His expression grew firm, glazing over as he gave her a tight smile. Whatever warmth had been there before was now gone, disappearing through the cracks in the floor.
“I should be in attendance,” he said stiffly, his bow a little too formal. “Good afternoon, Lady Jeweliana.”
“Good afternoon,” she echoed, as he turned and strode away, leaving her standing alone for a moment or so.
Louisa joined her quickly, her brows raised in expectation.
“Well?”
“Well, it appears as though the gentlemen I danced with were no good,” Jeweliana replied, truthfully, trying to set aside her confusing feelings and hoping that her tears had dried quickly on her cheeks. “We are to try again tomorrow evening.” Louisa studied her for a moment before nodding slowly, her eyes betraying a degree of sympathy. “Then I wish you success,” she said, quietly. “Are you quite ready to go or do you still need to look for a time?” Not wanting to be anywhere near Lord Darlington, Jeweliana gave Louisa a small smile. “In truth, I have not yet even begun to look for any kind of new novel, Louisa. Do you mind if I browse for a little while longer?” “Of course,” Louisa replied, with a warm smile. “Take as much time as you need. I shall go in search of a novel all of my own as well, I think.”
Jeweliana smiled and nodded, somewhat relieved to be on her own. She drew in a few steadying breaths, feeling as though she were standing on the edge of the precipice and not quite able to fall. Whatever was going on in her heart, she certainly did not like it and was quite determined not to feel it again.
She would just have to remember just how disagreeable Lord Darlington was and just how much he did not want to marry her. There was no future for them, of that she was quite certain.
So why had her heart beaten so when he’d touched her cheek? Why had she felt her breath quicken, her stomach tighten, her eyes widen?
Closing her eyes, Jeweliana drew in a steadying breath, determined to settle herself. This was utter foolishness. She knew it. She just had to make sure her heart listened.
7
“MICHAELS!”
Lord Jonathan Michaels turned around, his face split with a grin as he saw Lord Darlington coming towards him.
“Good to see you, my old friend,” he beamed, slapping Lord Darlington firmly on the back. “It has been too long.”
“Indeed it has,” Lord Darlington replied. “I did not know you were to be at Lady Adelaide’s recital this evening – in fact, I did not know you would even be in town!” Lord Michaels chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “After last Season’s almost engagement, did you think me to run for the hills and ne’er return?”
“I did,” Lord Darlington replied, with a grin. “Lady Isabella broke your heart, as I recall.” The smile faded as he remembered just how hurt his friend had been. “Are you quite recovered?” “Quite,” Lord Michaels replied, firmly. “And more than ready to find myself a wife, although I will not be allowing myself to fall in love again, that I can assure you!” “A practical marriage, then,” Lord Darlington enquired, with a lift of his eyebrow. “That is unlike you, I must say.”
Lord Michaels shrugged, a faraway look in his eyes. “I think not. After what I went through last Season, I have realized just how foolish it is to allow one’s heart to become embroiled with another so easily. Practicality, that is what I say!” Something nudged at Lord Darlington’s heart as he thought of Lady Jeweliana, something that told him Lord Michaels was not, in fact, Lady Jeweliana’s kind of gentleman. Disregarding this, however, he smiled at his friend and put his hand on his shoulder. “Then might I introduce you to a friend of mine?” Lord Michaels frowned, as Lord Darlington dropped his hand. “Of the female persuasion?”
“Indeed,” Lord Darlington replied, his eyes scanning the
room for signs of his quarry. “She is a friend of mine, and I have
promised to introduce her to a few good gentlemen this
evening.” He glanced at Lord Michaels and saw his deep frown,
aware that this was somewhat unusual behavior he was
currently displaying. “She has had some unfortunate luck with
gentlemen who have been pursuing her only for her fortune or
connections, you see,” he finished, somewhat weakly. “I do have
some sympathy for her in that regard.”
