Chapter 10
“A ‘YOUNG PEOPLE’S Fête’?” Hannah’s mother pulled the invitation closer to her nose, clearly confused by what she was reading. “I have never heard of such a thing.”
“Neither have I,” Hannah admitted, but she knew nothing in the world could stop her from attending the upcoming party.
The invitation had arrived at the inn just after they finished supper, and though Hannah had not met the host, Lady Marlowe, it was the note scrawled on the bottom of the invitation that had told her who truly sent the invitation.
I hope you will be able to attend.
The note had been in a different handwriting from the rest of the invitation, and the line drawn beneath the word “hope” had to mean Sir James was involved. If not, a stranger was oddly invested in Hannah’s social life.
“May we go?” Hannah asked as Mother continued squinting at the words on the paper.
Mother hummed, and Hannah knew where the hesitation lay. The invitation extended to her, but with how things were worded, it sounded like there would be two separate events. One for the parents, and one that allowed the younger set to have their fun. It was unlike anything Hannah had ever attended.
“I confess,” Mother said, setting the invitation on the little writing desk in their room, “I do not know if I am comfortable with so many young people all together like that without proper chaperones.” Hannah bit her tongue, sensing more to what her mother would say.
“But I have heard Lady Marlowe is of a good sort, and if you and my friend’s son don’t make a good match like I think you will, Lady Marlowe’s nephew could be a fine replacement, given his heritage. ”
Unless Sir James was Lady Marlowe’s nephew, Hannah couldn’t have cared less about who else might be at the fête, eligible or otherwise.
As far as she could tell, Sir James had found a way for the two of them to get to know each other better with less risk of the truth coming out before they were ready to face it.
“Perhaps the son of your friend will be at the party,” Hannah suggested, though she was wary of pushing this too far. “If I meet him without knowing who he is, I will be able to make my own opinion of him, just as you want me to.”
That caught Mother’s attention, and a smile played on her lips. “Yes, perhaps that is the best way for you to meet him. But I know how stubborn you can be, so I will only allow this party on one condition.”
“What is that?” She held her breath.
Mother sighed. “You will at least consider the bachelors you meet. Do not go into this with my wishes clouding your judgment and turning you away from possibility just because a man might be the one I have chosen for you.” Crossing the small room to where Hannah sat on the edge of her bed, she took Hannah’s hands in hers and squeezed lightly.
“I want to see you happily settled, my darling. Yes, I hope you find real love, but if you have a good, safe home, I can rest easy.”
At the moment, Hannah was only interested in one man, but how could she do anything but agree to her mother’s terms? They were not the least bit unreasonable. “I promise I will keep an open mind,” she said, kissing Mother’s cheek.
When Mother smiled back, Hannah was struck with the realization that it was the first genuine smile she had seen on the woman’s face since Father’s death.
How had she not realized how much her mother was still hurting?
Guilt settled in her stomach as she thought about how excited Mother was to introduce her to her friend’s son.
Regardless of what she said, would Mother be hurt if Hannah chose someone else?
By the day of the party, when they arrived at the Marlowe estate and Hannah took in the assembled group out on the lawn, she was far from certain about her ability to do as she’d promised and keep an open mind.
From the way they smiled and laughed in small groups, most of the young people on the far side of the grounds seemed to know each other already.
It made sense—Upper Lambourn was not an overly large town—but Hannah likely knew only three people in attendance, and only one of them was in her sight line.
Mr. Everett would not have been her first choice of person to seek out, but as she knew no one else, she felt entirely out of place.
“Ah, Miss Faircott.” Mr. Everett tipped his hat to her as she approached the place he stood, a bit off to the side from the rest of the guests. “Mrs. Faircott, I presume?”
Hannah swallowed. “Mr. Everett. Yes, this is my mother. Mother, this is Mr. Everett.”
Before Mother could respond, an older woman sitting in an elegant chair behind Mr. Everett cleared her throat and tapped her walking stick in the dirt.
Mr. Everett didn’t fully hide a flash of exasperation as he turned and made eye contact with the woman. She gave him a hard stare, and he pasted on a smile. “Aunt, Miss Hannah Faircott and Mrs. Faircott. Miss Faircott, Mrs. Faircott, my aunt on my mother’s side, Lady Marlowe.”
