Chapter 11
The next day, Timothy Shelley and Lord Gotthurst walked Juliet and me to the park. Jeremy Beaumont accompanied us, of course. He never allowed us to go anywhere without him.
The weather was especially perfect.
“We should have brought some food for the swans,” Juliet said. Then quickly looked at me. “I should not have said that.”
“Why not?” Mr. Shelley asked. “I sense there is a story here.”
“Yes,” Lord Gotthurst agreed. They both stared at us, waiting.
Juliet cringed, giving me an apologetic look.
“It’s all right,” I said. “I don’t mind telling it. A goose bit my hand the first time Juliet and I walked in the park together. But it was nothing.”
“Nothing?” Juliet said. “Jeremy had to bandage her hand, it was bleeding so much.”
I felt my face coloring.
“I didn’t even know geese had teeth,” Lord Gotthurst said. “Was it a very bad cut? I’m very sorry.” He stared hard at my hand.
I pulled off my glove and held up my hand. “As you can see, it is all better now. There is only a tiny scar.”
He took my hand and held it close to his face, examining it. “It looks as if you were sliced by a knife.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
My heart leapt at his touch, even though he only held my hand for a moment. I couldn’t fully enjoy it, however; I was too aware of Jeremy Beaumont watching us.
Mr. Shelley was smiling as he led Juliet a few feet away, pointing at the lake. Jeremy turned and walked away too, with his usual grumpy frown.
“Miss Moore.”
Lord Gotthurst was standing quite close, staring into my eyes. I felt my heart flutter.
“Yes?”
“My mother and sister are coming into town from Yorkshire tomorrow. I wonder if I could introduce them to you sometime next week. I’d very much like for you to know them and for them to know you.”
Although my brain was slow to register his underlying meaning, I could see that he was nervous about asking me.
“Of course. I would be very pleased to know your mother and sister.”
“I am so glad,” he said as he released a breath. “I know they will love you instantly. My sister is about your age, and my mother has recently recovered from an illness and is eager to visit London.”
“I’m so glad she is recovered. I hope it wasn’t serious.”
“A bit, but the physician says she’s well now.” His expression was sober as he said, “It makes me very happy that you wish to know them.”
“Of course. I am happy to know any of your relatives. I am sure your sister and I will become very good friends.”
“I am sure of it as well.” He smiled, looking truly happy.
Mr. Shelley was just turning round, and he and Juliet came walking back toward us.
The rest of the outing, Lord Gotthurst walked close by my side, talking only with me. By the time we arrived home and the gentlemen left, I felt myself “all aflutter,” as in the romance novels my mother didn’t particularly approve of me reading.
“Amelia, do you realize what this means?” Juliet squeezed my arm with both hands when I told her what Lord Gotthurst had asked.
Jeremy made a sound, almost like a cough, and stalked away, leaving us alone in the sitting room.
“What?”
“It means he is making plans to marry you!”
“Does he need his mother and sister’s approval?”
“I would not say he needs their approval, but he would like them to see what a lovely, wonderful girl you are. This is the last step before he makes you an offer of marriage!”
Juliet let go of my arm and spun around in a circle, her skirts flying around her legs. When she stopped, she clasped her hands together.
“I know it’s selfish to think of myself, but I do hope that when Lord Gotthurst asks you to marry him, it will inspire Mr. Shelley to ask me.”
“Are you in love with Mr. Shelley?”
“I don’t know. I think so.” Juliet pressed her lips together as she did when she was deep in thought. But then she looked at me. “Are you in love with Lord Gotthurst?”
“I think so. He makes my heart flutter sometimes, when he looks into my eyes, and when he touched my hand.” I whispered this last part.
“I love how he wanted to see where the goose bit you, just so he could hold your hand without your glove.” Juliet did her suppressed squeal, then giggled. “I just know he’s in love with you. How does it feel to make a conquest of a baron?”
“I wouldn’t say he’s a conquest.” But I couldn’t stop smiling.
