Chapter 16
Florence stared dully at the bowl of brandy in front of her.
They were all meant to be playing Snapdragon, but she could not think of anything other than Lord Cheswick and her impending engagement.
The way he had spoken, not only to her but also to Helena at their recent meeting, had cast nothing but dread into her heart, and that thought practically consumed her.
“Are you ready, Lady Florence?” Lady Maude, the daughter of their host for the evening, beamed at her, excitement like flames in her eyes. “Hurry now, else you will have burned fingers!”
Trying to smile, Florence made a half-hearted attempt to pluck a raisin from the blue flames. Heat nipped at her fingers, and she drew back, hearing Lady Maude’s exclamation of glee.
“It is your turn now, Lady Wickton!”
Florence watched as Helena tried to take a raisin from the bowl, but she too, did not appear to have any real interest in the game either. Thankfully, Lady Maude did not seem to notice their indifference and gestured to the next player to take their turn.
“He will arrive now at any moment, I am sure,” she whispered as Helena looked at her.
“Whatever shall I do? The news of our connection has already spread through society, and mother informs me that he intends to announce we are engaged this very evening!” Her throat closed up as she forced the last few words from her lips.
“I simply cannot stand up beside him when I am so broken!”
“All will be well,” Helena replied, with a confidence that Florence could not understand. “Even if Lord Cheswick appears and makes a fool of himself, you need not worry. I will be with you.”
“But he will cast you aside and will force us apart once we are wed,” Florence replied, her whisper growing louder now. “What shall I do then? I cannot be without you, but I fear I shall have no choice!”
“Lady Florence? Shall you be successful this time?”
Looking back at the dancing blue flames, Florence heaved a long sigh and then reached for a raisin. This time, despite her poor attempt, she managed to pick one up and quickly popped it in her mouth. It burned a little but the sweetness came after, though it did nothing to raise Florence’s spirits.
“Well done, Lady Florence!” Lady Maude exclaimed, clapping her hands as if she were a child. “Now, since you have had such success, might you step away and permit someone else to join?”
With a nod, Florence stepped back from the table, and Helena, with a smile to Lady Maude, followed after her. Her breathing was becoming a little quicker now, her chest squeezing tight as her gaze roved over the room, fearful that Lord Cheswick had arrived without her awareness.
“All will be well,” Helena said again, looping her arm through Florence’s. “Florence, I must tell you that I do not think you will have to marry Lord Cheswick.”
Confused, Florence turned her head. “Whatever do you mean? Of course, I must.”
“You could refuse.”
Florence shook her head. “I could not. My mother will force me, one way or the other, to give my consent.” Tears began to burn in her eyes. “Whether by force or by shame, I will be wed to him. I do not have the strength to refuse.”
“There are other things that could be considered,” Helena suggested, with a firmness in her expression that gave Florence even a flickering hope.
“You can come to reside with me if you wish. We will protect you until you are of age, and you can then do just as you please, with no parent to force you.”
A sad smile touched Florence’s lips. “My dear Helena, you are most generous, but I could never do such a thing, not when I know how much you desire to be with your husband at your estate. My presence would only be a burden – mayhap not immediately, but as the years wore on, it could well become so.”
“No.” Helena tossed her head. “No, you would never be a burden, Florence. You would always be welcome, especially if it would save you from Lord Cheswick’s grasp.”
Considering that, Florence managed to nod.
“If it comes to it, then I shall speak to you of that idea again,” she said, slowly, quite sure that she would still refuse no matter how much Helena insisted.
“You are so very kind-hearted, Helena. You have always sought to understand me, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all your generous considerations. Had it not been for you, then I would never have found any happiness here in London, I would never have improved in my moving about society. I hope you know just how grateful I am.”
“You need not despair,” Helena said again, still evidently trying to encourage her. “There is nothing to be worried about, I promise you. It will all come right in the end.”
The sorrowful thing was, Florence realized, she desperately wanted to accept all that Helena said, wanted to cling to it and believe it fully, but the reality of her circumstances could not be avoided.
Lord Cheswick would appear at any moment; he would pull her to him and announce to them all that they were to now wed.
The guests would be abuzz with the news, and Florence would be lost in despair.
Tears began to flood her eyes, but she blinked them away. It would not do to fall apart now.
“There is Lord Applegate.” Helena nudged her gently. “Why do we not go and speak to him?”
“To Lord Applegate?” Florence shrank back from him, turning away as she dropped Helena’s arm. “I cannot.”
Helena caught her hand. “Why not?”
“Because I am still so very ashamed,” Florence told her, her back turned to Lord Applegate as she walked away from him. “I have not seen him since the night of his Christmas ball, and I quite ruined that, did I not?”
“But he may not think as poorly of you as you do of yourself,” Helena suggested, as Florence shook her head. “No? You do not believe me?”
Coming to a stop in the shadows of the drawing room, Florence shook her head, her chest heaving with quick, sharp breaths.
“No, Helena, I cannot face him. We have not been in conversation since that night. You will tell me that is because I have not been out in society, which I agree with, but there has not even been a note from him to state anything akin to what you are suggesting.” Her eyes searched Helena’s face. “Please, do not make me go near him.”
