Chapter Fifteen
Once damaged, a woman’s reputation can never be restored. If there is even the slightest whiff of anything unsavoury, she is definitely not the wife for you...
‘M other, I wonder if we should all visit Aveley Castle at the weekend.’
His mother grasped those words with both hands, as he had known she would, and soon all attention was drawn away from Miss Mansfield’s unfortunate past and to excited preparations for a few days in the country. Bennett had changed the subject not because he had felt it unseemly, but because the images her descriptions put into his mind were making him so angry he wanted to smash something. To think of her, so young and so alone, sleeping on straw with a bunch of stinking strangers or, worse, taken advantage of by ‘unscrupulous’ men made his blood boil.
‘You will love Aveley Castle, Amelia,’ his mother gushed. ‘It is surrounded by the most beautiful parkland and, although it is not the largest of castles, it is delightfully cosy and so very peaceful. Although it might be the perfect opportunity to do some entertaining. It has been an age since we have had people visit the Castle. Do not panic, Bennett; I have no intention of subjecting you to a house party, but I would enjoy inviting a few acquaintances for afternoon tea as we are so close to town, and perhaps some horse riding.’
‘Do you ride, Amelia?’ This came from Uncle George.
His aunt answered for her. ‘It has been years since Amelia has been on a horse, hasn’t it, dear? Perhaps you could take her out, George, to refresh her memory and remind her of the skill? George taught Bennett to ride, so you will be in very safe hands.’
Bennett let the chatter wash over him. Frankly, he had too many things to think about and none of them were pleasant. Like the fact that he had been unaware that the poor might be trapped in a cycle of poverty which they were helpless to change. What good were cleaner streets if people did not even have homes? Or food? And had Miss Mansfield suffered unduly during that dreadful time? If he found out that anyone had done anything even slightly untoward, he would personally enjoy tearing them limb from limb. And how was it that absolutely everyone now called her Amelia, but he still had to call her Miss Mansfield? Or did she think him so ‘stodgy’ that he would prefer to maintain that stiff formality, even though he had kissed her and she had kissed him back?
When the interminable meal finally came to an end, Bennett stood. ‘Miss Mansfield, if we might have that word now? I shall direct Lovett to send some tea to my study.’ Even that came out like a clipped order, making him inwardly cringe as he marched out of the dining room, expecting her to follow him. He was beginning to think he was incapable of sounding anything other than like an army general in her presence and wished fervently that he didn’t.
To make him feel even worse, when he sat in one of the comfortable chairs closest to the fire, expecting her to sit in the other, she stood primly in front of him like a soldier waiting to be inspected. It was up to him to put her at her ease.
‘Did any of those unscrupulous men take advantage of you?’ He barked the words. Clearly he was doomed to be incapable of acting anywhere near normal around her. His nerves kept getting the better of him, making him sound like an old curmudgeon. No wonder she stood to attention.
‘That depends on your definition of advantage , I suppose.’ She knew damn well that was not the sort of answer he wanted, but he forced himself to wait. If he spoke, he would bark again and probably send her running to pack her bags before they had a chance to talk. Eventually, she sighed and perched on the edge of the chair. ‘Many tried to take advantage, but fortunately none succeeded.’
Bennett felt himself physically sag with relief. He would not have to commit murder just yet on her behalf. ‘I am greatly relieved to hear that, Miss Mansfield.’
She nodded her dark head in acknowledgement and then sat quietly, waiting for him to continue. It was obvious she had no intention of making this encounter any easier, so Bennett took a deep breath and tried not to sound irritated.
‘Under the circumstances, now that I am better informed about your situation, I am prepared to concede that my tone this afternoon was...’
‘Boorish? Dictatorial? Impossibly rude?’
‘Perhaps...’ He risked a small smile at her continued impertinence and saw her hard expression soften slightly. It spurred him to be honest. ‘You must understand that you gave me the fright of my life. When I saw those men and heard what they had planned for you, my fear might have made it appear as if my anger was directed at you. It really wasn’t. I was angry that you had put yourself in danger; I still am. It makes no difference to me how well you may know that area or how independent you have been in the past; as far as I am concerned, I still believe that it is foolhardy for you to venture there alone. But I will not try to prevent you from going. I can now see how much helping those people means to you. I overreacted and for that I am sorry. In my defence, I had just been punched. Repeatedly.’