“He’s quite wealthy too,” Juliet said. “I hear his estate in Yorkshire is enormous and has a very fair prospect of mountains on one side and a lake on the other.” She raised her brows.
“And Mr. Shelley’s fortune is also quite large, I heard someone say at the ball.” I raised my brows at Juliet.
“I have seen a painting of his estate,” Juliet said, leaning toward me. “It is enormous. I daresay you wouldn’t be able to walk from one end of his grounds to the other in one afternoon.”
We both laughed.
“And the house is filled with art—statues and paintings. I could do nothing else but look at the art for days and days.”
Juliet valued art more than I did. She once went on and on about how a painting made her feel, and I just nodded and listened, trying my best to understand how we were both looking at the same painting. But I loved that she could see so much emotion in a painting, even if I couldn’t.
“I think I am in a fair way of falling in love,” Juliet said. “But I want to see more of him. I want to see him when he’s annoyed with me. How will he react to me when I’m annoyed with him? And I would like to see him around his family. Is he respectful of his mother? Is he kind to his servants?”
“That seems very wise.” I suddenly wondered why I’d never thought about that. “I can’t imagine Mr. Shelley ever being unkind to anyone.”
“If it sounds wise, it’s because of my mother. It’s what she told me in a letter before she passed away.” Juliet was uncharacteristically quiet, staring down at the floor.
“Your mother sounds wise indeed.”
“I am thankful she was my mother. And now,” Juliet said, standing up straighter, her countenance brightening, “you shall meet your future mother-in-law and your beloved’s sister next week!
I’m so excited for you. And you shall be Lady Gotthurst. What will your aunt, Mrs. Kendall, say to that?
She shall be so pleased, and your mother and father too. ”
It sounded exciting and a bit frightening.
Was I ready to be married? Did I know enough about Lord Gotthurst to marry him?
After all, I hadn’t seen him when he was annoyed or when I was annoyed with him, as Juliet’s mother had counseled.
I hadn’t discovered whether or not he was kind to his servants or respectful to his mother, although I would surely see the latter next week.
I kept remembering how Jeremy Beaumont had frowned and scowled when he saw how happy Juliet was about Lord Gotthurst asking to introduce me to his mother and sister.
Was he afraid his sister was happy about it because she was thinking she might get married next?
Was he sad to see her get married and leave him?
He’d be all alone when she was married and living with her husband in another county.
That night when we retired to bed, I mentioned my theory to Juliet.
“That would make sense, I suppose,” Juliet said. “But Jeremy is so ornery, he was probably just irritable because he didn’t like all the noise I was making. Jeremy is a good brother, but I think he’s still angry with me for the little mishap, going riding with Mr. Fairweather.”
Juliet pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. “Honestly, I think he’d be happy if I married. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about me.”
But she couldn’t hold the frown for very long.
“We should plan your outfits for meeting Lord Gotthurst’s mother. I remember he complimented your yellow frock and the way you did your hair that day. You should wear that one for the introductions.”
Juliet went on about ribbons and jewelry until we both became too sleepy to talk anymore. I fell asleep dreaming about judgmental old ladies.
The next day, all I could think about was Lord Gotthurst and the prospect of meeting his mother.
I was finally convinced that yes, I was indeed in love with him, and yes, I did want to marry him.
I was certainly old enough, and my mother would be so pleased.
Lord Gotthurst was amiable and had good connections, and if he was my husband, he would be pleased to help me find husbands for all my younger sisters.
That should be enough reason for me to marry him, added to the fact that he was handsome and appeared to be the kind of man who would show an abundance of affection to his wife.
Mr. Shelley came to call, saying that Lord Gotthurst had welcomed his mother and sister to London an hour before.
“Did they have a good trip, and were they in good health?” I asked.
“I saw them only briefly,” Mr. Shelley said, “but they had a safe journey and appeared to be well.”
It was all I was likely to learn, so I was quiet and let Mr. Shelley and Juliet talk of theatricals and concerts and art exhibitions while I daydreamed about being married to Lord Gotthurst.
