The Truth about the Viscount (Whispers of the Ton #4)

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

“ H ave you seen this?”

Daniel started in surprise as the door to the dining room was practically flung open, causing his coffee to slosh around in his cup.

“Good gracious, Isabella, whatever is the matter that you must surprise me in this manner?”

“I am in The London Chronicle!”

All at once, Daniel’s stomach lurched furiously and he set his coffee cup down in an instant, his eyes rounding. To be in The London Chronicle was no good thing, for that surely must mean that it was nothing but gossip! Rising to his feet, he grasped Isabella’s hand as she set down The London Chronicle on the table before him.

“You must not be concerned. Whatever has been said, it will be dealt with as quickly as can be.”

Isabella blinked at him, confusion in her eyes.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Something must have been written about you, yes?” he asked, gesturing to the paper. “That is why you have rushed through to tell me about it?”

Much to his surprise, Isabella laughed and then shook her head.

“No, no, not in the least! I have not been written about and I am in no way concerned about it, I assure you.”

A frown pulled at Daniel’s forehead.

“Then what is it?”

“It is this!” Turning, Isabella pulled the paper open and then showed it to him. It took Daniel a few moments to understand what it meant but, after understanding hit him, he caught his breath, his eyebrows lifting. “It is beautiful, is it not?”

“I am surprised at it, I must say.” Daniel picked up the newspaper for a closer look, turning his head just a little as he took in the picture that had been drawn of Isabella and Lord Milthorpe. “Someone must have drawn this the night of the ball, though I did not see any artists present.” He looked at the picture again, trying to find a name. “It does not say who has drawn this.”

“No, it does not, though I now think to write to The London Chronicle and discover it.”

Daniel smiled at his sister, seeing the light in her eyes and hearing the happiness in her voice.

“It sounds as though you are delighted with it, my dear.”

“I am.”

“Even though it expresses an affection that is not truly there between yourself and Lord Milthorpe?” The smile on Isabella’s face flickered and instantly, Daniel realized he had unintentionally upset her. “Forgive me, I did not mean to–”

“It is something to aspire to, is it not?” Her voice had softened, and Daniel dropped his head, a little embarrassed that he had spoken without thinking. “Something that I hope will soon exist between myself and Lord Milthorpe. This drawing is a beautiful picture of what I desire, of what I long for. I cannot think of anything better than that.”

“Then I am glad for you that the artist has chosen to print this artwork in The London Chronicle. And,” he continued, pulling Isabella close and dropping a kiss to the top of her head, “it will make Lord Newforth all the angrier, for the ton will now believe that you are quite in love with Lord Milthorpe and he with you, and what could be more wonderful than that?”

“Indeed.” Isabella sighed, smiled, and then looked up at him. “Though you do not appear to be in the least bit contented at present.” Her smile began to fade away, as she searched his face with her gaze. “I do not want you to be upset any longer, brother. The match is made, I shall be contented and all will be well.”

Daniel tried to smile in return, but his expression seemed stuck, a little too fixed.

“I am glad in that regard, but I must say that I struggle a great deal with the pressure that society has brought to bear. Had they not been inclined towards gossip, had Lord Newforth not been able to use them as a threat, then you might now be free and able to make your own decision as regards your future.”

Isabella lifted her shoulders and then let them fall, a small sigh on her lips.

“Alas, what can be done? It is not as though we can turn from society, not as though we can force them to do what we wish them to do, is it?”

“No, I suppose we cannot. But it does mean that I can decide not to be a part of it any longer.”

His sister’s eyebrows lifted.

“What do you mean?”

“It means simply that.” Daniel sat back down and picked up his coffee. “I will do what I must this Season but, once you are wed, I have no intention of returning to London again. Nor will I be as invested in it as I was before, for you have suffered greatly because of the ton. Lord Newforth used them to his advantage, and that means that I no longer wish to be as involved with society as before. I used to think that it was a wonderful thing to be in the ton , to be an esteemed member of society. Now, however, I see it quite clearly. It is a monster, ready to devour anyone it pleases at the smallest whim.”

