Page 16 of An Arranged Betrothal with an Icy Duke
“Lord Eaveswood.” Henry nodded to the gentleman, the one he had once called a friend and to whom he had not spoken for some years. “Good evening.” He bowed, feeling himself a little strained with the awareness of the tension growing between the Earl of Eaveswood and himself. “Thank you for the invitation.”
“Thank you for accepting it.” The gentleman put out one hand and shook Henry’s firmly, his expression open but his eyes searching. “I did not think that you would attend.”
Henry cleared his throat, shrugging lightly. “I am to make my way about society, I suppose, even though I have no real desire to do so.”
Lord Eaveswood nodded as though he understood. “Of course.”
“I… ” Glancing over his shoulder and seeing that there was no-one present, no-one else coming through the door with an eagerness to greet the host for the evening, Henry chose to continue. “I am sorry that I have not written or the like these last few years. We were good friends and – ”
“We still are good friends, old boy.” Lord Eaveswood put one hand on Henry’s shoulder, smiling. “Recall that I know exactly what happened and that, therefore, I fully understand why you were so determined to hide yourself away. Though I am glad that you have returned to London.”
“I thank you.” Henry looked away, a little surprised at how quickly his friend had forgiven him and how little there was of any sort of animosity for Henry’s absence and silence. Evidently, Lord Eaveswood had not thought anything of it and had offered sympathy and understanding instead. That had been rather unexpected. “I am to throw a house gathering very soon,Eaveswood. Only a small gathering, you understand. I did not know if you would be interested in attending but – ”
“How very kind of you! I have not been to your estate in some time and would be very much inclined towards returning there. And given that your estate is not too far from London, that would not be of any trouble. Two days drive, is it not?”
Henry nodded, all the more astonished that Lord Eaveswood would be so understanding, so quick to return to the friendship that Henry had broken so suddenly.
“I should be glad to attend.” Lord Eaveswood’s eyes twinkled. “You are also including my wife, I presume?”
Henry swallowed hard, his eyes closing for a moment. “Of course. Forgive me, I did not mean to forget the lady.” In the time that Henry had been away from London, his friend had not only courted one young lady but had then gone on to marry her. Henry could recall the letter he had received from him, telling him that he was soon to wed and how much affection he felt for the lady. Henry had only rolled his eyes at this and discarded the letter, choosing not to respond to the wedding invitation either. He had not had any cause to regret it, not until this moment.
“You have not been introduced to her as my wife as yet, have you?” Lord Eaveswood’s eyes softened as he looked across the room, directly towards a tall, slender lady with dark curls. “Though you were acquainted beforehand.”
“Yes, that is so though I should be glad to be introduced to her now.” Hesitating, Henry turned to look at his friend. “I did not reply to your news about your engagement and nor did I respond to the wedding invitation. I am sorry for such a thing.” He had not meant to say any such thing as that, had not thought to even speak words of apology but now that he was standing here, in the company of his friend, Henry felt compelled to do so. “I was lost in my own grief and pain and, truth be told, in anger. I did not want to see nor even speak to anyone.”
Lord Eaveswood nodded. “I understand, as I have said. I do not hold anything against you, though I should have liked to have known that you had returned to London rather than hearing it through the local gossips!” He chuckled, his eyes gleaming gently. “My wife is the most wonderful of ladies and I can assure you that she will not have even the smallest amount of irritation or upset as regards your absence from our wedding day.”
“I am grateful for that,” Henry replied, genuinely glad that the lady had not yet turned her husband against him. “It has been a somewhat difficult time but I am here now, at least.”
Lord Eaveswood nodded. “You are. How long do you intend to stay in London? Will you return after your house gathering?”
Henry hesitated, glancing away from his friend and, much to his surprise, seeing none other than Miss Tidemore looking back at him, though she quickly turned her head away from him. “It depends on certain things as to whether or not I will return.”
“Oh?”
After a moment of hesitation, Henry chose to be entirely honest with his friend, rather than keeping the secret of his present engagement. After all, thetonwould soon know of it and there was no reason, to Henry’s mind, to stay silent on the matter. A little surprised at how uncomfortable he was to speak of it, Henry took another few moments before he responded, seeing his friend’s slightly lifted eyebrows.
“I am to marry,” he said, as calmly as he could. “Well, by that I mean, I am already engaged but I must make certain that the lady is… suitable before I begin to plan the wedding.”
Lord Eaveswood did not react and, for some moments, simply looked back at Henry. Then he slowly began to nod, though no smile spread out across his face. “You are being cautious, then.”
Henry nodded. “I am.”
“Though you could simply have courted her, could you not?”
Quickly shaking his head, Henry tried to explain. “To be courting means that there is still a chance that I might not become engaged.”
Understanding shone in Lord Eaveswood’s eyes. “Ah. And you do not want to be surrounded by doting young ladies.”
“Precisely.” Henry smiled, finding himself relieved that his friend understood exactly what he was talking about. “Therefore, after being introduced to Miss Edith Tidemore and hearing of her character and her attributes, I decided that I would propose marriage and, thereafter, take her to spend some time at my estate alongside some other guests. That way, I will be able to make certain that she is all that her father says she is.”
“And you will be able to make sure she has no interest in any other gentlemen or is inclined towards deceit,” Lord Eaveswood finished for him, as Henry nodded again, blinking his surprise away that his friend could show such understanding. “I see.”
“I am glad you understand.”
“Does the lady understand?”
Henry found his gaze pulled away towards Miss Tidemore again, though she was not looking towards him in return as she had been before. “I have informed her that she must understand the role of a Duchess and thatImust be satisfied with that before I will begin to plan the wedding. That is all.”
