Chapter Twenty-Four
Liberty loathed being on display like she was now.
Standing beside her mother and father, greeting every guest who entered their townhouse to attend the Talbot ball.
Yes, she’d been in society for years, and yes, most nights someone was looking at her and either picking her appearance apart, or criticizing her for being an old maid, but this was different.
She had to smile and say the right things continually until this infernally long receiving line was done with.
There was also the fact that she couldn’t see a great deal. If she squinted, that brought things into focus more, but still, it wasn’t easy.
“Smile, daughter.”
“I am smiling, Father.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
“It would help if I could see,” she muttered.
“Ah, Lady Samson, how lovely you look this evening,” he said, as if he’d not spoken those words multiple times already. The woman he’d just complimented preened, so Liberty knew he’d sounded genuine.
“I forbid you to wear your glasses,” her mother hissed seconds later.
“It saddens me that wearing my glasses makes you ashamed, Mother, when without them I am basically blind.”
“Liberty,” her mother said, clearly shocked at her words. “It is not that at all.”
The entire conversation was taking place in harsh whispers, and likely this was not the place, but she still felt a need to say the words.
“I would rather see than reach my bed with a headache and sore shins from walking into things,” Liberty muttered.
“Be quiet, both of you,” her father said under his breath.
Shooting the line a look, Liberty gauged how long she would have to stay here before slipping away to find Alice, who had already arrived with her aunt, who thankfully had won at chess and seemed in a pleasant mood.
Studying the ones closer, she stiffened as she saw Tobias was next to greet them. He’d kissed her at Vauxhall Gardens, and she’d been able to think of little else. Squinting, she noted he looked pale. Even in this light, she could see that. Was his jaw clenched?
“Good evening, Tobias,” her father said.
With him were Lord and Lady Hamilton and Lord Stafford.
“Duke and Duchess,” Tobias said.
Liberty watched him bow, and when he straightened, wince. He didn’t look right, and his eyes seemed odd and squinty. But then again, that could just be the light and the fact she couldn’t see clearly. Was he ill? The thought should not have made her stomach clench; however, it did.
“Lady Liberty,” Toby said, reaching her next.
“What’s wrong?”
“Pardon?” He straightened after bowing, and she could see clearly something wasn’t right now. His eyes definitely looked odd.
“What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing is wrong with me,” he denied, but the words held little strength. “Good evening.” He then walked away, and Lord Stafford greeted her.
She debated for all of five seconds before asking, “What is wrong with Lord Corbyn?”
“As to that, Lady Liberty, I am unsure, as he has yet to tell me. But clearly something is, if you noticed it also.” His eyes followed the tall form that was heading for the doorway which led to the ballroom. “I shall follow and get it out of him.”
“Lady Liberty,” Lady Hamilton said, greeting her next with her husband.
“Lord and Lady Hamilton.” Liberty dropped into a curtsey, but her eyes were on the door that Tobias had just walked through.
“I know that you and Tobias were close friends, my lady,” Lord Hamilton said.
If the words shocked her, she didn’t show it. “Once, long ago, my lord,” she said.
“Perhaps one day you could ask him again why he turned from you, my lady? He could do with another friend in his corner, especially now he has Florence,” the man said. He then smiled and walked away with his wife, leaving her reeling.
She’d had doubts, of course, about why Tobias had done what he had to her, and they’d intensified recently. Should she ask him? Would he tell her the truth?
Liberty went through the motions of greeting the guests, but her head was whirling with thoughts of Tobias. Was he all right?
“Smile,” her mother hissed out the side of her mouth. “Good evening, Lord Michael.”
Liberty forced her lips upward as the man bowed before her.
“Good evening, Lady Liberty. I hope you will have room on your card to dance with me.”
“Of course she will, won’t you, dear?” her mother said.
“I would love to dance with you, my lord,” Liberty said, attempting to sound enthusiastic.
“May I say you look beautiful this evening, Lady Liberty.”
Lord Michael really was a nice man. Even if what he’d said about Tobias had annoyed her, which made no sense because, until recently, her thoughts had hardly been flattering either.
“That man would make you an excellent husband, Liberty,” her mother said when he’d walked away. “Handsome, distinguished.”
“Old,” Liberty added.
“Yes, well, you cannot afford to be picky, dear. The clock is ticking.”
She looked at her mother, who had spoken that entire sentence with a smile on her face, her social mask firmly in place.
