Page 9 of The Earl's Error
“What is it?” Theodore asked, a little suspicious that his mother had purchased something all the more ridiculous to elevate herself in amongst society. “Pray do not tell me that you have decided to buy something to add to your finery. You look very well already.”
His mother cast him a long look before turning away from him. “I do not think this concerns you, Theodore. Do excuse me for a few minutes. In fact, why do you not go to the ballroom so that you are ready to greet the guests as they arrive?”
Her secretive behavior made Theodore all the more suspicious though he said nothing, narrowing his gaze just a little as she walked away. There was something about that parcelthat she did not want him to see, though Theodore had no choice other than to do what she had suggested. He could not simply linger in the drawing room and wait for her to return, not when the guests were soon to be arriving.
With a small sigh and a shake of his head, Theodore slowly began to meander towards the ballroom, his mind full of weighted thoughts. He had done well in standing up to her and refusing her demands of the heirloom necklace, he knew, but that did not mean that the days that had followed had been easy. There had been many a time he had felt himself weakening under her complaints but yet, he had managed to stand against her and, in doing so, had found a slow-growing strength.
Though I did not manage to prevent this ball,he thought to himself, grimacing.I shall have to be more aware of what she is doing in the future.
Standing alone just outside the ballroom, ready to greet his first guests, Theodore clasped his hands behind his back and listened to the orchestra as they played in the empty ballroom. It was a beautiful piece and Theodore closed his eyes to listen, sensing a calmness that flooded through his entire frame. Yes, she ought never to have done this, ought never to have planned a ball and invited guests all without his consent, but it had been done and there was nothing else for him to do but to enjoy it.
“It is good to see you with a smile on your face, Albury. I am sure that you will enjoy this evening.”
Theodore opened his eyes. “Perhaps I will but –” The words stuck in his throat, a choking sound emitting from his lips as he stared at his mother, horrified by what he saw.
“You will not be angry with me, I am sure!” she exclaimed, gesturing to the emerald necklace which now adorned her neck. It contained three rows of jewels, each an emerald and each greatly valuable. “You know how much I needed these and if you were not going to fetch them for me, then I thought I would sendfor them myself.” She smiled and tilted her head, the emerald earrings catching the light. “Can you not see how much I care for you? I did not trouble you any further for the heirlooms, did I? Instead, I found a way to fetch them myself.”
The tightness in his throat increased with every second until he could barely breathe. His eyes were fixed on the emeralds, his heart pounding as sweat broke out across his forehead. How could she have done this to him? He had expressed himself clearly that she wasnotto have the emeralds!
“You are upset, I can tell. But that will pass,” she continued, speaking gently now as though she were speaking to a child. “Come now, our first guests are arriving! I can hear their footsteps approaching.”
Theodore did not, could not, move. The shock of seeing the emeralds was more than he could put into words, his breathing labored now as pain struck at his heart again and again. He felt weaker than ever before, as though the strength he thought he had in standing up to her was now gone entirely, sapped by her selfish actions. The sheer lack of respect for him as the Earl of Alburyandfor what he had decided was like a knife stabbing at his heart, making him feel as though he was nothing more than an ant, able to be trodden on and forgotten by her.
“Lord and Lady Greenock, how delighted to have you join us this evening,” he heard his mother say, though still, he said nothing and did not move an inch, staring fixedly at his mother. “You are the first to arrive and we are overjoyed to be able to welcome you to ourprestigiousball.”
“We were delighted at the invitation,” Lady Greenock gushed, as Lord Greenock approached Theodore, ready to shake his hand. “I do not think that I have ever attended a ball of yours before, Lord Albury, and I am sure it will be a wonderful one.”
Theodore blinked three times, trying to understand what it was that Lord Greenock was saying to him but found that hecould not. His chest was too tight, his hand wooden as he managed to grasp Lord Greenock’s and shake it. There was no smile on his face, no words spoken to Lord Greenock himself and despite his mother’s warning look, he simply could not pull himself out of his shock.
“If you would just make your way into the ballroom,” he heard his mother say. “You must see the chalked floor! It is truly magnificent.”
“I thank you.” With a momentary glance towards Theodore, Lord Greenock took his wife’s arm and then led her into the ballroom
At the very next moment, his mother’s fingers wrapped tightly around Theodore’s arm, forcing him to look at her.
“Whatever is the matter with you?” she hissed, as yet more voices were heard in the hallway. “Do you not see that we are greeting our guests? You cannot simply stand there and say nothing!”
Anger rolled around in a ball in Theodore’s stomach and he yanked his hand away, the pain in his chest finally breaking and giving way, instead, to fury. “I cannot believe that you would do such a thing to me.”
“Do what?” his mother asked, stepping back. “If it is about the heirlooms, then I cannot see that I have done anything wrong.”
Theodore snorted and shook his head. “Of course you would not,” he said coldly, ignoring the way his mother hushed him, clearly wanting him to lower his voice. “You did not get what you wanted from me and instead, you decided to get it regardless of what I had said about it all. Is that not so?”
His mother lifted her chin and looked straight into his eyes. “I do not care about that. I care about the heirlooms.”
“You do not care,” Theodore answered, a sudden stabbing pain striking him at her words. “That is the truth of it then, yes?You do not care about what I have decided. You would willingly go against me, even though the heirlooms are under my control. How does that show any sort of respect for me? How does that –”
“If you do not wish to shame yourself and ruin your family’s reputation, then might I suggest that you come to your senses, close your mouth, and turn to greet our guests with joviality and warmth?” Interrupting him, his mother grabbed his wrist this time and pulled herself closer to him. “Understand this, I care not for your feelings, Theodore. I wanted the heirlooms and I have them. That is all that is important to me and thus, you may as well keep your anger to yourself for it will do nothing to me.”
It was as though he had been standing by the ocean and a monstrously cold wave crashed right over him. His mother turned away and put a smile on her face that Theodore simply could not understand, a brightness in her expression that he could not fathom. How could she speak such harsh words to him in one breath and then appear so light of spirit in the moments thereafter? Numb, he forced himself to greet his guests, aware that, despite her harshness, his mother had been right in what she had said. He would only mortify himself if he did not greet his guests as he ought; it would only shame his good name if he turned away in either anger or upset. Despite all that he felt, he had to push it all away, had to hide it from all who came to greet him.
Though once the ball was at an end, Theodore was quietly determined that something would have to be done. After all she had said and done, he did not think he could be in his mother’s company any longer.
“There you are, nephew.”
Theodore groaned inwardly as his aunt, Lady Yarmouth, grabbed at his arm. “Aunt. Good evening.”
“I have come to tell you that you are beingmostunfair towards your mother,” his aunt declared, with the same spirited manner that he saw so often in his mother. “It is quite right for her to have the heirlooms.”
