By the time they left for the Ball, she was no closer to an answer. She fervently hoped that Lord Kevin would be at the Ball – she felt very much in need of distraction from her fear.
Once they arrived, she scanned the room, almost desperately, at the same time being darkly amused by her own behaviour – she had teased Lily for being smitten with Lord Canterford, but here she was, behaving just as Lily had! Was she smitten with Lord Kevin? The answer was most probably yes.
In that moment, she pushed the thought aside – even if she was, she wasn’t going to behave like most silly women did! Then her eyes found him, at the other side of the room – she released the tension which had filled her – if Lord Kevin was here, then it was likely that Lord Puglinton would be less… attentive… to her.
Soon afterwards, Lord Kevin came to greet them, and she found herself walking about the room with him, conversing, as had become their habit. She knew that she was not as bright in manner, nor as sharp in her observations as usual, for the worry about the journal still affected her. She hoped that he would not notice. And, at first, he seemed not to. Until they danced.
<<<< O >>>>
“Lady Hyacinth, is aught amiss with you? You seem a little distant, a little distracted, tonight.”
Kevin had been observing, as they had conversed, that she seemed out of sorts – her eyes clouded as if with some worry, and her commentary on those around them far less pointed than usual. It was so out of character that it worried him – and at the deepest part of himself, he wondered – did this have anything to do with his impetuous call upon her that afternoon? Had he offended her in some way? Suddenly, as they danced, he could not prevent himself from asking. She met his eyes, and a flicker of emotion passed across her face, before she gave a tiny shake of her head.
“No, my Lord, nothing is amiss. I am perhaps a little distracted by family matters. I strongly suspect that Lord Canterford is going to ask Lily to marry him. Which, whilst we will all be happy for her, will mean that our world will descend into the madness that will be my mother planning a wedding celebration.”
He laughed – a gentle, almost conspiratorial laugh, for he understood her concerns, from a very personal perspective.
“Oh dear! I do understand. My mother is completely overwhelming when given the chance to arrange a wedding. As she will soon be doing for the second of my sisters. We shall have to commiserate with each other as it all happens.”
She brightened a little, although something still seemed to dim her usual brilliance.
“We shall, indeed.”
They danced on, and allowed a companionable silence to fall between them. Once the music ended, he took her back to her family, and stayed to speak with the Duke, whose opinions on life he was coming to value. That seemed to deter Lord Puglinton for the evening, and Kevin was glad – he was finding it harder and harder to watch Lady Hyacinth dance with any other man, though he had no right to feel that way.
When he returned to Chester House that night, the memory of that fleeting expression he had seen on her face haunted him. It was almost like it was with his father – he felt that something was wrong, yet he could not pin down exactly what it was. Over the next week or so, he saw her at multiple social events - they spoke, and danced, all much as they had before, yet that shadow was still there, dimming her brightness.
And Lord Puglinton was still attentive to her, in a way that made Kevin clench his jaw when he saw it. The desire to plant Puglinton a facer grew in him, every time he saw the man.
<<<< O >>>>
Lord Canterford had finally asked Lily to marry him! Elbury House was in uproar, and Hyacinth let all of the fuss draw her in, so that she managed not to think about the fate of her journal for whole hours at a time. Her mother had embraced Lily, when she had been told, then turned to Hyacinth with a smile.
“Well Hyacinth, after this, I will expect you to also find a good man to marry, and soon! You have waited far too long, as has Lily.”
Hyacinth’s mind had produced the image of Lord Kevin, and she had felt a slight heat rise into her cheeks.
“I make you no promises, Mama. You know that I will not marry anyone who does not truly care for me, or that I do not truly care for in return.”
Her mother had nodded, but had then, mercifully, turned back to Lily, and begun discussing wedding gowns. Fortunately, that evening and the following one, there were no Balls or soirees to attend. Hyacinth was glad, even though it meant that she would not see Lord Kevin, for it also meant that she was able to avoid Lord Puglinton.
By mid-afternoon on the second day, Hyacinth was heartily sick of it all – and this was only the beginning! She had forced herself to be more involved, but she could only deal with it for so long at a time.
She excused herself from the discussion on what flowers should be used to decorate the ballroom for the wedding – a discussion which might last days, given her family – and went to sit in the library for a while, just for some quiet. Not long after, however, Marks, the butler, tapped on the door.
“Excuse me, Lady Hyacinth, but you have a caller.”
He handed her the card. Lord Kevin. Her heart beat faster, and a smile came to her lips. She could not imagine a better distraction from the wedding madness which had overtaken her family.
“Please show him into the blue parlour – I think that is free of wedding… items…”
“Yes, my Lady.”
Marks’ eyes twinkled, although his face remained as impassive as ever. He understood his employer’s family very well.
Hyacinth smoothed down her skirts, and made sure that the pins were not immediately about to fall out of her hair. Then she counted to twenty before she allowed herself to exit the room, and walk calmly to the blue parlour. When she entered, he was standing by the window, looking out at the sunlit street. The light from the window cast his profile into sharp relief, gilding him so brightly that he seemed some statue cast in gold. She paused, breathless, simply watching him.