Isabella sat down beside him, reaching for the teapot.

“I can understand your concerns, but I do not think that there is a great need to be so pulled away from it all.”

“ I do,” Daniel answered, firmly. “I shall do what I must for the time being, but thereafter, I will no longer be as present as I have been before.” His sister flattened her lips as though she wanted to say something more, but had chosen not to, seeing that he was more than a little determined about what he wanted to do. “But I am happy that you appear to be a good deal more contented with Lord Milthorpe than I had expected.” Daniel smiled briefly, then finished his coffee. “Now, I must go and finish the invitations for your betrothal ball. I do hope that you are looking forward to it?”

Isabella nodded.

“Very much.”

“That is good.”

“And you will still attend the soiree this evening, will you not?”

With a small smile, Daniel rose to his feet.

“I shall, of course. Just because I seek to step back from society does not mean that I will no longer attend all that we have been invited to.”

“I am glad, for I do not think that I can face society without you as yet,” Isabella answered, her eyes becoming a little damp. “I am still afraid that Lord Newforth will do something, although I have become betrothed.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You need not fear him, I assure you. I have not seen him since the moment that you announced your betrothal, and I must hope that he has now left society, given that he has lost the battle for what he desired.”

“I hope so.” Isabella took a breath and then picked up her tea. “Until this evening, then, Hastings.”

“Milthorpe.” Daniel shook his friend’s hand, glancing around the room. “A busy soiree, it seems.”

“It is.” Lord Milthorpe leaned into Daniel’s space a little more. “Lord Newforth is present also, I am afraid.”

Fire roared up Daniel’s chest.

“Lord Newforth?”

“Yes.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“I told Isabella that I had not seen him since the announcement of her betrothal and hoped that he had stepped away from society altogether.”

Lord Milthorpe set his jaw.

“It seems that he is determined to linger in society, my friend. Though I am sure that he can do nothing to you or Isabella, not now.” He scowled. “Though he has not come to speak with me, I have caught the many dark glances he has thrown in my direction.”

“It would be best to ignore him,” Daniel stated, firmly. “He seeks to intimidate, mayhap. But he shall not be successful. I will have to warn Isabella so that she is not surprised.”

“I will tell her.” Lord Milthorpe lifted his chin a little, a darkness in his eyes. “I will not permit Lord Newforth to upset her. He has done enough of that already, and it angers me a great deal that nothing of consequence has happened to him, given his dreadful behavior.”

A little surprised, although rather pleased that his friend had expressed himself so firmly over Isabella and his concern for her, Daniel moved so that his back was to the wall, and looked out amongst the crowd. The room was full of guests, though Lord Benford had at least four rooms open for all of his guests to make their way through. At some point, Daniel intended to go to the card room although he hoped that Lord Newforth would not be there also.

“I think that I will go in search of her now, if I might?” Lord Milthorpe put one hand on Daniel’s shoulder for a moment. “She is with your mother, I expect?”

Daniel nodded.

“Yes, she is. Though my mother is quite delighted with that drawing which appeared in The London Chronicle, so be warned that she will, no doubt, speak to you of that and nothing else.”

Lord Milthorpe chuckled quietly.

“Truth be told, I thought that drawing quite wonderful and am also truly delighted with it.” His smile grew just a little. “I think that the look shared between us speaks of what I hope my marriage to Isabella will be, and in that, I will be glad to speak with anyone about it, including Lady Hastings.”

With another smile and a nod, Milthorpe stepped away and left Daniel to stand alone. Folding his arms over his chest, he continued to search the room for any sign of Lord Newforth, wondering what dark intentions the gentleman might have planned. Did he think to say something to upset Daniel or Isabella? Surely, as Lord Milthorpe had said, there was nothing that he could say to do such a thing? It was not as though he could announce that he had tried to force Daniel’s hand, that he had pulled Isabella unwillingly into his arms? Thinking about the drawing in The London Chronicle, Daniel felt a sense of relief pour into him which then molded into gratitude for the artist. Whether they realized it or not, they had helped to convince the ton of the strength of Isabella’s and Lord Milthorpe’s connection, and that could only be a good thing.

