Chapter 11
Joseph frowned, seeing his sister march across the room and interrupt a conversation.
He had not intended to join the soiree this evening, but given that he had been quite unable to take Lady Florence out of his head the last few days, he had decided to come along in the hope it would distract him.
Upon entering, he had seen his sister walking arm in arm with her husband, but had chosen not to go to greet her.
Now, however, he had to admit a little interest, wondering what it was she could be doing.
It was quite rude of her to break into a group in that way, more than a little disagreeable, he had to say, but she clearly had her purposes in doing so.
Lady Florence!
His heart slammed into his chest as he caught his breath, wondering what it was his sister was doing with Lady Florence.
They had spoken, yes, and he knew that there was a connection there, but it was not as though they were friends, was it?
His eyes widened as his sister took Lady Florence away from the small group she had been in, catching the way her mother, Lady Grangemouth, twisted her lips in annoyance.
Usually, Joseph realized, he would be silently determined to speak to his sister about what she had done, would want her to know that her behavior would be considered by many to be improper.
Now, however, he had nothing whatsoever to say in that regard.
His sole interest was in Lady Florence and in what it was his sister had been saying to her.
“Good evening, Applegate.”
Joseph glanced to his left, then pulled his gaze directly back towards Emily. “Good evening.”
“You are wondering what your sister is doing with Lady Florence, I think.” Lord Lanark grinned at him as Joseph shot him a sharp look.
“Either that or you are thinking about what it is you will criticize this evening. I am sure that our host will be on tenterhooks, waiting to hear what he has done improperly.”
This made Joseph blink in surprise, wondering why his brother-in-law was speaking in such a tone. Looking back at him, he caught the glass of whisky in Lord Lanark’s hand and frowned. “Mayhap you have indulged in a little too much liquor this evening, Lord Lanark.”
Lord Lanark chuckled. “I hardly think so. Liquor has always loosened my tongue a little, but I am most certainly not in my cups. You are aware, however, that the ton does think of you in such terms?”
Joseph, who had been told this many a time already, was surprised at the sting of pain that hit his heart. “Lanark, there is no need for you to share such a thing with me. I am already aware that I have high expectations and that I have not been quiet about them. Please, you need not say more.”
“Everyone is waiting for you to say something about Lady Florence.”
Shock ran over him like cold water. “What do you mean by that?”
Lord Lanark shrugged. “Simply that. She ended the waltz before its time, ran from you when you stood at the mistletoe bough, and knocked into a few other dancers as she went! Most inappropriate and quite frankly, a little ridiculous. I have heard many a person wondering what it is you will say about her, given that she will, of course, have quite ruined your expectations of what a waltz ought to have been.”
Those words did not bring Joseph any sort of relief or happiness. Instead, it felt as if each one were being shot straight through him, sending arrows of pain into his body. “I have no intention of speaking poorly of her.”
“No?” Lord Lanark’s eyebrows almost reached his hairline. “I am surprised, as will many of the ton be. Why would you not criticize her when she has clearly failed in a good many ways?”
“Because I do not want to,” Joseph snapped, his defensiveness rising in a way it had not done before.
“I intend to say nothing about the matter, and I do not want to speak of it again.” Without hesitating, he strode away from Lord Lanark, anger and upset twisting through him.
His brother-in-law was not wrong in what he had said, Joseph knew, and it was that which upset him the most. He had always accepted that the ton thought of him as a critical gentleman, but he had disregarded their concerns and told himself he was quite justified in all that he did and said.
Now, however, he felt such shame that it nearly drowned him.
He wanted to lower his head, to hide away in the shadows if not run away from the soiree completely.
“I am sure we can do something.”
Joseph ran one hand over his eyes, hearing his sister’s voice and realizing that he had walked directly towards her and Lady Florence.
“I do not think there is anything to be done,” Lady Florence wept, making Joseph’s heart leap in concern, seeing tears on her cheeks. “Why did my mother say such a thing when she already knows that I struggle to keep myself composed in any social situation?”
