Chapter 15
ARABELLA
A muffled gasp came from Mrs. Wickerton, but she disguised it with a cough. Mrs. Aldworth’s smile faltered.
“I confess myself surprised.” Her delicate brows lifted. “From what I have heard, Mr. Campbell seems quite determined never to marry. I do hope his intentions are sincere. I must advise you to take great care.”
“Never?” I whispered. “Why would he say that?” My curiosity couldn’t be helped.
“He thinks all women are after his fortune. There is nothing he despises more than a fortune hunter.”
He knew I wanted a fortune, yet he was still pursuing me.
It didn’t make sense. It never had made sense, but my hopes had risen anyway.
Was he playing a game with me? If so, to what end?
My skin grew cold. “Fortune hunting is quite despicable, indeed.” I gave a polite smile before reaching for my spoon again.
I wanted nothing more than to enjoy my soup uninterrupted.
My thoughts whirled with doubt, but I stamped them down.
Why on earth would Mr. Campbell waste his time pretending to court me?
Surely he had far better things to do with his time.
I tried to ignore my confusion as I ate my soup, participating in the conversation around me only when necessary.
I caught Sir William’s gaze more than once during the second course, and caught Mr. Campbell’s as well.
He appeared concerned with my proximity to Mrs. Aldworth and Mrs. Wickerton, and rightfully so.
I had exposed his efforts to court me and learned about his ambition to ‘never marry,’ all within seconds.
I had been quite productive, indeed.
My stomach sank as I watched his profile, his lips moving soundlessly as he spoke with the man beside him. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the sight of him made me feel suddenly ill. If he was deceiving me…more than just my pride would be wounded. My heart pounded fast.
When the elaborate dessert display was brought out, I sat up straight in my chair. Various jellies, cakes, and moulded flummery were placed throughout the table. My jaw fell slack when the nearest footman placed the centerpiece in the middle of the display.
It was a large fruit with a prickly exterior, green plumes sticking straight out of the top.
My gaze shot toward Mr. Campbell. He seemed to have noticed the pineapple the same moment I did.
Despite the fresh confusion I felt toward him, I couldn’t contain my smile.
He wore a look of complete bewilderment, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Had the Beresfords just proven themselves to be more wealthy and resourceful than Mr. Campbell?
He wouldn’t like that very much.
I grinned at the centerpiece—for that was all it was.
A display. I wished the Beresfords would slice and serve the fruit, but it had likely rotted on the journey to England.
Mr. Campbell’s eyes gleamed with amusement, and the wild urge to laugh gripped my stomach.
I looked down at the table to compose myself.
“What is so amusing, Miss Sharp?” The question came from Mrs. Wickerton in a moment of silence.
I felt the edges of my cheeks burn. I had counted fourteen guests, and all eyes had turned to me.
Mrs. Wickerton blinked innocently as she shifted her gaze in Mr. Campbell’s direction.
“It would seem you and Mr. Campbell share a secret joke of some sort. Please do amuse the rest of us.”
Mr. Campbell’s smile slackened, and he cleared his throat. Just as I was about to spout a great deal of nonsense, he spoke.
“I have been trying to procure a pineapple, and Miss Sharp was aware of the difficulty of the task. I am thoroughly impressed that the Beresfords managed to obtain one.”
Mrs. Wickerton opened her mouth again, but snapped it closed when Mrs. Beresford took her turn. “Thank you, Mr. Campbell. I have been awaiting its arrival for months.”
Oh, yes. It was certainly rotten, then.
Thankfully Mrs. Wickerton didn’t pry for any further information about my courtship with Mr. Campbell. I suspected I had already given her everything she needed to stir up gossip in the Pump Room the next morning. If she had just arrived in town, she was sure to be there to taste the mineral water.
After the desserts were served and cleared away, the pineapple untouched, the ladies removed to the drawing room.
I kept to my own settee beside Kate in the far corner of the room, but didn’t dare discuss the events of the evening with Mrs. Wickerton and Mrs. Aldworth nearby.
Their hearing was sharper than my childhood dog’s, and he had been able to hear a piece of ham fall from the breakfast table from the upper floors of the house.
When the gentlemen had finished their port, they joined us in the drawing room. Much to my dismay, my heart leaped at the sight of Mr. Campbell in the doorway. I hardly knew what to think of the unsteady sensation in my stomach as he set his gaze on me.
Kate nudged my arm.
He started in my direction, and without consulting me, Kate moved to the opposite side of the settee.
Mr. Campbell filled the large gap she had left on the cushion, settling in beside me.
The drawing room was lit by dozens of candles, and the warm light danced across his features.
I willed myself to remain unaffected by his closeness.
It didn’t matter how attractive he was if he couldn’t be trusted.
I took a deep breath before facing him coolly. “I am curious about something.”
He met my gaze with a look of misgiving. “Yes?”
“How exactly do you plan to steal the Beresfords’ pineapple?” I whispered.
The concern on his face melted, a smile overtaking his lips. What had he assumed I was going to ask him? Perhaps he thought I would question him about his brother or something else Mrs. Wickerton had said. I would eventually, of course, but not here.
