Chapter 11
DESPITE THE UNSEEN yet looming presence of his mother, who had thankfully remained on the other side of the grounds with the other parents and chaperones, James had never been so relaxed in a social setting as chaotic as this one.
He could tolerate balls well enough, but anything beyond that tended to leave him wishing he were back home with a good book and a roaring fire.
Nothing could have convinced him to leave Lady Marlowe’s fête.
Miss Faircott had only been on his arm until he finished introductions, as was proper, but no matter the activity or conversation, her eyes were on James so often that he had been tempted more than once to do away with propriety and never leave her side.
Even now, as she and Louisa walked arm in arm around the perimeter of the lawn, he wanted to be near her.
He couldn’t account for how it had happened so quickly, but James had been pulled into the woman’s orbit like some celestial body circling the sun, forever drawn to her brilliant light.
She was beautiful, yes, but it was more than that.
She was kind and gentle and made him feel as if he was enough as he was, even without speaking.
“I see you have forgotten your plan already.” Everett draped his arm across James’s shoulders.
James reluctantly pulled his eyes from Miss Faircott. “What?”
Everett gave him a sharp, discerning look. “You are supposed to be sorting out an alternative match for Miss Tate.”
Miss Tate, Mother’s other possible match, had said all of two words to James when they met earlier in the morning, and he could sooner guess the weight of Talbot’s newest racehorse than have an inkling of what sort of man could be a good match for the young woman.
If he was ever going to move forward with Miss Faircott, he would need to ensure Miss Tate was cared for, but his attention had not easily shifted from Miss Faircott.
“You,” James countered, “are supposed to be convincing Louisa to marry one of these men, and you have been avoiding her like she is carrying a disease.”
Everett’s eyes jumped to Louisa, and something unnamable flashed across his face as he watched her walk with Miss Faircott.
It was neither anger nor annoyance, but something equally strong.
“My goal was to find someone else who could convince her to take his hand. It’s better for everyone if the two of us keep as far from each other as we can.
” Whatever emotion had been in his expression vanished, and he smirked at James as he tightened his hold on James’s shoulders.
“I haven’t forgotten that today’s fête was also meant to give you a chance to enjoy Miss Faircott’s company, so I wonder why you are standing here like a peeping Tom. ”
James groaned. “Do you always have to make things sound worse than they are?” Miss Faircott laughed at something Louisa said, and James’s heart flipped in his chest. “I am trying to not monopolize her time and to keep others from making conjectures.”
Laughing, Everett patted James’s chest and shook his head. “Jamie, I am sure everyone here has seen where your focus has been, no matter how much distance there is between the two of you. I’d wager you’ve never shown interest in a woman before, and that makes today’s fixation a topic of gossip.”
The last thing James wanted to do was put Miss Faircott under scrutiny, especially with their mothers so close by.
Clearing his throat, he turned so his back was to the two ladies, forcing Everett to turn with him.
Several of the male guests had started up a game of cricket, much to the delight of their female spectators.
“Have you been talking to the bachelors of Upper Lambourn then?” he asked Everett.
Everett snorted. “Unfortunately. I thought our fellows at Cambridge were stuffy, and yet somehow these country gents are worse. Finding a husband for Miss Denham has proven harder than I expected it to be.”
“If I’d thought any of them might have been able to change her mind, I would have pushed for a match myself.”
“You’re saying I have been wasting my time.
” Sighing, Everett dropped his arm and rolled his shoulders, his eyes on the cricket match.
“I can’t fathom it. Louisa Denham has an untamable spirit and is far too bold for her own good, and yet she treats most people like they are her best friends, no matter their station.
Fire and water all at once. What man in his right mind wouldn’t fight for someone like that to be by his side? ”
James frowned and glanced over his shoulder, spotting Louisa and Miss Faircott making their way closer.
Both ladies were looking his way, though Louisa’s focus was on his best friend.
Was there something more to the antagonist relationship between Everett and Louisa?
Under different circumstances, James would have investigated that question, but with Miss Faircott’s eyes on him and her lips lifted in a smile, his attention became fixed again.
