Page 12 of The Reclusive Earl's Scandal
“I do not really know,” she sighed. “I wish Harry could attend these events.”
“It would be good to consider that you would not attend them in future if you married him,”
Catherine delicately pointed out. “You would be a commoner.”
Somehow, that fact had never bothered Rebecca before, but now she had to think over such a thing as she gazed out at the ballroom. Did she truly even enjoy these events or did she simply attend because it was what was expected of her? She knew her role and place in society as the daughter of the Duke of Bancroft, and that was the part she would always play.
Even when she married, she would attend balls carryinghisname, andhistitle. But with Harry there would have been none of that. She didn’t know. She didn’t know where he fit into her future anymore, and part of her felt that her games tonight betrayed him and the future they had never talked about but each privately thought. At least Rebecca hoped he had. But then to hope that he had, only to know she would have to let him down, was that not unfair?
“I do not know about anything,” she admitted.
“Did you have fun with the suitors, at least?” Mary asked. “You smiled a lot, I noticed.”
Catherine scoffed. “Oh, please. A smile is the easiest thing to fake. One simply has to put it in place and let it work its charm.”
At that, Mary grimaced, but Rebecca thought she was trying to falsely smile. The two of them winced at the other friend, fighting back a giggle. But then Mary herself laughed, sighing.
“I danced with Lord Jonathan and greatly enjoyed myself,” Mary told them, her eyes turning outward, as if searching for him.
“Lord Jonathan is a terrible conversationalist.” Catherine frowned. “Did you not find him to be a little dull?”
“Oh, not at all!” Mary enthused. “In fact, we spoke about if Beethoven’sMinuet in G Majorwould be best reworked and...”
“Oh,Mary,” Catherine groaned. “You shall bore the man away!”
Mary’s brow furrowed but she waved her off. “Well, I enjoyed myself. Didyou?”
“I did,” Catherine sniffed. “You may not have noticed but my first was with Lord Hurston. Furthermore, I also danced with the Earl of Thornshire, recently returned from the countryside. Rumours have stated that he has been a recluse. Word has spread of my return into society, I imagine, and perhaps he was intrigued.”
Rebecca fought to keep the surprise off her face. She had not seen her friends speaking, although she caught herself short at calling Edward a friend. They had been once, but it must have been at least ten years, if not a little less.
Her focus slipped back to Edward as Catherine spoke about her hope that she had interested Edward enough, and how she had noticed his sister was entering society that Season, too. After all, if he had spent so long in the countryside he may have needed the guidance.
“I think he will want to spend more time with me,” Catherine declared. “And I with him.”
Rebecca nodded enthusiastically, though she couldn’t look away from Edward. He had grown up well in their years apart, and grief had made his eyes dimmer than she recalled, but he still held that strange aura about him. The one that said he would have preferred to remain in a corner, as he often had when they were children.
When his eyes flicked to hers, Rebecca hurriedly looked away.
She forced her thoughts back to Harry Maudley, reminding herself she had enough problems on her plate without the return of an old friend to attend to.
Chapter Five
Over breakfast the morning after Lady Montgomery’s ball, Edward was preoccupied, lost in his thoughts of seeing his former childhood friend, Lady Rebecca, although he couldn’t help but think of how casually they had spoken with one another.
I ought to call you Lord Edward, yet here we are. Her words echoed in his mind, and he fought back a smile at the teasing way she had looked at him. He had corrected her, and it had hurt to do so, but he’d needed to. He had seen the flicker of empathy through her eyes, but had not wanted to linger on such a thing.
“What has you smiling, brother?”
Edward startled and looked up at Elena, who fixed him with an amused, expectant look. “Nothing,” he said quickly.
“A shame,” his mother noted delicately. “I was hoping to hear you say it was a lady from the ball last night.”
Edward tensed. How right she was, but not in the way she wanted to be. His mother watched him, her eyes alight with hope and satisfaction.
“Ah, well.” He tried to shrug off the comment and avoid the conversation centering around his prospects, but he should have known better than to hope for such a thing, not when he was surrounded by the vultures of his family, wanting a snatch of something regarding his future. “I am certain it will be soon.”
“How did your search go?” Elena asked. “Did any lady catch your eye? I am certain they did. Everybody is very beautiful this Season, I believe they all stand out. Did you dance with Lady Catherine?”
