Chapter 7
“Lord Applegate?”
Joseph frowned, swiveling on his heel as his conversation with Lord and Lady Hardy was interrupted.
An older lady stood with her head lifted, looking at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.
When he said nothing, she continued speaking to him as if they were already introduced, even though he had no recollection of her.
“I hear that some incident occurred recently where my daughter was injured. It was only a trifle, of course, but she states that it was entirely your doing, Lord Applegate. Is that so?”
Joseph cleared his throat, doing his best to keep his composure in public.
This lady was riling him with her sharp questions and slightly narrowed eyes, as well as her rude, inconsiderate manner.
“I beg your pardon?” His voice was a little louder than perhaps it ought to have been, but Joseph did not lower it.
Whilst he could not speak his mind in public, Joseph wanted to make it quite clear that he did not think well of this interruption.
Pulling his gaze away from the lady, he let his gaze dart about the room, aware of just how many guests were present.
His breath hitched as his eyes landed upon Lady Florence and Lady Wickton and, at that very same moment, realized precisely what it was that this lady now spoke of.
It was the incident that had taken place at the soiree, when he had accidentally caught Lady Florence’s cheek with his hand – but he would not have called that an injury, would he?
“My daughter, Lady Florence?” The lady – Lady Grangemouth, if he recalled correctly – tilted her head just a fraction. “She has informed me that what took place was entirely your fault, Lord Applegate. Is that what took place?”
Looking around before he answered, Joseph took in the number of faces turning their attention towards them, clearly hearing the conversation.
This was garnering more attention with every passing second, and he did not much like it.
Heat rose in his chest as he saw just how many people were listening to him, hearing the accusation that this lady had put to him.
He had a choice before him, a choice that would bring the murmurs of the ton down upon him if he was not careful.
I did not injure her, not in the way that she is suggesting, Joseph told himself, standing tall. I do not want the ton to think that I have done anything serious, especially not when I am trying to find a suitable young lady to wed.
His choice was made. “I do not know what you are speaking of, I am afraid.” Joseph gave her a small nod before turning away again, shame beginning to burn up his chest and into his throat, not daring to look at Lady Florence.
“Whatever injury you speak of, I am not to blame. Now, if you will excuse me, I should like to return to my conversation.”
Lady Grangemouth made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like disbelief, but Joseph did not want to turn back to look at her. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was at an end.
“I think you must be mistaken, Applegate.”
The clear voice of his sister swung through the air towards him, and Joseph’s stomach dropped to the floor.
“Do wait a moment, if you will.”
As Joseph glanced over his shoulder, hoping that there would be very few onlookers, he caught his sister drawing the attention of Lady Grangemouth.
“My brother has forgotten, I am sure,” Emily continued with a congenial smile on her face – a smile that did not spread up into her eyes. “Applegate, are you sure you do not remember what happened?”
Joseph’s jaw set tight as he turned to face his sister and Lady Grangemouth. “Emily, I do not think that this is an appropriate time for any such conversation.”
Her eyebrows lifted, and Joseph’s face grew hot but he did not move nor pull his gaze away.
Yes, he might well have been in the wrong to deny what he had done, but his sister had to understand that he had done so for good reason – he had not wanted the ton’s whispers to start surrounding him, believing that he had caused Lady Florence some grievous injury!
“What do you mean?” Lady Grangemouth was frowning herself now, looking very confused indeed.
“Lord Applegate has already confirmed to me that he has done nothing. There is nothing more to say. It is clear to me that, just as I suspected, my daughter was the cause of whatever took place. She has brought the injury upon herself, just as she has always done.”
These words sent a twist of guilt through Joseph’s heart, and he dropped his gaze, his shoulders rounding a little.
He did not know what Lady Grangemouth meant by stating that it was ‘just as she has always done’ but he did not much like the tone in which that had been spoken.
Conflicted, he ran one hand over his jaw, seeing Emily’s eyes narrowing just a fraction as she held his gaze.
He swallowed hard.
“I am sure that my brother has forgotten, so you must excuse him,” Emily said, before Joseph could open his mouth.
