Page 60 of An Offer for a Spinster
“What kind of nonsense are you referring to, Lord Barwood?” Timothy asked sweetly. “After all, you don’t read novels yourself.”
“Oh, you know the sort.”
“No, actually, I don’t. Do you, Lady Katherine?”
“I’m quite at a loss,” Katherine remarked. She was beginning to enjoy herself. Lord Barwood was going red. Hopefully he was regretting plonking himself next to her, and perhaps he would rethink monopolizing her attention for the rest of the evening.
“The sort of things novelists write about. Women being forced into marriages and running away, and goodness knows what else, when everybody knows that parents who arrange their daughters’ marriages generally choose better than the woman herself.”
“Is that so?” Katherine muttered, taking a long sip of her wine. “Why do you think somebody else would choose a woman’s husband better than she could?”
He blinked at her. “Are you in earnest?”
“Deadly earnest.”
“Well, it stands to reason. Ladies think with their hearts. They’re all emotion, and don’t think of logic at all.”
“I’m not sure you know enough ladies to make such a sweeping statement.”
Lord Barwood shifted, irritated. He was clearly sick of the conversation, and it was visibly grating on him that Katherine and Timothy would not let him drop the matter. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder at Timothy, the two of them exchanging knowing glances.
“It’s simply scientific fact, Lady Katherine,” Lord Barwood blustered. “And besides, I know quite well that most ladies pick their own husbands. The Season is designed for such a thing, after all. The problem with modern women, you see, is that they do not appreciate the freedom they have. You hear such nonsensical requests – women wanting to vote, wanting to engage inprofessions, for heaven’s sake – and frankly, it infuriates me. Women have great freedom in this part of the world. Imagine if these dissatisfied women lived in a part of the world, they were obliged to cover their heads all the time. How would they feelthen?”
“It is custom for a lady to wear a bonnet whenever she ventures outside,” Katherine pointed out equably. “There are a great many rules regulating what a lady can and cannot do, and what she must wear.”
“That is not the same. Andvotingis a frankly nonsensical thing. Imagine, trusting a silly young woman with avote? Can you imagine it?”
Katherine sighed. “I can imagine it, Lord Barwood.”
The conversation finally trailed away. Lord Barwood was clearly piqued at the subject and shot numerous wounded little glares at Katherine. He tried to ignore Timothy altogether.
The dinner dragged on through several more courses, and Katherine contented herself with talking to Timothy instead. Lord Barwood probably fancied himself to be punishing her by ignoring her, but in truth, it was a huge relief.
Towards the end of the dessert course, Amelia came flitting around the table, and tapped Katherine on the shoulder.
“I’m asking some of the younger people if they’d like to play a few songs on the pianoforte after dinner,” she whispered. “Would you mind joining in?”
“Of course I will. Is there music?”
“Yes, there is. Would you mind going first? Just a few songs will do, or even just one – whatever you feel comfortable with.”
Katherine smiled at Amelia and nodded. It meant that she wouldn’t have much chance to speak to Timothy, but it also meant that Lord Barwood would be obliged to leave her alone. Although perhaps his ill-temper would continue into the evening. If she talked exclusively about novels with her friends, he might go away.
Amelia fluttered away to another one of the young people, leaving Katherine alone between the two gentlemen. She glanced first at Lord Barwood, then at Timothy.
How strange that two men of a similar age could be so different. How seeing one could make my heart sink, and seeing the other could make me feel… well, make me feel entirely different.
***
It was entirely an accident when Katherine learned that Timothy was leaving. She was just stepping down from the pianoforte to polite applause, with another lady stepping up after her, when she saw his familiar head bobbing through the crowd, towards the exit. She hurried after him, hand outstretched to touch his arm.
He stopped abruptly, and Katherine nearly walked into his back. It left them standing entirely too close together.
“You… you’re going?” Katherine stammered. “So soon?”
Timothy flushed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave so early. I just received word that my father is on his way home. He’ll summon me to his study to receive a lecture as soon as he gets back – that’s his way. It’s better if I leave before he arrives. I’ve explained it all to Amelia, and she understands. Between you and me, my father is almost certainly in his cups, and few things inspire rage in him like my presence. I am sorry – but at least I was able to stay for your pianoforte performance. It was excellent, by the way, but I fear I am pushing the limits of timeliness.”
Katherine bit her lip. He’d risked running into his wretched father, just so that he could hear her play the pianoforte? Even after he’d heard her play the pianoforte countless times over the years.