I am not going to ruminate over what Lord Newforth might or might not do, he told himself, firmly. I cannot. It is a waste of my time, when there are a good many other things I can put my mind to.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone studying him.

Turning his head fully, he took in a young lady who, like him, was standing to the back of the room and was studying him with a careful eye, though, once she saw him looking at her, she turned her head away in an instant, her cheeks flushing hot.

Daniel frowned. The young lady was now a little embarrassed, given that he had seen her watching him. Her cheeks were a little flushed, her fair hair was pulled back into intricate braids with only a few small curls at her temples and her ears. She caught one lip with the other, biting it gently and Daniel could not help but smile, feeling the need now to put her at ease.

“You are standing alone, much as I am doing.” He lifted one eyebrow just a little, though made no move to step closer to her. “Do you not enjoy a soiree?”

She glanced at him, then turned her gaze away again.

“It is not that I do not enjoy it, sir, but rather that I am waiting for my mother and sister to finish a conversation that I was not a part of. I do not want to interrupt them so, thus, you find me here.”

Turning to face her, Daniel offered her a small smile.

“Do you not have any other acquaintances here, my Lady?”

“I have some. But for my own reasons, I am standing alone for a time.”

A little intrigued by this, Daniel studied her again, but said nothing, watching her carefully and wondering what it was that she might have meant. The lady’s cheeks were still flushed, but her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, as though she was searching for something or someone, much as he was doing.

“Will you not tell me what your reasons are?” It was a little rude of him to ask her such a thing, but the conversation, as a whole, was already improper, given that they had not been introduced. Daniel’s eyebrows lifted all the higher, but the lady only shook her head, offering him only a very small and brief smile in response. “The Viscount Hastings.” He inclined his head, though it was not a complete nor proper bow. “I understand that this is no formal introduction, though it shall have to do, for the nonce.”

The lady’s cheeks flushed all the more.

“Lady Patience. My father is the Earl of Osterley though he is not going about in society at present.”

“I see.” Daniel studied her again, taking her in fully. She was, he considered, quite beautiful if not, mayhap, a little reserved. “You will not tell me of your reasons for staying away from your other acquaintances here, then?”

She shrugged.

“I see no need to, though you may tell me of your purposes in standing alone if you wish it.”

At this, Daniel chuckled, a sense of happiness beginning to slip into him.

“I am afraid that I have no purposes, Lady Patience. All I have is a desire to stand alone and to study those present for a time.”

“For what reason is that?”

Daniel shook his head, unwilling to tell her anything about his present concerns over society.

“It is simply because I am a little fatigued, that is all.”

“I understand.” She spoke in such a way that Daniel could hear the slight inflection in her voice which, to his mind, spoke of a lack of belief. He railed at it internally, only to remind himself that such a thing did not matter, given that they were both perfect strangers and, therefore, did not need to have even the smallest level of trust between them. She glanced at him, a question in her eyes, though it took her another few moments to speak it. Daniel waited in silence. “Might I ask if your sister is Miss Spearton?”

“Yes, she is.” A little surprised at the lady’s connection to his sister, Daniel frowned. “Are you acquainted?”

The lady shook her head.

“No, we are not. I have recently heard of her betrothal and thus, that is how I know of her connection to you.”

“I see.”

Again, the lady’s green eyes met his and then pulled away again.

“Her betrothal must have been a great delight to you. Lord Milthorpe is, I understand, a close friend of yours.”

The frown on Daniel’s forehead only deepened. This, he reminded himself, was the very reason he was trying to pull away from the ton . He had no desire whatsoever to have anything to do with society any longer, but yet, it was presenting itself to him all the same. The only reason that Lady Patience knew of his connection to Isabella was because there would have been those in the ton who would have told her of it. He did not know if there had been any particular attitude to that conversation, whether or not there would have been those who would have spoken well of them, or spoken ill. He had to pray that it was kind and generous remarks which had been made of them, but he could not be sure of it.