Mr. Everett was the nephew Mother had mentioned? Hannah couldn’t have thought of a worse coincidence, and she hoped Mr. Everett didn’t see the horror in her eyes as she dipped into a curtsy. She hoped Mother hadn’t seen it either.
“Thank you for inviting us, Lady Marlowe,” Hannah said weakly. Her voice sounded small even to her own ears, and the discerning look Lady Marlowe gave her did nothing to boost her confidence.
“Faircott.” Lady Marlowe tested the name on her tongue, and then she looked up at Mr. Everett. “This is the young lady you insisted be added to the guest list. Why?”
“Aunt Adelaide,” Mr. Everett hissed sharply, and his expression was full of censure as he frowned at his aunt.
His subtle defense of her gave Hannah a small boost of strength that instantly faded when she saw the delighted gleam in Mother’s eyes.
“The whole point of this event was to bring younger members of Society together, and Miss Faircott is one of them.”
“I was not questioning why she was on the list,” Lady Marlowe snapped, tapping her stick again.
“I was questioning why you wanted her on the list.” She turned her focus to Hannah, who was tempted to run away no matter how that would make her look.
“You are lovely, dear. But my nephew has too much of his American father in him and thinks running amuck around shipyards is a respectable way to live, and I do not trust him.”
“I do indeed,” Mr. Everett said with a roll of his eyes. “May I introduce Miss Faircott to some of the others now, Aunt?”
“If you think you can remember how to do it properly, yes. Mrs. Faircott, you will find a gathering of much less obstinate people on the other side of the house.”
Lady Marlowe rose to show Mother the way, and Hannah held her breath until she was certain Mother would follow instead of hovering to ensure Hannah kept her promise.
Sighing heavily, Mr. Everett offered Hannah his arm, which she took in part because she didn’t want to give Lady Marlowe any more reasons to look down on her nephew.
“I suppose you’d rather I hand her off to someone better equipped with manners, like Sir James,” he called back to his aunt as he led Hannah toward the other guests.
Hannah’s heart stumbled, which led to her feet stumbling in turn.
Thankfully, Mr. Everett steadied her and prevented an embarrassing spill into the dirt.
“Thank you,” she whispered, heat flooding her cheeks.
The day was warm for the season but not warm enough to use as an excuse for the redness in her face, and she wished she could hide.
To her surprise, Mr. Everett offered a smile that was far softer than any he’d given her before. “Does the idea of Sir James frighten you or excite you? Your reaction could mean either one. I am more than happy to help you avoid him if you’ve decided him to be an utter bore.”
Hannah laughed, and some of her nerves melted away as they continued forward, away from her mother’s watchful eyes. “Could anyone call Sir James a bore?”
“Louisa Denham could and likely has.” He practically spat out the young woman’s name. “But Miss Denham is not someone whose opinions I would generally agree with.”
“Miss Denham told me Sir James is honorable, kind, and good-hearted,” Hannah said. They were approaching a couple of men, and Hannah braced herself for the introductions that would require her to keep an open mind as she had promised last night.
But Mr. Everett led Hannah right past them.
“In that, I can agree with her. In anything else…” His steps slowed for a moment, his eyes narrowing on something ahead. Someone.
Hannah followed his gaze to see Miss Denham talking rapidly to Sir James, and her heart stumbled again at the sight of him in the morning’s bright sunshine. This was the longest she had gone without seeing him, and it had been far too long.
Sir James pulled his eyes from Miss Denham to scan the crowd, and he froze when he locked gazes with Hannah. The only part of him that moved was his mouth, which curved into a beautiful smile that stole the breath from her lungs.
Feeling like she might collapse from the anticipation, Hannah was barely able to cross the space between them, and only because she still clung to Mr. Everett’s arm.
Each step was like walking through deep mud, turning the jaunt across the lawn into an interminable trek. She wasn’t certain she could endure it.
But then suddenly she was standing directly in front of Sir James and his warm smile, and the world was right again.
“Will you stop moping now, Jamie?” Mr. Everett asked, lifting an eyebrow at Sir James. “I have brought you your fair maiden, complete with a ready-made excuse for spending a good deal of time at her side.”