She glanced down at her clasped hands in her lap, but he could see that there was a hint of a smile on her lips. ‘Under the circumstances, I suppose I can forgive your overbearing tone. And I am sorry that you were hurt because of me.’
‘It was my pleasure.’
Her eyes flicked up then and she grinned when she saw that he was being ironic. ‘How is your nose?’
Fortunately, it was not broken. ‘A bit sore, but I shall endure it manfully.’
His sarcasm made her giggle and her dark eyes sparkle. All at once the world was a better place. ‘You did surprise me. I thought that they would beat you to a pulp. Yet you gave as good as you got. How come an illustrious duke punches like a barroom brawler?’
‘I am a politician, Miss Mansfield. As a rule, politicians are not very popular and some people are inclined towards violence when they come into contact with one. After the Prime Minister was assassinated a few years ago, I thought it might be prudent to learn how to properly defend myself should the occasion ever arise.’
‘Well, I am grateful for your interference today and, in the spirit of compromise, I shall take Terence with me next time I venture out. Those ruffians gave me quite a fright as well and I do not wish Lady Worsted to worry unduly about me.’
‘I am very glad to hear that too.’ Suddenly self-conscious, Bennett glanced at the pile of paperwork on his desk rather than let her see the blatant emotion in his eyes. She took this to mean that he had much better things to do than waste more time with her and stood, looking a little bit flustered and embarrassed.
‘I should probably go and tell Lady Worsted that peace has returned between us.’
‘Indeed.’ What was the matter with him? He was all stiff and formal again and she was almost at the door because he did not know how to stop her from leaving. ‘I took your advice and lay down in the hallway.’ Bennett could feel the beginnings of a blush as she turned around, but he ploughed on, feeling inordinately stupid at the admission. ‘I did not realise that those cherubs were throwing flowers about like confetti to rain down on my head.’ He was cringing so much that his toes began to curl inside his boots. Her dark eyebrows were raised in question and he realised that he was not really making himself clear. ‘What I meant to say is that perhaps you are right about perspective. Perhaps it is important to see things from different angles.’
She stared at him thoughtfully and he found himself hoping that she might be re-evaluating her opinion of him. ‘I am glad to hear you say that,’ she finally said before closing the door behind her.
* * *
Amelia did not see him the following day until he made a late appearance at his mother’s reading salon. He tried to slip in unnoticed while Lady Cecily was reading a sugary poem and stood leaning against the wall in the furthest and most unobtrusive corner of the room. However, his arrival caused a stir regardless. The Potentials were out in force and were falling over each other to impress him with their suitability to be the next duchess. Lady Cecily began to aim her recital directly at him with limpid eyes and trembling lips, to the consternation of Lady Priscilla and Lady Eugenie. As the ethereal Cecily continued to spout rhyming adoration at the Duke, all they could do was primp and preen and hope that he noticed them; Amelia was very pleased to note that he didn’t. It said something about his character that he was not impressed by their obvious public displays, but it was hugely entertaining to watch, especially as she was sitting next to Sir George, who kept making humorous insults which made her giggle.
Unconsciously, her eyes kept darting back to where he stood, seemingly engaged in the readings. Since yesterday, the Duke of Aveley had occupied the majority of her thoughts, leaving Amelia feeling decidedly off-kilter. The man’s physical appeal was undeniable. She had known that since the very first moment she had clapped eyes on him. But Amelia was not so shallow to allow that sort of superficial attraction to affect her judgement of a person, especially a person in possession of a title. She was far too intelligent to be won over by a pair of striking blue eyes and a broad pair of shoulders. Her pulse might well ratchet up several notches whenever she was near him, and she might well have an overwhelming desire to pat her hair and smooth down her dress out of vanity in his presence, but as she was neither blind nor dead she supposed such feelings were only human. Fortunately, his pomposity at their first meeting had allowed her to put her understandable reaction to his golden beauty to one side. He had been an arrogant, self-righteous aristocrat, just like her awful father, and therefore intellectually unappealing.