“It will be a good marriage,” was all he said, choosing not to make any further remarks. “Now, if you will excuse me, Lady Patience, I think I shall attempt to be sociable again.”

Stepping away from her, he felt her gaze linger on him still, and his skin prickled uncomfortably. He did not want her studying him, did not like to be the subject of her perusal. The last thing he wanted was whispers spread from one person to another within the ton.

“Good evening, Lord Hastings.”

Daniel scowled, coming to an abrupt stop as he came face to face with the very person he had been trying to spy out to avoid him.

“Lord Newforth. I have nothing to say to you.”

“Oh, but I have much to say to you.” Lord Newforth took a step closer, and Daniel retreated back to where he had come from – not from fear, but from a desire to make certain that very few people could overhear whatever Lord Newforth was going to insist upon saying. “Come now, Lord Hastings! You are not afraid of me, are you?”

Daniel drew himself up as tall as he could.

“Not in the least,” he grated, irritated by the gentleman’s suggestion. “I have no wish to talk to you, Newforth. I presume that much is clear but yet, it seems, you are going to disregard what I desire and instead, force yourself upon me.”

“Much as I did your sister.”

Those words, as well as the cold, dark smile that glittered across Lord Newforth’s face made Daniel’s stomach twist, sending fire through him as he fought to keep his composure. Was that what Lord Newforth wanted? Did he hope that Daniel would embarrass himself in front of the ton, so that he might then spread rumors and whispers about him to shame him all the more? It was quite clear to Daniel that the man wanted some sort of revenge and this, it seemed, was his way of going about it.

Swallowing hard, Daniel let his hands curl into tight fists but otherwise, said nothing.

“You think that you have bested me, do you not?” Lord Newforth hissed, coming even closer to Daniel, his eyes narrowed and like shards of glass, ready to push into Daniel’s skin. “You think that you have succeeded by marrying your sister to your best friend?”

“I do not think that I have,” Daniel retorted, forcing himself to keep his voice low, “I know that I have done so. It was clear to me from the beginning what it was that you desired when it came to my sister – but you shall not have her, Newforth.”

Lord Newforth’s expression grew ugly.

“You know nothing about me.”

“On the contrary,” Daniel answered, his lip curling. “I know that you are without fortune, that you have frittered what you had away on gambling and on visiting houses of disrepute, and no doubt, that these are still difficulties for you. You did not desire my sister out of any attraction to her, out of any sincere desire to take her as your wife, but solely because of your interest in her fortune. That is what drove you to her, that is what pulled at you over and over again. I may not have the highest title within society, but I do have an excellent fortune and Isabella, therefore, an increased dowry. With that, she will also be given a yearly income from my estate, as was pledged in my father’s will. Knowing this, it is that which you sought rather than anything else, Lord Newforth, and it is because of that situation that I refused you my sister’s hand. I am glad that she is to wed Lord Milthorpe, and all the more impressed with his consideration and care for her, for it is that which has driven him to offer for her hand. I think that they will have a very happy and successful marriage, and I am all the more delighted that you have lost what you once desired. There is nothing you can do that will take her from him.”

Lord Newforth’s jaw set tight, his face turning a shade of red that Daniel had rarely seen on a person’s face before. Daniel, however, held the gentleman’s gaze, almost daring him to speak again, to find something more to say.

“You may have succeeded there,” Lord Newforth eventually whispered, “but I will make certain that your own success in matrimony fails utterly, Hastings.”

At this, Daniel let out a short, sharp laugh, making Lord Newforth’s eyes round.

“You are mistaken if you think that I have any interest in matrimony,” he replied, anger in his tone now. “Or any interest in society, in fact. You have failed, Lord Newforth, and you shall fail again.”

At this, Lord Newforth reared back, looking as though he wanted to strike Daniel hard across the face, his other hand reaching out to grab Daniel’s arm, holding him in place. Daniel snatched a breath, blood pounding in his ears, afraid now of what fury might drive Lord Newforth to do.

“Ah, Lord Hastings.”

