Chapter 2 #3
Two young gentlemen approached us, and as soon as I was introduced, one asked Juliet to dance and the other asked me.
Soon I was dancing and smiling—but not too much, for I didn’t want to seem too friendly and familiar and “countrified”—and enjoying myself as much as possible, even though I was still able to see Cornelius Fortescue.
He was dancing with a most elegant woman.
Her person, hair, and dress were all dripping with pearls, and she had the haughtiest countenance I’d ever seen. Even Mr. Fortescue looked a bit cowed.
I determined not to look at him again.
My partner was agreeable, though neither of us talked, but he gazed at me in a way that was quite flattering, and I saw his Adam’s apple bob up and down more than once as he swallowed.
Though he was unusually thin, he was reasonably good-looking with a pleasant countenance.
I was proud of myself for remembering his name, Mr. James Breckinridge, though it was not familiar and he had not been one of the desirable gentlemen my aunt had told me to flirt with.
I was just glad someone had asked me to dance.
Juliet was a wonderful dancer, I noticed, and she smiled often at her partner, who was also pleasant and agreeable. How fortunate for us, to dance and feel admired, for her partner was gazing at her in much the same way mine looked at me.
What a relief it was to know, after the humiliation of Mr. Fortescue and his friends laughing at me, that not every gentleman was. And it was certainly comforting that, as much as we ladies were attracted to a handsome face, hide it though we all must, these gentlemen were attracted to us as well.
Perhaps London would not be so bad after all as I learned the rules.
I simply had to behave as if it were a game of cards and not show my hand—my country manners.
And perhaps someday I’d meet someone who didn’t mind them, who appreciated me for what Juliet had called my “artless and friendly” way of saying what I meant.
The next dance, I had no partner. At the last moment, a gentleman asked Juliet, but she told him, “I thank you, but I wish to sit and talk with my friend.”
The gentleman had to bow and walk away.
Juliet whispered to me, “What is it like to have so many brothers and sisters? You must never feel alone or want for someone to talk to.”
“Well, my brother Adam is only two years younger than I am, and he is a good friend to me and we talk a lot, but my nearest sister is eight years younger. We do talk, but not so much as we might if we were nearer in age. But there is always something I can do to help Mother and the nursemaid. I often care for my two-year-old sister, Diana. She is very sweet, but I’m the only one she wants to put her down for her nap, especially now that my little brother is here.
He is six weeks old. And my brothers are always causing some kind of ruckus, with their wild playing and pretend sword fighting.
But I am talking too much, and you don’t want to hear about all my brothers and sisters. ”
I didn’t want to drive my new friend away with my dull, one-sided conversation.
But Juliet didn’t look put off by my long string of words.
“That sounds lovely. When she was only a week old, I held my little niece while she slept. It was the sweetest feeling. And you shouldn’t think you are talking too much with me.
I enjoy lively conversation, and I am not so stuffy and formal as some people. ”
“Oh, that is a relief.”
Juliet laughed. “I like you very much, Amelia Moore. We are destined to be great friends.”
She whispered that last part, as a young gentleman, who had been talking with two other gentlemen nearby, approached us. I immediately noticed how very handsome he looked and assumed he was coming to ask Juliet to dance.
“Amelia, this is my brother Jeremy Beaumont. He is saddled with being my chaperone tonight, more’s the pity for him.” Juliet smirked, the opposite of an expression of pity.
Then it struck me. Jeremy Beaumont. He was supposed to be the most sought-after gentleman of the Season, according to my aunt.
“Miss Moore,” Mr. Beaumont said after Juliet had finished the introduction. He gave me a quick bow and a rather sour frown before saying to Juliet, “I hope you are enjoying yourself.”
“I am, very much. Now, if you would dance with my friend, perhaps a gentleman would ask me to dance.”
He bowed to me. “Would you do me the honor, Miss Moore, of dancing the next with me?”
“Yes, I thank you.”
It was strange. I might have been nervous and even frightened of dancing with the most eligible young gentleman in the room, if he had been the least bit cordial.
Instead, his expression was cold and unfriendly.
It made me wonder: How could someone as kind and wonderful as Juliet Beaumont have such a sour, ungracious brother?