“There have been so many balls and soirees and the like, he has mayhap quite forgot what took place!” Looking back at him, she smiled sweetly, steel shining in her eyes.
“Do you not remember? With Lady Florence? I myself was present so I saw everything.”
Joseph curled his hands tight. “Lady Florence?” he asked, as if to suggest that he could not remember the lady. “What evening was it, Emily?”
Lady Grangemouth’s head turned one way and then the next, watching the conversation flow but saying nothing.
“Why, it was the evening that I surprised you with my unexpected arrival,” Emily answered, her tone steady but the weight in her eyes growing continually, near forcing a response from Joseph. “I am certain you will remember what took place, will you not?”
Letting a frown pull at his brows, Joseph cleared his throat gruffly. “I do not recall any severe injury.”
Lady Grangemouth blinked.
“I did accidentally catch Lady Florence’s cheek with my hand,” he continued, speaking quickly now so that it would all come out at once instead of being forced from him bit by bit. “It was an accident, of course, but I did not see any severe injury, Lady Grangemouth.”
“That… that is precisely what I am speaking of,” she answered, her voice thin, her eyes fixed on his. “Do you mean to say that the bruise on Florence’s cheek was not her own fault? I find that quite hard to believe, I must say.”
“Oh, but that is precisely what happened,” Emily replied, before Joseph could say anything more. “It was my brother’s mishap. Lady Florence was so very good about it as well; she should be commended by you for her poise and calm spirit.”
As Joseph watched, Lady Grangemouth’s face went very red indeed.
Then, over the course of one full minute, the color faded until she stood, white faced, before them.
To Joseph’s eyes, it appeared as if she had been overcome with shock, although quite why such a revelation would render such a strong feeling, Joseph did not know.
“I – I see.” Lady Grangemouth sniffed and then turned her head away. “Thank you for clarifying, Lord Applegate. I presume this is your sister?”
Joseph nodded and quickly made the introductions, the weight of his first decision nearly bowing his back as he caught Emily’s eye. There was not anger in her expression, nor upset. Instead, there was only sadness, suggesting that she was disappointed with what he had done.
He looked away.
“I am only glad that I was able to be of help,” Emily said, smiling gently at Lady Grangemouth. “Your daughter did nothing wrong, and my brother was solely to blame, I assure you.”
“Well.” Lady Grangemouth closed her eyes for a moment, drew herself up, and then looked directly at Joseph.
“You are right, it was no severe injury, Lord Applegate. I am quite astonished to hear that it was not Florence’s doing, however.
That is the first time, I think, that she has ever not held the responsibility. ”
This confused Joseph somewhat, for he had no notion as to what Lady Grangemouth was talking about, but he concluded, he did not need to ask any questions nor learn anything further as to Lady Florence’s standing with her mother.
With a small, forced smile, he bowed his head and, with relief, watched Lady Grangemouth take her leave.
That relief shattered in an instant as his sister rounded on him.
“How dare you speak such lies?”
Joseph, mortified that his sister would think to berate him in the middle of the ballroom, grasped his sister’s hand and marched her to the shadows of the ballroom, keeping them away from as many guests as possible.
“I do not know what it was you think you were doing, but those were nothing but lies,” Emily stated, yanking her hand away from him as they stood near the wall.
“It is just as well that I was within earshot, else, no doubt, you would have let Lady Grangemouth believe that her daughter was responsible for what happened!”
About to respond to her, about to find words to defend himself, Joseph was prevented from speaking by the unexpected arrival of Lady Wickton.
“Lord Applegate?”
With a heart that beat much too furiously, he inclined his head towards the lady. “Forgive me, Lady Wickton, but I must conclude my conversation with my sister.”
“I will not take up more than a minute or two of your time.” Lady Wickton glanced towards Emily, who gave her a nod of approval. “Might I ask why it is that you chose to lie, Lord Applegate?”
His mouth went dry.
“Do you understand what it is you have done by speaking so?” Lady Wickton continued, not giving him a chance to respond.
“By confirming to Lady Grangemouth that you did not do anything to injure Lady Florence, albeit in a small way, she now believes that her daughter is clumsy and foolish! I cannot understand why you did not tell the truth.”