Chapter 5
Slap!
Lady Barbara smacked her gloves in her hand as she stalked through the front door of her family’s townhome. Percy and her brother, Lord Richard Finch, followed on her heels, but both held back a bit as the tirade continued.
“It seems Lady Alaina foils us at every turn. First the humiliation of her rejection, and now she has set her sights on the Duke of Ashford!” Lady Barbara exclaimed.
The men remained mute, as the butler collected their outer garments and hurried off to put them away.
“Well?!” Came Barbara’s final exasperated question.
It was Percy who braved a response. “Well what? How were we supposed to know that we would happen upon her at Hyde Park?”
Lady Barbara let out a huff and rolled her eyes, turning on her heel and leaving the men to stare at one another in the foyer. Once she made it to the parlor, she heard a shuffle of feet as her brother and Percy came out of their trance to follow her.
Percy entered first and straightened his jacket before making another attempt to placate Barbara. “My dear, it was just a coincidence that Lady Alaina was there with Graham. He is no closer to matrimony than he was last season.”
Barbara, who had been angrily tapping her foot as she waited for some explanation from her brother or her would-be fiancé, stopped and strode toward Percy.
“And what makes you think that, my dear?” Lady Barbara sneered.
“There is no guarantee that Graham will fail once more this season to secure a match. With Lady Bella last season, I had her ear as a ‘friend’; but if Lady Alaina is the object of your cousin’s desire this season, I am afraid I will have no sway there.
We can no longer delay! My parents demand that I marry someone with money and status, and the Duke of Ashford and his future wife, whoever she may be, stand in your way. ”
Percy shuffled from one foot to the next uncomfortably. “Like I said, I will find some way to supplant Graham, some scandal, or… Well, something. You will be my duchess very soon, but we must remain calm.”
“Lies!” Lady Barbara exploded, throwing her hands in the air before leveling a threatening finger at Percy.
“You know as well as I do that you coming into the dukedom through schemes is unlikely, but you could at least make your move and extort some sort of better living from the man. I have delayed my parents for five seasons on the promise that I could secure my own future. Am I a fool to think that you have some sort of brilliant plan to upend the duke’s life enough to see your own situation improved?
Or is it that you are not willing to do what is necessary? ”
Barbara’s final outburst brought a moment of silence to the room, the only sound the crackling of the fire and the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.
Finally, Percy spoke in a quiet voice. “Barbara, my love, I promise this is the season.”
“Do not ‘my love’ me. You have no plan!” Barbara yelled.
“But I will have one soon, and possibly, we can even exact revenge upon Lady Alaina in the process,” Percy cajoled, his statement punctuated by a brief bow and an uncomfortable clearing of his throat. “I must take my leave of you both, but I hope to see you this evening.”
No goodbye ushered forth from Lady Barbara or Richard, and Percy unceremoniously left the townhouse rented by the Finch family for the season.
Without Percy as his shield, Richard found himself the recipient of his sister’s glare, but did not miss his opportunity to needle her. “Well, dear sister, I fear any further tongue lashings and Percy will find himself another lady. And I thought you loved him.”
A huff came from Lady Barbara, and she finally gave up her post, flouncing into the chair nearest the fireplace.
“I did love him once, but that was when his promises to me were not so empty. Now I am just a spinster hoping to convince our parents that Percy is not a complete waste of a match. They need to see that my future is secured before they consent to anything, even if they know there are no others waiting in the wings. I fear I have misaligned my hopes and dreams with that man. And I fear no amount of tongue lashing will see him on his way; you know Percy has few friends in London, and we are the only ones who entertain his visions of grandeur,” Barbara sniped.
“I think that is because you like the idea of being styled as something more than a baron’s wife,” Richard spit back at his sister.
“If you remember, dear brother, it is our parents who demand we climb the rungs of society. They forbade me from marrying Percy without a better living promised. Besides, you dislike the idea of having such a person as a friend? May I remind you that you could not even garner the attention of a bookish, country mouse?”
“She is an earl’s daughter!”
