Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“Sally, has Chastity risen yet?” Helena asked the lady’s maid as she had entered the sitting room.
“She has, m’lady. Just a few minutes ago. I have just sent for her meal as well. She preferred to take it in her chambers.”
“I hope she was able to rest properly. You did not wake her as per my instructions and let her sleep long?”
“Yes, milady.” Sally nodded. “I waited until she rang for me before I entered her bedchamber.
“Good girl, Sally. Thank you for that.”
Sally looked at Mrs. Brown, the Ayle’s cook, who was at that moment planning tomorrow’s menu with Helena and Mrs. Fielding, the housekeeper.
“Begging your pardon, m’lady, but Lady Chastity has asked me to relay to the cook that she requests watercress sandwiches to be served for tea later today.”
Mrs. Brown looked at Helena for confirmation, to which she nodded.
Helena hid a smile. She knew the source of Chastity’s sudden preference for the said sandwich.
After her dance with Lord Strong, he had stayed with their group until Chastity was claimed by her next dance partner.
In their conversation, Helena had heard them discussing their preferred tea sandwiches.
Lord Strong’s was, of course, watercress.
So, Chastity is hoping that Lord Strong will call on her today.
She played back their interactions after their dance. It did not go unnoticed by her that Lord Strong had tarried as long as he could in Chastity’s company. Leaving her only when her next dance partner arrived to claim her for the promised dance.
Helena found no objection to this, for the gentleman seemed to be the perfect candidate for a husband—as far as she knew, of course.
Their ages, not so far apart from each other, also helped, as it ensured a similarity in their maturity.
But the most important consideration was that Chastity seemed to like him.
“Sally, you may tell Chastity that her request is granted. And please inform her that I shall be up to see her after her meal.”
When the menu was finalized, Helena went to the desk in the corner of the sitting room that contained her writing implements. She laid out a new sheet of parchment and prepared her pen. She fully intended to write down the names of potential suitors that her sister had met at the ball.
I am getting ahead of myself, I know. If Chastity ever finds out what I am doing, she will be sure to be displeased with me.
But Helena’s only intention was to be able to know more about the gentlemen that her sister would soon be socializing with, for indeed, Chastity’s first ball was a very successful one.
She wrote down the names of the gentlemen who had asked for a dance with Chastity, recalling each one perfectly in her mind. Their names, titles, and details of their interaction with Chastity.
She had listed a good number when she stopped suddenly. She remembered that, had she not intervened, the Duke of Valen would be on Helena’s list too. He had certainly been surprised when Helena had insisted that they should not dance together.
It continually annoyed her how he thought that every woman should fall at his feet. Although he was handsome—he would give him that, and he was charming—she would give him that as well, the fact still remained that he was a rake. He used his good looks and his charm to seduce women.
But Helena also knew that Dahlia had become good friends with Matteo. And she, acting out of deference to her friend, had tried to maintain every exchange with him in a civil manner.
Except for last night. When we were alone together.
Last night, when she had stood so close to the man that she could feel the heat of his body. There certainly was no need to keep up the appearance then.
Last night. I had almost been caught in the company of a man—a rake—alone in the middle of a deserted garden. Good heavens, what if we had been seen?
Helena did not know what would have happened.
Actually, she did know. Her reputation would be questioned—if not ruined altogether.
And in consequence, that of her sisters as well.
Her heart raced at the thought. But, as it was, they had not been seen, thank goodness.
Matteo had acted quickly and hid them both.
A warmth suddenly infused Helena. It started from her neck and spread up to her face.
They had stood so close, his arm around her, that they might as well have been in an embrace.
She touched her lips, recalling the feel of his palm against them.
And when he had turned to face her, she found him so close to her that Helena thought he would kiss her.
The memory both alarmed and confused her.
He confused her. During their stay with Peter and Dahlia, there was no hint whatsoever of any rakish behavior on his part; he acted the perfect gentleman—aside from always teasing her and seeming to be wherever she was, Matteo had behaved very properly.
Moreover, he had formed a friendship with Chastity.
With Peter’s twin sisters, he seemed to have a close friendship as well. And Dahlia regarded him as a friend.