“Then why not marry her yourself, considering that is what her end goal must be,” Lord Michaels replied, with a lift of his brows. “You are to marry soon, are you not? That will of your father’s?” Lord Darlington shook his head firmly. “I will not be forced into matrimony, as well you know. I enjoy my freedom far too much. Come now, let me introduce you both. She is very lovely, I promise you.” This was now the third gentleman he would introduce to Lady Jeweliana, the first two being gentlemen he knew from last Season. Lord Harrington and Lord Smithton were both in the market for a bride, both were titled and had fortunes of their own, and Lady Jeweliana had appeared to be glad to meet them. What Lord Darlington had not expected was the feeling of envy beginning to rise within him, as though part of him did not want to allow Lady Jeweliana to meet these potential suitors. It rose within him again, all the stronger, as he led Lord Michaels through the crowd towards Lady Jeweliana.
Her gown this evening was a silvery grey, giving her an almost magical appearance. Diamonds twinkled in her hair, catching the light as she talked animatedly with Miss Cartwright and her betrothed. The other two gentlemen he had introduced to her were nowhere to be seen and Lord Darlington was astonished to discover that he was, in fact, quite relieved about this. Seeing them coming, Miss Cartwright and her betrothed left Lady Jeweliana alone, which he was quite grateful for. It would mean that they could have a more intimate conversation without them overhearing.
“Good evening,” he murmured, greeting her with a smile.
“Again, Lady Jeweliana, I have come to make your acquaintance known to a friend of mine, Lord Michaels, soon to be Earl of Warwick.”
He watched as Lady Jeweliana took Lord Michaels in, her eyes lighting with something like hope as she curtsied. Lord Michaels greeted her warmly, glancing only the once towards Lord Darlington as he spoke.
“Have you been in town long?” he asked, following the usual formalities. “I myself have only just returned.”
“I have come for the Season,” Lady Jeweliana replied, quietly. “Lord Darlington’s mother is dear friends with my own mother, the Countess of Knighton.” “And so you have found yourselves thrown together in amongst the society of London,” Lord Michaels continued, making Lady Jeweliana laugh. “Then is shall have to take you away from the boring conversation I am sure Lord Darlington attempts. I am sure you have had more than enough of his company for the moment.”
Something sharp cut into Lord Darlington’s soul, making his skin prickle and face burn with a sudden heat.
Lady Jeweliana, for her part, could not quite take her eyes from Lord Michaels to so much as glance in his direction.
“Shall we go in search of refreshments, Lady Jeweliana?”
Lord Michaels asked, holding out his arm to her. “I believe the second half of the recital is about to start, and I should be delighted if you would sit with me.” Lord Darlington watched as Lady Jeweliana blushed furiously, although the curve of her lips told him that she was more than delighted to oblige this man. “But of course, Lord Michaels,” she murmured, softly. “I would be glad to sit with you.” They left Lord Darlington without so much as a glance in his direction. Neither of them said a word to him, not even in farewell. It was as though he did not exist.
Lord Darlington found he did not particularly like that.
Turning his head, he allowed his eyes to linger on them as they walked away, their heads close together in conversation. He wanted to hurry forward, to come between them and demand to be a part of whatever they were speaking of – a feeling he could not quite explain.
He could not be jealous of Lord Michaels, surely? The man had been hea
rtbroken last Season, and Lord Darlington should be glad that he was now so interested in Lady Jeweliana’s company. That he had not wanted or expected affection in any kind of association with Lady Jeweliana should not matter to Lord Darlington, for that was something that he was sure Lady Jeweliana would come to learn in time, and it would be up to her how to proceed. Despite the firmness of Lord Michaels decision in such a matter, love could easily come upon him again in time and then they might both be very happy indeed.
Their host stood up at the front of the room, clearing his throat and tapping lightly on his glass so as to alert the company that the second half of the recital was due to start. Lord Darlington saw Lord Michaels and Lady Jeweliana move towards the chairs, sitting together just as Lord Michaels had asked. Despite the success of what he had hoped, Lord Darlington could find no happiness or pleasure in seeing them so. There was a hard knot of anger seated in his belly, his blood slowly beginning to burn.
Whatever was the matter with him? He did not care for anyone, especially Lady Jeweliana, and the thought of her with Lord Michaels should bring him nothing but relief. Settling his shoulders, Lord Darlington made his way back towards his own seat, sitting down at the back of the room so that he would not draw any kind of attention to himself. From where he was sitting, he could see Lady Jeweliana and Lord Michaels very well but forced his gaze to the front of the room and away from them both.
