21. Chapter 21
Algenon watched from across the street as Lord Hamdon exited Lord Upton’s home with Mr. Fairchild, their presence confirming that the family was indeed receiving.
Why then had the butler told him otherwise?
Was Javenia really that angry, or had Lord Upton dropped any semblance of civility and denied him access to the house?
He ducked his head, peering intently at the paper in his hands as the two gentlemen turned and walked up the street.
Perhaps both Javenia and Lord Upton were angry with him. If she had arrived home as upset as when she’d left the Tower of London, and if she’d told Lord Upton it was his or his father’s fault, His Lordship would spare nothing to keep Algenon away from his daughter. Especially if Lord Roberts had…
What if his father had told her he’d been there that night?
If he’d revealed his presence without explanation, she might think he’d hidden in order to see her downfall.
Algenon himself had thought that exact thing when he’d come upon his father outside the folly where Lord Penwick had tricked Javenia into a meeting.
He’d even accused him of colluding with Duncan.
His father had furiously denied it, and when Algenon’s anger had cooled he recognized the truth.
It went against everything he knew about his father.
Lord Roberts, as irritating as he was, had never stood for the mistreatment of a woman.
Algenon had seen the proof of it repeatedly.
As a lad, he’d met with swift punishment more than once when he’d mistreated his sisters or even one of the Harris girls.
Lord Roberts’s chivalry was why Algenon knew exactly how to press his point in Phillipa’s favor.
A gossamer curtain fluttered in an upstairs window, and he narrowed his eyes to see who had disturbed it. No face came into view. Then Algenon tilted his head.
How strange that his father had defended the daughters of a man he considered his enemy.
Until this moment, he’d not paid it much mind.
But if his father really had come to render aid as he’d insisted, and then hung back in order to allow Javenia to save face, why would he now use that same information against her?
Another thought surfaced and Algenon sucked in his breath. If Javenia had come home distraught about such a revelation, had she finally told her parents of Lord Penwick’s assault?
She’d been so set against it for years. No matter how many times he told her it wasn’t her fault and how her family wouldn’t blame her, she’d remained staunchly against them ever knowing.
“It will change the way they view me,” she’d said. “I could never break their hearts like that. And if the rest of Society knew, it would severely curtail my sisters’ prospects.”
Such a revelation, so many years after the incident, would upset any parent, but especially parents as attentive as Lord and Lady Upton. And to know that their rival knew of the assault, that the son of their rival had been instrumental in stopping it…
Would they thank Algenon or blame him for it?
Certainly Javenia would disabuse them of any notion of blame. He rubbed the back of his neck. Then again, she’d not think too kindly of him for withholding the knowledge of his father’s presence from her.
What else was he to do, though? She’d begged him, still on her knees, hands clasped in his, to not let another soul know what had occurred.
He’d been protecting her just as he’d sworn he would do from that day forward, both from Society’s scorn and from the fear and worry that would have clawed at her peace had she known anyone else was privy to the most terrifying event of her life.
Then that protection had turned into his own cage.
A secret that his father had used to exploit him.
Algenon pushed off the lamp post he’d been leaning against and folded his paper. He had no other choice but to wait until the soiree tonight. Javenia had told his stepmother she planned to attend. Hopefully, she’d not change her mind.
He took one last long look at Harris House, wishing Javenia would come to the window, see him on the street, and come to speak to him.
When the door to the house swung open, his heart tripped over itself, thinking he’d willed his desires into being. But the woman who scurried down the steps didn’t carry herself with near the confidence as Javenia would, and her hair was a shade lighter.
Miss Jacinda quickly looked up and down the street before darting across and directly to him.
“She’s not here,” she said when she came to a full stop.
Algenon furrowed his brow. “But Lord Hamdon and Mr. Fairchild—”
“Were disappointed as well, but Mr. and Mrs. Kendall came to town yesterday and they’ve taken her out to the shops.”
Eddie and his wife were in town and they’d not let him know? But why? Wouldn’t he be one of the first people they’d alert of their arrival?
It was quite lowering to think Javenia would choose to go anywhere with Eddie over him. She might hide it well, but he knew she’d harbored a slight grudge against him since the day he’d nearly caught them kissing in the grove between their homes.
Eddie had teased them about standing so close, said they were close enough to kiss, but thank goodness they were not that stupid. Algenon had tried to play it off as a joke, waving farewell to Javenia as they’d walked away, but he’d seen the hurt in her face.
Then, like the idiot youth he’d been, he’d spent the rest of the way home telling Eddie why he and Javenia would never suit. He regretted those words more than ever now that he realized she was the only woman he could ever love.
“When will she be home?”
“Hopefully, before the Fortescues’ soiree. You are coming, are you not?”
“I am, but will she?”
Jacinda’s smile stretched a little too far, the kind that put one in mind of a scheming mama. “She better. I’ll not let her remain behind if you are going to be there.”
Algenon sighed in relief. “You are a gem, Jacinda. How can I ever repay you?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t mess it up this time.”
“This time?” He glanced up and down the street, struggling to meet Jacinda’s accusatory gaze.
“Years, Algenon. You have had years. Do not think any of us sisters are blind. Whatever is holding you back, it doesn’t matter. Javenia would love you if you dressed in rags and didn’t have two farthings to rub together.”