“Go,” Everett said, shoving James’s arm to twist him to face Miss Faircott. “I’ll deal with finding Miss Tate’s savior, assuming she even needs one. You should take advantage of the day while you have it. Invite her to play pall mall or something.” With another shove, he sent James forward a step.
Not willing to ignore a suggestion he wholeheartedly agreed with, James continued onward, step by step until he stood directly in front of Miss Faircott.
“Hello, James,” she said, blushing a pretty pink.
“Hello, Miss Faircott.”
“You should call her Hannah,” Louisa said brightly, and James’s heart warmed as the two ladies grinned at each other. “She asked me to do it, so I doubt she will mind the familiarity coming from you as well.”
James lifted an eyebrow in question, and Miss Faircott—Hannah—smiled and nodded. “Hannah,” he said and couldn’t hold back a grin. He rather liked the taste of her name, almost as much as he liked how she had dropped his title. “Have you been having a pleasant time?”
Scoffing, Louisa slipped from Hannah’s hold and took two wide steps away. “You have been apart for less than twenty minutes, James. Surely you can think of something better to talk about.” Without waiting for a response, she wandered off in the direction of the cricket match.
Very close to Everett, James noticed.
“Do you think they realize how much they like each other?” Hannah asked with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
James laughed, shaking his head. “I am not the only one who sees something there?”
“The entire time we were walking, Louisa couldn’t stop talking about Mr. Everett.”
“Have you been having a pleasant time?” James repeated and inched closer to Hannah’s side.
He wanted to offer his arm or take her hand in his and never let go, but no matter how many people had already noticed his interest, he had to be careful with Hannah.
They both wanted the freedom to choose their futures, and he couldn’t do anything that might risk that freedom being taken away.
Even if he was starting to think sneaking off to explore Lady Marlowe’s hedge maze with Hannah was an excellent plan for the afternoon.
“Upper Lambourn has some delightful people,” Hannah said, “and I have come to adore Louisa this afternoon. She has declared us fast friends.”
“Louisa is friends with everyone,” James said with a chuckle, then realized how that might have sounded. “Oh, forgi—”
Hannah grabbed his arm, cutting off his words with her touch. “James, would you accept it if I asked you to stop begging my forgiveness? Because it has never once been necessary.”
It had always been necessary, and James was likely to keep making mistakes if they remained friends. Especially if they ever became more than friends. “Even when I abandoned you instead of dancing with you?” he asked quietly.
Hannah’s warm smile was so much brighter than the autumn sun beaming down on the fête. “As long as I can dance with you someday, I will not hold that against you.”
Why hadn’t James suggested that Everett organize a ball instead of an overcrowded garden party?
They couldn’t stand here on their own for much longer, so James scanned the possibilities around them.
Maybe Everett had had the right idea when he suggested a lawn game.
“If I could dance with you right now, Hannah, I would. In the meantime, would you consider joining me for a game of pall mall? We could find a few others to maintain propriety, but no one would bat an eye if we took part in some whispered conversations to conspire against our opponents.”
James had never been one to flirt or purposefully make a woman blush, but when Hannah’s cheeks flushed pink above her grin, he treasured the sight of it.
“You have an excellent way of thinking, sir.” Shifting her hand so her arm looped through his, she led the way toward the game.
“I warn you, I am terrible at pall mall.” She dropped her voice so low that James barely heard her when she added, “I do hope I don’t knock my ball so far off the course that I need help finding it. ”
Either she was truly terrible at the game, or that was a return flirtation. James didn’t care either way. He was all smiles as they selected mallets and searched for others to join the game.
“Miss Tate!” Hannah called, making James’s heart sink into his stomach. Miss Tate was the other woman who might be James’s intended, but Hannah didn’t know that. “Would you like to play with us?”
Panicking, James turned to the nearest man and couldn’t keep the desperation out of his voice as he said, “Davies, you should join us.”
Mr. Davies stared at him for a moment with a half-eaten cucumber sandwich pinched between his fingers.
He was not the most talkative man—likely not the best choice of player if the goal was to keep Miss Tate occupied—but he was a pleasant fellow.
“Er, very well. I am not very talented, if you’re looking for a skilled player. ”