Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Helena was barely able to contain her irritation.
What kind of gentleman would outright call a lady on her lie?
Well, perhaps a forthright one, but that was beside the point.
She was obviously making it clear that she had no wish for Chastity to dance with him, and yet he insisted on giving her a hard time for it.
Matteo Castor lacked manners, he lacked gallantry, and most of all, he lacked shame! Then again, what did she expect from a rake?
“Hmph!”
“Perhaps a glass of punch might restore your good humor, Helena?” Chastity asked tentatively.
“I already finished a glass, thank you, Chastity.”
Taking a deep breath, Helena focused her attentions on her sister.
“Chastity, I feel that I have caused you some distress; for that I apologize.”
“I am alright, Helena,” Chastity smiled reassuringly at her older sister. “But I do feel that you were unforgivably rude to His Grace. He did nothing but ask me to dance. I do not understand what happened. Did we not become friends during our visit to Icedale Castle last winter?”
How could she explain to Chastity that Matteo Castor, the Duke of Valen, was a rake? An excellent example of the very man that she had been warning her sisters about.
“I only thought that he would not be suitable for you, and that you should save your dances for more eligible gentlemen. That is all.”
Chastity frowned.
“But who could be more eligible than a duke?”
“Not this duke!” Helena muttered.
“I beg your pardon?” Chastity asked, thinking that she misheard her sister’s words.
“It is nothing.” Helena shook her head.
“And besides, I do not think that he had courtship with me remotely on his mind.” Chastity continued. “At Icedale Castle, he was very much like an older brother to Mary, Claire, and me. All three of us quite liked him.”
Helena could recall very well how he had entertained the young ladies during that time, if she was being fair—and, indeed, she would say that he played the host better than Peter had.
But that was neither here nor there. This was the London Season, and Chastity was, in the eyes of society, now eligible for marriage.
That meant that Chastity’s reputation must be exemplary and perfectly maintained in that state. And the first step toward perfection was making sure that Chastity was never associated with rakes.
“Helena?”
“Look, the next dance is about to begin,” Helena evaded.
She reached out towards Chastity’s hair.
“Let me straighten your—”
“Helena, stop fussing.” Chastity tilted her head away from her sister’s reach. “I am not a child.”
“Oh,” Helena replied, taken aback. “I apologize. I had not meant to infer that you were a child.”
Chastity shrugged her shoulders and smiled a small smile.
When the dancing resumed, Helena once again observed her sister and her partner. So far, all of the gentlemen who had asked for introductions were very suitable. She would know the next morning who of them planned to pursue Chastity for those who would be bound to call on them.
Everything is going well. Except for that little episode with the duke.
Helena frowned. Playing the scene back in her mind, Helena started to question herself if perhaps she had overreacted.
“No, I did not! But I must not let him rile me up like that again.” She muttered to herself.
“If we had known that you would start talking to yourself instead of to the other guests, then we would have hastened more in finding you.”
Relief flooded Helena; she closed her eyes and turned towards the welcome voice of her friends. Celine Harken, Duchess of Wylds, greeted her with laughter in her eyes. Beside her stood Dahlia, radiant with the expectation of her first child.
“You made it after all!” Helena said, giving each of them a warm hug.
“We would not miss Chastity’s first ball, of course! The twins are also here.” Dahlia smiled at her, then she paused and seemed to study Helena’s face. “But what is this?”
“What? What is this?”
“This.” Dahlia gestured to Helena’s face. “You look all riled up, Helena. Something is amiss, for you do not appear as calm as you usually do.”
“What can you mean, Dahlia? I am perfectly well.”
“Come now, Helena, you know you cannot fool us. Dahlia is right, you are fuming!” Celine said.
“Has someone done something untoward to Chastity? I shall give them a lashing—”
“No, you will not, pregnant lady,” Helena said as she grasped Dahlia’s arm to stop her from marching towards an unknown enemy. “Besides, you do not even know who it is.”
“Ah, so there is someone. Who is it? And what has he done to Chastity?” Celine asked now with all seriousness.
“Well, he did not really do anything, I prevented him before he could.”
Her friends listened to her with their full attention.
“I stopped him from dancing with Chastity. He was a most unsuitable partner for her.”
