Page 40 of The Truth about the Marquess
Jane’s mouth fell open in utter astonishment, though she quickly tried to rearrange her expression of surprise into something more akin to displeasure at being told such a thing. She did not want to hear gossip, but at the same time, there was a desire within her to know more about what had happened to Miss Leverton. The last time she had spoken to Lord Edenbridgeabout the lady, there had been no hint of any other gentleman even showing an interest in her, so to hear now that she had eloped was nothing short of astonishing.
“Eloped?” Lady Guilford, despite her clear dislike of gossip, showed the same amount of surprise in her expression as Jane felt. “When did this happen?”
“Only yesterday! Though we have only just heard of it now. I did not think that Miss Leverton was the sort of young lady to ever be snatched away by such a fellow, but it seems as though she is!”
“And who is the gentleman?” Jane could not help but ask, seeing Lady Smithing’s smile grow just a little. “I do hope that he is worthy of her and not some rogue.”
“He is no rogue!” Lady Smithing answered, laughing, though Jane did not know why. “He is the dullest, most severe gentleman in all of London, I think! A gentleman by the name of Lord Whittington.”
This meant nothing to Jane, though from Lady Guilford, the name brought a gasp of surprise.
“Indeed!” Lady Smithing chuckled, shaking her head. “But despite his disinclination to balls, soirées, and the like, despite his seemingly hard demeanor, he has swept her off to be married in Scotland!”
Jane exchanged a look with Lady Guilford, wondering silently now if Miss Leverton’s quiet manner and continual glances toward her mother had all been a pretense. Had she been pretending to be demure, quiet, and severely under her mother’s rule, so that no one would suspect her interest in this Lord Whittington? Or had it been a single look, a single meeting which had changed her entirely, and practically forced her steps in a direction she would not otherwise have taken?
“I am sure that her mother will be quite upset,” Lady Guilford murmured, as Lady Smithing’s eyes began to search all aroundthe room, perhaps looking for the next group of people she might share this with. “I am sure that–”
“Yes, yes, quite.” With a vague smile, Lady Smithing waved one hand in Lady Guilford’s direction and then took her leave. “Do excuse me now, will you?”
It was not as though Jane had any opportunity to ask her to linger, given just how quickly she took her leave. Certain that there was still a look of surprise etched on her face, she spread out her hands as Lady Guilford shook her head.
“Goodness,” Lady Guilford breathed, as Jane’s hands dropped back to her sides. “What an extraordinary thing to hear!”
“I quite agree. I would never have imagined that Miss Leverton was the type of young lady to do such a thing!”
Lady Guilford looked at her, a slight frown on her forehead.
“Are you going to speak with him?”
Confused, Jane blinked.
“Speak with whom?”
“With Lord Edenbridge,” Lady Guilford said, quickly. “He must be told! You do not want him to hear it from someone else, do you? That would be a little embarrassing for him, I am sure, for whoever tells him might well be seeking his reaction in the hope of spreading that as yet more gossip.”
“I had not thought of that.”
“But you must tell him as yourself, must you not?”
Frowning, Jane tried to understand.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the lady who writes for The London Chronicle does not know the specific ladies that he was pursuing, does she?”
Understanding what her friend meant, a shuddering breath ran through Jane’s frame as she looked down at her gown, recalling the peacock feathers in her hair and the mask that she had been so sure he would notice and remember.
“And if I go to speak with him about Miss Leverton specifically, he will wonder how I know of it all.”
“It could be that he would simply accept that you know of it because you are a part of thetonand have observed him,” Lady Guilford said, though Jane shook her head at this, quite certain that it would not satisfy him.
“I am going to have to tell him.” Her eyes squeezed closed, a tight fear beginning to crawl over her skin, delving down deep into her soul. “I am going to have to tell him everything.”
“Just as you had planned.”
“But not like this,” Jane answered, a little hoarsely. “I thought I would have time to consider what I was going to say, and would be given the opportunity to build up my courage! Now I am going to have to go to him directly and speak all of my truth all at once!”
Lady Guilford took Jane’s hand and pressed it, leaning a little closer to her.