“She was new to town, and you blew your opportunity. Even with our little stunt designed to embarrass Alaina, no one of the ton seems to care that she is not truly one of them. It is amazing that someone so new to London society would be so easily accepted. Why, the Duke of Ashford has even settled his attention on her.”
“Percy will find a way to turn things around for the better. We will find our family’s position improved in society, mark my words,” Richard said, seeming to need to hear the words out loud.
“I wish I had such confidence,” Lady Barbara said with finality, waving one hand toward her brother. “Now leave and crawl back into whatever gaming hell you came from this morning. I am sure you will find some other poor fool to swindle before the day is finished.”
“Do not mock me! A game of cards is an honorable way to pass the time, and a bloody good way to make money,” Richard protested.
“If I find a use for your talents in treachery, I will let you know,” Barbara snarled, turning her head in a final note of dismissal.
Richard needed no further prodding to leave, muttering under his breath. He left his sister in front of the fireplace, rubbing her temples in frustration. How was she going to convince Percy that now was the time to extort money from the duke. There could be no further delay!
“I cannot believe his cousin was so reckless and callous to have come through the trees so quickly, almost directly on top of you. And then, to not even apologize. Think of who could have been injured! Think of the horses that could have been injured, all due to a few idiots!” Evelina raged, reaching a rather loud decibel.
Alaina cringed. “I know, dear, it is quite upsetting, but luckily no one was harmed, and all the horses seem no worse for wear. Bartholomew spooked a bit, but he recovered nicely,” Alaina assured Evelina of her own horse’s safety, fibbing only a little about how disastrous things could have been if not for the quick actions of the marquess.
Evelina truly doted on all their horses, but Bartholomew had been her horse since he was a foal.
“Of course,” Evelina spoke, as if almost reassuring herself, “I am just happy that everyone returned safely.”
“Especially your horse,” Alaina ribbed, giggling a bit in an attempt to break the mood.
Evelina gave a half-hearted giggle, and took a deep breath. “Now, you must tell me all about your time with the duke. Was he charming? Does he seem smitten? Will he call again? It seemed like you two were getting along nicely at tea.”
Alaina reached across the span between the wingback chairs by the fireplace and clasped her sister’s hand affectionately. “Slow down, Evelina, it was really only our second meeting. The duke was kind, so different from Lord Finch, thank goodness.”
“Well, how about his sister? She was so pleasant,” Evelina continued.
“Georgiana was quite pleasant as well, and the marquess, well…” Alaina paused.
The marquess had not been quite as ornery as their initial meeting, but quiet and reserved.
Alaina could not deny the electricity between them, but he also seemed to despise her.
Besides, if Graham’s statement was true, Christopher was not in want of a wife.
Graham was, though, and he certainly did not hate her.
“The marquess? Oh right, well what is he like?” Evelina plowed ahead, unaware of her sister’s ruminations. “He seemed to me like he did not want to be there!”
“Well, I do not think he did,” Alaina wondered out loud. “It seems the duke drags him along quite against his will. I did not tell you, but last night he was so surly and pompous! I was sure he would convince the duke to avoid me at all costs.”
“Avoid you? Why?”
“Well, I may have been quite contrary myself,” Alaina answered sheepishly.
“You?” Evelina poked. “Never, I would not believe it.”
A chuckle escaped Alaina. “Ah yes, my reserved demeanor is infallible.”
“Quite.” Evelina paused before reiterating the question, “So?”
“So what?”
“What is the marquess actually like? What was he like today?”
Alaina thought once more, remembering his defense of her, something even Graham had failed to do, and her mind reeled from confusion. “I do not quite know what he is like, certainly more than he appears.”
“So, are you worried about the fact that your cousin is in town?” Christopher probed. The situation at the park this morning had been upsetting, but purely coincidental. Still, Christopher felt he had only heard part of the story from his friend.
Graham left his spot at the mantle, looking into the flames, to pace the room. “I do not think it unusual that he would be in London for the season, but Georgiana insists he is up to something worse, maybe even following us around town.”
“Where is Georgiana?” asked Christopher. When they had returned, both men had quickly retired to Graham’s study, where they filled glasses of brandy, and Georgiana had begged for reprieve.