Page 30 of The Uncompromising Marquess
“Helena.”
The clipped, surprised tone from Lady Grangemouth spoke of both her surprise and her disinclination towards having her niece join them. “We were not expecting you.”
“Then I am glad to have surprised you.” Helena, who gave Florence a long look before returning her smile to Lady Grangemouth, shrugged lightly. “The weather is soverydreary – something between rain and snow – and I was sure you would not have all been going out walking or the like. Thus, I found myself here.”
“But what of your husband?”
As Florence watched, Helena started in surprise and then turned quickly, her eyes rounding at the sight of Lord Cheswick. She blinked, glanced at Florence and then lifted her chin a notch. “What of him?”
“Have you no thought of how you might… entertain him on such a grey day?”
The color that rose in Florence’s face matched the rosy flurry in Helena’s cheeks. Lord Cheswick was not only being rude but inappropriate, speaking in a way that showed his complete lack of respectability. Florence could not have been more ashamed that this was the man she was soon to call husband.
“My husband is very well able to take care of himself,” Helena replied, tightly. “Although I thank you for your concern, Lord Cheswick.” Going to sit down beside Florence, she threw her a quick look but said nothing.
“I am very glad to see you,” Florence whispered, as the maid came in with the tea tray. “Thank you for coming.” As she had returned to her bed chamber after speaking with her father, Florence had instructed the maid to send for Helena at once. How grateful she was that her cousin had been willing to come to the house without hesitation!
“Why is Lord Cheswick present?” Helena whispered, speaking out of the corner of her mouth. “Why should he – ”
“Are you not going to serve the tea, Lady Florence?” Lord Cheswick’s voice was thin, his eyes narrowing as Florence looked at him. “We are waiting for you to do as you ought.”
Florence blinked, concerned at the dark look on Lord Cheswick’s face. Had he known that she had been about to speak to Helena about him? Or was he simply displeased at the interruption? “I will leave it for a few more minutes, Lord Cheswick. The tea will be much too weak otherwise.”
“No, you will pour it now.”
Her breath caught at the anger in his eyes. Leaning forward in his chair, he smacked one fist into the palm of the other. “Do as I have told you, Lady Florence! And do it at once!”
“Whatever is the meaning of this?”
Before Florence could respond, Helena rose to her feet, her face now white with anger. “Lord Cheswick, you astonish me indeed!”
“Why should that concern me?” he replied harshly, his lip curling. “Lady Florence is to be my wife so she may as well begin to become used to all that will be demanded of her.”
“Wife?” Helena practically screamed the word, spinning around to look at Florence. Florence could not bring herself to say anything, only giving a tiny nod as Helena caught her breath, one hand flying to her mouth.
“I do not think that you will be much good for my wife, Lady Wickham.” Lord Cheswick sat forward in his chair. “This friendship will have to come to an end, I think.”
The whole room began to shrink as Florence shuddered violently, feeling herself quite unable to escape from Lord Cheswick. Her mother and father had decided upon him, and even with this, Florence was quite certain her mother would say nothing. There would be no real concern spoken, no consideration given. There was no way out.
“You do not have the right to speak so at present, Lord Cheswick,” Helena replied, her voice thin and threatening. “This is not your home, and Lady Florence is not yet your wife.”
Lord Cheswick chuckled, and fear raked itself down Florence’s spine. “Ah, but she soon will be,” he said, as Helena sat back down and gripped Florence’s hand. “And then, I can assure you, everything will change.”
A vision of her future struck Florence’s mind, and she almost cried out because of it. She would be alone with Lord Cheswick, forced to do whatever it was he wanted, shamed by his inappropriate behavior and arrogant demands. Helena would no longer be a part of her life and mayhap even her family – should she even want to see them – would be pushed away. Her life would become very small indeed, surrounded by dark and shadow with no hope of any sort of escape.
15
Joseph grimaced. Lady Florence was not yet present at this Christmas soiree, and this was now the fourth evening he had not seen her. His concern was growing, but as yet, he had not taken any steps to go to her.
The last few days, he had found himself in something of a mire. Every time he tried to step forward, it would cling to him, pulling him back down to the depths. It was, he had come to realize, the understanding of just how much upset and pain he had caused others over the years. It had finally hit him full in the chest, capturing his heart and filling him with a sense of shame that he had not been able to step away from. Of course, he had thought also of Lady Florence, trying to ascertain what his feelings meant – and just how deeply they penetrated. His head had hurt with the weight of thoughts within it, and thus, he had shrunk into himself a little.
“You are frowning, brother.”
Glancing at Emily, Joseph rolled his eyes and tried to smile, casting his thoughts away. “Must you always be pursuing me?”
“Yes.” Emily grinned at him. “As yet, you have not found a suitable wife and therefore, I must continue to make certain that all is going well.”
Joseph chuckled ruefully. “And after the disaster that befell my Christmas ball, you are now determined that I need even more help, yes?”