Perhaps there is more to Matteo than I realized. Still, I must tread carefully, I must not let my guard down. He is still a rake.
Helena shook her head and hastily folded the piece of parchment. She looked at the clock. An hour or two, then they would start receiving callers.
Today will tell who among those who have shown interest in Chastity last night will become suitors. And tomorrow I will consult with Lady Chapman and my friends as to what they know of each gentleman.
One of the names stood out the most; she unfolded the piece of parchment and underlined Lord Strong’s name.
The young gentleman had definitely captured her sister’s attention. He spoke to her without art and stated his opinions simply.
“He is certainly very different from the duke.” She said to herself.
Her thoughts suddenly went back to the end of the previous night’s encounter, she stood up suddenly and crossed her arms over her chest.
How dare Matteo Castor think that I would want another encounter like the one last night with him!
It was all his doing in the first place.
I sat there innocently enough, enjoying my moment of solitude, when he came staggering out looking to all the world like he owned the entire garden! He deserved that slap!
Helena still could not believe that she had slapped a duke. Had she been living in medieval times, he could have ordered her executed. Thank goodness she lived in modern times.
And Matteo did not seem the ordering type. Thinking of all her interactions with him, starting from their shared stay at Icedale Castle, and what she observed of him even before that, he spoke persuasively, convincingly. That alone seemed to have people most willing to do as he bid.
If Helena had been of a weaker character, perhaps she would have melted then and there as he looked at her, their faces nearly touching. Those eyes, like emeralds in seawater, that smile that couldn’t possibly be sincere… She touched her lips.
A knock on the door had her jumping. She looked around guiltily, as if her thoughts were written on her forehead.
Mr. Keble, the Ayle’s butler, entered the sitting room and bowed to Helena. He handed two cards to her. She read the names printed on the cards.
“The gentlemen would like to call on Lady Chastity. What shall I tell them, my lady?”
“Please tell them that Lady Chastity will be with them in a short while. You may lead them to the Blue Room.”
The butler bowed and went back into the hall. Helena read the names on the cards again. The first name, Lord Mitchell, was on her list, the other, Sir Abington, was not. She would have to know more about the second gentleman.
“And so it begins,” Helena whispered to herself, glad and anxious at the same time.
The next day found Helena full of plans. The sun shone brightly outside, signaling a beautiful spring morning. She expected a call from Dahlia and her sisters later that day. And, of course, calls from gentlemen for Chastity. She would start her study of Chastity’s gentlemen callers today.
At breakfast, her three younger sisters talked more about the previous day’s gentlemen callers. Helena imagined that until any other exciting thing happened, their conversations would still center mostly on those various visitors.
I liked the gentleman who came last!” Grace declared, laying her fork down, “I thought him very handsome!”
“And how would you know what he looks like? You only saw his back,” Faith said, laughing at the youngest sister.
Helena sighed.
“Grace, what have I told you about spying?” she arched her eyebrow.
“No one saw me! I was only at the top step of the staircase. And I only saw his reflection in the mirror. That’s how I could tell that he was handsome.”
“Indeed, you are right, Grace, Lord Fleetwood is handsome.” Chastity smiled. “A little too aware that he is handsome, I think, though.”
“He looked at himself in the hall mirror so many times before he was shown in the Blue Room!” Grace confirmed.
“And again, so many times in the mirror hanging inside the Blue Room,” Helena said, laughing. “But I will say that he was a very amiable gentleman.”
“Yes, he was,” Chastity replied. “He asked if he might call again today.”
Faith and Grace squealed at this and had the older two sisters laughing.
“And Lord Strong?” Grace demanded.
Chastity’s telltale blush spoke volumes.
“Of course he shall,” Faith answered for her. “He is Chastity’s favorite.”
“That does not mean that he prefers me over other ladies.”
Oh, my dear Chastity. If you had seen the look he gave the other two gentlemen who came calling at the same time he did. Helena’s fingers stole to her lips to repress the smile that formed at the memory.
After breakfast, Helena, Faith, and Grace went to the sitting room. Chastity went back to her chambers to discuss gowns and accessories with Sally.