“Is there something the matter?”
Lady Florence snatched in a breath as she spun around, eyes wide but tears still staining her cheeks. Joseph’s stomach flipped over at the sight of her, feeling the need to step forward and to clasp her in his arms so he might calm her upset.
He did not act upon that desire.
“It is nothing,” she said, hoarsely. “Please, forgive me for drawing your attention. It was not my intention.”
“You did not,” Joseph replied, giving his sister a quick smile. “I saw Emily and thought to come to join you both.”
Emily was frowning hard. “Lady Grangemouth has told some of the other guests that Lady Florence will play the pianoforte this evening. They were not exactly excellent gentlemen – Lord Cheswick spoke most inappropriately, from what I heard – but Lady Abernyte was there also to hear Lady Grangemouth’s promise.
You may not be acquainted with her, Applegate, but Lady Abernyte is one of the harshest gossips in society at present. She has even more criticisms than you!”
“And I cannot play at all well,” Lady Florence broke in, her voice catching as she dropped her gaze. “I shall shame myself all over again.”
Joseph cleared his throat, looking again to Emily who only shrugged her shoulders lightly, looking quite lost as to what to do. “Is there a piece that you know well, Lady Florence? Well enough to play?”
Her eyes closed. “There are one or two pieces that I could play, but it would not be at the high standard expected for such occasions.”
“Might I ask what they are?”
With a sigh, she looked at him. “The only ones I could play that would be in any way suitable for a gathering such as this would be a carol or two, and even then, I have no promise of success.”
“Which ones do you know best?” Joseph asked, an idea coming upon him, an idea that he would have thought most preposterous, were it not for the fact that his heart eagerly yearned to save Lady Florence from this predicament. “Might you know ‘Adeste Fideles’?”
She blinked, then nodded.
“My Latin is tolerable enough,” he said, as her eyes rounded in understanding of what he was offering her.
“If you wish, I can sing, and you can play. Emily here can sit with you and assist with the piano playing, if that would be acceptable. Mayhap our host has the music for that particular piece.” He sniffed.
“I would be surprised if he did not, in fact. It would be wise for such music to be set out for a gathering such as this.”
There came no response from either Lady Florence or his sister, not for some minutes. Joseph looked from one to the other, taking in their astonished expressions and wondering at it.
“You… ” Emily was the first to speak, turning her head away and then looking back at him, askance. “You would sing?”
Joseph nodded. “I am not the most excellent of singers, but I am able to sing a carol or two. Do you not recall how we used to sing carols at Christmas time with mother and father?”
His sister began to blink very rapidly indeed, a soft smile touching the edge of her lips. “Yes, brother. I do recall, but that was many years ago, and I did not think that you would ever do such a thing in public.”
“I am more than willing to do so if it would save you from any sort of embarrassment,” Joseph told Lady Florence, who still had not said a word. “I shall do my very best, I assure you.”
Lady Florence held his gaze, then squeezed her eyes closed, her breath catching in her quiet sob.
When her eyes opened, there was moisture on her lashes, but she did not let any tears fall to her cheeks.
Instead, she began to smile, one hand pressed to her heart.
“Lord Applegate, if this is another attempt to lessen any lingering guilt over what you should have said to my mother, I assure you that it is not needed.”
Joseph smiled ruefully. “It is not, Lady Florence.”
“Then why would you do such a thing for me?” she asked, her voice rasping.
“The last time we were in company together, you did a very kind thing for me indeed, and then I ruined it by acting so very foolishly. I should not have run from you as I did; I have been so embarrassed by my own actions, and yet now, here you are offering to do something more.” Spreading out her hands, she held his gaze. “Why?”
No immediate answer came. A good many thoughts pressed into Joseph’s mind, but he could not find anything to say.
It was not as if he could tell her that his heart suddenly desired to do this, that he could not bear to see her so upset!