The singing brought him no pleasure, the piano music giving him no kind of peace. He was frustrated with himself, his fingers closing into a fist as he saw Lord Michaels lean towards Lady Jeweliana and whisper something that made her smile. He did not know why this should upset him so but, yet he felt his stomach roiling within him. Was it that he had simply not expected them to be so taken with one another? Was it the suddenness of it all that had him feeling so unsettled?
Try as he might, Lord Darlington could find no reason for his sudden, extreme reaction. It was as though he had been plucked from a place of comfort and thrown into turmoil with no explanation as to why such a thing had occurred. His eyes continued to linger on Lady Jeweliana as she smiled and clapped and laughed and simply enjoyed her evening, wondering why he himself could find no such enjoyment.
The recital had not yet finished and, whilst he knew it would be incredibly rude to simply leave before it had come to its conclusion, Lord Darlington found himself growing almost taut with frustration and confusion that his legs took him to the door before his mind had worked out what he was doing.
The cool night air did nothing to clear his head and, without hesitating for even a moment, Lord Darlington made his way straight to Whites and ordered himself a large brandy. Perhaps liquor might help rid him of these strange, unwanted urges.
“DARLINGTON!”
Lord Darlington did not know how many hours he had sat in Whites, his brandy refilled more than a few times, and now to hear Lord Michaels’ voice in his ear brought him nothing but irritation.
“I wondered where you had gone to,” Lord Michaels chuckled, sitting down opposite Lord Darlington. “You left before the recital ended.”
“I did not much care for the singing,” Lord Darlington
grunted, his black mood darkening.
“It was not all that pleasant to my ear,” Lord Michaels admitted, with a wry smile, before ordering himself a whiskey. “I thought you might be out somewhere, at another event or such like, but then I recalled just how much you enjoyed a late-night brandy.” Grunting, Lord Darlington sat back in his chair and regarded his friend through bleary eyes. He felt as though he himself had changed in only a few hours, transforming from a gentleman, sure of his path and his intentions, to one who had very little idea as to what was going on in his own heart.
“I must say, I do like Lady Jeweliana very much,” Lord
Michaels continued, with a wide smile. “I ought to thank you for introducing her to me, Darlington.”
“You are welcome,” Lord Darlington muttered, throwing back the rest of his brandy and wondering just how much more he would have to drink before he was unable to even hear Lord Michaels voice.
“A pretty little thing, is she not? A good line, wealthy and as elegant as they come! Quite the catch.” He nudged Lord Darlington from across the table, his eyes dancing. “I am surprised you are so willing to have her introduced to others instead of keeping her for yourself.” Lord Darlington snorted, his derision surfacing. “I am not in the market for a bride, as well you know.”
“That I do know,” Lord Michaels agreed, firmly. “Just as well for you that I am, however.”
Frowning, Lord Darlington looked at his friend with a degree of worry growing in his mind. Was Lord Michaels truly considering matrimony already? And to Lady Jeweliana at that?
They had only just met, so surely he could not…
“I intend to call on her tomorrow,” Lord Michaels continued, interrupting Lord Darlington’s thoughts. “I do say, she will do me just fine.”
This was said with such a casual disregard that alarm flared in Lord Darlington’s mind. “You cannot be thinking of marrying her so soon after meeting her!” he exclaimed, the brandy now beginning to swirl through his veins. “For heaven’s sake, man!
You have met her only the once!”
Lord Michaels shrugged, a hardness stealing over his expression that Lord Darlington had never seen before. “She is as good as any, Darlington. I need a wife to produce the heir, and since Lady Jeweliana is elegant, graceful, wealthy and well-bred, I have no qualms in selecting her. The fact that she will stir my blood only adds to her attributes as far as I am concerned!” He guffawed loudly, one hand slamming down hard on the table.
“As I said before, I am not searching for love - just someone to warm my bed and look good on my arm. Lady Jeweliana fits the bill, does she not?”
The horror of hearing Lady Jeweliana spoken of in such an uncouth, arrogant manner, struck Lord Darlington right between the eyes. Blinking slowly, he studied Lord Michaels, the man he had called his friend, only to see him as he had never done before.
Lady Isabella had not only broken his heart; she had stolen it right away. There would be no chance of happiness for Lady Jeweliana if she were to marry Lord Michaels, for he was certain to treat her as nothing more than a possession than a person in need of love and respect.
