Page 11 of The Viscount's Forgery
Heat began to curl up in Nicholas’ chest, making him look away from the lady’s fierce gaze. He had, he realized, not only misstepped but misspoken, suggesting a state of affairs that was clearly not in the least bit true. It had been foolish of him to say so, and he was not too ashamed nor stubborn to admit it. “You are quite right, Miss Shrewsbury, I donotknow your sister. I ought not to have said such a thing. I was taking my own concerns and placing them upon her.”
This brought a quietness to the lady’s expression that Nicholas had not seen before. Her eyes gentled, no longer as intense a gaze upon her as before. A soft pink came into her cheeks, and her shoulders dropped as she watched him.
“I apologize,” he said, spreading out his hands. “I care for my friend a good deal, and I am sure you want the very best for your sister also. Let us hope that there is a swift resolution to this circumstance, for both of their sakes.”
“Indeed,” she murmured, her head tilting just a little as though she had not really seen him before. “I appreciate your apology, Lord Suffolk. You are very gracious.”
He put one hand to his heart. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“Might I ask,” she said, coming a little closer to him and, strangely enough, making his heart skip a beat, “would you be willing to say something to the Marquess on my behalf? We have spoken previously, but I did not say this at the time, for I was not certain of my sister’s feelings.”
Trying to regain his composure and not concentrate on the odd twist of his heart, Nicholas began to walk again so that theywould not lose the Marquess and Miss Shrewsbury. “Of course. I would be glad to, if it would help these circumstances.”
“I thank you.” She paused for a long moment, making Nicholas wonder if she had thought better of saying anything to him, only for her to sigh aloud. “If you might, Lord Suffolk, could you share with Lord Bothwell that my sister does care for him a great deal. Her heart is still his, though it is near to breaking from the parting between them.Thatis why she still holds on, that is why she has not come here in the hope of finding another gentleman. It is because she cares for him deeply and cannot think of what it would be like to be in the arms of another.” She spoke very candidly, making Nicholas’ heart quicken, his face heating even though those words were not directed towards him.
“I shall certainly say those things to him,” he said quickly, as she offered him a small smile of gratitude. “I know it will mean a great deal to him.”
“I must hope so.” Miss Shrewsbury’s smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come. “Polly is determined to be the very best wife she can be, and that desire comes out of love for Lord Bothwell. I pray that he will see that.”
“I will express all of those things to him just as soon as I can,” Nicholas promised, a little surprised at all that had been shared with him given their short acquaintance. “Thank you, Miss Shrewsbury. I appreciate your trust in me.”
The smile returned. “You do appear to be a gentleman, Lord Suffolk,” she said, as he frowned. “You directed me back to the ballroom instead of doing anything that would have been to your advantage but not to my own. Besides which, given your loyalty to your friend, which is so clearly shown, I can trust you with this, I think.”
It took Nicholas a few moments, but the realization as to who she was hit him quickly. He snatched in a breath, recalling thedark-haired young lady who had been gazing at a painting in the hallway when the ball was going on elsewhere.
She smiled at him.
“I – I remember now,” he said, aware that much was obvious already. “You were captivated by a piece of artwork on the wall.”
“When I ought to have been in the ballroom with my friends,” she said, with a rueful smile. “Thank you for being a true gentleman in that moment, Lord Suffolk. It was very much appreciated, just as it is now.”
“You are quite welcome.” As the walk came to a close, with both couples returning to where they had first met, Nicholas reflected on his time with the young lady. Miss Sherwood was someone he could not quite make out, having heard her determined words and, thereafter, her gentleness and appreciation. As they bid the ladies farewell, Nicholas could not help but feel a slight flicker of interest in his heart, thinking to himself that, despite the moments of irritation and annoyance, he would very much like to know her a little better all the same.
4
Looking around the room at her friends, Eugenia could not help but feel a slight pang of sorrow, this despite their happiness! She and Lady Isobella were now the only two ladies without a gentleman, and while that did make her very happy for her friends, she was very aware that there would not be the same connection between them all as had been this Season.
“Well, we have nothing more to decipher, it seems!” Lady Rosalyn said as the ladies set their tea cups down. “We have had three things to resolve and have managed to come to a satisfactory conclusion with each! The Season will come to a close within the next few months and then we shall all be parted.”
Miss Trentworth chuckled. “Ah, but I am sure we will find more mysteries to discover in the meantime, for I am not quite ready to marry and settle myself down, not as yet. And Lord Albury has been very kind in stating that we can remain in London for a month or two longer before preparations are made for the wedding.”
“Though we will all soon be parted,” Eugenia found herself saying, her heart aching a little. “I shall miss you all dreadfully… especially if I have only my sister for company upon my return to my father’s estate!”
Lady Isobella smiled sympathetically. “Is there no hope of a reconciliation between herself and the Marquess?”
“I cannot say as yet.” Briefly, Eugenia recounted the conversation she had shared with Lord Suffolk, seeing her friends listening carefully so as not to miss any details. “And thus, I must hope that Lord Suffolk will tell Lord Bothwell all I have said, so that he will make a decision – though what that decision will be, I cannot say with any certainty.”
There was a short silence as each of her friends considered what they were to say. Then, Lady Amelia leaned forward just a little, looking straight at Eugenia. “You are very good to speak so about your sister, especially when she has made things rather difficult for you at times.”
Eugenia winced. “Do not think that I have found it easy, I would not want you all to think me a saint. Yes, I have found it very difficult indeed with Polly, for she not only blamed me for what occurred but declared that I was a bluestocking to both my father and my mother – although my mother has subsequently seemed to ignore all of that and has focused only on Polly.” She sighed and then closed her eyes briefly. “Yes, she has always fought to be better than I and has pushed herself to the fore, but that has never truly concerned me. I have always had different values and interests than hers, but… but seeing her so very sad has made my heart soften towards her, that is for certain.”
“She does truly love Lord Bothwell, then?”
In answer to Lady Isobella’s question, Eugenia nodded. “Yes, I think that she does. That does not mean that I disagreed with the Marquess’ statement at the time, when he said he did not feel as though he truly knew Polly; he most certainly did not. This,mayhap, might be a very good thing if it means that they become better acquainted,butit has been a very long time indeed, and that has caused Polly a good deal of distress.”
“Then let us hope that Lord Suffolkdoesshare with Lord Bothwell all that you have said.” Lady Amelia’s brow furrowed. “It must be very difficult for Polly, for I cannot imagine what it would be like to find yourself in love with a gentleman who then turns away.”
This brought a moment of somberness to the group, making Eugenia’s heart twist with a fresh wave of sympathy for her sister. Yes, they had not been the best of friends, and yes, there was much that she would change about their connection, but all the same, Polly was still her sister, and she did still care about her happiness. These last few months, she had seen her change significantly, going from a vibrant, bright character to someone who had dulled and faded. Eugenia did not want that for Polly any longer, even if Polly still pushed her away.