As if he felt her eyes upon him, he turned, and a smile wreathed his face. He really was stunningly handsome when he smiled.
“Good day, Lord Kevin.”
“Good day, Lady Hyacinth – I trust that I am not disturbing your day too badly?”
“On the contrary, I am most grateful for your arrival – for two days ago, Lord Canterford proposed to Lily, and she accepted. With a wedding to plan, my entire family have gone mad. Mother has waited years for the first of us to marry, and every bit of frustrated desire caused by that is being poured into planning. Your arrival rescues me from that, at least for the duration of your visit.”
His eyes met hers, full of amusement, and warmth filled her.
“Then may I suggest that I remove you from it completely, at least for an hour or two? The day is beautiful, and I have driven my phaeton, in the hope of convincing you to allow me to take you for a drive through Hyde Park. It is a pleasant vehicle, not too high-perch, and has a seat, admittedly small, at the back, which will allow your maid to come with us, for propriety’s sake. Might you be persuaded?”
“I might indeed. That sounds delightful. Allow me a few minutes to change into an appropriate gown, and to fetch my maid.”
“Certainly. I will await your return.”
He bowed, his eyes still full of amusement, and she nodded, before hurrying out of the parlour, and up the stairs. It was, she thought, probably the fastest that she had ever changed clothes! When attired suitably, in a rich blue carriage dress and carrying a fur trimmed pelisse, in case the day should unexpectedly turn cold, she tied a bonnet decorated with small blue feathers over her hair, and went back downstairs to ask Marks to tell the family where she was going.
She rather thought that her mother would barely notice, as soon as she was assured that Sally would go with her.
When she entered the parlour, his expression told her that he liked the way that she looked, and pleased warmth blossomed inside her. Whilst she did not aspire to being
the height of fashion, she did always try to look her best. He came to her, and offered his arm. She placed her hand upon it. He waved in the direction of the door.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes. I see no reason to delay, and if I am not here, I cannot get pulled back into the wedding planning.”
He laughed softly, and led her out, Sally following them closely.
Outside, Tomps was at the horses’ heads, and the team of matched chestnuts stood quietly, dozing in the sun. Lord Kevin helped Sally up into the small groom’s seat at the rear of the phaeton. Sally looked at him nervously.
“You won’t go too fast now, my Lord, will you?”
“I won’t, Sally. I’m not one for racing about to no purpose – we’ll just have a peaceful drive in the sunshine.”
“Thank you, my Lord.”
The maid blushed, knowing that she had been very forward in asking – but somehow, Lord Kevin seemed to inspire confidence in people. He turned back to Hyacinth, and assisted her up onto the high seat of the phaeton, then swung up beside her in a fluid movement that spoke of long practice, and the strength of a very fit man.
It seemed most improbable that she should be here, being driven by a gentleman, simply for the pleasure of it, yet here she was. She did not speak, as they worked their way through the busy streets towards Hyde Park, leaving him all of his concentration for driving through the traffic. Instead, she simply watched him, appreciating his skill.
Hyde Park was not as crowded as she might have expected, given the lovely day, but they were somewhat earlier than the hour at which the ton tended to come out to see and be seen. For which she was grateful – suddenly, she was nervous about what people might say, seeing her being driven out by Lord Kevin. Internally, she chided herself for foolishness – in the past, she had worked hard to stop worrying about what others thought of her – why was she doing so now?
Once in the Park, he set the horses to a steady walk, and turned his attention more to Hyacinth.
“So, now that we are safely distanced from the chaos of wedding planning, what shall we discuss, my Lady?”
She looked at him a moment, then at the other riders and carriages in the Park, and the small groups picnicking on the grass in some areas. Out of habit, she considered their attire, and who was with whom and all of the little things that she would write in her journal later. And then she swallowed hard. She could not write in her journal, for it was gone. The day seemed to dim around her, and she tried her best to stop thinking of it. At least, with Lord Kevin, she could say what she thought of the people around them.
“I do believe, my Lord, that those of the ton who are out today are as… talented… in their choice of attire as any.”
“Oh? Does anyone in particular lead you to that conclusion?”
“Well… over there,” she indicated with a wave of her hand, and he turned to look in that direction, “The group riding along the path towards the Serpentine – the gentleman on the bright chestnut horse – I fear that the brightness of his horse’s coat has made him feel inadequately noticeable – for he seems to have chosen attire which is designed, by the fact of its many clashing colours and patterns, to render the horse barely noticeable by comparison. And that lace… all blowing in the breeze!”
“Indeed, I find that my eyes hurt, simply looking at the man. I sometimes wonder if these people choose such outrageous things, just so that others will gossip about them, as if notoriety was something to be sought.”
“I suspect that they do – but it is a foolish choice - for with gossip, one can never tell whether it will be vicious and destructive to a person’s reputation, or simply sharp and lightly mocking. I may make very sharp-edged observations, but it has never been my habit to share them – until you tempted me into these dreadfully improper conversations. I would not like to see my words repeated, and exaggerated, or used to hurt someone.”