Like an ember that had banked for the night waiting for fuel, his heart caught hold of Jacinda’s declaration and flared to life, burning with a brightness that lit his whole countenance.
Jacinda’s confidence was contagious. Hopefully, Javenia’s love extended past the secret he’d kept from her, past his father’s interference, past whatever scandal his refusal to marry Miss Weston would cause.
Because he wanted her more than anything he’d wanted in his entire life, and he intended to fight.
Javenia slipped a hand through the slit in her skirt where her pocket hid. Two folded pieces of paper rested there, the larger one containing her list of ways to win Algenon’s heart.
She carefully slipped out the smaller one. The corner of it caught on the pearl organza overlay of her high waisted dress and her heart thudded in her chest until she pulled it free. She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed.
Lady Plum tipped her ear to Mrs. Cline. Mr. Fairchild smiled at Lord Hamdon. Lord Rupert ogled Phillipa and Cindy from across the room as they bent together and spoke quietly.
Javenia’s stomach roiled. If she wasn’t so consumed with her own errand, she’d alert her parents straight away about Lord Rupert’s attention. As it was, she had very little time to carry out her plan.
No one of importance paid her attention, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t witnessed her removing the paper.
With only a matter of minutes until supper was announced, hopefully, no one would get in the way.
She needed to make certain Algenon had plenty of time to read her message before the time she’d appointed for them to meet.
Rolling her shoulders back and fixing her gaze on Livy at the other end of the room, she glided forward, hand down, note tucked in her palm. Anyone watching would think she was crossing to speak to her friend.
Livy must have sensed her intention because she glanced her direction the moment she moved.
Algenon also must have noticed even though Miss Weston and another young woman were speaking to him.
He followed her motions, his eyes flicking in her direction once or twice, emotions hooded, but definitely curious.
When she adjusted her trajectory to bump into him, he didn’t step out of the way and accepted the impact.
“Are you all right, Miss Harris?” he asked, reaching out to steady her.
She took the opportunity to grasp his hand. “Oh yes, I am so sorry.” A slight widening of his eyes was all the indication she needed to know he’d felt the paper. “Someone moved and I was trying to avoid a collision. Instead, I seemed to cause one.”
“Accidents are bound to happen in a crush like this one.”
Anyone who knew either of them would notice their play acting.
Never were they this civil. Anywhere else, and at any other time, Algenon would have chided her for her clumsiness, or she’d have accused him of purposely getting in the way.
If the company was only friends or siblings, they might even resort to a few good-natured shoves.
Javenia hoped, however, that the rest of Society would fall for this little performance and be none the wiser.
She gazed into Algenon’s hazel eyes for one more second before freeing herself. “Good evening, Mr. Roberts.”
He nodded. “Likewise.”
Putting her limbs back in motion, she crossed the rest of the room, only Livy no longer stood where she’d been. In her place were Lady Plum and Mrs. Cline, both whispering behind raised fans.
Javenia stopped, but it wasn’t soon enough. The two curious matrons noticed her.
“Miss Harris,” Mrs. Cline said, her round cheeks accentuated by her eager smile. “How lovely to see you this evening. We’d not thought you’d be out in company, what with everything that has happened.”
Lady Plum nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”
Javenia clasped her hands in front of her, hoping they’d provide a shield as she tried to decipher exactly what the older women meant.
“Please forgive me, but to what are you referring?”
Lady Plum waved her fan in Algenon’s direction. “Why, Mr. Roberts’s ill treatment of you, of course. How could he conjure such an expectation these last few years only to deny his pursuit of you, and in such a public setting, too?”
Javenia stilled, trying not to look in Algenon’s direction.
He’d denied their connection? Had publicly decried any pursuit?
If Society had seen their closeness and had formed an expectation, that was as good as a broken engagement.
She should know. It had taken years after Lord Penwick’s reckless courting to regain any favor in Society.
While logically she understood it was both their faults for being so familiar in public, hurt and betrayal still filled her chest. He’d had the chance to use social expectation to break with his father’s demands and instead he’d left her to fend for herself.
A plump hand patted her arm. “There, there, Miss Harris,” Mrs. Cline said. “I am sure things will come right eventually, but you might feel better if you did not take part in this season.”
Javenia jerked her arm away, Mrs. Cline’s words both stinging and making sense. “Please excuse me.”
She backed away from the two older ladies, trying hard to mask her emotions.
Anger warred with hurt, which left her heart feeling battered and bruised.
Her parents were still deep in conversation with an older man and his tall, dark-haired daughter, her sister happily flirting with Mr. Fairchild nearby. She couldn’t disrupt their evening.
Perhaps she’d simply slip out to the ladies’ retiring room and stay there until it was time to leave.
There was no use meeting with Algenon now.
She would only humiliate herself. Before she reached the door, however, supper was announced and everyone moved toward the rooms with large tables laden with food.
Lord Hamdon took it upon himself to convince her to sit with him and Mr. Fairchild, and Cindy’s pleading eyes were the nail in Javenia’s coffin. She fought down the tears that threatened and leaned into the fire building in her chest.
Halfway through the meal, she noticed Algenon glancing her way. How could he look so pleased? Was he so insensitive?
Her anger burned almost as hot as her embarrassment. She’d still meet with him at the appointed hour. She had a lot to say before she escaped to the country, and none of it would be fit for anyone else’s ears.