Sir James slowly pulled his gaze away from Hannah to look at his friend. “What do you mean?”
“I mean my aunt has questioned my ability to make introductions properly, so I have recruited you to take my place.”
“I am not the only one who is aware of your utter lack of manners?” Miss Denham asked sharply.
Mr. Everett’s jaw clenched tight. Without a word, he handed Hannah over to Sir James, who readily offered his arm, then stalked away to join a trio of ladies who were all too happy to welcome him into their conversation.
Miss Denham huffed. “Odious man,” she muttered. But her eyes remained fixed on the back of Mr. Everett’s head as a mournful expression replaced her annoyance.
Biting her lip, Hannah debated asking Miss Denham if she needed someone to talk to, but a gentle nudge against her side pulled her attention to Sir James. “Good morning, Sir James.”
His smile had softened but remained fixed in place now that Hannah was on his arm. “Miss Faircott.” He gazed at her for a long moment, warming her to her core, then blinked and seemed to remember where he was. “Would you allow me to introduce you to everyone?”
Hannah nodded. “You know all of them?” she asked as they left Miss Denham and approached the nearest group of guests.
“Almost. There are a few I haven’t met, and I can’t say that those I do know I know well. I, er, tend to keep to myself.”
“I am the same way,” Hannah admitted. If she were in London during the Season, she might have felt embarrassed by that, but Sir James made her feel like she didn’t need to hide her personality. Perhaps that was why she felt bold enough to say, “Mr. Everett does not call you by your title.”
Sir James chuckled, pausing before they reached the others.
“He knew me before I had one and has seen far too many of my less dignified moments. Asking him to use my title—asking anyone, really—makes me feel like an imposter. I’ve never considered myself better than others simply because I was born to the parents I was.
” He looked down at her and squinted slightly.
“Would you call me James, Miss Faircott?”
Hannah’s face heated again, and a buzz of excitement filled her. “You wish me to?”
Leaning closer, he kept his eyes locked on hers as he nodded. “I would like nothing more.”
“James,” she whispered, her breath catching as his eyes darkened.
“Sir James!” a man called, and they jumped apart. “Introduce us to that lovely creature on your arm, or we’ll think you’ve staked a claim.”
For the first time, James looked irritated as he clenched his jaw and scowled at a man with handsome reddish curls. The man stood with another man and two women, and all four of them studied Hannah with a good deal of dedication.
“Talbot,” James acknowledged curtly, nodding at the group.
He gently nudged Hannah forward, thankfully keeping hold of her arm even after they joined the others.
“May I introduce Miss Hannah Faircott, who is visiting Upper Lambourn for a short time.” He listed off the names of each person to Hannah, who feared she would forget all of them as soon as she walked away.
“What brought you here, of all places, Miss Faircott?” the man named Mr. Talbot asked as his eyes slid from her bonnet to her half boots. “I reckon not many come to Upper Lambourn for a holiday.”
“My mother has a friend in the area, though we have not had a chance to connect with her yet.”
“And how are you acquainted with our Sir James?” one of the women asked. With the way she called him “our” Sir James, it was as if she thought she had some ownership over him.
Hannah tried to smile but wasn’t sure it looked very genuine. It was the best she could do. “He was the first friend I made after we arrived in town.” She looked up at him, and when he met her gaze and gave her a reassuring smile, she relaxed. “I am very glad to meet the rest of you.”
“There are plenty more for you to meet,” James said, tugging her onward.
And so it went. James did not talk much as he led her around the lawn and introduced her to each person, choosing instead to let Hannah lead the conversation while he observed the people she spoke to.
She wouldn’t have thought that would be something she desired, the freedom to speak as she wished, and she admired James more and more as he allowed her that freedom with no signs of wanting to take control.
Hannah had always been a quieter soul, content to follow and linger in the shadows of more outward personalities who took command of the moment, but she was finding she quite liked standing in the light.
She also liked the way James’s attention was either on the men they conversed with or on her.
He was always polite, but he interacted with no women beyond simple pleasantries.
He had told Hannah he wanted to know her better, and he made it clear he meant that.
He listened to every word she spoke with rapt attention, looking at her as if he had never been more fascinated.
If this was to be the order of the day, Hannah hoped the fête never ended.