“And yet the clock can tick for him?”
“Ah, Prudence, Agatha, and Lavinia, how wonderful to see you,” her mother said loudly. “I am so pleased you have come.”
“As we are pleased to be in your splendid house,” Lady Agatha said.
“Lady Liberty,” Lady Prudence said. “You look lovely this evening. Is that a new dress? It’s not your usual style, but I like it.”
“It’s one of Miss Battlemore’s,” Liberty’s mother said before she could. “Wouldn’t you agree it’s just right for her?”
“Perfect,” Lady Prudence agreed.
“Excellent, well, I’m glad my clothing is making you all happy. If you will excuse me, I see a staff member trying to get my attention. You stay, Mother. I will deal with it.”
Before her mother could stop her, Liberty had walked away. Opening a door just before the ballroom, she slipped inside and kept moving.
She knew what her mother was about. Knew Liberty’s marriage was her focus, but it angered her she had no say in the matter. If she’d stayed there a second longer, Liberty would have said something she’d regret.
Life had run along the same way for years.
Now it had tilted, and she didn’t seem able to right it again.
It was him, of course. Since the day he’d rescued her after her carriage wheel had broken, Tobias had been everywhere she was.
Then there was Florence, his ward, who he’d genuinely seemed to have an affection for that day in the park.
How was it possible? The cold, aloof Lord Corbyn was now raising a sweet little girl?
Liberty’s head was not on straight, and she needed to take a few moments before she entered the ballroom. Walking down the hallway that ran off it, she encountered a maid.
“Is all well, Anne?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Damn, she’d hoped for an actual emergency.
“Excellent, well come to me if you need anything.”
The girl bobbed a curtsey and hurried off.
She made herself enter the ballroom then. Skirting the edges, Liberty searched for Alice. Instead, she saw Tobias. He was just heading toward the open door at the end, leading to the terrace, and down into the gardens.
It took her two seconds to decide to follow. Nodding, smiling, and acting like she knew exactly where she was going and why, Liberty didn’t stop to chat. She walked out the door.
There were a few people out here but not many. Again Liberty smiled and kept walking. The terrace wound around the entire left side of the Talbot townhouse, but few would walk farther than where she now stood, as there was no light. Plus, it was a chilly evening in London.
Looking around her, Liberty searched for Tobias and saw only shapes. Pulling out her eyeglasses from the handy pocket she’d insisted Miss Battlemore sew into her dress, she put them on.
Walking into the darkness farther around the terrace, she located Tobias. Leaning on the balustrade, he had his head lowered between his hands. He was the picture of defeat, and she didn’t like how that made her feel.
“Are you unwell?”
He straightened, and she heard the hiss of his breath at the movement.
“Good evening again, Lady Liberty. You should not be out here alone with me.”
“Why are you out here alone when you have just arrived? Why are you wincing when you move, and why do your eyes appear squinty?”
“Which question do you wish an answer to first?” His words sounded raspy and off as he straightened to turn and lean against the balustrade, as if he needed it to hold him upright.
“What is going on, Lord Corbyn?” Something hit her then, and she did not like it one bit. “Are you meeting someone here?” The realization that it could be a woman had cold slithering through her body.
“You think I would have a secret liaison at your family home?” The words were no longer calm. “Your opinion of me is indeed poor.”
“I don’t know you,” she said in a low, angry voice.
He didn’t answer that, instead turning from her to look out to the night sky.
“If you are not meeting someone, then are you unwell, my lord? Do you need me to collect your friends to assist you?”
“I don’t need you to collect anyone.” He was still looking at the sky.
“Why are you looking at the sky?”
“I like it.”
She took a deep breath and counted to ten.
“So you still do that, too?”
“What?” She had only reached five.
“Count to ten when you are trying to calm down.”
“No,” Liberty lied. “Have you found anything more out about Bidham?” If he didn’t want to answer her about what was going on with him, then she’d ask him about that.
“You need to go back inside, my lady.” He turned, and then swayed.
Liberty closed the distance between them and took his arm. “Come, you need to sit down, as clearly you are not well, and like my father, refuse to acknowledge it.”
“I am well,” he gritted out.
“I can see that,” she mocked him. Liberty tugged his arm and led him to a seat her father had placed on this side so his wife could sit here and look over the gardens in private. “Sit at once, Lord Corbyn.” She nudged him down into it.