“I will fetch you a drink later, I assure you,” Lord Darlington promised, finally letting go of her arm. “Now come with me, Lady Jeweliana. I will do no harm to you, I swear it.” Despite her dislike of him, despite her concern, Jeweliana found herself drawn to go with him. The mention of her mother had her concerned, and it was this that pushed her to agree. As she gave a small, jerky nod, she saw the ghost of a smile appear on Lord Darlington’s face, his eyes glinting.
“Very good, Lady Jeweliana,” he murmured. “This way.”
Following him back towards the ballroom, Jeweliana was surprised when he began to climb the staircase to the balcony but, after only a momentary hesitation, went after him. He climbed them two at a time, forcing her to quicken her steps to keep up, and by the time they reached the top, she found her breathing was ragged.
“Now, quietly, if you please,” he muttered, either unaware or disregarding her tiredness. “I just hope that they are still within.”
Lady Jeweliana did not have the breath to ask him what he meant and was forced only to follow him as he began to stride along the marble floor, turning a corner and beckoning to her to hurry up.
Seeing that he had stopped outside a long hallway that led to a series of rooms, Jeweliana frowned and caught her breath, wondering if he was about to do something terrible. Had she made a mistake in following him? Was her mother really here or had she been duped? A flush ran up her cheeks and into her face as she stared at him, her heart thudding wildly into her chest.
Slowly beginning to back away, Jeweliana shook her head wordlessly, panic making her skin crawl.
“Do not be a fool!” he growled, reaching out and catching her gloved hand in his. “I said I would not hurt you. Come here.
Your mother and mine sat up here in a quieter room for a time, and it was only by chance that I came across them.”
“And what were you doing up here?” Lady Jeweliana asked, hoarsely. “Taking a few minutes of rest, yourself?”
His smile was wolfish. “That does not concern you, my lady.
Now, all that is required of you is a few minutes more of bravery, and you will see that I have brought you here for a good reason.
Do you think you can give that to me?”
She was about to refuse, about to step away, when the sound of her mother’s tinkling laugh blew towards her, echoing down the corridor.
“You see?” Lord Darlington murmured, softly. “There is nothing for you to fear. Not yet, at least.”
Not quite sure what he meant, Jeweliana wrenched her hand from his and slowly began to pad her way down the hallway after him, her stomach tightening as she heard her mother’s voice slowly begin to wind its way towards her.
“Yes, I think it is a marvelous idea,” she heard her say, as Lord Darlington caught her arm and put one finger to his lips.
There came another tinkling laugh, and Lord Darlington pointed to himself, making Jeweliana aware that the laugh came from his mother.
“I do not know what Darlington will say, for he is so determined not to marry,” Lady Darlington said. “But, of course, I think it will be an excellent match.”
“Do you think you can convince him?”
“Of course, I can!” Lady Darlington exclaimed. “He has to marry soon enough regardless, for the rest of his fortune is only released one he is wed.”
“I see,” Jeweliana heard her mother say, sounding quite surprised. Lady Darlington laughed again, but Jeweliana saw the way Lord Darlington’s jaw clenched.
“I believe my husband knew that our son would not be
willing to wed until he was near his dotage, so he made the decision to put that stipulation in his will,” Lady Darlington said, as Lord Darlington’s hand tensed on Jeweliana’s arm. “I think your daughter will be an excellent wife for him.” There came the sound of a small sigh. “I am afraid that Jeweliana is not inclined towards him, however. That is the only sticking point in our plan for I am quite sure that my husband will be delighted with such a match.”
“And there is always the possibility that she may find a suitable gentleman all on her own,” Lady Darlington continued, the laughter gone from her voice. “There are quite a few good young men in society this year, I must say.” “Indeed,” came the reply. “Well, Jeweliana knows that she only has this Season to find a suitable match. If she cannot, then the arrangement will go ahead as planned.” Looking up at Lord Darlington, Jeweliana saw that he was clearly frustrated by his mother’s words, but it was the churning of her stomach that made her cling onto his arm. He shot her a dark look before taking her hand and putting it under his arm, walking them both back towards the balcony.
3
LORD JOSHUA DARLINGTON was in a foul mood. It had been three days since he had overheard his mother talking with Countess Knighton and, since then, his frustration and anger had continued to linger, wrapping themselves around his very soul until he carried them with him everywhere he went.
It had been sheer luck that had allowed him to overhear their conversations, for he had been walking back to the ballroom in as discreet a way as he could manage, given that he had only recently met a very pretty young widow in one of the back rooms, and had been startled to hear his mother’s voice echoing along the corridor. She had never been one to keep her voice low which, on this occasion, Lord Darlington had been more than grateful for. Why he had gone in search of Miss Stockbridge, however, he was not quite sure and that frustrated him greatly.
Walking through the grass of Hyde Park, Lord Darlington kicked absently at a couple of twigs before settling himself on a bench that overlooked the greenery, glad that he had come out early before the rest of the ton came for the fashionable hour.