Juliet and I spent the weekend going to a ball, a dinner party, and to Vauxhall Gardens with Mr. Shelley and, of course, Jeremy Beaumont.
The latter was forced to walk with me, since Juliet was escorted by Mr. Shelley.
It was a surprisingly enjoyable outing, as Jeremy spoke to me more than usual and did not argue with me, even though the conversation included many topics.
By Monday, I was nervous and reliant on Juliet to keep me busy. We went shopping.
On Tuesday, we went for a walk in the park, and we received a few callers, then played cards.
On Wednesday, we went to a dinner party, which turned out to be quite tedious.
The younger brother and sister who were our conversation companions could not attend, and we were stuck trying to make conversation with a married couple who, frankly, had very little to say.
The wife talked about how quarrelsome her servants were, always fighting among themselves, and then she said much the same about her children.
“They give me a headache almost every day.”
The husband talked mostly of going to the country and shooting pheasants, how many birds he’d shot the year before, and about his hunting dogs and their heroic efforts to recover the ducks and pheasants.
Even Mr. Shelley looked bored, and I saw Jeremy press his hand against his mouth, his eyes watering, as he suppressed a yawn.
That evening when we were in the carriage on the way home, Jeremy said, “Thank goodness your suitors are more interesting conversationalists.”
“You are referring to Mr. Shelley and Lord Gotthurst?” Juliet asked with a smirk.
“You know that I am. Although I’ve noticed a few other gentlemen callers as well.”
“Well, Miss Moore’s gentlemen callers will have to say farewell to her very soon.”
“Juliet,” I said in a mildly scolding tone.
“And Mr. Shelley is quite persistent as well.”
“Don’t get too set on Shelley and Gotthurst,” Jeremy said, then looked out the window.
“Why do you say that?” Juliet asked. “Jeremy?”
Jeremy let out an audible breath. “No man wishes for a lady to assume he will ask her to marry him, even if he plans to do just that.”
“Why would you ever say that?” Juliet looked horrified. And angry. “Jeremy Beaumont, how can you be so cruel? Well, I’ll remind you that Lord Gotthurst asked Amelia if she would allow him to introduce his mother and sister to her. He asked her expressly. What do you say to that?”
“Then where is he? Forgive me. Perhaps he has every intention . . .” His voice trailed off.
“How can you put doubt in Amelia’s mind? I’ve never known you to be so cruel.”
“I’m not being cruel. Did he not say he would bring his mother to meet her this week? And we have not seen him. And you would do well to enjoy Mr. Shelley’s attentions without thinking he is mad with love for you, even if he is.”
Juliet gasped. “Jeremy!” She stared at her brother, wide-eyed. Just as quickly, her features turned fiery, and she glared at him. “What is the matter with you? You are being spiteful.”
“I am not. I am trying to put you both on your guard. Gentlemen change their minds. They court a lady, paying all their attention to her, then they switch their affections to someone else. It happens all the time.”
“How can you be so jealous and spiteful?”
Now Jeremy looked as angry as his sister.
“Because of your little escapade with Fairweather, I actually asked Shelley and Gotthurst—thankfully Gotthurst owed me a favor, and Shelley was eager to become better acquainted with you—I asked them to pay particular attention to you and to Miss Moore, to dance with you at the ball, to help you retain your respectability. Since you had tried so hard to throw away your reputation, I had to do something.”
I felt paralyzed, numb. Juliet looked the same. I’d never seen her so pale and grave. Her gaze never wavered, however, from her brother.
“Jeremy Beaumont,” she said slowly and in a low tone as the carriage was drawing near their townhouse. She opened her mouth as if to say something, twice, but shut it instead.
Jeremy blew out a breath. “Forgive me, Juliet. I said too much.”
As soon as the carriage halted, Jeremy jumped out and pulled out the steps, then stood with his hand out to help us down.
Juliet refused to take his hand, holding up her skirt and going quickly down the steps, stumbling slightly but catching herself and running into the house.
I placed my gloved hand in his, only long enough to step down, then hurried after Juliet.