Chapter 2 #2
His lips pressed together, and he gave a small nod. “Good evening, Miss Sharp.” That was usually how he concluded our interactions, but I was far from satisfied.
A surge of desperation rose up in my chest, and without thinking, I reached for his arm. “Wait—” I took a handful of his jacket sleeve to hold him back, and the collective gasp from the nearby guests in the room made me acutely aware of my mistake.
Mr. Campbell tugged his arm away, his gaze shooting to his sleeve.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted. “But I-I wished to ask…who tailors your jackets? They are always quite well-fitted, and my brother wishes to find a new tailor.”
Mr. Campbell looked at me as if I were a pest trapped inside a moving carriage with him.
He couldn’t easily jump out the window, not now that we were being watched by at least half the room.
My heart was in my throat. Was this a good thing?
If society began to whisper about the two of us, Mr. Campbell might feel just enough pressure to court me.
I felt my chances grow slimmer as he deliberately smoothed the wrinkles out of his sleeve, one eyebrow arched.
“I have my jackets tailored at Weston’s in London.” His voice was dangerously quiet. “I have found nothing else to be suitable.”
I forced myself to smile. “Of course. I should have expected nothing less from a man of your station.”
Mr. Campbell seemed even more irked by that, but with the many eyes on us, he maintained a polite voice. “I wish your brother well in his search.”
“And I wish you well in yours,” I said before realizing how very inapplicable that was. Why could I never sound eloquent?
Mr. Campbell’s brow twitched in confusion.
“I mean—everyone is searching for something.” I laughed. “Perhaps not a new tailor in your case.” I was only making matters worse, but I couldn’t stop talking once I started, especially when I was attempting to repair my mistakes.
“Is that so?” Mr. Campbell crossed his arms. “What is it you are searching for, Miss Sharp?”
A rich husband wouldn’t be a proper answer. Nor would ‘your fortune.’ “I’m afraid I cannot tell you that.”
“Why not?” Mr. Campbell seemed to be playing a game with me. I must not have been as sly as I thought I was. He knew full well that I was hunting his fortune.
I sighed inwardly. It seemed I would have to redirect my efforts.
Another gentleman might be more oblivious—or care much less about my motivations.
There was no use carrying on with my embarrassing attempts to flirt with Mr. Campbell.
“I wouldn’t spill the desires of my heart to a recent acquaintance,” I said finally, “especially one who seems intent on avoiding me.”
Mr. Campbell’s features lifted in a look of mild surprise.
I had never seen anything but boredom on his face.
Was he shocked that I was finally facing reality?
I was too. Perhaps he enjoyed watching ladies chase him for his money and crushing their dreams publicly.
But what he didn’t understand was that acquiring money was not a dream for me. It was a necessity.
Before he could say another word, I curtsied and walked to an isolated corner of the room. I wasn’t prepared to face Kate and Aunt Julia in the wake of my failure. I needed a moment to breathe and study the rest of the room for my next target. Preferably a more realistic one.
When I reached my corner of blue wallpaper, I turned to face the other guests.
I jumped.
Mr. Campbell was right on my heels.
“You think I’m intent on avoiding you?” he asked in a sardonic tone. “Why would I wish to do that?” He must have been enjoying our game, probably because he felt that he had the upper hand. His pride was being fed by the spoonful at the sight of my discomfort.
Anger bubbled under my skin. I did not have time for these antics. He seemed to want a confession from me. In my isolated corner, we were no longer being overheard by the other guests, though we were certainly still being watched.
Mr. Campbell’s reputation could afford to withstand nearly any blow, but mine was much more fragile.
If anyone speculated that he was interested in me and then he withdrew his attention, I would suffer for it.
He had nothing to lose by toying with me.
I probably deserved such treatment, given my misguided intentions toward him.
Mr. Colin Campbell was nothing more to me than a walking promissory note, one that could save my entire family from a dreadful fate.
I was certainly not innocent. But I had been taught that when caught with ill-intentions, it was more respectable to own them confidently than to deny them.
I examined his arrogant face for a long moment and deduced that there was no possible way he would ever court me. He was extremely vexing, actually, now that I thought about it. Proud, lazy, and disagreeable.
So I decided to tell him the truth about why he would wish to avoid me.
I lifted my chin. “Because I am indeed contriving to be wherever you are. I should very much like to acquire your fortune though marriage, and I suspect you might be avoiding me because you don’t want to offer it to me or anyone else.”
The shock on his face was rewarding. My satisfaction was too fresh for me to regret a single one of my bold words. In fact, it made me want to say more.
Mr. Campbell scowled down at me. “I can’t claim to be surprised by anything but your ill-mannered honesty. To confess your intentions without any remorse is astonishing.”
I released a bored sigh, suddenly caring very little for his opinion.
His scowl deepened. I seemed to have struck a sensitive subject. “Your suspicions are correct,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t intend to marry, and even if I did, I would find it imprudent to court a woman of your desperate situation and repulsive manner.”
I exhaled slowly, allowing his words to sink in. It was safe to say I would have to cross him promptly off my list. “Well then. If you will excuse me, I have much to do and very little time to waste. I must find a new gentleman to pursue.”
I didn’t wait for Mr. Campbell’s reaction.
Instead, I marched casually back toward Aunt Julia and Kate.
The potential consequences of my honesty would surely hit me later, but at the moment, I was quite proud of myself.
Mr. Campbell might have thought he was catching me in some wicked scheme, but the truth of the matter was that nearly every lady in England was hoping to secure a fortune for one reason or another.
What was the point in skirting around the subject?
Kate gave me a cautious look as I approached. Her attentive eyes missed nothing. “Oh, dear. What did you say this time?”
I brushed a curl from my forehead with a light laugh. “Nothing consequential.” I swallowed. “But I no longer have any interest in Mr. Campbell.”
“Arabella!”
“No.” I lifted a hand. “I have put the matter behind me.” My skin felt flushed, and I wanted to snatch Kate’s fan from her grasp. “Who is the next wealthiest gentleman here this evening?” I whispered quickly.
Kate narrowed her eyes at me, but thankfully she didn’t press the subject further.
Since the moment I had confided in her about my family’s plight, she had been nothing but dutiful.
For a friend I had met just two months before at the Pump Room, she was extremely devoted and trustworthy.
She had come to Bath alone while her husband remained in London.
She preferred the smaller scale of Bath to the chaos of Town, but her boredom had demanded that she obtain a friend.
We had swiftly connected despite the difference in our stations, and she had taken me under her wing.
I knew that if I had put Colin Campbell behind me, then Kate had too… even if she did look slightly vexed.
She straightened her posture and examined the room.
And then she directed my attention to Sir William, the second wealthiest man at Lady Benton’s party.