His world had become confused and frustrating of late, and he needed time alone to try and get things straight. Recalling when he had first met Lady Jeweliana Stockbridge, Lord Darlington still felt that same rush of irritation at how his mother had clearly been trying to press them both onto one another. There had been that steely glint in his mother’s eye that had put him on his guard as he had been introduced to the lady. He had been appallingly rude, of course, but that had all been in an attempt to push himself from Lady Jeweliana’s good graces which, apparently, he had achieved in a very short time. The way she had looked at him with such disgust told him that he had no need to fear her grasping hands would be reaching for him very soon. He knew precisely why she was in London for the Season, why any of the young ladies were in London for the Season – they were all here to catch husbands, and Lord Darlington had very little intention of being caught.
However, that would change should Lady Jeweliana be amenable to her mother’s suggestions. Perhaps that was why he had gone in search of her, half dragging her to the corridor so that she might hear the conversation for herself. Lord Darlington knew she would never have believed him should he have taken her aside and whispered in her ear what plan their mothers had concocted together.
Sighing to himself, Lord Darlington put his head in his hands and leaned forward, fixing his eyes on the ground. There was no easy way out of this. He had no intention of entering into an arrangement simply because his father’s will stipulated that he must marry if he was to receive the full fortune left to him.
Whilst he had been enjoying himself immensely during the Season, he had more than enough set aside for the next few years, he was sure of it. Yes, there was a great deal of work that was required of him at the estate itself, but he and his steward had been very careful. There was nothing to worry him.
Except for matrimony to Lady Jeweliana.
Groaning aloud, Lord Darlington sat back and shook his head. His mother could easily manipulate the situation should she need to, given that this was one of her strongest character traits. Should Lady Jeweliana agree to the arrangement, then, somehow, Lord Darlington knew he would find himself standing before the vicar with Lady Jeweliana by his side, even though he wanted the exact opposite of that situation.
It
was all rather frustrating.
He had to speak to Lady Jeweliana before it was too late. At the evening of the ball, he had meant to speak to her there and then, to come up with some kind of plan, but she had simply stared at him before hurrying away. The thought of going after her, of grasping her arm and demanding they come up with some kind of solution had gone through his head but, in the end, he had let her go. She had been too fraught to speak to him, too overwhelmed to think clearly. He had remained on the balcony watching her, seeing her dance and laugh and smile as though everything was just as it should be. There had been no hint of the horror he had seen on her face, none of the upset or irritation, she had just carried on regardless.
Perhaps she had known.
The thought had crossed his mind more than once, but Lord Darlington dismissed it quickly. She could not be so good an actress as all that, able to appear horror-struck and shaking on hearing what their respective mothers had planned. That meant that, somehow, they were going to have to come up with a plan as to what they were to do about the whole, untidy mess. Sighing heavily, Lord Darlington shook his head again and rose to his feet, feeling as though invisible cords were tying him tightly. He had been enjoying his freedom, enjoying London, until he had heard his mother’s plans for him. There would be no easy way to go back to all that, not until he was sure that Lady Jeweliana was betrothed to another. He would, at some point, have to speak very firmly to his mother and insist that she not
try something like this ever again, in the hope that she would actually listen and do what he asked. She could be so very insistent on her ways being followed, as though she knew what was best for him even though he was a fully-grown gentleman.
The first few carriages began to roll through the park, letting Lord Darlington know that the fashionable hour was upon him. It was not that he minded seeing the gentlemen and ladies out in all their finery – in fact, it often gave him something of a delight to greet his many acquaintances as well as meeting some new ones – but, today, it seemed somewhat dull. He could find no enjoyment in it until this burden, this weight of responsibility, was taken from his shoulders.
Hoping that he might see Lady Jeweliana amongst the steadily growing crowd, Lord Darlington made his way nonchalantly towards the carriages, seeing a few gentlemen alighting from them, giving their hands to the ladies behind them and escorting them down onto the grass.
Most of the time, Lord Darlington would have been caught by which of the ladies he knew, which ones he did not and which ones he wished to get to know but, for the moment, only one lingered in his mind.
Lady Jeweliana Stockbridge.
It was at least an hour before Lord Darlington managed to find his quarry. He had been caught up talking to various acquaintances whilst keeping one eye out for anyone new and, finally, he caught sight of her.
She was clad in a peach gown that caught the sunshine and almost gave her a kind of gentle glow, her deep blue eyes lightened in the sun and traveling from one edge of the park to the other as she studied those about her with a great deal of interest. Her face was alive with excitement, her dark ringlets peeking out from under her bonnet, although she held a parasol so as to keep any rays of sunshine from her face. He made to start towards her, only to catch himself and hold himself back. He had no need to rush over to her, making her jump like a startled rabbit. There was time for him to greet her, for she had only just arrived at Hyde Park. He would need to be careful as to how he went about this.
Continuing to mumble a few incoherent words of agreement to the group around him so as to give the impression he was actually listening to what they had to say, Lord Darlington kept his gaze fixed on Lady Jeweliana. He could not pretend that she was not rather beautiful, even though she was not the kind of lady he was usually attracted to. Her dark coloring was not something he ordinarily was drawn to and yet it becomed her very well. She was graceful and elegant, careful in everything she did with impeccable manners. It was little wonder his mother thought her to be an excellent candidate for the position as his wife.