“I – I think that will not do at all,” he mumbled, shaking his head at Lord Michaels. “Lady Jeweliana wants some kind of affection, Michaels.”
“And she will get some,” Lord Michaels chuckled, darkly, giving Lord Darlington no doubt as to what he meant. “For heaven’s sake, what is the matter, man? Why are you looking so down in the mouth? You knew the kind of marriage I was looking for before you introduced me to Lady Jeweliana, so this cannot come as a surprise to you.” Lord Darlington felt his mouth fill with sand, clogging his nose and mouth. He could not breathe, his heart screaming at him to draw breath, but all he could see was Lord Michaels sitting before him with a dark smile on his face.
A smile that could pull Lady Jeweliana in towards him.
“Well, I would best be off,” Lord Michaels said, throwing back the rest of his whiskey and slamming the glass down on the table. “Think I might visit one of those cozy establishments, if you get my meaning.” He winked heavily at Lord Darlington who, in turn, felt nothing but nausea rise up in his throat. He could say nothing as his friend left the table, the heavy weight of guilt and responsibility slamming down on his shoulders, hard.
He had done Lady Jeweliana wrong by presuming that Lord Michaels would be the kind of man he had been last Season, looking so eagerly for love and desperately hoping he would find it. Lord Darlington had never expected there to be such a strong, distressing change in his friend.
Lady Jeweliana deserved more than this, more than Lord Michaels. At least there was not any kind of strong connection between them yet, although they had certainly got on very well at the recital.
“What have I done?” Lord Darlington bre
athed to himself, feeling completely exhausted as his mind tumbled thoughts one after the other. “What, in heaven’s name, have I done?”
8
LADY JEWELIANA HUMMED to herself as she looked out of the window down at the busy London street. Things were going remarkably well and, much to her delight, Lord Michaels appeared to be quite the gentleman. She had Lord Darlington to thank for that, of course, although she had not seen him in the last three days. That in itself was a little strange, and Jeweliana could not easily quieten her troubled spirit every time her thoughts turned in his direction. However, given that she should have no kind of feeling for Lord Darlington, Jeweliana was determined not to think of him as often as she did and, so, whenever the thought of him came into her mind, Lady Jeweliana forcibly pushed it away.
“Well, my dear, it seems you have an admirer!”
Lady Jeweliana turned to see her mother coming into the room, holding a large bunch of flowers in a glass vase. They were tied with a bow, and a small note was attached to the vase itself. Hurrying towards her mother, Jeweliana felt her heart burst with a sudden happiness, taking the note from her mother with such haste that she almost dropped it.
“They are beautiful,” she breathed, glancing at them for a moment before turning her attention to the note. Breaking the seal, she smiled happily to herself as she read the brief note.
“Who is it from, my dear?” the countess asked, sounding almost as excited as Jeweliana felt.
“Lord Michaels,” Jeweliana murmured, reading the note twice before folding it up again. “He wishes to call upon me this afternoon!”
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Lord Michaels?” she queried, a look of confusion on her face. “Did I meet him?”
“Yes, Mama,” Jeweliana replied, a little impatiently. “I introduced you to him at the recital yesterday.”
Her mother’s expression cleared. “Ah yes, of course. The one who is in line to be the next Earl of Warwick, I believe.” Her smile was bright. “He did pay you very close attention last evening – although I thought you had a partiality for Lord Darlington, my dear. He spoke to you on numerous occasions last evening.” Lady Jeweliana ignored the swelling of her heart at the mention of Lord Darlington and shook her head. “No, indeed not, Mama. I am not inclined towards him in the least, I assure you.” She tilted her head, a blush in her cheeks. “But do you think Lord Michaels might be a suitable match? I know it is much too early to say but he is, after all, due to be an earl one day.” The countess laughed, her eyes twinkling. “You need not worry on that regard, my dear. The gentleman is welcome to call on you and, in the meantime, your father and I shall find out what we can about him. When and if the time comes for him to ask to court you, then we will make our decision about him clear. However,” she finished, seeing the despondent look in Jeweliana’s eye. “From what I know of him, I would say that there is nothing too much the matter with him.” A light broke forth in Jeweliana’s soul as her mother finished, her sudden melancholy chased away. “Oh, thank
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 69
