Chapter 14
ARABELLA
M y efforts to charm Mr. Campbell were embarrassing, to say the least, but they had seemed to be working until that old woman interrupted us.
I hadn’t expected to feel so affected by his flirting, but I should have known better by now.
My pulse was still slightly elevated, my palms sweaty, but I turned in the woman’s direction.
Her voice sounded older than her face appeared, her youthful skin contradicting her gray curls.
“Colin, I presume?” the woman asked as she stared up at Mr. Campbell.
“You are dressed too well to be your brother.” She examined him from head to toe, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and a hint of eagerness.
She appeared pleased to have found a familiar face in Bath—and I could practically see her mind spinning with the possibilities of what she might discover about his personal affairs.
My observations stopped suddenly. Had she said…brother?
When I had asked Mr. Campbell about his family, he had only mentioned sisters.
I scowled.
“I’m glad you have noticed my superior fashion taste,” he said with curt smile. “What brings you to Bath, Mrs. Wickerton?” His features were stiff, much like his posture, as he faced the petite, seemingly innocent woman in front of him.
“My niece and her husband were kind enough to invite me for the month.” She gestured at the woman beside her. “My dear Mrs. Lennox, meet Mr. Colin Campbell.”
During the introduction, I took a small step backward. Kate was only a few feet away, but had been thoroughly distracted by her current conversation. I had no wish to meet this Mrs. Wickerton.
Before I could escape, her gaze darted in my direction. “And who might this young lady be?” The piercing curiosity in her gaze rooted me to the floor. She looked at Mr. Campbell expectantly.
“Miss Arabella Sharp.” The lack of details surrounding our acquaintance seemed to only heighten the woman’s intrigue. She bustled a step closer to me, a sweet smile tugging on her lips.
“My, what a beauty you are. I confess I have not heard of any Sharps. You are certainly the first Sharp of my acquaintance.” She let out a tiny laugh. “Have you been long acquainted with Mr. Campbell?”
I chose my words carefully. If I was desperate enough, I could exaggerate our acquaintance and hope that the gossip would drive Mr. Campbell to an earlier proposal. But I doubted that would do anything but scare him away. I had to tread carefully. “Not long at all.”
Mrs. Wickerton’s wispy brows lifted. “I am shocked. The two of you seemed quite familiar. Quite familiar, indeed.” Her eyes darted between us, her hands clutched tightly together.
I laughed lightly. “I fear you are mistaken. Mr. Campbell is simply amiable enough to put a young lady at ease in a crowded room.”
Mrs. Wickerton didn’t seem entirely convinced. She must have been acquainted with the version of Mr. Campbell that I had first encountered—the stoic and unapproachable one. I doubted anyone had ever described him as amiable.
“I see.” Mrs. Wickerton flashed a smile in my direction before turning her attention to Mr. Campbell once again. “What a flattering endorsement this must be, coming from such a lovely young lady.”
Mr. Campbell shifted on his feet, his eyes darting in my direction. “I am honored, to be sure.”
I studied his tense shoulders. This interaction was clearly making him uncomfortable.
If he was truly interested in courting me, then why should he be afraid of what inferences Mrs. Wickerton might make?
If his intentions were genuine, he would be proud that society knew he was courting me.
I was no longer so eager to escape Mrs. Wickerton’s side. Perhaps she and I could become allies.
She inched slightly closer to Mr. Campbell, lowering her voice. “I should hope you would readily accept any praise given to your character. It could not have been easy recovering from the impact of your brother’s scandal.”
It took all my energy, but I managed to keep my expression neutral.
Scandal?
Mr. Campbell hadn’t been exaggerating about Mrs. Wickerton’s love of gossip.
She had wasted very little time in bringing up what must have been a sensitive subject.
My heart pounded. Perhaps I should have removed myself from the conversation, but I couldn’t help but remain rooted where I stood.
I hadn’t even known that Mr. Campbell had a brother…
and I certainly hadn’t heard about a scandal.
Mr. Campbell’s brow tightened, his jaw setting before he managed a reply. “It was not easy, no.” The curt words didn’t seem to cut through Mrs. Wickerton’s clueless demeanor.
“The fault was not yours, of course. You managed the situation quite respectably. We cannot help who the members of our family are and what trouble they cause.” Mrs. Wickerton gave him a sympathetic smile. “You bear the burden of your unfortunate relations quite well.”
I watched the growing signs of agitation in Mr. Campbell’s features. I had never seen him so…vexed. Not even I had caused such a strong reaction in him, and I had certainly tried.
I stared up at the sharp corners of Mr. Campbell’s jaw, the firm set of his mouth as he struggled to formulate a response.
Mrs. Wickerton, on the other hand, carried on smiling as if she hadn’t said anything impertinent at all.
“I hope you enjoy the party, Mr. Campbell,” she said when he didn’t reply.
“What a pleasure to see you in Bath. If I were you, I would not be keen to leave Miss Sharp’s side.
” A sly smile followed the words, and I knew without a doubt that she would be keeping a close watch on us all evening.