A calm, clear voice interrupted them, and Lord Newforth instantly dropped Daniel’s arm and stepped back, though his breathing was ragged now.

“I have quite lost my mother and sister.” Lady Patience smiled at Daniel, her expression a stark contrast to the fury and panic that had been spreading through Daniel’s chest. “Might I beg of you to walk with me until I find them again? I think standing alone at the back of the drawing room is something of a mistake, for I have found myself quite bored and lacking any fine conversation!”

Daniel cleared his throat, feeling a little lost as he looked into Lady Patience’s eyes, trying to find a sense of equilibrium again.

“I – why yes, of course.”

“I thank you.” She smiled still and then turned her attention to Lord Newforth. “My sincere apologies to you for the interruption, good sir. Good evening.”

Daniel had no other choice but to walk away from Lord Newforth, his blood still running hot in his veins as he made his way through the drawing room with Lady Patience on his arm. He did not know what to say, wondering if he owed her some sort of explanation, only to shake his head to himself.

“You must think that a very strange situation to have witnessed,” he muttered, not quite sure what else to say. Should he be grateful that she had interrupted in such a way? That she had prevented Lord Newforth from doing whatever it was that he had intended? He did not know.

“I did not hear anything, if that is what you are asking me,” came the reply, “though I will admit to seeing anger on both your face and on the other gentleman’s face.”

“Lord Newforth.”

There came no flash of recognition into her green eyes.

“I am not acquainted with him.” She smiled sadly. “I mayhap ought not to have interrupted in the way that I did, Lord Hastings, but I was concerned that Lord Newforth was about to do something quite terrible and, knowing that your sister is, at this moment, filled with happiness at her betrothal, I could not imagine what Lord Newforth’s action might do.”

Daniel frowned.

“Are you acquainted with my sister?”

Lady Patience shook her head.

“No, I am not. Though I am well aware that her betrothal has only been announced very recently and, since there is the drawing in The London Chronicle too, then it is well known to all of London society just how happy she must be at this moment.”

Softening, Daniel smiled, his heart beginning to steady itself now that he was away from Lord Newforth.

“It is surprising that you would care so much for a young lady who is not even someone acquainted with you.”

“Is it?” Lady Patience tilted her head. “I do not think so, I confess. I assume that any young lady would show care and consideration for others, knowing that we are all in the same position here in London.”

“Position?”

A slight smile touched the edges of her mouth, her eyes brighter now.

“We are here to wed, just as your sister’s purpose was,” she said, making Daniel flush with a sudden embarrassment. He ought to have understood what she meant. “I am glad that she has found happiness with Lord Milthorpe. That is why I interrupted your conversation with Lord Newforth’s, though I hope that I did not do wrong.”

“No, no, not in the least,” Daniel assured her, quickly. “You are very kind to have done such a thing, Lady Patience. Most considerate of you, assuredly.”

Her eyes smiled up into his and for a moment, Daniel’s heart swelled with something other than relief over being taken from the anger of Lord Newforth. Then, it was gone, fading just as quickly as it had come, as he turned his head away.

“Ah, Patience, there you are.”

“Here I am, Mama.” Lady Patience released his arm and then, after a quick smile at him, stepped towards her mother, leaving Daniel behind. There was no requirement, no expectation for him to step forward and introduce himself, he realized, and for that, he was grateful. Suddenly, the only thing that he wanted to do was find Isabella and make certain that she was safe. With Lord Newforth present and in such an angry frame of mind, Daniel had to stay close to Isabella. It was the only way that she could be protected though, he feared, the threat would not dissipate for some time, mayhap only after Isabella was wed and he was far away from society.

Though I have seen that not everyone in society is as cruel, nor as eager to gossip as others, he thought to himself, casting a quick glance over his shoulder. Lady Patience was laughing at something that someone had said, and that bright, joyful moment made him smile. Despite Lord Newforth’s threat, it was clear to Daniel that Lady Patience, at least, was quite determined to protect Isabella, someone she had not even been introduced to! That was a kindness indeed and, for just a moment, it made Daniel feel a little better about society.

Though it was only for a moment.