Her cousin pressed her lips tightly together, as if she wanted to say something but could not permit herself to do so.
Florence waited for her to say that it did not matter, that she would not demand that she come to speak with Lord Applegate, but Helena did not.
Instead, she simply held Florence’s gaze in return, seeming to wait for her to change her mind.
“I cannot,” Florence said again, a little more firmly this time as she darted a glance over her cousin’s shoulder, afraid that the Marquess would be walking towards them. “Helena, you must understand, I simply – ”
“You can.” Helena took Florence’s hand and squeezed it. “I have spoken to him, Florence. He wants to see you. He regrets that he did not reach out in the interim after the ball.”
A rock dropped into Florence’s stomach. “He – he wants to berate me?”
“No.” Helena’s smile was gentle. “My dear cousin, he wants to do nothing other than speak with you so he might reassure you of his continued acceptance of you. I can promise you that there is no sense of upset there, no determination to push you away.”
Florence swallowed hard, her whole body trembling lightly.
She did not want to go speak with Lord Applegate, still afraid of what he would say to her.
The guests around them would see them conversing and, given that all knew what she had done, would begin to whisper about them both, no doubt. Could she bear that?
“Florence, listen to me.” Helena pressed her hand again, pulling Florence out of her fears. “If only you will give him a moment, then everything will change for you, I swear it.”
Everything will change?
There was no clarity as to what Helena meant, but the promise that sparkled in her eyes was an assurance in itself. Taking in a deep breath, Florence nodded. “Very well, but might he come to speak with me here? I am too anxious to step out into the center of the room.”
With a smile that spoke of naught but delight, Helena released Florence’s hand and then hurried across the room.
Her stomach in knots, Florence bit the edge of her lip, shifting from foot to foot as her eyes darted around the room.
The Marquess wished to speak with her, according to Helena, but at this juncture, Florence wasn’t even sure she could bring herself to look at him.
“Where is my Lady Florence?”
A loud, obnoxious voice filled the room, and Florence shuddered violently, pulling herself back against the wall just as close as she could. Her eyes squeezed closed, her heart furiously thundering.
Lord Cheswick had arrived.
“Where is she?” Lord Cheswick boomed as Florence opened her eyes and looked left and right, wondering if there was anywhere she might hide from him. It was a foolish response, she knew, but everything in her was telling her to flee.
Florence let out a cry as Lord Cheswick grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. She stumbled into him, her face flaming as she pushed him back, only for him to grasp both of her hands and jerk her forward again.
“Just as clumsy as ever!” he chuckled, as laughter rolled around the room, tears beginning to build in Florence’s eyes. “It is just as well I have an affinity for foolish ladies.”
Florence dropped her head, her breathing so fast, it was making her dizzy. Lord Cheswick’s arm wrapped around her waist and Florence, instinctively, flinched and tried to pull away but his fingers dug into her side.
“There is an announcement to make, is there not?” he asked, his eyebrows lifting as Florence began to wilt, all strength leaving her.
Every eye in the room was upon her for she could sense the keen interest from the other guests.
“As you all know, I have been courting Lady Florence for a little less than a sennight! It is not a long duration by any stretch but it has been long enough for me to make a decision.”
Shuddering, Florence put one hand to her mouth, covering the scream that wanted desperately to escape.
No doubt there would be many in the ton who would see her response to Lord Cheswick’s announcement and would wonder at it but Florence could not help herself.
This was the most dreadful circumstance and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Before you make your decision known to us all, might I ask you something, Lord Cheswick?”
Florence lifted her head, her heart slamming hard in her chest at the sight of Lord Applegate pushing through the gathered crowd so he stood very near to Lord Cheswick.
Helena came with him, her husband following after as the three of them looked directly at Lord Cheswick, leaving her wondering what was about to take place.
“I do not think now is the time, Lord Applegate.”
“Oh, but I do,” the gentleman replied, in a low, threatening voice that had Lord Cheswick’s hand drop from Florence’s side, leaving her free to step away from him. “I think now is the perfect time to ascertain precisely what it is you did to Lady Florence on the night of my Christmas ball.”
What he did to me? Florence stared, wide eyed at Lord Applegate as he arched one eyebrow in Lord Cheswick’s direction. Movement to her right caught her attention, seeing her father and mother coming near to Lord Applegate and to Helena.
“Whatever is the meaning of this, Helena?” Lady Grangemouth demanded, evidently affronted at the interruption. “You know very well that Lord Cheswick has an important announcement to make this evening. Why should you prevent him from doing so?”
“Oh, I am not.” Helena smiled tightly and then gestured to Lord Applegate. “He is.”
Lord Grangemouth frowned as Florence took another step away from Lord Cheswick, who had now folded his arms over his chest, glaring angrily at Lord Applegate.
“Is there some purpose to this, Lord Applegate?” he asked, as Lord Applegate nodded. “Some good reason that you have interrupted so?”
Lord Applegate nodded again and, with a tenderness in his eyes that filled Florence with warmth from head to foot, smiled at her.
“It is for a very good reason indeed,” he said, quietly but with enough strength in each word so as to make his purpose quite determined.
“It concerns Lady Florence’s future… and her happiness. ”