Page 13 of The Uncouth Duke of Longford
“She was very close to it, thanks to you.” Lord Wrexham let out a hiss of breath, shaking his head, his hands at his waist. “Do you not understand? Your words struck her hard and I cannot understand why you thought to say them.”
Andrew swallowed back his sharp reply, wanting to immediately absolve himself of any sort of responsibility, wanting to tell Lord Wrexham that he had done nothing wrong but finding that he could not. He had permitted his frustration to take a hold of him, had allowed the embarrassment he felt torun words from his lips that he would never otherwise have said though he certainly had never intended for there to be such a grave injury to Miss Grifford.
“I did not think she would overhear,” he muttered, looking away rather than back into the face of his angry friend. “I thought the noise of the ballroom would hide my words.”
“Well, it did not. You struck a painful blow to the lady and she disappeared from our company in an instant. That is because of you.” Lord Wrexham shook his head again, then passed one hand over his eyes. “I do not think I can spend another moment in your company.”
“What do you mean?” Andrew took a step back, seeing the anger still rippling through Lord Wrexham’s features and not understanding it in any way whatsoever. After all it was not as though he had brought any insult to Lord Wrexham himself! “I have not upset you, have I?”
“Yes, you have.”
“In what way?” Andrew exclaimed, his eyes rounding a little. “I have already told you that it was unintentional and I must say, I did not insultyouin any way, did I? Why, then would you step away from me?”
Lord Wrexham turned to face him, looking him straight in the eye. “Your Grace, we have been friends for some time – and, I consider, good friends – and yet you do not seem to understand what it is that I am saying. I have already spoken to you about the dark reputation that you are garnering for yourself and warned you against it. Now, however, I see that you have given this no thought whatsoever for, in speaking as you have done, in showing so little consideration as you have done, has onlyaddedto that reputation. You have injured Miss Grifford tremendously and even now, as I stand here and speak to you, it seems that you do not understand it. Can you not see that there are consequences to speaking so thoughtlessly? Even I do notwant to be in company with you and that ought to be something that should trouble you!”
“You… you think I did wrong?”
“Yes!” Lord Wrexham exclaimed, throwing up his hands. “Of course I do! You ought to have signed the lady’s dance card! You ought to have stepped out with her rather than insult her.”
Andrew shook his head. “Ifyouhad not said a single word about my dancing, ifyouhad not made any suggestion that I dance with the lady, then none of this would have happened.”
“I thought you would have a little compassion,” came the quick reply. “I saw how you spoke to her – and to her mother – when Lady Carmichael seemed to ignore her own daughter in favour of the other one. I thought there was a little hint of compassion there in your heart for her. I thought you would see just how much dancing with the lady would mean to her. Do you not understand what she was saying? Do you not see that her sister is given preference? Do you not see how the elder Miss Grifford is favoured? Did you not even notice how both Miss Renfrew and she stood together without a single chaperone for either of them?”
Andrew frowned, his heart beginning to hit hard in his chest. “I… I did not.”
“Goodness.” Lord Wrexham closed his eyes. “No doubt you were so focused upon yourself, upon your own considerations and frustrations with me in how I spoke that you did not even think about Miss Renfrew or Miss Grifford. Had you even taken in what it was she was saying? Had you even thought about the sadness that such a situation must bring her? I could hear it in her voice and see it in her expression, though she laughed and did her best to hide it.”
Dropping his head forward, Andrew felt nothing but shame and guilt crash into him, leaving him feeling a little breathless.
“I cannot be any longer in your company,” Lord Wrexham continued, firmly. “Not this evening. I am much too angry and, quite frankly, when others who will, no doubt, have heard what you said to her begin to whisper it amongst themselves, I should very much like to be no longer in your company for fear that the rumours will pull me in also.”
Andrew lifted his head. “I do not think that anyone will have overheard.”
“Then you are a fool,” Lord Wrexham declared, firmly, his gaze steady and filled with steel shards. “If Miss Grifford overheard it – and she did – then I can promise you that a good many others will have heard it also. This ballroom is full of both gentlemen and ladies – it is bustling! Someone will have heard you and the whispers will soon begin. I only pray that Miss Grifford will not be marred by them.”
Before Andrew could say anything more, his friend had turned sharply on his heel and was gone from him.
Andrew did not know what to do. The shock of his friend’s actions was quite astonishing, for Andrew had never been left to stand alone in such a way before. His stomach dipped, his heart beating a little faster as he slowly turned around and began to meander towards the back of the room, attempting to look as nonchalant as possible even though he was feeling a little sick to his stomach. He had been genuine when he had stated that there had been no deliberate act on his part to upset Miss Grifford, having had no intention of allowing her to overhear him though, given that she had, Andrew had not had any expectation that she would be so deeply upset by it! Still scowling, he continued on into the dark recesses of the ballroom, only to come face to face with Miss Grifford herself.
She was standing alone, a handkerchief in one hand and the other grasped into a tight fist which, no doubt, came from the sight of seeing him again. Andrew cleared his throat and lookedaway, not quite certain whether he ought to say something or simply move away.
“Miss Grifford.” Seeing that he had, evidently, decided to say something, Andrew then fought to know how to continue. Closing his eyes, he shrugged and then spread out both hands. “I did not mean to injure you.”
“You did not mean to?” Her voice was thin, whispering but yet filled with disbelief. Disbelief which Andrew could very well understand.
“Yes.” He lifted both shoulders and then let them fall. “It was not my intention to injure you, Miss Grifford.”
She shook her head, her hand now gripping the handkerchief very hard indeed. “I hardly think that you cannot understand how saying such things would not bring me a great injury. I am already well aware that I struggle to have gentlemen offering to dance with me, Your Grace. I am not well known amongst society and shall have very little opportunity to be so, I fear. Therefore, your words could not have struck a harder blow.”
“That was unintentional.”
The way she looked away told him that she did not believe a word of what he had said and that, for whatever reason, irritated Andrew a great deal.
“I am speaking the truth, Miss Grifford. I spoke honestly and –”
“That is your issue there, Your Grace.” Miss Grifford lifted her chin, her eyes sharp and no longer filled with tears. “You may very well be honest – I believe that I said I have understood your words to be quite true – but what you seem to be lacking is the understanding that what you said to me was greatly injurious.” She took a step closer to him, one hand pointing, her finger pressing lightly against his chest. “Do you not think that I am already aware of such things? That they do not cause mepain? That my heart is not already aching? Whether you were honest or not, do you not see that your words have struck a painful blow to an already broken heart?”
Andrew swallowed tightly, waiting for the rush of frustration and anger which her words would, no doubt, bring about but much to his surprise, they did not come. In fact, nothing but sympathy filled his heart and his hand, seemingly of its own accord, reached up and took hers as her finger pressed heavily against his heart.