Her eyes caught his, and something seared its way through Lord Darlington’s core. The smile faded from her face, her pink cheeks paling to paste. She did not look pleased to see him, but,
in fact, somewhat afraid of him. Holding her gaze, Lord Darlington continued to regard her from across the lawn, letting her know that she was not about to easily escape him.
Turning her face away from him, Lady Jeweliana lifted her chin and tore her gaze from his, clearly ignoring him. Evidently, she had no intention of discussing anything with him, least not
their potential marriage. Had she somehow thought to deal with this on her own, as though she would be able to prevent their engagement if she simply smiled at other gentlemen long enough? Maybe that was her intention, to find herself another suitor before the Season’s end, so that their engagement would never come about. Whilst that was a good plan, Joshua had to admit, Lady Jeweliana had very little knowledge about the gentlemen of the ton, whereas he did. It would be better for them both to work together to bring about a happy outcome. He would be able to guide her as she laughed and smiled and danced with various gentlemen of the beau monde, telling her which ones were respectable and honorable and which ones were, most likely, after her title and fortune. Some, whilst appearing respectable, had barely a farthing or two to their name, having lost most of it to gambling and the like, but still hid their lack of fortune well. It would be best for her if they worked together, even if she disliked him with such a strong intensity.
“Do excuse me,” he said abruptly, inclining his head to the rest of the group. “I have just seen a new acquaintance I need to speak to.”
He did not wait but hurried away towards Lady Jeweliana, all thought of holding himself back gone entirely from his mind.
Lady Jeweliana glanced back at him, her eyes widening with horror as she looked all about for an escape but found none.
“Lady Jeweliana,” he said, bowing before her. “How good to see you again. Might we, perhaps, take a stroll around the park?”
She blinked twice, then swallowed. “Good afternoon, Lord Darlington. I am afraid I am already engaged with Lord Markham this afternoon.” Indicating the young man coming
towards them both, she managed a small smile. “Besides, I do not think there is much we need say to one another.”
Aware that Lord Markham was well known as a rogue amongst the ton, Lord Darlington felt his stomach tighten with
revulsion. “We need to speak, Lady Jeweliana. Might I call on you tomorrow afternoon?”
It looked as though she were about to refuse but, much to Lord Darlington’s relief, the countess reappeared. There was a delighted smile on her face as if she had overheard them.
“How wonderful, Lord Darlington, I am sure that my daughter would be more than delighted to accept your kind
invitation to call. Tomorrow afternoon, you say?”
Realizing that he did not want the countess to overhear their conversation, Lord Darlington managed a tight smile. “I was thinking about taking Lady Jeweliana for a short drive, my lady. I have a phaeton, you see, but only if it is agreeable to you?” The countess could not have looked more pleased. “But of course!” she exclaimed, not so much as looking at Jeweliana.
“Tomorrow afternoon it is, Lord Darlington. Thank you.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Lord Darlington murmured, bowing deeply and only just catching the frustration in Lady Jeweliana’s eyes. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Lady Jeweliana.”
“Tomorrow,” she echoed, in a voice that sounded rather despondent. “Good day, my lord.”
4
“AND HAS Lord Markham called upon you yet?”
Lady Jeweliana shook her head, feeling a blush rise up in her cheeks. “No, not yet, although I am sure he intends to.”
Miss Cartwright clapped her hands delightedly. “I am sure he will. What did he say when you last spoke?”
Tilting h
er head, Jeweliana tried her best to remember, but her thoughts were filled with none other than Lord Darlington.
“I do not think we said all that much, Miss Cartwright. In truth, I know him very little; although, he does seem to be a very amiable gentleman.
“Indeed, he is!” Miss Cartwright exclaimed, “Although he does have a penchant for surrounding himself with beautiful ladies, I will say.”
The small smile fell suddenly form Lady Jeweliana‘s face.
“You mean, he is a rogue?”
Miss Cartwright eyed her carefully, as though weighing up what it was she was going to say. “I think Lord Markham simply needs the right kind of lady by his side, dear Lady Jeweliana. He is much too unsettled for his own good and, if he is to show you marked attention, I would accept it but still remain wary of his intentions.” “I see,” Jeweliana murmured, carefully. “I do confess to liking him very much.”
“He is an easy man to like,” Miss Cartwright replied, with a broad smile. “Now, who else have you met?”
The next hour passed with much conversation and some laughter as Jeweliana and Miss Cartwright continued their
discussions over who was worthy and who was not. Silently, Jeweliana wondered how she was to tell who was wealthy and who was not, given that she could not tell from a man’s outward appearance. What she wanted for herself was a gentleman who did not care about wealth or title, a man who was settled in his own right – and, therefore, was open to the possibility of having some kind of affection between himself and his bride. She could not imagine a life married to someone that she despised, as
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 66
