Page 19 of Awakening a Lord's Desires
“His friend, I believe,” she said, hoping that Charles didn’t notice her talking about him.
“Very good, very good. And what of that other good-looking chap? The one with the dark hair and polite smile.”
Caroline refrained from rolling her eyes. “Ah, Mr. Thornhill. He is my stepmother’s nephew.”
“A very good-looking fellow, indeed,” the woman said, smiling at her.
Caroline nodded, but she was irritated that Max had likely heard that and would discuss it for days to come. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Penelope and Max turned away from her, heading towards where Matilda stood with her mother.
She could hear Mrs. Thornton speaking, but she didn’t pay any attention; she was far too focused on what was happening. When her stepmother turned to introduce Max to Matilda, Caroline could see the big smile on her face. Caroline’s heart started to beat fast. Of course, it was not unusual for her stepmother to introduce everyone to Max, but this seemed pointed, and Caroline knew why.
After Max’s parents had died a few months before, Caroline had overheard Penelope and her father talking about how he had no money. The family had been in great debt, but the selling of most of their assets had helped Max to pay most of them off. But now, he was in need of funds, and he would have to marry well if he was going to gain anything.
“Are you listening, dear?” Mrs. Thornton asked, touching her arm.
Reluctantly, Caroline turned back to look at her guest, but her stomach was filled with dread. “Yes, of course. Forgive me. There is so much here to distract, I believe.”
There certainly was, for she knew exactly why Penelope seemed so overjoyed to introduce Max to Matilda, and she left them on their own, talking to Matilda’s mother instead. Max was in need of money, and Lady Matilda Chatsworth was a young lady with one of the largest dowries in the county.
This was not to be borne, and Caroline tried her best to think of a solution. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alexander from his place in a different part of the room, watching the interaction with jealous interest.
I will simply have to convince Alexander to fight for her. That is all. Or else, as she usually does, Penelope will get her way.
Chapter 20
Caroline eventually escaped Mrs Thornton, and she spoke to a few others, trying to make her way across the room to Matilda. She could see her friend still in conversation with Max, and even from afar, she could tell he was being his usual charming self.
He was smiling, making her laugh, and Matilda seemed to be enjoying herself. But Caroline prayed that her friend had listened to her about Max enough to know that he was not a good man, that he would do practically anything to protect his vanity as well as to gain money.
The fact that he was his aunt’s pet did not endear him to Caroline in any way, and she was certain Matilda would notice that herself soon enough.
She cursed herself for not considering just how devious Penelope could be when it came to helping her nephew. The woman would stop at nothing to make him happy, even introducing him to Caroline’s wealthy friends in order to potentially create a match. Then she remembered what her stepmother had told Max the night he’d arrived—that she would take care of him.
But must Matilda suffer for the rest of her days, all because Penelope wishes to keep Max in the lifestyle he is accustomed to?
This angered her. If she was forced to live with the man for who knew how long, then she at least wanted to be able to tolerate him. But if he was out to capture her best friend, then she would be unable to stomach him. Likely, she also believed she might one day express her opinion in full, and she wasn’t sure that was the way to go about things. Not when her father’s health was seemingly precarious, and she would be left with only Penelope and Max for “family.”
Max eventually bowed and left, and Caroline glanced at Alex, who seemed visibly relieved before he turned to converse with someone else.
Oh, Alexander, why do you not approach her yourself? She chastised her friend in her mind as she hurried up to Matilda and clasped one of her hands.
“Dear God, I am so sorry that you had to endure such a conversation.” She grimaced, looking up into Matilda’s face for any sign that she had enjoyed it more than she would say.
But Matilda merely laughed, and she clasped Caroline’s other hand. “You do not have to apologise, I assure you. But my mother was eager for me to meet the baroness’ young nephew who had just come to call, and I knew our official meeting was inevitable. I was right; he is a rather good-looking fellow. Even my mother said so.”
Caroline bit her lip with concern. “I beg you, Matilda. Please do not allow him to charm you. Even if I do not know if he is exactly bad, I know that I do not like him. There is something in him that is not genuine, and I know his concerns are mainly of the pecuniary kind. They are the reason he will do whatever it is he does.”
“I know exactly what you mean, and I know. You have told me all this already.” Matilda lifted a brow. “Surely you do not think me in danger for falling for this man’s charms? It is not as if I am so very green. It is my second Season, after all.”
“Good, that is good,” Caroline replied with a relieved smile.
But she did not add that it was not merely her friend she worried for. It may have been true that Matilda would not fall for his charms, but her parents might consider Max to be a very worthy suitor if they never learned of his financial problems.
“Now, I think we should turn our thoughts to dinner. What if your stepmother has sat you next to the new guests, Lord Spencer and Mr Blackwell? Wouldn’t that be rather interesting?”
She took Caroline’s arm and turned them both to where the two gentlemen in question were speaking to the very dull Lord Martin. “There they are, playing the heroes, talking to the one man most of the young ladies in this room do not wish to speak to. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Caroline was touched that Lord Charles seemed not to mind whatever dull or uninteresting thing Lord Martin was saying at that very moment. It showed good character, and that only made him all the more fascinating.
