Chapter 18 #2
“Have no fear,” he said, lowering his head just a little so she could hear him clearly whilst muffling the sound from others. “I am well aware that she has changed, only because of the news of our courtship. I am not taken in by it.”
Susanna pressed his arm lightly. “I know that you understand, in truth, I did not ever want to be like Maude. I did not want to have many gentlemen pursuing me, each interested in courting me as I took my time deciding which of them I might accept.” She smiled up at him. “I wanted only this.”
“And you have it,” he assured her, just as Ellen greeted them both warmly.
Susanna was not in the least bit surprised when Lord Kettering came to join them all shortly thereafter, noting how he had eyes only for Ellen.
Silently, she wondered if Ellen’s feelings had, in any way, changed for the gentleman, hoping that she, too, might soon find happiness.
“So,” Lord Kettering began, with a broad smile in Susanna’s direction, “I see that you are now determined to make your connection known to the ton.” He beamed at her. “I am delighted.”
“I thank you,” Susanna answered. “As am I.”
“Though it is not without risk,” Lord Lancashire added.
“It may be that whoever wrote those letters to both myself and to Mr. Graves might feel it necessary to do the same again… if not something greater.” He shrugged.
“But I am prepared, and I am determined. I will not let myself be pulled away from my dear Susanna again.”
Lord Kettering’s smile remained. “Delightful,” he said, turning to offer his arm to Ellen. “Then let us hope that this all goes without difficulty and that you will soon find yourselves in all happiness and contentment.”
“Let us hope so indeed,” Lord Lancashire replied, smiling down at Susanna and, as he did so, she felt as if everything from their past had finally faded into shadow.
It was forgotten now, all of it. He had been filled with such regret, had sought to apologize, and now, as they walked through the ballroom together, Susanna felt her future filled with hope and happiness.
Perhaps they did not need to find out the truth about who had written those letters.
Perhaps none of that was needed. Perhaps they were to have the freedom to love each other and to stand together, without difficulty or restraint. Perhaps, finally, they were free.
“Lord Lancashire!”
A loud voice broke through Susanna’s thoughts and her happiness as she turned her head and caught sight of Lady Theresa rushing towards them, her cousin Lady Honora beside her.
She steeled herself, wondering what it was the lady would say now and, truth be told, fearing that it would be of such a great embarrassment, it might steal some of their joy from this wonderful evening.
“Lady Theresa, Lady Honora, good evening.”
From the way the Marquess spoke, Susanna could tell that he felt the same way as she did.
His tone was low, his frame now straight and tensed as he bowed.
She bobbed a curtsy but found her gaze drawn to Lady Theresa’s face.
There was no anger there, such as she might have expected given the rumors she had tried to circulate.
Instead, the lady’s eyes were rounded, her face white, and her hands twisting together in front of her. Was there something wrong?
“I wanted to come to speak with you earlier, but my sister prevented it,” she began, as Ellen and Lord Kettering came to stand with them all, making it appear to any others watching as if they were all gathered together in private conversation.
“I can only apologize for the whispers which have begun to spread through society.” A tinge of pink came into her cheeks.
“The suggestion that there is a connection between us is not only embarrassing, it is also preposterous given that you have such a clear interest in Lady Susanna.”
For the first time since she had come to join their conversation, Lady Theresa looked directly at Susanna, and Susanna’s eyebrows lifted gently. The lady certainly seemed sincere, but there was something more in her eyes. Worry? Uncertainty? Fear?
“You… you did not start the rumors, did you?” When Lady Theresa’s eyes flared, Susanna knew her inkling had been correct. “We presumed that it had been, but that was wrong. Forgive us.”
Lady Theresa closed her eyes. “I can understand why you might have thought to place the blame at my feet,” she said, without hesitation and in her usual bold manner. “It is not as though I gave you any reason to doubt that.” Her eyes opened. “But no, it was not I who started those whispers.”
“She was just as mortified as you must have been, Lord Lancashire.” Lady Honora spoke now, her eyes holding fast to Lord Lancashire.
“I have not seen my cousin so distressed. She was near to weeping, desperate to find a way to put those rumors to rest and fearing that she would be quite ruined because of them.” She shut her eyes briefly.
“We spoke to Evelina, thinking that to state clearly that the rumors were untrue would be the right action to end it all, but we were dissuaded.”
“Which is why now I am so very thankful to know that you have found yourselves such a happy connection,” Lady Theresa finished, now looking from Susanna to Lord Lancashire. “I pray there is no ill will between us?”
Susanna, not wishing to speak for Lord Lancashire, held back her first response and, instead, looked to the Marquess. He was frowning, but Susanna did not think it was from upset or frustration. Rubbing at his chin, he nodded slowly and then inclined his head.
“There is nothing of the sort between us, Lady Theresa,” he said, his words garnering a long breath of relief from the lady. “You say you did not take part in these rumors, and I believe you.”
“Oh, I thank you.” Within a few moments, Lady Theresa and Lady Honora had taken their leave, their heads close together as they spoke. Susanna, still thinking of all that had been said, looked up at Lord Lancashire and shook her head.
“I was wrong to assume that the rumors were from Lady Theresa, even if they did make sense.”
“But the question then is, who began them?” Ellen asked, a frown sending gentle lines across her forehead. “And why would they do such a thing?”
Considering this, Susanna shook her head. “I do not know.”
“I have a question,” Lord Lancashire began, his brow furrowed. “Why did Lady Evelina dissuade both her sister and her cousin from stating the truth to the ton? What was it about the rumor that she liked – for if she had not liked it, then she would not have wanted it to remain?””
Susanna’s eyes widened. “You think that Lady Evelina has something to do with all of this?”
“I do not know as yet,” came the reply, “but I cannot see a reason as to why the lady should insist that her sister say nothing. If she cared for her sister, if she wanted to encourage her and support her, then surely she should be doing her utmost to quash the rumors, not leave them to scurry around for so long!”
“Indeed, she should,” Lord Kettering agreed, gravely. “So what does it mean?”
Susanna’s heart skipped a beat. “It means that Lady Evelina might have some purpose in this,” she said, slowly. “Think on it – her uncle is Lord Blackwood so it would be simple enough for her to slip into his study and use his seal.”
“But why?” Ellen asked, her confusion matching Susanna’s. “For what purpose? Why would she write such letters and why would she spread rumors about her own sister and Lord Lancashire?”
Unable to give an answer, Susanna spread out her hands and shrugged, only for the Marquess to lower his head and let out a low groan. She looked at him, wide-eyed, wondering at his reaction.
“I might have a thought,” he said, his shoulders dropping. “And it is all to do with her father, the Earl of Moncrieff.”