She bustled away with her companion at a surprisingly brisk pace, and had already begun whispering something in her ear.
Mr. Campbell closed his eyes for a moment before looking in my direction.
Was he as ashamed of his brother as Mrs. Wickerton had implied?
There must have been a reason he hadn’t told me about him while mentioning his sisters.
Several questions bolted through my mind, but it didn’t feel like the proper time to ask about this burdensome brother of his.
At any rate, I was not at liberty to tell him the details about my own brother’s scandal.
All I knew was that Mr. Campbell appeared just as troubled as I felt, just as weary and deflated as I had been that morning when Mr. Russell had met me outside the Abbey.
Mrs. Beresford called the room to attention. It was time to remove to the dining room.
My questions would have to wait for now.
The guests exited the room swiftly, and I was seated diagonally across from Mr. Campbell at the table.
I hadn’t taken the time to note who was in attendance, so I was surprised to find Sir William among the party.
His eyes met mine across the table, lingering for a few seconds.
I had already determined that I was not his first choice for a wife, but perhaps I was still on the list. He was no longer my first choice for a husband either, but if Mr. Campbell didn’t act quickly enough, I would have to resort to other options once again.
My stomach turned at the thought. How very little time I had.
Was I a fool to be putting so much faith in Mr. Campbell?
I took a quick glance at his face across the table, but he was already looking at me.
His hair shone in the candlelight, his eyes glinting just as sharply.
The intensity there must have been a trick of the shadows, because it faded as he greeted the gentleman seated beside him.
I folded my hands in my lap, tucking away my curiosity. I could question him about his brother later. And I fully intended to.
The first course was brought out by a fleet of footmen dressed in claret livery.
The Beresfords were quite wealthy and seemed determined to show it.
While most of the guests were likely accustomed to such fine dishes and surroundings, I struggled to contain my awe at the flawless execution of the servants as they placed the soups in front of each guest. My white soup was garnished with small herbs of some kind, and my mouth watered at the scent wafting up from the bowl.
Kate sat near the head of the table, and I was seated far on the other side.
I was on my own beside the woman Mr. Campbell had been speaking to in the drawing room earlier.
We had not been formally introduced, but under cover of the various conversations in the room, she took the matter upon herself.
“I don’t believe we are acquainted.” The woman’s features reminded me of a fox, despite the little interaction I had shared with the animals. Her nose was pointed, her ginger hair curling over her striking blue eyes.
“We are not.”
“Mrs. Aldworth.” She touched her own collar lightly. “And these are my daughters, Miss Aldworth and Miss Elizabeth.”
They inclined their heads in unison. My eyes widened in surprise.
The two girls were identical besides their dresses and accessories.
By my estimation, they were barely out in society and couldn’t have been older than eighteen.
Their mother must have married at a similar age.
She looked younger than forty by several years, her complexion smooth and rosy.
“A pleasure to meet you all,” I said in a polite voice.
“Indeed.” Mrs. Aldworth smiled, but it didn’t seem genuine.
I sensed the appraisal behind her eyes as she examined me. She must have been wondering why Mr. Campbell had left her side in order to greet me in the drawing room, or why he had appeared to be interested in me at all. I wanted to assure her that I had been wondering the same thing.
My skin prickled under the scrutiny of her gaze.
Perhaps she had noticed that my gown wasn’t consistent with the current fashions, or that some of the threads in the beadwork had fallen loose.
Any discerning eye would be able to conclude that I was not wealthy—and Mrs. Aldworth’s eyes seemed to be peeling my skin back like an orange.
Had she seen the moment I had touched Mr. Campbell’s arm? I had been trying to be flirtatious, but perhaps it had been too much. I couldn’t blame her for scrutinizing me after that. Any witness to that moment would assume there was something between us.
“How are you acquainted with the Beresfords?” Mrs. Aldworth asked. She hadn’t touched her soup.
“Mrs. Ollerton is a dear friend of mine. She introduced them to me at the assembly rooms a few weeks past.”
“Ah, a vital connection to have.” Mrs. Aldworth glanced in Kate’s direction. “Did she also introduce you to Mr. Campbell?”
I sensed the deep curiosity behind the question, but before I could answer, I caught Mrs. Wickerton’s gaze.
She held her cup at her lips, but her eyes were fixed on me over the rim.
I tried not to appear startled, but I now understood why Mr. Campbell was so unsettled by her.
I had no doubt she was listening to every word of our conversation.
“Yes, actually. Mrs. Ollerton is the source of most of my connections in town.” I laughed lightly before taking a small bite of soup. I couldn’t even enjoy the rich flavor before Mrs. Aldworth fired another question.
“Has Mr. Campbell called upon you?”
I paused, my spoon suspended above the bowl.
It wouldn’t serve me to lie, would it? With Mrs. Aldworth and Mrs. Wickerton listening, gossip was sure to spread about Mr. Campbell’s intentions.
And why shouldn’t it? If he claimed he wanted to be my ‘only suitor,’ then he should be willing to make the courtship public.
My heart hammered as I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Yes. He has on multiple occasions.”