And how could such a man be considered the most eligible bachelor of the London social season?
It was a shame that the handsomest ones were the most unpleasant.
Mr. Beaumont’s thick brown hair had a subtle hint of auburn that complemented his blue eyes. A shock of it lay across his forehead in a wave of unruliness, almost defiance. His features were quite handsome. Or they would have been, had he not been wearing such a disagreeable expression.
As we stood opposite each other, waiting for the dance to begin, I said, “Juliet is a wonderful girl. You are blessed to have her as a sister.”
He couldn’t take offense with that, could he? Yet he kept staring coldly.
I thought of some other things I might say, but as talking had brought me only scorn from my first dance partner of the night, I wished I hadn’t said anything.
Just as I thought he wasn’t going to reply to me at all, he said, “She is won over easily enough.”
My cheeks started to burn. How could he say such a thing? He didn’t even know me.
The music finally began.
Perhaps he hadn’t meant to be offensive to me. He was only commenting on Juliet’s gregarious nature.
He was a very good dancer, not like some gentlemen whose movements were as stilted as their conversation, or the men who refused to make eye contact, their gaze wandering about the room, or the ones who awkwardly tried to talk while dancing, or who didn’t know the steps of the dance and bumped into their partner or trod on her foot.
Mr. Beaumont’s execution, however, was flawless.
When it was over, he said, “To whom shall I escort you?”
I wanted him to take me to his sister Juliet, but I knew it was customary for him to escort me back to my parent or chaperone, so I said, “My aunt is over there—” I nodded in her direction “—Mrs. Oliver Kendall.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Kendall are your uncle and aunt?”
“Yes.”
“And how did you become acquainted with my sister?” He seemed to hiss the words.
“We met tonight, in the hall—”
“And you are from where? Who are your parents?”
I straightened my shoulders, and I did not smile. “My father is a gentleman, if that is what you are asking.”
He did not reply.
We arrived in front of my aunt, who was all smiles.
“Mr. Beaumont, how good of you to escort my niece. You looked very handsome out there on the dance floor, both such accomplished dancers.”
Mr. Beaumont bowed to my aunt, then turned and walked away.
“What a hateful man,” I muttered, but my aunt didn’t appear to hear me.
“My dear, such a happy thing, to be asked to dance by Mr. Jeremy Beaumont.” She kept her voice down so that, hopefully, no one else could hear.
I almost said something to contradict her, but thought better of it, partially for Juliet’s sake, whose dance partner had escorted her back to her brother. Then Juliet came to stand beside me.
“My brother can be so odious sometimes.” Juliet rolled her eyes in a way my brother Ollie sometimes did. “But he is a good brother and has a good heart. But look. Here come two more gentlemen.”
Two gentlemen did indeed come to join us, and Mrs. Kendall, who seemed to be acquainted with everyone in the room, made the introductions. They immediately asked us to dance.
The rest of the evening passed just in that way, with Juliet and I being asked to dance nearly every dance. It was the most pleasant of evenings, in spite of Mr. Fortescue speaking to me so rudely and Mr. Beaumont treating me so coldly.
At least the evening had led to my fortuitous meeting with Juliet. We talked and giggled at every opportunity, and by the end of the evening we were making plans to walk in the park together the very next day.
As we were waiting for our carriage, I caught a glimpse of her brother’s scowling face as he hovered behind his sister.
But I could see that even though Juliet loved her brother, she had a mind of her own and would not be persuaded by his opinion, if indeed he was warning her to stay away from me, though I couldn’t imagine why he would.
Mrs. Kendall said quietly to Juliet, “I always have a headache the morning after one of these parties. Do you think you can get someone else to accompany you and Amelia to the park?”
Mr. Beaumont smirked, and not in an amused way.
“Of course,” Juliet said. “My brother can accompany us. Do not trouble yourself at all.”
In parting, Juliet clasped my hands and said, “I am so happy that we met.”
“I am happy too. This has been the best day of my life.”
I realized how childish I sounded as soon as the words were out of my mouth, the unsophisticated country girl with eleven brothers and sisters. Was that why Jeremy Beaumont narrowed his eyes and looked away in disgust? Of course, I couldn’t know what he was thinking, but he was abominably rude.