Chapter Five
LILA RECOUNTED MEETING Mr. Luthford while pacing back and forth in Eloise’s parlor.
They were visiting under the guise of tea and putting the finishing touches on the capes they had both made to go with their masquerade costumes.
Both cups had gone cold, and each cape remained folded in their sewing baskets.
Lila hadn’t even eaten a roly-poly pudding Eloise’s cook had put on the tray.
Lila always ate as many roly-poly puddings as she could when they were offered. But she had no appetite today.
“And then how was luncheon after you said such things to him?” Eloise asked when Lila came to the end of the conversation outside the corral.
“Fine,” Lila said, turning to her and throwing up her arms in exasperation.
“He was polite and told the most fascinating story about a storm his ship was caught in on his very first crossing. It was all I could do not to pepper him with questions about it. How does a ship remain afloat when the masts are broken and it is thrown so severely from side to side that the men have to tie themselves into their hammocks? I did not ask a single question, and it nearly killed me. I ate twice what I would have normally just to keep my mouth occupied, which I can only hope he noted and was disgusted by. It was one of the aspects in that article, not eating too much.”
She huffed and continued her pacing.
“I’m not sure I understand why you are so frustrated,” Eloise said.
“It seems that everything is going according to plan. You are not presenting yourself well, just as you planned, and he is not seeking your company, just as you hoped. He could have insisted you show him the cottage, for instance, but he did not argue the point.”
“Everything is going as planned. Only, it feels wrong.” Wrong? Was that really what she meant? Did it feel wrong?
“Perhaps you should reconsider your plan. It sounds as though maybe you would like to know him better.”
“I can’t reconsider,” Lila said, though she did ponder the idea.
“He is still fourteen years my senior, he is not handsome—at least not in a dashing kind of way—and most of all he is not Neville.” She stopped and closed her eyes, bringing Neville’s sparkling eyes and chiseled jaw to her mind’s eye to fortify her belief that he was the only man she could ever love.
“Surely Mr. Luthford is the very devil come to prevent me from the true man of my dreams. Only, I am not so strong as I thought I was, and he is more interesting than I expected. That is the trouble!”
She resumed her pacing.
“I think you like him,” Eloise said.
“I do not like him,” Lila said with complete sincerity, though something prickled in her chest that only served to annoy her further.
“I had envisioned a certain smoothness in my own actions that is lacking, as well as a sense of accomplishment I simply do not feel. I insulted his horse for heaven’s sake, yet at luncheon he was as polite as he’d been when we were first introduced. ”
“Well, you are not used to being unkind, even if it is for a very good reason. That is surely why you feel so unsettled.”
Lila finally sat down. “Yes, that is true. Being unkind goes against my character. I am used to behaving much better than this.”
“And you do love to talk to interesting people.”
Lila sighed. “And he may have some of the most interesting stories I have ever heard.”
“But you cannot forget that the reason he has so many stories is because he is very old.”
“So old,” Lila confirmed, keeping to herself that he didn’t look very old.
“And you are in love with Neville.”
Lila closed her eyes and raised her hands to her temples. Surely she was developing a headache from all this anxiety. “So help me, I am.” Beautiful Neville. Wonderful Neville.
“Giving in to your curiosity about Mr. Luthford’s experiences and risking his increased interest in you would pose significant difficulty in the reunion with Neville, which will take place in less than two weeks.”
“Significant difficulty.”
“Then there is nothing more to do but stay the course,” Eloise said.
She put down her cold cup and saucer and looked strongly at Lila.
“You have always been a woman of strength who does not back down in the face of adversity. This may very well be exactly what you said, a test of your love for Neville, and therefore you must triumph. Remember that you are not being unkind—though perhaps the commentary about his horse was overzealous—but you are instead helping Mr. Luthford. The sooner he determines you are not the woman he wants to base a future around, the sooner he will look at other women who are better suited for him.” She scooted forward on her chair.
“You must not give up, Lila, and you must see this through.”
Lila’s confidence was improved with Eloise’s encouragement. “You’re right,” she said. “I must hold firm.” She stood.
Eloise stood and made a fist of solidarity. “Hold firm!”
“I shall not give up,” Lila said, straightening and lifting her chin.
“Not give up!” Eloise repeated. She smiled.
Lila smiled back.
Eloise stopped smiling. “I do have one further question, though?”
Lila lifted her eyebrows expectantly.
“Why are you wearing that horrible dress?”
Lila looked down at the smashed pumpkin dress—a morning dress that she was wearing well into the afternoon and not even within the walls of her own home.
She had, at least, worn the straw chip for the walk to Eloise’s rather than the purple velvet.
“I was trying to look unattractive.” She raised a hand to her hair. “I tried to do the same with my hair.”
“Oh, the hair is fantastic,” Eloise said admiringly.
“It sets your face off very well, indeed. But the dress.” She frowned.
“I don’t think you need to try so hard to look poorly.
Someone else may have seen you in that dress, you know.
Remember your ambitions and stay the course without too many differences someone else might notice. ”
Lila was relieved by the sound advice. “Tomorrow I shall wear the sprig muslin then, but will offset it with talk of politics, a foul stomach, and perhaps I shall drink some brandy in his presence.”
“Have you ever drunk brandy—or any strong drink for that matter? Perhaps start with something like elderberry wine or ratafia.”
“Only, will a lady’s drink put him off enough?”
“Coupled with talk of politics and foul stomachs, I think you could drink lemonade and still make progress toward your goals.”
Lila nodded. “Very good. I am renewed and prepared to face Mr. Luthford at the dinner table tonight.”
“Only, change out of the dress before you do,” Eloise reminded. “It really is quite hideous.”