Her friends’ visible “ah” and nods encouraged her.
“Who is this gentleman?” Dahlia asked.
“Well…” Helena bit her lip before blurting out her answer. “The Duke of Valen.”
“Matteo?” Dahlia started laughing.
Celine frowned.
“I know that Peter is close friends with the duke, and that during the past year Dahlia has become good friends with him as well.” Celine looked at Dahlia for confirmation, to which a nod of reply was given.
“I have yet to meet him, but I did not forget all that I have heard of him as well. Did we not, as former wallflowers ourselves, hear such stories of him, too? The gossip!”
“Exactly!” Helena said. “That is precisely why I had to protect my Chastity from him—indeed, Faith and Grace as well, when it is their turn to enter society.”
“While it is true that we heard those stories before,” Dahlia said, obviously not liking the tone of their conversation, “it is also true that I have come to know him well this past year. He is not so bad as society paints him to be. I mean, he does not actually go off with debutantes or innocent young ladies.”
“I understand what you are saying, Dahlia, but the fact still remains that he has been known as a rake. And whether or not he has, indeed reformed—”
“Or was never one at all!” Dahlia inserted.
“—he still is, by reputation, not suitable to young ladies, especially those in their first season.” Helena insisted.
Then, lowering her voice, she told them of the scene which passed just moments before they arrived and of how she had reacted and tried to handle the situation.
“He actually, really did call me out on my fib!”
“The cad!” Celine said.
“How utterly unchivalrous of Matteo, I shall give him a piece of—”
“Pray, you do not, Dahlia.” Helena hastened to reply to her friend.
“I have had enough of the gentleman. Ever since my visit to Icedale Castle, I have tolerated his teasing. But no more, I shall do my very best to forget the man. I shall be civil to him, do not worry, for he is still Peter’s friend.
But I will, from now on, be indifferent.
That is, so long as he behaves as a gentleman towards Chastity. ”
“Yes, you do that, dear Helena,” Celine said, holding back a smile, “for it seems that you have been quite busy thinking of forgetting the man.”
Dahlia tried to keep a straight face, but only a heartbeat passed when all three friends burst into laughter.
“There, that is better,” Dahlia said as she took Helena’s hand. “You have been under enormous stress in ensuring Chastity’s successful debut. It is good to see you laugh.”
“Why don’t you take some air?” Celine suggested. “Dahlia and I will stay and keep watch over Chastity while you pause from your responsibilities for a while.”
“Yes. Chastity has improved so much that she hardly requires watching over now. Though we promise not to let her out of our sight. The air will do you good, Helena,” Dahlia urged.
Helena considered her friends’ suggestion. She looked at her sister, who looked to be having an enjoyable time with her current partner. She decided to follow her friends’ recommendation and looked gratefully at them.
“I think I shall heed your advice, thank you. But I shall only be a moment.”
“Take your time, Helena. We are happy to stay with Chastity.”
“Have I told you how glad I am that you are both here?”
She smiled at her friends, thankful that she had them. Then, walking slowly, she turned towards the balcony doors.
The night air was crisp. Coming from the crush of the ballroom, it was a welcome relief to be in an open space with just two or three pairs of evening strollers about. But Helena found that she craved solitude. Looking around, she found the flight of stairs leading down to the gardens.
The night was still. The faint notes of music coming from the ballroom could be heard. The sounds of the night surrounded Helena. She felt invigorated as she found herself quite alone.
“Breathe.”
Taking a deep breath, Helena felt herself relax little by little.
The tension that she felt was slowly melting away.
She was so rarely alone that the silence was almost reverential to her.
Walking to the garden bench near her, she sat down on it and, for the first time that night, felt how tired her legs were. Indeed, she felt tired—inside and out.
It is just the activities of the past few weeks. Chastity’s debut has been such a busy time. It is just that, nothing that a good night’s sleep will not cure.
But even as she thought it, Helena knew that she was simply weary.
Of my life? Of what it has become?
She refused to answer her own question, for indeed, she had no answer to give to herself.
Closing her eyes, she envisioned a small townhouse with a small garden. Tea. A vision of herself sipping tea in the morning room. A library would be nice; her collection of books would finally have its own home. She envisioned herself coming and going as she pleased. Freedom. Peace.