hayward was much appreciated.
“I see,” Anna replied with a small shrug. “Then, while I shall be very glad indeed for his invitation and his company, I shall not give the gentleman himself much consideration!”
Lady Hayward chuckled. “A very wise idea, Lady Anna,” she said, looking at her. “And Lord Comerfield? How was his conversation?”
Anna hesitated, the smile fading from her expression. “I found him much too forward and a little rude,” she answered quietly. “I do not think he has excellent conversation or any such thing, such as Lady Selina found with Lord Rowley.”
Lady Hayward nodded slowly, making sure to keep her voice slow so that she was not overheard. “Then I would rely on your own judgment at present and remain less than well acquainted with him,” she answered. “I do not know anything about the marquess, save for the fact that he holds an excellent title and is often found in society seeking to make himself acquainted with as many young ladies as possible!” Her smile was rueful. “There may be more to his character than that, of course, but I believe your awareness of his conversation speaks of it well thus far.”
Anna tossed her head. “I have no intention of improving my acquaintance with Lord Comerfield,” she answered firmly. “And, Selina, I do not think that you should do so either.”
Lady Selina frowned. “I am able to make my own decisions, Anna,” she retorted, a hint of irritation in her voice. “It might be that I find his conversation very different from what you yourself experienced. No, I shall not choose to follow in your footsteps but fully intend to discover the truth of it for myself.”
Anna looked towards Lady Hayward, expecting her to say something but, much to her surprise, the lady remained silent. It irritated her somewhat that her sister would not simply listen to what she herself had experienced rather than stubbornly refusing to do so and, instead, being quite determined to make up her own mind on certain matters. But seeing that Lady Hayward was not about to say anything in agreement with this, Anna lapsed into a frustrated silence.
“Ah, now, here is Lady Tollsworth and her two daughters,” Lady Hayward said after a few moments. “They will make excellent acquaintances for you, I am sure.”
And thus, Anna was forced to set her irritations aside and, instead, to put a smile on her face and permit Lady Hayward to introduce her to three new acquaintances. Hyde Park, so far, was not all that Anna had expected and she found herself a trifle disillusioned. Lord Comerfield, she considered, was rather to blame for such a thing, and she could only hope that any other gentlemen they met this afternoon would have better conversation and better manners than he! Else she feared she would return home most disappointed, and that was the last thing Anna wanted!
Chapter Three
One week later
“And thus, it seems, your quest for a suitable bride is still ongoing!”
“Yes,” Lord Rowley replied with a hint of irritation in his voice. “I am well aware of that, Lord Comerfield.”
Elias chuckled and looked about the room as he accepted a glass of brandy from one of the waiting footmen. “Well, Lord Stevenson’s dinner party might well be the opportunity you require to satisfy yourself that either Lady Anna or Lady Selina could suit you,” he said, as Lord Rowley narrowed his eyes. “Or there is Miss Whitburn? I believe she is here this evening. And then Lady Robertson, who—whilst widowed—is still young enough to wed!”
“To the latter, I shall refuse,” Lord Rowley replied with a grimace. “I am very well aware that Lady Robertson is not only a widow, but a wealthy one at that. I have no belief that she has any eagerness towards matrimony whatsoever.” He eyed Elias speculatively. “Besides which, I am sure that she is one of your many acquaintances who has behaved warmly towards you in the past, is that not so?”
Elias did not immediately respond, having no wish to tell Lord Rowley that what he said was quite true, nor indeed that he hoped that such an opportunity might present itself to him again. Instead, he cleared his throat and shrugged. “Lady Robertson does look very similar to both Lady Anna and Lady Selina, in her own way,” he said, ignoring Lord Rowley’s snort of disapproval. “She has the same brown hair and is of the same height.”
“But aside from that is very different indeed,” Lord Rowley replied, evidently realizing that Elias was struggling to find anything to say that would remove the need to answer his question. “There is nothing similar about them at all, save for that they are of equal height and bear the same shade in their hair. You are merely trying to distract me from my remark so that you will not have to confirm it to me, but, in doing so, you have confirmed it to me already.”
Shrugging, Elias made to say something more, only for the bell to ring for dinner. Grinning at his escape, he made his way towards the assembling line, ready to lead through whichever lady was to be his. With the smile still on his face, he made his way to the dining room, leading one Lady Chesterton with him, who seemed to think his smile was for her alone. Within minutes, they were all seated around the table, and Elias could not help but notice how quickly Lord Rowley began a conversation with Miss Whittaker, who was next to him. Lord Rowley did not even glance up for, if he had, Elias was quite certain that his friend would have reacted to the sight of Lady Robertson sitting down next to Elias, although he was quite delighted at the company. It seemed that all mention of Lady Robertson was, for the time being at least, quite forgotten.
“You appear to be very pleased indeed with the dinner party this evening, Lord Comerfield,” Lady Robertson murmured as the first course was served to them. “Or is it the company you have by you that makes you smile so?”
Elias could not help but chuckle, looking at the lady with a lifted brow. “I should not like to say, Lady Robertson, for fear of offending or complimenting you,” he answered, making her smile back at him. “I should not like to be accused of either!” One small glance to his left showed him that Lady Chesterton was paying no attention to the conversation he was having with Lady Robertson, seemingly quite taken up with Lord Crawley, who was on her other side. “And what do you say, Lady Robertson? Are you pleased with this evening’s company?”
“How could I not be?” she asked with a teasing smile. “I have only just returned to London and now I find myself surrounded by those I consider to be the very best of my acquaintances!”
“I shall take that as a very warm compliment, indeed, Lady Robertson,” he replied, surprised at how his heart quickened. “You are much too kind.”
She smiled at him but said nothing more, turning back to her meal and beginning to eat. Elias followed suit, although he found himself pleased with all that had been said thus far between himself and the lady. There had only been a few moments with Lady Robertson last Season, moments when she had stepped into his arms and he had found himself lost in her presence, only for her to pull away again and laugh, dancing away from him as though she was always to be out of his reach, always to be pursued. He knew full well that she had no intention of marrying at present, which, to his mind, had made her all the more attractive to him. Was there a suggestio
n that things might continue on as they had begun?
Or does she now seek a husband?
The thought dashed the smile from his face in a moment. He did not want to consider such a thing as yet and, whilst Lady Robertson’s overtures towards him were welcome, he did not want them to mean anything more than what they were at present.
By the time the ladies left the table, Elias found himself in a much better mood. The excellent food, the plentiful wine, and the wonderful conversation had lightened his spirits and chased away any dark thoughts that he had been considering regarding Lady Robertson. She had murmured more than a few things to him, and he had found himself delighting in her company all the more. The suggestion that there might be more to their acquaintance than before brought him both hope and anticipation, which he found more and more difficult to contain.
“Port!” Lord Stevenson cried as the footmen began to set it out for each gentleman present. “This has been an excellent evening and I cannot thank you enough for your company!” He raised his glass. “A toast!”
More than willing, Elias picked up his glass and held it high. The gentlemen toasted themselves—their own fine company—before he took a mouthful. The sweet liquor ran down his throat and into his chest, warming him, and he chuckled loudly as Lord Stevenson instructed the footmen to pour them all a little more. Knowing that he was to sit with the ladies for the remainder of the evening, Elias was determined not to lose himself in his cups, but he had to admit that the port was very fine indeed.
When the time came for the gentlemen to make their way through to the ladies, Elias found it a little more difficult than usual to rise from the table without swaying. Frustrated at himself for drinking more than he had meant, he took a firm grip of his chair and lowered his head.
A Selfish Heart: A Regency Romance: Landon House (Book 2) Page 3
