Page 62 of An Earl Like You
Eliza made a subtle noise of disagreement. Lady Gorenson sucked in her breath. “No!”
Lowering her voice even further, Eliza leaned close. “I understand his father’s financial situation isn’t entirely stable. He pursued Lady Edith only in hopes of gaining her dowry, it seems.”
“She told people she was in love with him!” burst out Lady Gorenson in a whisper.
Eliza bit her lip. “He deceived her into thinking he loved her. And who could not? Edith is so lovely and so loyal. For that cruelty I can never forgive him, and I have no wish to make his acquaintance. My only solace is that Hastings realized it before anything had been settled, and now he’s forbidden Mr. Benwick the house. But you must not tell anyone that,” she added hastily, as if she hadn’t meant to say it. “I don’t want to cause a scene with Mr. Benwick or his family—as long as he can’t hurt Edith any more than he has.”
“Of course.” Lady Gorenson goggled at her. “I’d no idea.”
“You must understand why we don’t speak of it,” Eliza murmured in reply. “I’d rather no one know, for Edith’s sake.”
“Of course,” said her hostess again. “I completely understand!”
Eliza smiled in gratitude and pressed her arm, then turned to go meet Hugh. Her knees were shaking, and she thought she’d better warn him about what she’d done. But she hadn’t gone more then two steps before she came face-to-face with Edith, ashen-faced and wide-eyed.
She stopped cold, her heart sinking.Oh no.Edith had been in the group of girls behind her the whole time.
“You told Lady Gorenson that Mr. Benwick was practically a fortune hunter,” said Edith, her voice barely audible.
She bit her lip and wondered what was the right thing to say. She always seemed to choose wrongly, when it came to Edith. “I couldn’t bear to be politely introduced to him after what he did.”
“Why?” Edith sounded genuinely bewildered.
Eliza looked at her, so young, so beautiful, so headstrong. “What he did is appalling,” she said evenly.
“But... But I—” Edith gave a tiny shake of her head, her brows knit. “Why—?”
She lightly touched Edith’s arm. “It does not matter what justification he gave. The way he treated you is unpardonable. I would think so no matter who the poor girl had been, and I cannot admire Mr. Benwick for being so rude and cruel.”
Edith’s mouth trembled. “No,” she agreed. She hesitated, then added, very softly, “Thank you.”
Without another word, Edith slipped back to the cluster of young ladies she’d been with before. Judging by the whispered conversation they struck up, and the furtive glances several girls gave Eliza, she guessed they were talking about her set-down of Mr. Benwick.
“Is something the matter?” murmured Hugh, his fingers grazing her waist in a casually affectionate touch that made her heart leap.
Eliza glanced at him. “No.” She cleared her throat. “I may have suggested to Lady Gorenson that Mr. Benwick is an unprincipled fortune hunter and you’ve forbidden him the house.”
“What?” He looked startled.
“And Edith overheard.” Eliza dared a quick look at her sister-in-law. As she did so, Edith glanced up and met her eyes. To Eliza’s surprise and cautious delight, Edith gave her a small nod before turning back to her friends. In spite of herself, she smiled—only to notice Hugh staring at her. She sobered. “I hope I didn’t—”
“No,” he said quietly. “I think you did exactly right. As of now, Mr. Benwickisbarred from my house, so it’s not even a lie.”
She beamed at him gratefully. She hadn’t truly expected that her actions would displease him, but it was enormously reassuring to hear him say it.
“I’d no idea Benwick would be here tonight.” He raised his head and looked across the room. “I should inform my mother and see if she wishes to leave.”
“Don’t you think,” began Eliza hesitantly, “that we ought to stay?”
“Stay!” He frowned. “And give him the chance to be cruel to Edith in person?”
“No, to give Edith the chance to show everyone that she’s not pining for him.” She looked at Edith again. There was a smile on her face now, and she even wrinkled her nose and laughed at something her friend said.
Hugh continued to scowl. “I don’t like it.”
Eliza also wouldn’t mind going home. The drawing room was crowded and hot, for all its elegance, and Georgiana, her only friend here, was off somewhere else. But something Georgiana had said, about holding up her head to prevent the gossips from being merciless, was very much in her mind tonight. She’d been doing that—not backing down, pretending she had the courage of an Amazon queen and the nerve of a circus performer—and it appeared to have worked. It seemed foolish to leave now and let that effort go unfulfilled. “If Edith walks out the instant Mr. Benwick appears, what will people think?” She could see him, too, standing at the side of the room sipping wine with a sulky expression. “I think it far better that he bear any shame or disapproval than Edith.”
“Lady Hastings.” Hugh tipped up her chin until she looked at him. “You are a remarkably insightful woman.”