“You would have me resort to thievery in order to win your affection?” His low voice sent a chill across the back of my neck. His eyes were locked on mine.
“Yes. You are fortunate that the Beresfords have no eligible sons.”
Mr. Campbell laughed under his breath, shaking his head at the same time. “I take it you have already researched that matter?”
“Of course.” I studied each one of his features. All I saw was amusement and a bit of disbelief. Perhaps he thought I was only jesting, but I wasn’t. I had indeed researched the Beresfords after learning of Freddy’s mistakes and deciding what gentleman I might pursue.
“I’m not surprised,” he whispered. “You are nothing if not thorough.”
I scowled. If Mr. Campbell had a true hatred for fortune hunters, how could he accept that I was one of them?
I had not hidden it from him. Was my honesty what attracted him to me?
Did he enjoy the challenge of showing me who he truly was beneath all the money he possessed? I didn’t have the slightest idea.
Mrs. Wickerton watched us from across the room as a young lady stood up to the pianoforte. She must have been gathering evidence to support her suspicions about our courtship. Mr. Campbell seemed to notice at the same moment I did, and the amusement in his features faded away.
“May I see you tomorrow?” he asked in a quiet voice.
My heart jumped. I hadn’t expected that. The lady at the pianoforte was still arranging her sheet music, but the room had fallen silent in preparation for her performance. I wanted to ask where and when, but I simply nodded.
The music began, a slow, minor piece that I didn’t recognize.
The moment it ended, Mr. Campbell stood from the settee and crossed the room to an empty corner, selecting a book from the bookcase against the wall.
I understood the need to be discreet if there wasn’t yet an engagement between us, but my stomach sank all the same when Mrs. Aldworth and her daughters made their way to his corner once again.
I had to admire their persistence.
An unpleasant emotion gnawed at my stomach, but I pushed it away and tried not to eavesdrop on the flirting that was coming from all three women.
Was I jealous? I shook the thought from my mind, turning my gaze away from that side of the room.
Dread sank deep inside my chest. What I was feeling was not acceptable.
Not at all. Somehow I had grown a little too attached to the idea of marrying Mr. Campbell.
Or a little too attached to the man himself.
My heart thudded at the realization. But it was true. I took a deep breath to steady my sudden nerves.
Sir William stood against the intricate blue wallpaper across the room, his eyes drifting in my direction once again. I hadn’t meant to look at him, but the moment our eyes connected, he started toward me.
He stopped in front of the settee, offering a bow. His golden hair fell just above his light brown eyes. “Good evening, Miss Sharp. Are you enjoying the party?”
Kate continued to rotate away from me on the other side of the settee to avoid any involvement, though I knew she was listening.
“It has been a delight thus far.” I smiled broadly.
“I am glad to hear it.” He returned my smile and gestured at the empty space on the settee. “May I?”
“Of course.” I held my posture gracefully as he took the seat beside me.
I hadn’t believed him to be interested in me after the last ball at the assembly rooms, but tonight, his eyes glinted with admiration.
Had he sensed his competition in Mr. Campbell?
Was that why he had come to claim that seat?
I considered his friendly countenance, not a hint of reservation in his features.
He seemed like the sort of man to think the best of everyone…
innocent enough to be easily deceived. In fact, he reminded me of Freddy.
I cringed. That was not what I wanted in a husband.
But Sir William felt safer somehow, less threatening to my composure than Mr. Campbell.
He, on the other hand, evoked a whirlwind of emotions and ill manners within me that I had never experienced before.
If I courted Sir William instead, I would feel much more in control, and that was how I liked to feel.
I was torn between encouraging him and dismissing him. Mrs. Wickerton was already aware that Mr. Campbell had called upon me, and now she was watching my interaction with Sir William. I decided that remaining polite and neutral would serve me best for now.
As Sir William asked what my favorite dessert on the table had been, I felt Mr. Campbell’s gaze like a tangible thing, burning against the side of my face. I cast a discreet glance at the corner where I knew he stood, and my heart gave an unwelcome leap. His jaw was tight. Was he jealous, too?
I struggled to shake the image from my mind as I focused my attention on Sir William again.
We spoke of a number of inconsequential matters, such as the weather and the best activities to enjoy in town, before he took his leave of the settee and made his rounds to a few of the other guests.
I couldn’t interpret his attention as anything but friendliness, yet Mr. Campbell seemed to have other ideas.
I still felt his gaze, but I refused to look in his direction.
“That was unexpected,” Kate whispered as she moved closer to me. Her smile was far too sly for a public setting, so I scolded her with a look.
“I hope Mr. Campbell doesn’t feel deterred.” My voice was so hushed I wondered if Kate had even heard me.
She shook her head confidently. “If a man is truly interested in you, competition will not drive him away. It will have quite the opposite effect.” She leaned closer. “It will drive him to fight harder for you.”
I hoped she was right. It would be a good test of his devotion, at least. Because the question still lingered in my mind the entire evening: Was Mr. Campbell truly interested in me? Or was he deceiving me?
I was determined to find out.