Yet now he was not quite so easy to pigeonhole. She now knew that he had many character traits that were, surprisingly, most admirable and served to bring her harsh opinion of him into question. Yesterday he had selflessly come to her rescue and then had the good grace to apologise for his bullish behaviour afterwards. And he had lain on the floor to look at his painting in order to see for himself if there was more than one perspective. She wished she had seen that. And he had been kind when he had caught her walking home alone in the dark, shared his horse with her and changed his route, when most men of his calibre would have simply ridden on without giving her any thought at all.
When one got past the formality and starchiness of his ducal exterior, he could be quite charming really. Like him, that charm was understated and contained, but he understood irony and had the capacity to be self-effacing. If he carried on being charming, then she might have to stop thinking of him as pompous—and then where would she be? Already she suspected that his brusque manner might have something to do with his own discomfort rather than his inflated opinion of his own importance. He had admitted that he found large social gatherings awkward when she had found him hiding in the Renshaws’ garden. Was there the chance that he might also find personal interactions difficult as well? It must be quite difficult being a duke and a member of the cabinet. Especially if you were a bit shy.
Now she also knew that he could be eminently reasonable too. He had apologised, after all. When did titles ever apologise? And, gracious, the man could kiss! Not a day had gone by since the eventful night when she had not allowed her mind to wander back to that unexpected, but not unwelcome, encounter under the stars. If Bennett Montague had not been a dyed-in-the-wool aristocrat, Amelia would be very tempted by him indeed.
‘Thank goodness—’ Sir George’s exasperated whisper brought her back from her wool-gathering ‘—I was beginning to believe Lady Cecily might go on all night. That was one of the worst poems I have ever heard.’
Amelia turned to him, grinning. ‘I am beginning to think that you disapprove of Lady Cecily. Do you not think that she would make a good duchess?’
He looked about him carefully and then dropped his voice further. ‘Can I entrust you with a secret, my dear?’ When she nodded, intrigued, he bent close to her ear. ‘If you want the honest truth, I heartily disapprove of all of the Potentials.’
Those words surprised her. ‘Whilst I agree that Lady Cecily is a little too calculated for my liking, surely they are not all like that? They would not have made the list in the first place unless they had the requisite attributes for the position.’
He waved away her comment, his grey eyebrows drawn together in consternation. ‘I am sure that they are nice enough girls in their own way. But you misunderstand me. It is not so much the ladies themselves that I disapprove of, it is the manner in which Bennett is seeking a wife. Holding these women up against a set of criteria laid down by my brother is not the way to make such an important decision. Now every girl is trying too hard to behave in the manner they all think he expects, it has become virtually impossible to distinguish between them. They have camouflaged and suppressed all of the character traits that might have made them interesting in the first place. It is no surprise to me that he is struggling to choose one. I am not altogether convinced he is particularly enamoured of any of them, despite his insistence that he wants the sort of wife that his father would have chosen for him. But Bennett is not really like his father at all, if you want my opinion, although he might think that he is. I grew up with my brother and I have been there for every step of Bennett’s life and, in personality, they are quite different. My nephew has inherited his father’s talent as a politician but there is more to him than that. With my brother, his political ambitions superseded everything else. Bennett does not have that selfish single-mindedness. He cares about people too much. That is why he campaigns for causes that his father would never have touched. My brother never would have championed reform and risked upsetting the House. But Bennett does so if he intrinsically believes that it is the right thing to do. Therefore, it stands to reason that the sort of woman he should marry would be very different to the sort my brother conditioned him to believe that he should.’
Without thinking, Amelia’s eyes flicked back to the man in question and she was surprised to find him staring right back at her. Then a slow smile turned up the corners of his perfect mouth just a little and she found herself drowning in that heady blue gaze, smiling back at him like a doe-eyed fool while her heartbeat quickened and her lips tingled of their own accord.
Irritated at her own silly reaction, Amelia resolutely refocused all of her attention on his uncle again. ‘At least we have been spared another reading from The Discerning Gentleman’s Guide tonight. That should give you some comfort.’
‘Now you have jinxed it.’ Sir George groaned and then rolled his eyes. ‘Lady Eugenie is still to read and she is so very eager to please.’
‘Am I interrupting?’