“That is a very wise attitude, Lady Hyacinth. And I thank you for the trust that you have placed in me, by allowing these delightful discussions between us. Sadly, it seems that others are not so sensibly reticent. I went to my club yesterday, and all that everyone could talk about was a new column in that newssheet – the Society Commentator – the one they call the ‘Gossip Gazette’. It seems that the paper has sunk to a new low with this column, and people are not sure how to react.”
“Oh? In what way? I admit that I have never looked at it – it is not the kind of publication that I choose to read.”
“Well, apparently, the articles are thinly disguised mockery of various members of society, and in some cases have brought back to public view some scandals thought forgotten more than a year ago. Some people are amused, others seem more worried – perhaps they have their own scandals that they wish to see stay hidden?”
Hyacinth fought to keep her expression bland, but a horrible suspicion had blossomed in her mind. A new column, that yet touched on old scandals, as well as more recent commentary… could it be…
“I see. When did this start – for I gather that it is quite recent, or I would expect to have heard whispers about it?”
“Only a few days ago, I believe, but the contents are pointed, and apparently accurate enough to have set them all talking.”
Horror filled her. If someone had found her journal, and was using it to create articles to publish… she swallowed hard. She needed to obtain a copy of this publication, and see for herself – she could not rest until she was certain of the truth. For now, she could not reveal anything, lest Lord Kevin suspect that something was wrong. He was too observant, too likely to notice if she allowed her manner to change.
“Some people will talk to anyone, about anything, whether it is real, or utterly fictitious. But let us speak of something else.”
<<<< O >>>>
Kevin watched Lady Hyacinth. He was quite certain that something was wrong, though she did her best to hide it.
When he had described the articles in the Gossip Gazette she had stilled, her normally animated face assuming a somewhat fixed expression. He had expected her to be somewhat dismissive of the gossip sheet – for he had known, even before she had put it into words, that her sharp observations were kept generally to herself, and only shared with a very few people, mainly her family. The tawdry spreading of gossip was simply not a thing that she would countenance.
Instead, she had looked, for an instant before her face had assumed that bland expression, almost horrified, or perhaps afraid? But what would cause such a reaction? Surely there was nothing in her life which she might fear to see end up in a gossip column? Her shrewish reputation was not on such a scale as to be scandalous enough to merit mention, when so many others in society were so much more worthy of featuring in such a publication.
But when she seemed uncomfortable with the topic, and asked to speak of something else, he willingly turned the conversation to other matters.
“Something else? I assume that means, other than weddings, and the madness that they induce in families?”
“It does. I think that we will both have quite enough of that in the near future. For you said that your second sister was about to marry?”
“Yes – Maria was widowed, more than a year ago. It was a very unpleasant time – with quite a bit of scandal mongering around it. But she has recovered, and will now marry a man who has loved her his whole life – Charles Barrington, Viscount Wareham.”
Hyacinth thought a moment.
“So, your two sisters will have married brothers? Wareham is the Duke of Melton’s brother, is he not?”
“Yes, he is. He is a quiet man, very skilled at matters of estate management, a proponent of modern farming methods and improving conditions for tenant farmers and workers. Both my father and I have learnt a lot, from observing what he has done for the Melton estates.”
“You are interested in the detail of the management of your estates? Many gentlemen do not seem to care for such things.”
“I am. Although I ho
pe that the day when I become Viscount Chester is a long way off, I intend to fulfil my responsibilities well when I must.”
She nodded, seeming pleased by his words, and they spoke a little longer about the changes in farming, and the need for the aristocracy to adapt, if their estates were to stay profitable, then, as the Park began to fill up with members of the ton, come to socialise, he turned the phaeton back towards Elbury House.
Chapter Nine
That evening, Hyacinth was more glad than ever that there was no social event to attend. After dinner, of which she ate very little, she claimed a megrim and retired to her room. Over and over, her mind replayed Lord Kevin’s words about the column in the ‘Gossip Gazette’. The dreadful sense that, somehow, her journal had become the material for that column would not leave her. In the morning, she would have to find a way to see a copy for herself. A way that did not involve any of her family, or the main household staff, discovering that she had it. Quite how she would achieve that, she did not know.
Sleep was slow in coming, and when it did, it was disturbed by strange dreams, so much so that when she woke, she felt as if she had barely rested at all. Nonetheless, she made herself rise, and rang for Sally to help her dress for the day. Once dressed, she stood at her window, and gazed down at the garden at the rear of the house, where the little gate led out into the mews at the back, and their stables. The day was beautiful – almost mockingly so.
As she watched, one of the stableboys came out of the stables, and through the gate, moving towards the kitchen door. Hyacinth nibbled on her lip, an idea coming to her. After a moment, with a decisive nod, she gathered up a few coins from where they lay in her drawer, and went downstairs.
She slipped out into the garden through the quiet house, only then realising how much earlier than usual she had woken, and wandered among the flowerbeds. Not long after, Tom, the stableboy, came back down the path from the kitchen. Hyacinth stepped forward.
A Vixen for a Viscount: Book 2: Hyacinth - Clean Regency Romance (A Duke's Daughters - The Elbury Bouquet) Page 7