These thoughts and feelings were so very new to him that he was not quite sure what to make of them and most certainly could not express that to her!
“I – I suppose that I have seen your struggle,” Joseph said, slowly, trying to find something to say that would make sense to both her and to his sister.
“Recall that I overheard your mother speaking to Lord Sutherland and saw your difficulty there. Now, it seems, your mother has promised something to these gentlemen – roguish gentlemen, no doubt – and to Lady Abernyte also. It would not be right of me to ignore your plight, Lady Florence. That is not what a good gentleman ought to do, and I am determined to be the very best sort of fellow I can.”
The sweetness of her smile made his breath catch. The way it shone light into her expression, making her blue eyes spin with flecks of silver.
“You are most kind,” she breathed, relief in every part of her expression and in her frame. “Lord Applegate, I do not know how to thank you. I feared that I would faint, such was my distress, but you have saved me from certain humiliation.”
“And I shall sit with you.” Emily smiled first at Lady Florence, then beamed up at Joseph, her pride in him more than apparent. “How very good of you, brother. It has been a long time since I have heard you sing. I confess that I am looking forward to hearing your strong voice again.”
With a chuckle, Joseph lifted his shoulders. “It may go quite dreadfully,” he said, a little anxiety kicking in his stomach. “But then the attention shall be solely upon me, and that, Lady Florence, can only be a good thing for you.”
“Indeed,” she answered, still sounding a little breathless. “You are very good, Lord Applegate, and I am very grateful indeed.”
“Veníte adoremus, veníte adoremus, veníte adoremus Dóminum.” The last few words of the carol left his lips and, as Joseph turned his head, he saw Lady Florence close her eyes in what he presumed was nothing short of relief.
Her hands lingered on the keys, the lingering notes filling the room as Joseph looked back at the attentive crowd of guests.
“Wonderful!” Their host began to applaud and the other guests joined in, with Joseph nodding to them all, then holding out one hand towards Lady Florence as she rose to her feet.
Joseph did not miss how she reached out for Emily, taking Emily’s arm at once so that she could be led from the pianoforte.
With relief filling him, Joseph made his way from the front of the drawing room and walked directly back to his seat near the back of the room.
“I was going to find something to criticize you about, Lord Applegate, but that performance was quite perfect.”
Joseph glanced at the gentleman beside him. “I am thankful for your consideration, Lord Chester.”
“We have not talked often this Season, have we?” Lord Chester tilted his head as another young lady rose to her feet, ready to entertain them all.
“I thought we might be of an encouragement to each other as we each sought out a bride, but alas, it seems to me that you are already quite settled upon your young lady! You have not asked her to court you yet, have you? I am due to ask Lord Wickton if I might court his sister, Lady Prudence, but I have not done so as yet. Truth be told, I am a little anxious about it all!”
A little confused, Joseph frowned. “There is no young lady of importance in my life as yet, Lord Chester.”
“No?” Lord Chester looked at him quizzically. “I would have thought that Lady Florence was someone of note.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, given that you have not only danced the waltz with her – a waltz where you took her under the mistletoe bough – but also now to sing with her, accompanying you. Does that not mean that you might have an interest in her?”
Joseph sniffed and ignored the way truth pressed in at his heart.
“Not really, no. We are acquainted, yes, but she is also acquainted with my sister. There is a friendship there, but nothing more.” Joseph did not let himself be honest with Lord Chester, wanting to make sure that he said nothing to the fellow that might be taken by him and then flung around as gossip.
“I do hope that you have success with Lady Prudence, however.”
“I thank you.”
A small noise caught Joseph’s attention, and he turned his head sharply, wondering at it.
Movement caught his eye and, with a snatch of breath, he saw Lady Florence herself hurrying towards the door of the drawing room.
She glanced back over her shoulder, met his eyes but then turned her head away again before stepping out into the hallway, alone.